Applebees is teh suck.

I wouldn't put Applebees in the same catagory as Fridays. I've never had a bad meal at Fridays and the service is always good. Applebees on the other hand sucked badly and I've tried three different locations because my sister likes it for some reason.

I also think Fridays are better then Applebees. The Jack Daniel sauced dishes are fairly good.

zoebisch01 said:

When travelers (Americans travel a lot) go abroad, rather than seeking indigenous cuisine, they look for 'ole familiar. Sure it may be freezer food from a plant in NJ, but at least it all tastes the same right??

Click to expand...

I'm with you here! When I lived in the UK, some friends from the States came to visit. First time to Europe, first time out of the US. We met them in London to go out for dinner. My wife and I were thinking something British like pub food or ethnic like Indian. We started discussing with them where to go for dinner and they were insistent on this great steak house they went to the previous night. It ended up being a Lone Star or some other Texas-like steakhouse in London full of American tourists.

It's not really travelling abroad if you leave your mind at home.

Too true mensch.

I was pissed off after travelling to San Diego, picking an interesting looking restaraunt, only to find out it was a chain after we ordered. Barely better than Appleby's.

Not exactly the UK, but it is across the country, and I wanted something original.

Just got back from gulf shores, AL. We avoided chains like the plague.

When ever I am on business in small towns, I eat where the locals eat, not micky D's.

Why is it not surprising that members of a homebrew forum would avoid chain restaurants like the plague?

arturo7 said:

Why is it not surprising that members of a homebrew forum would avoid chain restaurants like the plague?

Click to expand...

I liken us to a yeast strain. We are a 'culture' that has many things in common, or so it seems to be that way to me.

cheezydemon said:

Too true mensch.

I was pissed off after travelling to San Diego, picking an interesting looking restaraunt, only to find out it was a chain after we ordered. Barely better than Appleby's.

Click to expand...

Ok, let me guess: dick's last resort? You should have headed up a few blocks to this hole-in-the-wall Chinese place, or gone out to the ghetto to get some proper mexican food. If you're downtown though, not many locals eat there.

Taipans said:

I also think Fridays are better then Applebees. The Jack Daniel sauced dishes are fairly good.

Click to expand...

The Jack Daniels dishes are too sweet, I want dinner, not desert

arturo7 said:

Why is it not surprising that members of a homebrew forum would avoid chain restaurants like the plague?

Click to expand...

Because homebrewers stray from the herd that is humanity.

EDIT to add: Collectively, we're like the Superfriends and HBT is our Hall of Justice!

menschmaschine said:

I'm with you here! When I lived in the UK, some friends from the States came to visit. First time to Europe, first time out of the US. We met them in London to go out for dinner. My wife and I were thinking something British like pub food or ethnic like Indian. We started discussing with them where to go for dinner and they were insistent on this great steak house they went to the previous night. It ended up being a Lone Star or some other Texas-like steakhouse in London full of American tourists.

It's not really travelling abroad if you leave your mind at home.

Click to expand...

The Texas Embassy near Trafalgar square?

OhioBrit said:

The Texas Embassy near Trafalgar square?

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was it. I remember being disappointed about not being able to drink real ale, even though I wasn't a homebrewer yet. Look at the beer selection: http://www.texasembassy.com/drinks.html

We were moving back to the states, leaving the next day. It was a shame to waste my last night in the UK on that!

menschmaschine said:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was it. I remember being disappointed about not being able to drink real ale, even though I wasn't a homebrewer yet. Look at the beer selection: http://www.texasembassy.com/drinks.html

We were moving back to the states, leaving the next day. It was a shame to waste my last night in the UK on that!

Click to expand...

Awwww, poor guy! I know how you must have felt, but don't beat up on your friends too much, every nationality does it when overseas.

It seems to me that every country has to endure tourism from the very people that represent their home countries the worst. It would be great if we could all see and meet the average person from every country, but no, we usually only ever get to meet the louder ones that are pushy enough, and single minded enough to make enough money to afford travel.


Emergency edit!! I should quantify that statement by adding that I HAVE visited the Texas Embassy at a time when i thought it would be an exotic foreign experience for me. It was just full of REALLY loud mouthed ******** telling me how much better it was n the USA and that us Brits were stupid for living there. (True story) I forgive that experience though, for the reasons outlined above. I'm very happy with the non-xenaphobic attitudes of the people I have met in the REAL America as opposed to The Texas Embassy! They were probably homesick and just got carried away.

OhioBrit, I was going to mention how it was full of loud-mouth ********, but was afraid of some taking offence to it. You did a great job walking the line!

menschmaschine said:

OhioBrit, I was going to mention how it was full of loud-mouth ********, but was afraid of some taking offence to it. You did a great job walking the line!

Click to expand...

It was the truth.......Just cover my ass for me when the flaming starts? Thanks bud!

I'm sorry...way beavis and butthead of me, but using the words flaming and ass in the same sentence should only be used in the context of consuming hot peppers.

Regardless, it is only the wealthy (and so usually the ass holes) that can travel out of country. That is not to say that there aren't poor ********, but they don't have the snob factor to really make them unbearable.

cheezydemon said:

I'm sorry...way beavis and butthead of me, but using the words flaming and ass in the same sentence should only be used in the context of consuming hot peppers.

Regardless, it is only the wealthy (and so usually the ass holes) that can travel out of country. That is not to say that there aren't poor ********, but they don't have the snob factor to really make them unbearable.

Click to expand...

You are right. I can handle poverty stricken ********. I've been one all my life!

cheezydemon said:

using the words flaming and ass in the same sentence should only be used in the context of consuming hot peppers.

