Applebee's

I've never really had anything negative to say about this Applebee's. Service has always been good. Drinks and food have been good. Prices are reasonable. Go here during dinner hours and expect to wait, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

Our co-host seated a party of five at our ���cozy table 23" (or something) designed for four.



This September 29, 2007, lunch started with waiting 15 minutes for introduction to our server while we endured two ���haphazard clapping��� birthday events.



Our server introduced herself with ���sorry.��� Sometime later she arrived with our water and iced tea and another ���sorry.��� She then cleared some tables and took a few orders from more recent diners ��� returning to our table stating she normally doesn���t have to write orders down but things were so hectic.



Half the food was delivered, and she twice stopped back asking how everything was only to look surprised half the food wasn���t even there yet. What do we do the second time? Well, obviously we take more orders and clear more tables without checking with the kitchen.



Finally, I approached the host to ask if he might help my server check on the status of our food. Noting my inquiry, our ���server��� decides this might be a good time for her to check on the remaining food. I can���t point out how overly polite I was attempting to appear. Though responded to her "anything else I can bring you real quickly" with a snide remark.



Some time later, some insincere ���manager��� approaches the table and begins with some inane comments about some severe weather system approaching from the northwest. He politely listens to us recant the lousy service saying ���great��� about fifty times then finishing with I���ll do something special for you. After yet another delay, we receive the check with no discernable adjustment let alone feeling we had received anything "special."



I never provide feedback to get anything, and we actually tipped around 10 percent as to not diminish our comments to the ���manager.���



Members of the party had actually intended to purchase desert (with dollars as opposed to the free junk served with clapping commotion) though couldn���t get out of there fast enough. I can think of several types of torture I���d rather endure than ever step foot in this awful place again.



In the interest of full disclosure, this location was not my choice (food nor atmosphere) and my expectations were already low ��� though they wildly exceeded my expectations.