Applebee’s

[Sctvhound]

As recently as a few years ago, Applebee's was one of the largest chains of restaurants in the country that wasn't fast-food. It still has almost 2,000 locations, but it has gone downhill especially in the last 5 years.

The Charleston area at one point had over 10 Applebee's, in all the popular shopping areas of town. Now, only two are left. It seems like the quality of Applebee's food has dropped significantly, and the service is not very good.

Also, a lot of the places look outdated. I went to one in Ohio last year that didn't have any HDTV's. It still is popular in a lot of places, but their quality has gone down.

What are your thoughts on Applebee's?

[hotdogPi]

It's one of the two chains that I avoid (that I can think of) that's not fast food or $15+ per person.

At least in my experience (it's been a while), Applebee's vegetables are covered in a sugary goo that defeats the purpose of vegetables being healthy. And it comes this way; you can't ask for the vegetables without the goo.

[webny99]

Applebees is OK, and the one near me seems to often be busy. But I wasn't particularly impressed with the food; it should have been better for the amount you pay. I'd venture they're going downhill overall.

[freebrickproductions]

I remember eating at Applebees when I was younger. Been a few years though...

[Rothman]

The fact that some people still find the offerings at Applebee's edible is deeply disturbing to me.

[cjk374]

It's one of the two chains that I avoid (that I can think of) that's not fast food or $15+ per person.

At least in my experience (it's been a while), Applebee's vegetables are covered in a sugary goo that defeats the purpose of vegetables being healthy. And it comes this way; you can't ask for the vegetables without the goo.

The last several times I was there, the goo was not there. Maybe they got the message?

We waited 45 minutes before our food was served due to a "personnel issue" in the kitchen. No one at my table gave a damn about ever going back again.

[MNHighwayMan]

If I wanted to overpay to eat barely-above-microwave-TV-dinner quality food in a sterile, over-commercialized restaurant environment, I'd go to Applebee's.

[webny99]

If I wanted to overpay to eat barely-above-microwave-TV-dinner quality food in a sterile, over-commercialized restaurant environment, I'd go to Applebee's.

The sad truth has been spoken...

[qguy]

If I wanted to overpay to eat barely-above-microwave-TV-dinner quality food in a sterile, over-commercialized restaurant environment, I'd go to Applebee's.

The sad truth has been spoken...

Motion on the table, motion seconded, all those in favor [aye!], those opposed same sign [sound of crickets], motion carried unanimously [sound of gavel!].

[wanderer2575]

My thought on these casual chains in general is this:  At one time they had good food and service for what they charged.  As costs increased, they chose to cut costs to the point of hacking away at the quality of food and service.  That is what to expect when so many of these chains became owned by investment groups looking only to squeeze money out of the assets but don't actually give a damn about the customers. 

If I'm already spending $12 to $14 for a meal, I'd rather pay an extra buck or two if it means the quality is kept, versus keeping my price at $12 and serving me something that continually declines in quality.  Am I in the minority on that?

[hotdogPi]

My thought on these casual chains in general is this:  At one time they had good food and service for what they charged.  As costs increased, they chose to cut costs to the point of hacking away at the quality of food and service.  That is what to expect when so many of these chains became owned by investment groups looking only to squeeze money out of the assets but don't actually give a damn about the customers. 

If I'm already spending $12 to $14 for a meal, I'd rather pay an extra buck or two if it means the quality is kept, versus keeping my price at $12 and serving me something that continually declines in quality.  Am I in the minority on that?

Except that Applebees is worse than its competitors.

[wanderer2575]

My thought on these casual chains in general is this:  At one time they had good food and service for what they charged.  As costs increased, they chose to cut costs to the point of hacking away at the quality of food and service.  That is what to expect when so many of these chains became owned by investment groups looking only to squeeze money out of the assets but don't actually give a damn about the customers. 

If I'm already spending $12 to $14 for a meal, I'd rather pay an extra buck or two if it means the quality is kept, versus keeping my price at $12 and serving me something that continually declines in quality.  Am I in the minority on that?

Except that Applebees is worse than its competitors.

