Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Scottsbluff

(Updated review Feb 2012) Can it possibly get any worse??? ...the answer is YES. I'm a "local" and have endured this excuse of a restaurant for years now. Like many locals, we forget or bury our most recent lousy experience with Scottsbluff Crapplebees and hope that, somehow, things have improved. Maybe the corporate office sent a surprise team in and replaced the management? But alas...like so many dreams...this one always proves to be only false hope. The only interesting part of your "experience" is gambling on what part of it will be worse: the food or the "service." 1/3 of the employees appear to be working their tails off; 1/3 appear somewhat willing to work but utterly confused about what they should be doing; and 1/3 appear to be daydreaming about what it might be like NOT having to work at this place. Management is nowhere to be found, and I can understand why. This is the franchise Applebees corporate should send EVERY management trainee...to endure the worst in management incompetence.

Our most recent visit involved a family of 6 with one toddler needing a high-seat. Although a good 1/3 of the tables in the general seating section were open, and the ENTIRE "party room" being empty, we waited close to a half-hour before finally leaving and heading to Chilis. The only thing staff did well was open and close the doors for us.

This is a classic example of what a lack of competition can lead to. In a community with a reasonable set of alternatives to Crapplebees, it would have gone the way of the dodo. But in this small community the only similar restaurant is our "downsized" Chilis that apparently used the same architect who designed Hobbit dwellings for Lord of the Rings. Average-sized people and groups get shoehorned into cramped tables and booths and often wait to get seated. So Crapplebees, although awful, manages to survive in a town of few options.

(Original review 2009) The food is generally good and the drinks decent (a bit overpriced on the drinks). But the service has been steadily declining the last few years. Good luck getting served on time and then not getting your order screwed up--even off-hours when the service staff outnumber the patrons! One would have thought with the impending Chilis arrival that Applebees would have cleaned up its act, but in fact things have gotten worse. If Chilis hadn't laid an egg in its own building design (dinky smurf-size building too crammed to enjoy a meal), Applebees would really be in trouble, since the menu items/pricing are similar. 'Not sure what the problem is with the service, but it's almost a local joke at this point. Unfortunately there isn't much competition so Applebees doesn't have a real incentive to change... The main positive of Applebees is the attractive wait staff, which you have abundant time to ogle WAITING and WAITING for something to happen with...

We were traveling through from out of state and absolutely love the Applebees in our town! 3 adults and 2 children. So very disappointed with the service here. There were 3 tables sat. We got sat right away but then proceeded to take 20 min for our waiter who was more interested in talking to the table of 4 younger ladies then he was waiting tables. We all ordered water about 10 min later we received that. It then took over 20min to even have him come take our orders. And with a 1 year old child this just doesn’t work. The children were so ready to leave by the time our food arrived we had about 5 min to eat and had to ask for to go box’s. We got everyone loaded into the car with a 1 year old and 3 year old super crabby and realized we left the babies (not cheap) bottle on the table. We went back in to get it and we were told they didn’t know where it went. After my husband got very upset and said we weren’t even got 5 min they found the bottle in the trash. Because it was in the trash we had to wash and sanitize it dumping out all the milk in it. On top of that we’re asked to pay 5$ for them give us a bit of apple juice to get her calm till we could get to a gas station! We were told by the manager that it wasn’t their fault and would need us to pay to fill the bottle back up . ( I could understand if we had been longer then 5 min out of...

Stopped in at the Scottsbluff Applebee’s while passing through western Nebraska, and I was honestly impressed. From the get-go, the service stood out—John was especially great. Super friendly, easy to talk to, and checked in just enough without hovering. He’s the kind of guy who makes you feel welcome, whether you’re local or just passing through.

Ordering was smooth and quick—I’d give the order time a solid 4.5 out of 5. My order was taken promptly, and even though there was a little bit of a wait before the food came out, it wasn’t anything major.

Now let’s talk food: • The burger was on the smaller side, sure—but what it lacked in size, it made up for in flavor. Juicy, well-cooked, with the bun toasted just right. Honestly, mmm. • The fries were fine, nothing to write home about—kind of bland, could use a bit more seasoning—but still warm and crispy.

The atmosphere was relaxed, clean, and had that small-town Nebraska charm. Folks were friendly, and the vibe was laid-back without being slow. You could tell it’s a regular spot for a lot of locals, and it’s easy to see why.

If you’re in the Scottsbluff–Gering area and want something familiar but dependable, this Applebee’s is a solid pick. It’s not fancy, but it’s good food, good service, and good people. Would absolutely...