More like, AppleBOO's: Applebee's of Athens (review)

I know what you're all thinking... have I lost my mind? Why would anyone waste their time reviewing an Applebee's? They're all exactly the same!

Well, dear reader, allow me to respond to your assessment with a resounding, "Nuh-uh." Applebee's of Athens is shoddy, shoddy, shoddy. If it were an average Applebee's, or even a particularly great Applebee's, I wouldn't spend time writing this review, because the dishes at Applebee's are designed to be tasty, with minimal effort put into preparation. The supplies are shipped to each restaurant with most of the hard work eliminated, so that putting out each individual plate is a fast, easy procedure. So, when I come across an Applebee's that can't get its act together, I feel the need to speak up.

Applebee's of Athens was an average establishment when it first opened, matching any other Applebee's in flavor and quality of each dish. However, I first noticed this past June that the quality of the food was seriously slipping. The noodles in one of my friends' chicken parmesan were overcooked, and another friend's soup portion was inadequate. Every dish had a sloppy presentation, the onion peels were soggy, and the french fries were oversalted.

Hoping that the establishment was just going through a bit of a funk, and that quality would improve over the course of a few months, I agreed to return with my sister and her friend last month. I was met with flavorless, inadequately seasoned beef, and more of those pert-near-unbearably-salty fries.

I think the issue with this particular Applebee's is that they are far too busy for their own good. It generates a lot of local interest for being the only family-style restaurant in the area. The place was packed on a Tuesday night. That probably sounds like a dream come true for any restaurant owner, but if one's management skills are limited, then it is possible for a restaurant to become overly busy, and the quality of the food can suffer.

I don't hesitate to publish an unflattering review, because a little less business might be good for the place, and because your dining experience could certainly be better. You can get a better hamburger at Whataburger for far less money. Dining at Applebee's of Athens is an unpleasant experience, and not even the attemptedly august presence of Tyler Florence's Ultimate Face staring up at you from the menu lends credit to this unprofessional establishment.

D


Mangia (at somewhere other than Applebee's of Athens)!

--Seguin