That's a matter of opinion; one decides what one likes.  I'm talking about general principle.

If you want to get back into opinion, there used to be an Applebee's near me which Mrs. wanderer and I frequented danged near weekly.  We always thought the food and service were good (granted, the latter may have been influenced by the fact that the staff knew us by our frequent appearances and we tipped pretty well).  But the location closed about a dozen years ago.  I don't know why; it always seemed busy.

I've recently had a couple experiences (not my choice) at another casual chain whose name rhymes with "Bed Bobbin."  My experiences there make your Applebee's experience seem like a Michelin Five-Star dining event.

[Road Hog]

Applebee's reputation precedes it. So last Christmas when we had our company party there, I ordered nachos because you don't microwave those.

[AlexandriaVA]

My understanding is that most of these chain restaurants are more in the food-heating business than actual cooking.

I've read by people who work at these places, that the freshest thing you can get is something fried, because even if its pre-cooked and frozen, they'll throw it in the fryer before bringing it out, rather than microwaving.

However, I say this as someone who comes from an area with no shortage of good restaurants. Maybe in smaller towns, your only option is an American chain restaurant.

[kkt]

It's been a few years, but the last time I went I saw no particular reason to return.  Frozen dinner quality food.  I'd rather take my chances on an unknown local diner.

[webny99]

Well, reading through this thread, I hope the OP wasn't expecting us to defend Applebee's 

[i-215]

The Applebees half-price appetizers after 9 o'clock was how I socialized with my other single late-20s friends during grad school. 

Now there isn't a location within 30 miles of my house.  It's a shame.  Sure, the food was mediocre, but it was hardly bad.

[webny99]

Sure, the food was mediocre, but it was hardly bad.

But that's just it - the food has actually gone from mediocre to bad in recent years. Or at least that's the claim others are making.

[ET21]

Last Applebee's I went to was in Dubuque Iowa about 2 years ago, before that it was probably 5 or 6 years....

[SectorZ]

I've had one in my town since 1995. It used to be great (service and food) for the first few years. Come late 90's, the service started getting very unsteady. After a while the food at all of them started going a tad downhill, then really downhill. I've been back in my hometown since 2014, and have gone to the Tewksbury one once, and even then just for appetizers.

The sad thing is they blame random bogeymen for their problems, like 'millennials', the economy (no one eats out when it's bad - people go to nicer places when its good), etc. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Also, another HUGE nitpick to me about them; they all used to decorate the insides of the restaurants with local stuff. There was a memorial to 2 firefighters that died (http://homenewshere.com/tewksbury_town_crier/news/article_bdefbd42-4ea3-11e1-a53f-0019bb2963f4.html) right down the street from where I now live, and they took it down to make the inside look like every other Applebee's around. Kind of lame. At least they gave back the stuff that was there to the Tewksbury FD.

(note that link is super overblown about the explosion, there is a house only 1000' away from ground zero that sustained zero structural damage, but it's a nice history lesson about my town for you all...)

[freebrickproductions]

For some reason, this thread just happened to remind me of these two Tumblr posts:

[index]

Ahahahahahaha. Applebees. You mean garbage? Seriously, how can anyone stomach the food there? The head chefs there are the freezer and microwave.

[texaskdog]

I like that it is affordable and has a lot of different menu options, and cheap drinks.  That being said it is 5 minutes from work and i go there maybe once a year

[texaskdog]

and the burgers used to be great.  the last one i had a few years ago was awful

[Flint1979]

Applebee's around me does pretty good and none of the locations in my town have closed. It's ok I wouldn't say it's great but I go for the late night apps and that's all I order so I never get a good look at the place. Flint has a location that has closed, on Pierson Road in an area where just about everything is closing (Kroger, Meijer) and there is a lot of crime around the I-75 exit going all the way back to Dort Hwy. so maybe it's not Applebee's there but rather the crime ridden area and another Applebee's is 5 miles away at the Miller Road exit 117 as well as having two exits with an Applebee's going 15 miles north in Clio and Birch Run, no idea how those two do being so close together in an otherwise rural area where they just depend on I-75 traffic pretty much.