Applebee’s

[MNHighwayMan]

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

They have cheap drinks because they skimp on the booze.

[ftballfan]

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.

I have college friends that live in Flushing and they told me never to cross the Pierson Road bridge over I-75 unless going to I-75 north. That same area has a former Kmart that closed during its 2002 bankruptcy. The Meijer on Pierson basically "moved" to I-69 and Morrish Rd.

Back on topic, Applebee's seems to do well in most of Michigan. Most of the larger Northern Michigan communities have a location, with the odd exception of Cadillac.

[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.

I have college friends that live in Flushing and they told me never to cross the Pierson Road bridge over I-75 unless going to I-75 north. That same area has a former Kmart that closed during its 2002 bankruptcy. The Meijer on Pierson basically "moved" to I-69 and Morrish Rd.

Back on topic, Applebee's seems to do well in most of Michigan. Most of the larger Northern Michigan communities have a location, with the odd exception of Cadillac.

A few years ago I was sitting in my car in the parking lot at the McDonald's on Pierson between I-75 and Jennings Road and a car pulled up on the side it was a white man driving and there was another passenger in the car I can't remember if it was a male or female but they were also white. The guy's first question to me was, what city is this? I told him it's Flint, Michigan and he proceeded to tell me that he was traveling back from U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor back to Au Gres and didn't have enough gas and didn't have any money to get gas. I told him I was broke and didn't have any money and then went on to tell him that this isn't a safe part of town and you shouldn't be randomly doing what you are doing unless you want someone to really mess with you and said my best advice is for you to get on I-75 and get outta here.

Another incident in Flint about a year or so ago, I was coming out of the Kroger on Richfield and Center and a lady approached me telling me that she needed gas to get to Saginaw and some people left her stranded in Flint. I told her I'd put 2 gallons of gas in her car for her so she could get to Saginaw which I did. As far as I know she was being honest because I was behind her on Richfield Road going back to Dort Hwy. and then she got on I-475 so I figured she was being honest about it. I had enough on me that it didn't hurt me to do that.

You could say the Swartz Creek Meijer took over for that Meijer it's a pretty good stretch in between them though. Kroger has a Flushing location on Pierson. I heard the old one that use to be a Hills Department Store in Hallwood Plaza is suppose to be a Hamady so Hamady is making a comeback 30 years after going out of business?

And as far as the area around there goes your friends are pretty spot on. The north end of Flint is by far the worst part of Flint and there really isn't much of a reason to be there. It's been a long time since Flint's last Kmart closed I can't remember the last one that was open but they have that one, the one on Miller, the one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw, one in Grand Blanc, some of them I can't even think of where they are now.

Ok back on topic, I was in the one in Gaylord last summer and it seemed to be doing alright. I've been in the one in West Branch too which was alright it's basically the same everywhere you go it seems like to me anyway. I think there are only three in the U.P. (Houghton, Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie). Surprised Escanaba doesn't have one. Saginaw has two of them and both seem to do pretty good too.

[texaskdog]

Funny I get people all the time saying they don't have gas to get somewhere....they never seem to have a car.  Sometimes I see the same people in the same lot weeks later. Usually I'll ask them why they drove somewhere if they don't have enough gas to get to their destination.

[SP Cook]

Applebee's - My assumption is that Applebee's franchises are cheap to obtain and/or run contrasted to other similar places.  There are lots of places where it is about the only chain table service restaurant around, and that seems to be its niche.  If there are other choices, it gets avoided.

That is kind of my situation.  In my exact local area it is Applebee's and two locals.  Have to go a couple of exits to get more.  So I go there now and then, just because it is there.  Would never go there if there were other things as close. 

The bartenders at Applebee's are awful.  Really awful.  The places have a good stock of liquor, but I think it is just for show.  Maybe it is just colored water they never actually use.  Because none of their bartenders can make any mixed drink other than the current invented specials, which generally are grain alcohol, food coloring, and some sort of fruit.

Gas bums - Get that a bunch.  Usually either "going to a funeral" or "trying to get some distant hospital" (often in my area WVU's hospital, which is not a step-up hospital for the critically ill in my area, as both Charleston's and Huntington's hospitals can do anything it does, and past that you are talking Cleveland Clinic or UVa).   I figure they are lying.

The more puzzling ones to me, and these people are not bumming so I figure they are honest, are I see people with beater cars and way distant, like 5 or 6 states away, plates in the parking lot of Advance Auto (which is, oddly, just across the driveway from Applebee's) , doing serious work on their cars (that chain allows that and loans tools).  I mean, really, you thought it was a good idea to leave home in a 20 or 30 year old car in poor repair, and lacking the money to have it professionally maintained, to work on it in some random parking lot in some random place you know nothing about?  Greyhound?  Amtrak?  Southwest?  Heck, Enterprise rent-a-car, will loan you are brand new car for a week for less than $200.

[MNHighwayMan]

Heck, Enterprise rent-a-car, will loan you are brand new car for a week for less than $200.

Ooh, look at Mr. Moneybags here, with $200 to throw around at random. Yes, if only everyone could just afford that at will.

[SP Cook]

When the alternative is endangering oneself and all other motorists with a car that is unable to perform the job, yes.  Staying home is another option, and generally free.

