Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Willoughby

So, this should be a two star rating if it was just based on my experience, but I based it on the whole group's experience. So, we waited forever for our waiter named Noah. Everyone in the section that had him suffered the same fate, a few tables just left throughout the time we were there. When we final got to order he kept arguing about the menu items and we had to open the menu up several times to show him. It was frustrating. They brought the salads, but never gave us any silverware. We asked four different people for it. Ten minutes later we flag a hostess down and she brings some. We had just accepted eating it with our fingers at that point. The waiter comes up a bit later and tells us he asked someone to bring silverware. Are you kidding me? My mom and fiance asked for a second round on their drinks since he was impossible to get to the table. He refused and told them they needed to completely finish what they had. Are you kidding me? A bit longer and the manger comes by. We explain what's going on and he moves us to the bar. Now, let me tell you, the bartender JP was amazing. Best service ever, great personality, and completely saved the visit. He is the reason we were able to laugh about the Titanic wreck going on in the restaurant at the all tables. While we wait for our food we watch more people walk out from waiting, a table get up and start telling about not waiting for their food, a different one flag the manager down because no one had took they order and so on. That last table had been there before us, and the poor bartender had already gotten them two rounds of drinks and yet Noah could not visit their table. The manager ended up taking their order. I was honestly surprised how one associate could create sick havoc. While waiting for our food, they keep trying to bring us and half the tables out here things no one ordered. When our group got their food, everyone got their meal except me. Now, the person who ordered the exact same thing as me got hers just fine. I had to tell them that I didn't even get my meal. It finally showed up around the time everyone else was finishing. And it showed up inedible. I ordered a medium rare and got a well done steak. I waited another 20 minutes for my meal to come out again. It sucks pretty bad watching an entire group eat without you and then have them stare at you as everyone waits on you to eat. When the bill came, the original waiter had added six extra things we never ordered to our bill. So as we wait for it to be corrected, the manger stops by again. We explain the rest of the story and laugh about a salad advertised as a bacon salad, yet all were baconless. He took about half the price of my meal off to try to make up for everything that happened. That's it. And said it is because the associates are not used to the restaurant being busy. So, it's a Russian roulette on whether you will have a good experience or not. May the odds be ever...

This is long.

Basic: don't go at this time.

In depth reasons below:

This one seemed understaffed bcz the very nice bar tender was having to wait tables!! He waited on us! 😊

We got the, "Whisky+siracha sauce" burgers. We were told that they were abit hot.

My husband ordered halapenos on his. If they were there, he didn't Kno it.

Firstly, they weren't even Remotely spicy, let alone hot. Mine was actually sweet. Not enough sauce, either! Stingy.

Secondly, their buns are TERRIBLE!!! They fall apart & you eat w/your hands... Extremely messy!!! They really need to bring back those Large, Ciabatta buns!!! (Also, the Sweet potato fries! Better health wise!!!)

The, "buns," i use the term loosely, are simply Redonkulous, as Donkey would put it!!

Thirdly, we ordered, "Pink," but both were, Well done.

The bartender said the manager was out for a week. It was kind of obvious.

Doesn't he have a manager in training? Or something like that? (Put the bartender in charge.)

Fourthly, the seats were HORRIBLY, HORRIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE.

They need some sort of cushions to put behind us for those of us who are of NORMAL stature, and not Giants.

I had to put my purse behind me so that my feet could even reach the floor!!! And i was still Painfully Uncomfortable. There are plenty of ppl who are shorter than i am. I am 5'.

Whomever designed the seating was short sighted.

But a Simple Solution will be to provide large pillows that go on couches!!! Easily washable!!! Easy to offer!!! A GREAT Kindness! And Mercy!!! 😄

A Comfortable, HAPPY Client is one who will recommend ( like one at Ridge Park) and, Return! 😊

The atmosphere was pleasant enough, but we wanted to see the baseball game (Indians) and the TV i could see, well, they didn't (wouldn't?) take the time to turn it on for me 😢. One woman said it was on such n such channel, but no one seemed to be caring about the guests except the bartender who was over stretched!!! He was RUNNING around from one area to the next!

The women who were there were on the other side of the restaurant and, invisible. Every request, when they were forced over, was met w/ rolled eyes.

I am not certain that the manager can take a break w/out putting someone w/the ability to fire, in his place. Bcz, honestly, in my opinion, & I've worked at alot of places, it was very close to chaos.

Who is that good and faithful servant that, while their master is away, will be found doing? 😊

HE deserves a raise!😊 Others? Dock their pay! Not kidding. They were doing their darndest to do as little as possible. 😡 Someone didn't show up, either. Everyone...

Before tonight, June 20, 2025, our experience at the Willoughby Hills Applebee's has always been great. Tonight my niece and my nephew were in town from the West Coast ( Washington). We took them to Applebee's thinking we would enjoy a quick, nice dinner with them since they had to travel back the next morning. This was the worst experience we have ever had. We got there at 7:00 pm and did not leave until after 10 pm. There were six of us. Our waitress was Rachel C. I had ordered a sweet tea. She brought me an unsweetened tea. Which was fine because she brought me back a sweet tea. After I had taken a couple of sips, my niece looked at my glass and asked if my tea had blueberries in it. When I looked at my tea, there was a blue top that looked like the top of a juice bottle with a lift spout on it. Rachel was at the table beside us and nonchalantly said, "I was looking for that because it had popped off and I couldn't find it." As if it was no big deal. She did replace it with a new one and took it off my bill. My nephew had ordered a beer from the tap and she brought him one that was 3/4 full saying that the tap was running real slow. It took us over an hour to get the four appetizers we ordered and they were lukewarm. From there it took another 45 minutes to get our entrées. When one of my sisters asked what was the problem since it was taking so long to get our food, Rachel asked what do you mean? I have that other big table to take care of, too. When my nephew got his wings, they weren't even lukewarm and there was so much sauce on it he had to scrape half of it off. My niece's chicken alfredo was not hot and she had to ask for an extra cup of hot alfredo sauce just to be able to eat it. My Four of us ordered the All-you-can eat special and the only thing that was hot were the French fries. My one sister didn't get her Pepsi until she was halfway through her dinner. Neither she nor I got the coleslaw that came with our meal. When we were ready to leave, she finally brought her three containers of coleslaw. I never got mine. Everytime we asked her about something she forgot, she would say I'll be right back and we wouldn't see her for another 15 minutes. At one point, my nephew had ordered two beers for himself and my niece. It took so long that he went to the bar to get them. There were other employees (not sure what their positions were) that were just standing around talking. I have the utmost respect for employees who work in restaurants because I see how hard they work and I know I couldn't do it, but this was the most unpleasant eating experience I...