Click to expand...

Woah, you just read my mind! You set yourself up for that one OhioB!

menschmaschine said:

Woah, you just read my mind! You set yourself up for that one OhioB!

Click to expand...

He said peppers, I was thinking curry. In the end, it's all projectile pooping.

Viva le not so different difference!

Lol. WE poor ass holes are the best kind of ass holes! Eh? Flaming or not

Had an x-girlfriend...her favorite restaurant was applebees(I refuse to go into one)...went to guadalajara mexico, she picked at the food and wouldn't really try anything, loved bud light and wouldn't try any of my homebrew or any craftbrews because "they are gross"...the relationship didn't last long.

New girlfriend...will try any food and any beer...probably a keeper.

I only went to Applebee's once in my life. It was a couple of years ago, I can't remember what I ordered but I sure as hell remember the side. It came with a side of rice and I got a bag of rice with a date on it. They didn't even take the rice out of the damn bag!

Applebees might suck, but I go to the one by my neighborhood for the waitresses.

I'm not kidding... it's like Hooter's with clothes!

The Applebees near our house and the one by my in-laws have always been good. I've never really had any problems at one, TBH. The food is better than any of the other chain restaurants I've been to. Only problem I've had is the waitress can't not put a slice of fruit in my Blue Moon or Oberon (The beer selection coudl be better, but I'm not complaining as it won't do any good).

Our Applebees is the go-to restaurant for us.

Of course, if I were to travel, I'd sure as heck not go to something I'm used to. I'd head for wherever the locals recommend, or try some local cuisine. I'm all up for trying something new and unusual.

fridays applebees and chillys really are the most consitsantly ****ty places i have ever gone.
my local chillys is ****ing hoarable the only thing that can do right is make a burger.
twice i have got raw fahijata i mean really raw purple raw , i meat my steak med this **** was cold and lots of other total ****up cold soup salid with 2 pints of dressing.ect

and fridays with there 14 points on flair i have been server moldy bread, and rotten shrimp there

applebees in my neck of the woods only hires retards from a near by getto and short busses them to work, where that act like takeing your order is compleatly a ****ing hassle and that are pissed thay cant sit on there ass now becase you are there.


chaines i have had good look with
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, Carrabba's Italian Grill,Ruth's Chris Steak House,Outback Steakhouse,Tony Roma's ,The Cheesecake Factory, Cracker Barrel ,Shogun - Benihana Japanese cuisine

Olive Garden is the McDonalds of Italian food. Too much oil on everything and just flavorless.

Crackerbarrel ahs been in a downhill slide since the late 90s.

Carrabbas wasnt bad

If you eat at chain restaurants, you're going to get stuff like this happening alllll the time. F them all.

MikeFlynn74 said:

Carrabbas wasnt bad

Click to expand...

We had a Carrabbas out my way but I didn't know it was a chain! It closed down a little while ago and now is being replaced by a Pasta House. I liked Carrabbas, they had some more unique offerings over Olive Garden!

I had a similar experience at Johnny Carino's recently. They ended up taking 60% of the bill off. The bottom line is, as mentioned, chain restaurants in general are teh suck. No way around it...

knarfks said:

Had an x-girlfriend...her favorite restaurant was applebees(I refuse to go into one)...went to guadalajara mexico, she picked at the food and wouldn't really try anything, loved bud light and wouldn't try any of my homebrew or any craftbrews because "they are gross"...the relationship didn't last long.

New girlfriend...will try any food and any beer...probably a keeper.

Click to expand...

Sounds just like my cousin. She got married in Cancun, Mexico, on the beach. That's where the exoticism (is that a word?) ended, though. The only things she drank were the Mountain Dew and Beringer White Zin that she BROUGHT WITH HER TO MEXICO, and bottled water. She only ate room-service grilled-cheese and at the Outback Sh!thouse across from that craptastic resort. Nice girl, but she's always ill. I swear she must have scurvy because of eating habits.

Amen on having a keeper. I've got one of those, myself.

I don't go into places like Applebees/chillis/rubytuesdays,tgifirdays/etc. Not so much because the food is bad. That's hit or miss in my experience. But, its because the places are loud and crowded and overpriced.

Any time I walk into a restaurant and see that they have hung misc. junk on the walls just for the sake of hanging junk on the walls, I know I'm about to get ripped off. I don't mind spending my very hard earned money on good food/service. But, the only "atmosphere" I'm willing to spend money on is a quiet comfortable dining experience. If I want to shout over my food I'll go to a sports bar or hooters. (although, the pantyhose and shorts kind of creep me out.)

carnevoodoo said:

If you eat at chain restaurants, you're going to get stuff like this happening alllll the time. F them all.

Click to expand...

A significant distinction to be made here: most corporate franchise restaraunts may be teh suck, but there are some fantastic local regional chain restaurants out there.

Corporate franchised concept restaurants are teh suck. I know, because I once worked at a Champps.

MrFebtober said:

A significant distinction to be made here: most corporate franchise restaraunts may be teh suck, but there are some fantastic local regional chain restaurants out there.

Corporate franchised concept restaurants are teh suck. I know, because I once worked at a Champps.

Click to expand...

WORD UP we have some great local chains

My pleasant Applebees experiences might have something to do with the local college offering resaurant management classes. You never know when the profesor is going to be checking up on you!

Really, you guys have had some seriously awful luck. I've always had good luck at resaurants. Sometimes the food was not great, or I paid too much, but I've never (Ok, one time at applebees in like West Virginia!) had them ever screw up my order bad.