[Sctvhound]

In the mid 1990s Applebee's gained a major following because it was about the only nationwide chain of sit-down restaurants that would go almost anywhere in the country. You had chains like Houlihan's and Tony Roma's in bigger cities, but Applebee's would go anywhere. I've been to ones in Emporia, VA (a town of a little over 5,000 off I-95), and Marietta, OH (a town of under 15,000). Applebee's is the only sit-down place that would go to these smaller towns.

[abefroman329]

Last time I ate there was probably 4-5 years ago, when my wife and I were both doing Weight Watchers and they had a separate WW menu with the points on it.

I don't feel a strong desire to go back there, but I'd pick it over any number of other chains.

[paulthemapguy]

I will agree that the quality of their food has gone at least somewhat downhill in the past 10 years or so.  Not particularly fond of them.

[PHLBOS]

You had chains like Houlihan’s and Tony Roma’s in bigger cities,

In southeastern PA, Houlihans has been gone for close to a decade now.

[rlb2024]

The location closest to us (Covington, LA) closed within the last few weeks.  Hadn't been in about 15 years -- too many better options.  I couldn't get my wife to even consider going there after a series of bad experiences.

[abefroman329]

You had chains like Houlihan's and Tony Roma's in bigger cities,

In southeastern PA, Houlihans has been gone for close to a decade now.

And Tony Roma's is on life support.

[Nacho]

In the mid 1990s Applebee's gained a major following because it was about the only nationwide chain of sit-down restaurants that would go almost anywhere in the country. You had chains like Houlihan's and Tony Roma's in bigger cities, but Applebee's would go anywhere. I've been to ones in Emporia, VA (a town of a little over 5,000 off I-95), and Marietta, OH (a town of under 15,000). Applebee's is the only sit-down place that would go to these smaller towns.

This would be consistent with my experience. I think the Applebee's in Jasper, Indiana is the only major sit down chain in town (unless you count Shoney's as a major chain). It's a fairly common place for people to want to eat when I'm visiting there. Personally, even in a small town like Jasper, there's a number of local places where I'd rather eat given the choice, but I try not to be a snob about it. Otherwise if I'm eating at an Applebee's it's probably because I'm on the road. More specifically, two of my most recent experiences eating there were both because it shared a parking lot with the hotel we were staying at and we didn't want to bother with driving someplace else, getting the kid back in and out of the car, etc. I try to keep my expectations pretty low when I do end up eating there. It usually manages to meet them.

[cjk374]

I miss Shoney's breakfast buffet.

[SectorZ]

You had chains like Houlihan's and Tony Roma's in bigger cities,

In southeastern PA, Houlihans has been gone for close to a decade now.

And Tony Roma's is on life support.

I hear they do very good until dessert, and then just completely mess it up so badly after that they ruined the whole dinner experience.

[MNHighwayMan]

And Tony Roma's is on life support.

I hear they do very good until dessert, and then just completely mess it up so badly after that they ruined the whole dinner experience.

I see what you did there.

[webny99]

And Tony Roma's is on life support.

I hear they do very good until dessert, and then just completely mess it up so badly after that they ruined the whole dinner experience.

I see what you did there.

I don't. No obligation to explain, though, if it will make it not funny.

[Takumi]

And Tony Roma's is on life support.

I hear they do very good until dessert, and then just completely mess it up so badly after that they ruined the whole dinner experience.

I see what you did there.

I don't. No obligation to explain, though, if it will make it not funny.

I didn't get it either, so an explanation might be warranted.

[abefroman329]

And Tony Roma's is on life support.

I hear they do very good until dessert, and then just completely mess it up so badly after that they ruined the whole dinner experience.

I see what you did there.

I don't. No obligation to explain, though, if it will make it not funny.

I didn't get it either, so an explanation might be warranted.

I think it's a reference to pro quarterback Tony Romo.

[MNHighwayMan]

I don't. No obligation to explain, though, if it will make it not funny.

I didn't get it either, so an explanation might be warranted.

I think it's a reference to pro quarterback Tony Romo.

It is, and the reputation he's earned (rightly so or not) as a choker in the last minutes of football games.

[abefroman329]

I don't. No obligation to explain, though, if it will make it not funny.

I didn't get it either, so an explanation might be warranted.

I think it's a reference to pro quarterback Tony Romo.

It is, and the reputation he's earned (rightly so or not) as a choker in the last minutes of football games.

Ah, so a reverse Tim Tebow.

[slorydn1]

Although Applebee's has never been a first choice, must go place for me, I  have eaten there many times over the years. My wife will bring home food from there every once in a while when she has gotten off of work late and didn't feel like cooking. I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal from there, just like I have never had a really great meal there either. It is what it is. It beats grabbing some slop from the drive through at McD's, that's for sure.

[kphoger]

Although Applebee's has never been a first choice, must go place for me, I  have eaten there many times over the years. My wife will bring home food from there every once in a while when she has gotten off of work late and didn't feel like cooking. I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal from there, just like I have never had a really great meal there either. It is what it is. It beats grabbing some slop from the drive through at McD's, that's for sure.

Applebee's is a good place for a work meeting.

[kkt]

Although Applebee's has never been a first choice, must go place for me, I  have eaten there many times over the years. My wife will bring home food from there every once in a while when she has gotten off of work late and didn't feel like cooking. I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal from there, just like I have never had a really great meal there either. It is what it is. It beats grabbing some slop from the drive through at McD's, that's for sure.

Applebee's is a good place for a work meeting.

If you don't eat anything, and if you order coffee gets lots of cream and sugar, even if you don't like them.