Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Oceanside

Update. My husband and I went back on July 9, 2025 and talked to a manager about what happened on June 12, 2025. The manager apologized for the service we had received on our previous visit and said he would personally make sure we received better service that time. We did have our normal excellent service on July 9 and the manager we talked to told us that our server had told him we were regulars there. One of the other managers even recognized me and said hi when I was returning to the table from using the restroom. She also apologized for the service we had on June 12 and said she was glad our service was much better on July 9. My husband and I have dined at the Applebee's in Oceanside quite a few times and while we normally get excellent service there, our experience when we went there yesterday (June 12, 2025) is why I'm only giving them 3 stars. When we first ordered our food, everything seemed like it was going as it usually does including us asking for extra napkins, but that was when the service stopped being our normal experience. Other than bringing our food to us when it came out, nobody came back to our table until what seemed like at least 5 minutes after I pressed the call server button on the kiosk so I could ask for a refill on my water and the extra napkins that we had asked for (we had waited a bit before pressing the call server button), but never came.

We were told by the server that she would get those for us, but did not come back to the table again until she saw us paying the bill on the kiosk. At that point, the server came back, apologized (which seemed like a half hearted apology), and without asking if we wanted them, she said she would bring us to go cups for our drinks (I keep bottled water in my car - because I do nature photography and some delivery apps so I need to stay hydrated when doing those - so I didn't need a to go cup for water). On the drive home, my husband said his fries had been lukewarm. We don't expect the servers to come over and have full on conversations with the customers (although we don't mind when they do), but we should not need to press the call server button and wait quite a while to ask for a refill of water that...

The worst experience I’ve ever had at an Applebees. I’d give no stars if it were possible. Should’ve known it was going to be bad when it took over an hour to seat us even though there was an abundant amount of tables available. One might say they were short staffed, and I did consider that, but having watched them during that long hour wait, and having worked many years in the restaurant business, I could see they were staffed sufficiently but were extremely inefficient and slow. Once seated it was another ten minutes before anyone came to our table. I got my hopes up when the waiter was quick to bring us our drinks and appetizers, but that was short lived. Our food came out in segments, with one parties food completely MIA and a portion of two other’s brought out after they had finished the part of their entree that had been served. The missing food was brought to the waiters attention many times as were the requests for beverage refills. The waiter promised, several different times, that the food was coming and he would be right back with beverage refill. Neither of those things happened. The rest of the party had finished their meals and we were STILL waiting on the MIA meal. 40 minutes had passed. from ordering the meal to having the waiter say the manager was now going to bring the meal out, even though I had told the waiter to cancel it. Manager shows up with some kind of meal but it definitely didn’t look like what I had ordered. She was apologetic and gave a story that the cook was new and had burned the food first try so she had to watch him make it a second time. At no time was this information shared with us by her or the waiter, who just kept saying “it’s coming soon”.I told her I was no longer interested in the MIA food. She offered to deduct the meal and the two dishes served separate from their entrees. I was fine with that, that was the very LEAST they could do. Waiter, looking to save his tip, said he was sorry and he really did the best he could do. If that’s his best, and indicative of the best Applebees has to offer for that location, my advise...

NEVER GOING HERE AGAIN. I'd be low class and say WHO in particular ruined my time here, but she knows who she is. This place used to be a favorite. I used to go here all the time with my family. NOPE. We stopped going for a while now. I'd say this happened at least a year ago.

If this could be right again, where hospitality is part of the service, maybe we'd come back.

I was being polite but made a joke, but the bartender took it the wrong way. I understand how endless deals can be such a pain as a server since I worked at Red Lobster and know how intense endless shrimp can be.

I told the bartender "I'm gonna be an asshole and order the endless meal." But she seemed to misinterpret my joke. I wasn't an asshole at all, just the fact that I ordered endless (given the context of being a server before doing endless).

I asked for something, she put in the completely wrong item...ON PURPOSE. Every. Single. Time. Like what? If someone told me this at Red Lobster, and even if they weren't joking and were going to be an asshole to me, I would still be polite and cordial. It's my job to serve the guest. PERIOD. END OF STORY.

I know I was only one person, so I understand that her tip would have been a couple bucks. I do my best to give at least 50% tip for when I dine alone. Sometimes I've thrown in a Jackson when I'm alone. (Thank you sir at Lab Collaborative).

When I went in a second time, I brought in my husband. She was our food runner...surprise surprise. Our food kept coming out in weird ways...like a really small portion or something way off that was super noticeable. We still tipped the server really well since SHE was hospitable and excellent...NOT the bartending food runner. She was just so awful. SO AWFUL.

Atmosphere is a 1 because of this terrible person who makes the...