To Be or Not to Applebees

Applebees use to be one of my favorite restaurants when I lived out west.  Something I learned, though, is although the Church is the same where ever you go not all things are the same even if they have the same name.

My parents gave me a gift card to Applebees for my birthday, plus Sheila had a free meal certificate, so we went there for dinner on my birthday.  My in-laws were running late since Ray had forgotten to call them so we delayed going in until 6 p.m.  Things went okay for the first few minutes.  We got our drinks and then placed our order.  We did the 2 for $20 for us.  We had just ordered when Ray's parents and brother show up.  Our appetizer comes out pretty quickly.  But then we wait and wait.  I quickly ran out of water and Ray finally had to flag someone down after 20 minutes of dying of thirst since we got the boneless buffalo wings and they burned up my mouth.  I even drank some of Ray's coke and Timmy's orange juice, I like neither of those.  Finally I got water.  Ray's parents appetizer took forever to come out.  The kids are getting restless.  They are all over the place.  We never see our waitress.  She does wait on the table adjacent to us regularly, think they are her friends.

Finally, after 45-50 minutes our food finally come out.  Ray is given the wrong sandwich.  He waits another ten minutes for the waitress to come back to send it back.  When he finally gets his right burger it is dried out and cold and the lettuce is wilted obviously it had been sitting there for awhile.  Also he had ordered onion rings instead of fries and there is THREE on the plate.  What!?!  Plus I got the wrong side.  I wanted french fries and got coleslaw.

The kids are fighting over the french fries (we got them a meal to share.) Timmy screams his head off. Out I go with him to calm him down. Back in.  My food has gone cold.  I had eaten one shrimp by this time. 



Kimberly has been good the entire time until our food gets there.  I try to nurse her at the table but she is really fidgety and pushing the blanket off.  I feel stuff in the front of her and she had a blow out.  I tell Ray I am ready to box it up.  I take her out to change her and realize I have forgotten a clean outfit so she has to wear a diaper and her jacket, shoes, and socks.

My in-laws food comes while I am in the bathroom and Ray has ours boxed up.  My mother-in-law steak is bloody and she can't eat it.  We still haven't seen the waitress.  After waiting another 10 minutes (It's about 5 after 7 at this point.) Ray takes all the kids out to the van except Kimberly and I am left in there with the bill waiting to pay.  I wait 10 minutes.  Ray calls to find out what is taking so long.  I wait another 10 minutes.  She comes by to the table next to us and gets their dessert order.  She's there for several minutes chatting away.  Kimberly is getting ansy again.  If I had cash I would have just slammed that on the table and walked out.

Finally takes my bill and comes back.  I sign and flee the premises.  It is 7:30.  My in-laws decide not to come over now for cake and ice cream since it is so late. Anyway it was not a fun experience.  We will not be going to that one again.  Luckily there is one with decent service and food in Callaway so we will go there to finish up the gift card and we will go for lunch.