Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Valparaiso

My daughter, niece and I went to the Valparaiso Applebees on Friday 7/16/25 @ 11:30am. We were seated and at that time only 10 tables in the entire place were occupied. We ordered drinks, combo appetizer, mozzarella sticks, and wonton tacos. Our main meals were crispy chicken burger with fries, steak w/shrimp and potatoes and chicken casserole. Our waitress was nice at first and provided our drinks…. We started seeing people showing up and the tables around us started to fill up…25 minutes later our appetizers came out. They were very delicious no complaints on the food taste. We began to see people that came in after us getting their appetizers and then their main dishes. Even some customers came in got their orders ate and paid and left. We were still sitting there watching our waitress serve people their main dishes while ours never came. After one hour and a half I stopped her as she was going to walk by us again and told her we had to go to check me out. No manager in site during this entire experience. She took my card. She then must have told a manager and I again said I want to leave now. Please give me my card. With a twisted snot nose she tells me, well the manager is taking the appetizer off of your bill. And that my food was ready it was in the back coming out….she mentioned that the cooks were new so they had issues. I told her that I did not want the food that we did not get yet we just want to leave. Um, there were no issues with everyone else’s food that came and went. I don’t think she put our order in. The manager was never notified during the issue… This male manager walks up to me… hands me my credit card. No bill that I thought he was taking forever to fix like she said. Never said sorry, nothing. Blank dumb look on his face and just stood there like a dingaling! Ok. We left in silence. You know, Mistakes happen I get that. No one is perfect. But Educate and professionalism is paramount! Learn some Applebees manager! Get a better grip on staff and make it right....

I've never seen anything like it. Today I have been compelled by my worst experience ever in a restaurant. We called 3 hours ahead for a large gathering requiring three tables with an arrival at 5:00 PM. We were exactly on time but still had a 40 minute wait, no big deal we waited. After waiting at the table another 15 minutes two of the wait staff came to take our orders. 30 minutes later we received our drinks! It took an additional 10 minutes for a bottle of beer. Appetizers arrived approximately 20 minutes after the beer for some of us anyway. Meals arrived for the first table about 20 minutes later along with drink re-fills that were ordered on the other side of the restaurant. The last table in our group received their meals at approximately 7:40 PM after the first two tables had finished eating. we asked for to go boxes as our group had other engagements for which we were already late. Because we asked for to go boxes acting "Manager" Todd decided to pay us a visit where he proceeded to scold our entire group for being impatient, at one point exclaiming "we are hiring if any of you want to come and work for us". So we did not receive boxes and ate quickly to just get out of there. Then "Manger" Todd was overheard saying make them wait for their checks! At this point the middle table for our party did not receive their bill until we were all standing at our tables. We left the property at 8:10 PM over 3 hours after our arrival, Never to return again. In my humble opinion the only person in the restaurant that night with competency was working in the kitchen. The food was as expected, but do not expect...

Went there 2/18/23 and Manager was rude to a large group that checked in. Could have been a little more polite & welcoming but was too busy barking to get out of entryway & to wait outside. They ALL left. That would have been about a $300-$400 tab. He looks like more of a Mob Boss than a Tidy looking Manager. The restaurant bar & bar keeps we're filthy looking, descheveled full of Tattoos and hair uncombed. Just dirty. The girl who brought us our food did not carry the hot plates with pot holders. The plates were literally carried in her folded elbows of her jacket and against her chest where her long hair once hung. Food was cold and undercooked. Husband's Plate of food required more shrimp than he got and Broccoli was cold wet and raw. Not sure what the 4cheese smoked bacon Macaroni & Cheese was Suppose to be like, but it was watery noodles, no cheese sauce & burnt bacon bits and also cold. Bartender does Not know what a frozen Strawberry Margarita is. I got a watery seltzery strawberry flavored glass of water, In the wrong glass and no slush. This restaurant needs the "Bar...