Have you had your taste buds checked lately?

Who orders a steak at Applebees?

Yes, according to the epicureans in AR15.com General Discussion, something must be wrong with me as I don't think Applebee's is the most putrid stuff ever.

Generally I just get their chicken or burgers, which is what I did 2 out of the last 3 times I went there. Pretty hard to fuck up both.

In fairness, any restaurant can have that lazy employee.

I worked at an applebees for 2 years in high school. 3 times while I was working somebody broke a glass.. and I was the one who had to empty the ice bin. Twice it was during dinner rush and I was on the dish tank at the time. That was fun.

Eventually I moved to fry cook which also did most of the microwaving (and then I moved to flat top, then realized I hated working there). 90% of the stuff that was microwaved was desserts (which were frozen) or vegetables (which were prepared in house and then frozen). Fried stuff was frozen and brought in in bulk then prepped into individual orders.

Pastas were kept on the steam table. Soups were kept hot in a sealed plastic bag in a kettle of simmering water and as necessary bags were emptied into hotel pans and served off the steam table.

Yes, most of the stuff came on a sysco truck. Some of the food was decent. A lot of it was very low quality. But the experience came down to how much the cook cared about his job at the time, who was running expo (that can make all the difference) and if the servers were running food on time. i.e. the factors that influence EVERY restaurant. It's just that Applebees tends to be lowest common denominator in virtually every area (wait staff, cooks, managers and hence food orders) so the experience tends to be consistently bad. One day a coworker was freaking out because the managers lost his application and needed him to fill it out again for their records and he couldn't remember which of his felonies he'd written down. One of the waiters used to sling coke behind the dumpsters behind the restaurant. etc, etc.

If there was one within 100 miles if me, I wouldn't mind eating there every week.  Then again, I've ordered the same app and meal there for the past 15 years.

 

Because I can microwave food better than they can,

I worked at an Applebee's 20 years ago. I've been back maybe 3 times since then, and they were all because the group whom I was with chose to go there. Once was because it was right next door to the hotel most of a friend's wedding party was staying in and we all went there to drink after the reception. The last time was after a gun show and it was close and the couple I was with wanted to go there. I ordered a steak, which came out to me grey. Steak shouldn't be grey.

I've eaten in some nice restaurants (such as Todd English's Olive in Aspen) and have had the distinct pleasure of knowing and working for other excellent chefs, who've allowed me to eat their food. I know what quality food tastes and looks like. Applebee's is not it.

Applebee's is what is, cookie cutter food for people who either don't care enough to want better, or who don't know enough to expect better. One of the selling points of any chain restaurant, whether it's Applebee's, McDonald's, or even Wolfgang Puck Express, is the fact that you can walk into any of their restaurants, in any city, and the food should be the same.That's good if you're traveling and don't want to play "Dinner Mystery," where you have to wonder if the restaurant is going to have something you'll like on the menu, or if the cook is a semi-literate mouth-breather who can't figure out how to boil water, much less combine ingredients in a pleasing way. At least with Applebee's, the semi-literate mouth-breather slapping the grey steak on the plate, beside the microwaved broccoli, and baked potato will have color pictures to tell him how to make your dinner. If you are traveling and are more willing to accept minimal quality, in exchange for minimal risk, more power to you. If you actually think, however, that Applebee's is anything but minimal quality food, your opinion of food is so low that I wouldn't take it with any one of the more-than-excessive grains of salt Applebee's routinely puts on there steaks.

One thing is certain: Never in my life will you ever hear me utter the words, "Hey, how about Applebee's for dinner tonight?"

I almost forgot to tell you about the dishwashers who worked at the Applebee's where I worked. Both of them, a man and a woman, were borderline retarded and would routinely eat off of the plates the servers and busboys brought back to be washed. Fucking nasty fuckers.

It's Sysco. My wife owns Sysco stock.

But we don't eat there. I ate in the one here once after it opened and when I bit into the chicken it squawked.

To that last bit... apparently every other DW at the place I worked had been an idiot or had too short a fuse. Initially I was a host. One Friday night the DW walked out and the kitchen ran out of clean plates. I made the mistake of being in the kitchen as the manager was trying to figure this out and said "Hey GM, I worked tank at my last job. Want me to tag in?"

After that I was switched to BOH where I was promised the managerial track based on the initiative I'd displayed, but I'd need to work tank for a month or so until a slot opened up. Even back then I was a workahaulic and figured out how to optimize every part of what I did, to the point that I'd figured out optimal plate stacking so that at the end of the dinner rush I was current, had my prep work done, everything that could be pre-cleaned was clean, cans were empty, and the GM caught me reading a magazine. He started rattling off all my responsibilities, each of which was answered with "Done!" After a moment of him looking confused, then checking up on my work, he told me to continue... and continue I did, for 3 fucking months. Every week they kept scheduling me on tank until I threatened to quit unless they started me on the crosstraining program he promised. He flat out said the problem was I was better at tank than anybody they'd had before. Finally I said "Don't you think I'll bring that to the line?"

Eventually they did switch me, but the same thing repeated as fry cook for months. Eventually they let me start cross training on mid but only during lunch and kept scheduling me for fry for dinner... that is exactly what I mean about lowest common denominator on every level, including management. Last time I was in my hometown, I was delighted to see the building boarded up.

