Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Shelby

Do not eat here until they get their restaurant in order!! Heavy food contamination!! Posting photos (not the highest resolution because I have an older phone) so that no one thinks this is a hoax. I am disgusted. No....I am BEYOND disgusted and very disappointed with how Applebee's staff handled this. It won't let me post the screenshot of my call log, but I will certainly be emailing everything to corporate. I have never given anyone or any establishment a one star review, but this is well worth it. Specs on plate should not be there!

Have you ever had crunchy ranch dressing from Applebee's? No? Neither had I until Saturday, June 7th! 😐 Dined in, had a good time. Flies were a nuisance, as we were seated at a table near a window. There were four dead flies on the window sill and three living ones flying around that were there to stay. Ok, no big deal. That's summer in the Carolinas, I guess? My eight year old and I love dipping sauces. We consumed a bunch of ranch. Ordered the A.Y.C.E. shrimp with fries. I asked for the fries and shrimp to be made well done, so they'd be extra crispy. My water had something floating in it, so I didn't drink it. I never asked our server for another one, because I could see how busy she was. I didn't want to bother her and I was fine with no drink. We ate at about 1pm, checked out at 1:45pm, as seen on the pictured receipt. At 9pm I went to eat my leftovers. I'd taken four ranches and two barbecue sauces home. Just the small sauce ramekins. Reheating food in a microwave makes it soft. So no more crunchy fries or shrimp. This is relevant because when I felt something crunchy on my tongue, I spit it out. I hadn't chewed the french fry, so when I pulled it out of my mouth, there the crunchy thing remained. Larvae, bug casings, maggots.........🙃 Take your pick. I worked as an exterminator, so I know exactly what I'm looking at. Immediately, I started sifting through the ranch to make sure that I was right. Low and behold, the ranch was extremely contaminated. I admit, I am quite embarrassed that I didn't notice the contamination in the restaurant. But my son and I were engaging in converwith my husband. Plus I was holding my newborn and just trying to eat as much as I could before he woke up. I never would have felt the flies in the ranch because I asked for my food to be a specific texture. I want to be clear: these are not grains of rice or seeds(!)

Now, I'm writing this review because here is the greater issue: I immediately called Applebee's once I found the bugs. I spoke with Caitlin and told her, "There are bugs in the ranch. I recommend that you guys throw away the remainder of the ranch!" Zero attitude in my tone of voice. I wasn't rude. Nothing. Only concern for myself and all the other people that have eaten here! I also never asked to be reimbursed or compensated. Her response was, "Um ok. Thank you. Have a good night." A 30 second phone call once I got past the automated greeting. I didn't feel at peace and suspected they may have thought this was a prank call. So 5mins later, I called back and asked for the manager's email address so I could send them photos of their disgusting product. I would have driven back to the restaurant with the ranch, but I live 1hr3mins from the restaurant. We were just passing through Shelby. Caitlin answered the phone again and asked Pam if she had an email address. Pam, who I am now assuming is the manager..?, gets on the phone and I tell her the same thing and ask for an email address. Pam states, "There's an email address on the bottom of the receipt!" and disconnects the line.......I'm not understanding the employees disrespectful and lackadaisical response to such a report. I have managed four restaurants and have never once hung up on a customer. I'm concerned because I do not believe that they took my warning seriously and continued to serve the ranch. Why would I have any reason to believe otherwise? I asked for the managers email address so that I didn't have to contact corporate. Mistakes happen and this did not have to...

