Applebee's: Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You
Written: Nov 22 '00 (Updated Oct 28 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Comfortable; Relaxing
Cons: Some Food Portions are Small
The Bottom Line: Applebee's is a good bar and grill for all purpose dining needs.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Applebee's |
Applebee's is a popular, full- service restaurant, with more than 1,200 restaurants nationwide. This restaurant has grown rapidly over the past few years. There is at least one Applebee's in every state except Hawaii, and international locations in eight foreign markets.
Background:
The Applebee's chain was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1980, by Bill and T.J Palmer. These two restaurant entrepreneurs wanted to start a neighborhood bar and grill type of restaurant, one that would be comfortable, reasonably priced, and with quality food. Applebee's grew slowly throughout the 1980's, but since then, the growth has picked up pace, expanding rapidly throughout the United States. Virtually every city in the U.S., with 50,000 or more people, has an Applebee's restaurant.
Food:
Applebee's has pretty good food, with a diverse selection of menu options to satisfy everyone's preferences. The menu includes items like salads, appetizers, sandwiches, dinner platters, burgers, desserts, and specialty drinks. Most all of the food that I have tried at Applebee's has been satisfying. Nothing on the menu stands out as being great, but it's all pretty good and the prices are fair.
One complaint that I have with Applebee's is that the portions of some items are a little too small. In particular, the french fries are served in quantities that are inadequate. Most other bar and grill restaurants serve very generous portions of fries. If you have a very large appetite, you should consider ordering an additional order of fries, or an appetizer. Just a simple order of a burger and fries will not fill you up.
Service:
The service at Applebee's is adequate, at best. This is the type of restaurant that is often subject to overflow crowds, and when it gets like that, you can forget receiving any prompt attention! But if you go during a less crowded time of day, the service is just as good as any other full- service restaurant.
Decor:
The decor of Applebee's features dozens and dozens of pictures, on all four walls, to give you something to look at while you wait on your food to be prepared. The individual restaurants don't carry a uniform theme. Each one has it's own unique collection of pictures. In one location, the pictures might be made up of sports photos. At another, they might be pictures of local points of interest. Each restaurant has its own personality.
The atmosphere at Applebee's is usually relaxing, even when it gets overcrowded. The bar area is located in the center of most of the restaurants, and it includes several television sets tuned into sporting events. However, the sound is always off, so it doesn't cause any distraction. Also, there is no jukebox, just music quietly playing on a continuous- play tape. So, even when it's crowded, it still manages to remain fairly relaxed and pleasant.
Special Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations:
Applebee's is a pretty good restaurant overall. The atmosphere is decent, food is good, and the prices are fair. You won't find anything extraordinary here, in the food, the service, or anything else. But it is a good, predictable restaurant; the type of full- service restaurant that you can count on to keep you satisfied.
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews of Other Full- Service Restaurants:
American Style Food:
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Max & Erma’s
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Friendly’s
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Texas Road House
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IHOP
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Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafe
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Italian:
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Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Mexican
Chi- Chi’s
Cozymel’s
Chipotle
Recommended:
Yes
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