Garbage food and I can get food for the same price that's way better from a local pub.

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Decent place to eat in Williston,ND and a fun party in Minot ,ND

This is my main gripe with most 'greasy spoon' restaurants. Everyone's hash browns taste the same, but there's a small war going on between McDonald's fries and Seasoned Curly fries. Ummm...an enterprising breakfast chain could make a BFD out of thier seasoned hash browns, but no one does AFAIK.

Bring on the tasty hash browns!

haven't had a good wing or fried shrimp there....

What ever happened to Camp Ninja? I think he was a manager there.

I have no particular hate against applebee's in particular, but I don't ever get a desire to eat at that *type* of establishment. Plenty of places serving much tastier food with less than 3000 mg of sodium to a serving. Most times I'll prefer to eat at a hippie joint and put up with them if their food actually has some nutritional value.

I've been so far removed from the type of food Applebee's, chili's, etc serve, I feel like shit for a day or two after having it. I think so many people continue to eat that garbage because they have no idea how good it feels to refrain from consuming it.

Cold beer and cute girls, what's to hate. If you want good food then obviously AB's isn't the spot, but the one here is miles ahead of tgifs and chilis.

Actually this is true.


The people who never left town (not the ones who establish good lives but the ones who still work at dominos), have three kids with three different dads, or are still wearing letter jackets hang out at Applebys

I have a friend who loved one of their cajun alfredo dishes. She ordered it and I ate it. Next week I made one that she absolutely loved, she calls me when she wants alfredo. Seriously most of the dishes you are served at this place can be made at home or damn close to it.

I hit the one here every week or two.

Because this is GD?

The last four or so times I have gone there the service has sucked.  I have gone a couple of times when there were literally only five people in there dining, that is also counting me and a friend.  Took forever just to get them to come to our table.  The waiters and waitresses were all huddled at a table gossiping and just staring at us.  When a Waiter finally showed up he acted like he had better things to do.  The entire experience sucked.

 They can't make up their mind how they will cook your food.  I.E. medium rare.  I usually ask for medium rare, it seems like they can only cook meat that way on certain days at certain hours or some other bullshit like that.

I like them. I wish less people did because there is usually a wait on the weekends.

Done it. The Crunch version used to be my favorite cereal.... before I pretty much quit eating cereal all together. That and Grape Nuts.

No, I'm not shitting you.

I don't drink, thus have only gone there for their overpriced, sucky food.

 

I hate chili's Nasty food!

I live Applebees way better

Food is bad.  Like really bad.  From their microwave to your mouth.  No fucking thanks.  

Food is terrible. Happy hour is good

Applebee's sucks because their food is of lower quality compared even with their direct competitors (which aren't that great themselves).

We try to avoid chain restaurants when we can.

Barely better than TGI Friday's, which is the best way to waste $20 on microwaved food and weak drinks.

The place does not market itself as a top self joint, therefor, I'm never disappointed.  I'm paying for mid grade food and service and that's what they provide.  The beer is cold and that's what I'm after when I'm there.

This is a good post.  I've eaten at PLENTY of mom and pop places that were not only expensive but the food plain sucked.  Applebee's, like all chain restaurants, aims to provide consistency and in my experience of eating there many times they largely succeed (you can have a bad experience at any restaurant) .  It's not five star food but it tastes good enough and is cheap enough for the non-pretentious.

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They are breaking ground on one here in my town and a few blocks from me. I doubt I will go. We have
several 'bar food' type places like that. They all suck to a degree, and the fucking rednecks
here will make sure to go the extra mile to add some additional suck to it.

Will just stay with Hate Chicken

14 years ago my wife was the director of a 160 person call center/claims center for a major health care ins co.
A VP in corporate decided that company wide employees who exceeded goals were to be rewarded with $25 dollor gift certificates for Applebees.  

He told my wife to take one for herself and hand out the rest (29) as she saw fit..
She did.

We went to the local one. We made a mistake and brought our then 2 year old daughter. We made a second mistake and mentioned the gift certificate.

An heated discussion took place among the wait staff. No one wanted to serve us "they have a gift certificate" "they have a kid"
We walked out.

On Monday my wife told corporate and returned the gift certificates.
No more gift certificates for Applebees were given out nation wide.

Fuck Applebees.

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I'm ok with Applebees though I view it as nothing more than a notch above McDonald's with beer.  Whether or not it is a good value totally depends on where you live.  Hard for some to believe, but lots of people do not live in an epicenter of high quality yet affordable restaurants.



Having said that, if there are options, there are quite a few other chain restaurants I'd rather go to.  Friday's, Texas Roadhouse, Carraba's, etc., and there are quite a few other diner like places around me I'd rather go to with better food.



But that's not the case for everybody.  There are still a lot of towns in America that have one stoplight and a McDonald's.

What kind of beer and drink prices does Applebee's have during happy?  There is one near our house and I'm always down for cheap beer and eats every now and then.

They only have sysco drinks.



DO YOU WANT TO DRINK SYSCO DRINKS???



SYSCO!!!!





 

As long as Sysco serves alcohol I could care less...

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