I went here to eat for my birthday expecting a great meal and service. Only for it to be the worst I've ever experienced from a restaurant. Our waitress came to our table and we ordered an appetizer, she asked if we were ready to order our meals and I said yes and she was literally about to just walk away. Like she didn't even want to serve or wait our table at all. The appetizer was really good but the other food on the other hand was not at all. We did not once receive any napkins or even get a chance to ask for napkins because she would only wait on her other tables or she was constantly in the back of the house (kitchen). My tea was not sweet at all and barely drinkable but I could never find her or catch her just to get a new drink. I never received a new drink I had to DRINK BITTER TEA with a MEDIOCRE MEAL. We waited 20 minutes just for a refill on my husband's drink. She never came around to ask if we needed anything or if everything was OK with the food . She sat our food down and walked away fast. The chicken sandwich literally would not stay together everything kept falling out of the bun it tasted like someone poured water on it it was SOGGY and the chicken patty was COLD when I received my food not to mention the chicken was TOUGH I couldn't even take a bite off of it I had to cut it in little pieces just to eat my sandwich. The loaded macaroni was literally penne noodles with watery white sauce and bacon. WHERE WAS THE CHEESE? IT'S CALLED MACARONI AND CHEESE FOR A REASON. I took one bite of it and felt DISGUSTED whatever watery "cheese" was on it smelled ROTTEN. Once again having all of these problems with our meal our waitress was nowhere in sight or waiting other tables constantly refilling their drinks being extra nice to them ect. I ate half of my sandwich and some of my husband's mashed potatoes. I left there barely full and disgusted. Then to top it off we finally get her attention to ask for the check we received the check and it was almost $60. Are you kidding me for sloppy food that didn't even fill me up and disgusted me to the point I didn't even really want to eat it was that much money. what really ticked me off was the fact we asked for the check and we waited for 15 to another 20 minutes waiting on her to take our payment. We were finished eating just sitting there waiting. Any other restaurant immediately takes your payment so they can get you in and out. We haven't been to Applebee's in a while so we decided to go up front to see if we could pay instead because we were tired of waiting a nice person said they would let the waitress know so we stood there waiting for her just to swipe our card and have us sign it how hard was that to do. Then when my husband was signing the paper she stood extra close I guess to see if we would leave a tip and then she noticed that I was very angry shown on my face and smiled in my face and told me to basically relax when i didnt even say a word the whole time i was standing there. Thats what pissed me off the most. I didn't say not a word i just watched my husband sign the recipt and i look up and she tells me that out of nowhere smiling really big. Im sorry but if I'm very aggravated and it's my birthday and you're randomly telling me to relax when not a word was said to you thats how you get hit in the face if I'm just being honest. You are a waitress you are supposed to actually wait tables and make your guests feel welcomed and satisfy them. THATS HOW YOU RECEIVE YOUR TIPS THAT YOU OBVIOUSLY WANT SO BAD. I used to work in the food industry for six years. I could've waited these few tables she had better than she did. She should not be a waitress at all. SHE WAS SHORT WITH RED HAIR IN A "CLAW CLIP" WITH FAKE BLACK EYELASH CLUSTERS WITH A MEDIUMSIZED BUILD" . if it helps you even more how sorry the service was there was no name tag or her introducing herself at all the WHOLE experience. So I do not even know her name. I LEFT THEIR HUNGRY, DISGUSTED, AND PISSED OFF FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. I WILL NEVER BE BACK AND I HOPE THIS...

Applebees at 433 Earl Rd in Shelby, NC receives a 3-star rating from me. While there were some positive aspects to the dining experience, there were also several areas that left much to be desired.

One of the main drawbacks of this Applebees location is its outdated decor. The restaurant could benefit from major renovations to bring it up to date and create a more appealing atmosphere for diners. Additionally, the bathroom facilities could also use some attention and improvement.

On the positive side, the staff at Applebees was friendly and accommodating. Their pleasant demeanor and helpfulness played a significant role in preventing this review from being even lower in rating. Their positive attitude added a touch of warmth to the overall experience.

When it came to the food, the 2 for $28 menu items were the go-to choices. However, the presentation of the dishes seemed questionable, lacking attention to detail. The lukewarm temperature of the food was disappointing, as it did not meet the expected standard of being served hot.

One specific dish, the chicken Alfredo, lacked seasoning entirely, resulting in a bland and underwhelming taste. The cheese sticks were overcooked, which affected their texture and overall enjoyment.

Surprisingly, the house salad stood out as the best item on the table. It seemed to receive the most attention from the kitchen in terms of freshness and flavor. This was a redeeming aspect of the meal.

In terms of seating, the restaurant seemed to pack customers closely together, leaving the left side of the restaurant relatively empty. This arrangement didn't provide much privacy or a comfortable dining experience.

Unfortunately, the waitress did not provide any recommendations from the menu or suggest any cocktails. This lack of guidance made it difficult to navigate the options and choose the most satisfying meal and drink combinations.

Overall, if you find yourself in need of a quick meal and Applebees is your last resort, this location may suffice. However, considering the lukewarm food, lack of seasoning, and other shortcomings, I would not rank it high on my list of preferred dining options.

I made the decision to dine at this Applebees primarily because the parking lot was nearly empty. In hindsight, this should have given me pause and made me reconsider my choice. The lack of clientele is often an indication of the overall quality of the establishment.

I find it challenging to rate this Applebees location any higher than 3 stars. The friendly staff is commendable and helped elevate the score for this particular visit. However, taking into account the outdated decor, lukewarm food, lack of seasoning, and other issues, I would likely choose to pass on dining here again during future...