Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Marion Township

We went into the Applebee's location in Marion around 7 PM on a Thursday evening, after dinner rush. We were quickly shown to a clean booth, and served our drinks.

We ordered, and our appetizer, onion rings, arrived after only a short wait. They were still hot, but not fresh out of the fryer. They were crispy, not overdone, and went well with the paired barbecue sauce. They were satisfactory.

Our orders arrived. I ordered the chicken broccoli alfredo. My husband ordered a full rack of baby back ribs, with French fries and cole slaw. Both arrived warm. They were not hot.

We were hungry, so we began eating anyways. The sauce on the ribs was flavorful, and they were tender, but somehow it didn't permeate the meat. It was a strange disconnect. The fries were salt bombs. The cole slaw, in a small sauce cup, was really the star of the plate.

My chicken broccoli alfredo had odd temperature variations. My first bite of chicken was cool in my mouth, my first bite of pasta was the right temperature. When I mixed it all together, it became adequately warm. The flavors were adequate. It was alfredo. I would order it again, if it were delivered hot.

Yes, we could have sent the food back, but neither of us had eaten that day, so we ate. We did not finish the French fries. There wasn't enough tea or mountain dew in the restaurant to wash down all the salt.

We ordered dessert, the triple chocolate thing. IT was amazing. It was the high point of the meal, a great mix of hot (actually hot), and cold, the delicious vanilla ice cream, along with rich chocolate pudding. This dessert is absolutely a home run.

I have eaten at other Applebee's. They have given me better meals. Maybe this was a bad night, but this meal wasn't up to the standard I've come to expect from Applebee's other nearby restaurants.

It...

Server talks junk about us from across the restaurant loud enough for us to hear. Sorry, no one choose this job for you but you. She was upset that we came in to eat at her location (which im not sure, but that may not be in applebees favor) Truthfully, if no one comes in; you dont get paid so...I would think she would be happy to see guests. NOPE. Not friendly at all. Very short and cold at the table and rushed us. We came in a touch after 11pm...and yes we knew that close was at 12pm. I was in town visting with family and your restaurant was one of the only decent choices for Marion at that hour. A touch of understanding eould be great. Unfortunatlly, she even went on to tell us about how "her ride" is waiting outside and basically we were keeping her there. Probably THE most rude thing a server has ever said to me dining out. Ive worked (and still do) in the industry for 4 years and I would never dream of saying this to ANY GUEST. I would have been fired on the spot. Again, no one is interested in keeping you there late but you know, you are open until when you close. I dont make your hours. Maybe you should try a different profession. Maybe you should try McDonald's, just at thought. Applebees continues to disappoint with not only service issues but this time a server that clearly does not need to work with the public. We tipped 50% though she didnt deserve it. I plan to speak with managment. I will not...

We went on a Wednesday night to celebrate my dad’s birthday. There were many ahead of us, which was fine. My mom was interested in the large booth (there were 5 of us) closest to the door. She was told that they had to go in order, even though the booth stayed unoccupied the entire time we were there.

When we were seated, we were taken to a long table instead. We didn’t complain, but didn’t understand why we weren’t given the booth. The waitress was fantastic, attentive, and proficient. She anticipated what we needed every time.

The service was great, as was the company, but the food was subpar and disappointing. My dad’s shrimp was practically raw. My mom’s mac & cheese had hardly any cheese. My son’s mac & cheese was cold. We’d waited so long to get in, we didn’t want to wait longer to have the problem addressed. We spent well over $100, so we weren’t happy with the glorified fast food.

The women’s bathroom stunk, the (2) stalls were either 1) handicapped, or 2) one hardly big enough for a child. The toilet paper was so difficult to get out, I had to roll it over and over to just get one piece. As I was leaving I laughed when I saw a bathroom cleaning checklist hung on the door.

Although the waitress was great, I won’t be going back. I can think of other ways I’d rather...