Applebee’s

I think I’ve been here maybe 3 times. The food is good. The service is nice. Not sure when I will be back but I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

Eating good in the neighborhood — NOT. The new menu has much smaller portions and not as big of a menu. As a frequent traveler, Applebee’s was my «go to» dining establishment until the new menu. The location was okay, staff were good, but menu is lacking.

Last year, I would have given this place a 4. A national chain that lived up to it’s name as the neighborhood bar. Just 1 star off, because come on, it’s a chain. Some places can’t escape the pitfalls of a chain. After going to a few other Applebee’s, I realized this was one that I loved and would come to regularly. I had to cut back though for the sake of watching my diet and coins. It was that bar that everyone loved to come to for the huge communal bar experience. Relaxed, good music, fun conversation with other patrons and bartenders, décor that was representative of the neighborhood, local sports teams, high school teams and coaches. You could even come alone to the bar and feel welcomed. It felt like a place that honored those around them with a real stake in the community vs your standard cookie cutter establishment. These small things made the food taste better.
Fast forward to my visit last night. You walk in, the music is different. Contemporary pop? I wasnt looking for Young Thug or 2 Chains, but before it was hip hop and r&b which is what i was in the mood for and had expected for my night out. About 3 ppl sat around the bar with buds in their ears. Totally abnormal for this bar. I sat in the bar area and immediately noticed the change in décor. There’s a huge emphasis on baseball and servicemen. Before while sitting waiting for food, I would just look around and admire how in touch this Applebee’s was with the community, the high schools, local celebs. Now, OK this establishment is close to Andrews AFB, I get it, but baseball? Not a bad thing, but all of the décor? Not one stock photo had a person of color in it. How about just changing it to no people instead of sending a message that white change is the right change? We are not going to call it ‘pulling the race card.’ Its a noticeable cultural change to aesthetics while the patrons look the same (???) To devoid the place of any sign of what it was or the current community or how it’s been for the last 10+ years was pretty insulting. I found one pic of Dr. King that faces backwards where only about ¼ of the restaurant can see it. I was really taken aback by this that I conversed quite a bit with our server about it. He says the change came about 3 months ago.
This really bothered me during my dining experience, that I had to speak to the manager about it. The décor change was my number 1 gripe. She says they still have some of the local high school teams up… In the back by the to go carry out area. I went to check it out. It’s small and dark back there by the bathrooms.
I did like the new promotions with a special each day of the week. The late night happy hour is a bonus! We dined on the shrimp, quesadillas and wings. All were standard, decent bar food. Couldn’t beat the half off appetizers’ price. The bland ambience made me feel blah about the food though.
The other bonus of the night was our server Deangelo. He listened to my gripes, answered my questions, said he would pass the word along to management and in the end continued to assure me that he wanted to help make my experience better. He also invited me back so they he could ensure my future visits were up to par. If the management wanted a change, attitude adjustments like this for the servers is the way to go! He really took my inquiries and disappointment with stride. Way to go Deangelo!
Now out of all the changes management could make, they neglected the bathroom. Filthy! The schedule said it was last cleaned at 12pm. It was about 10pm. Sad!
Not the neighborhood bar that I loved :(The newer Friday’s around the corner didn’t have a chance (horrible management) but. …

The worst! Customer service is the worst I’ve ever seen, with bartenders rolling their eyes and bad drinks. I hate every time I’m forced to come here with friends.

The wings were spoiled the server was rude they over charge for shots so I wont visit this location ever again

A chain is a chain, so you know what ur getting. However this location is more like a club most night and the food is secondary. Several times I’ve had to ask for clean flatware and clean glasses as there where things floating. This location is in the hood and the service reflects such. Applebee’s is cool, just NOT this location.

This is a must stop of my son when home from college. The food is delicious and service is great.

My daughter and I came in for lunch after a half a day at school and I wanted to take her out for making honor roll. Our waitress was so awesome. She made a special strawberry lemonade for my daughter that made her so happy and it was deliciousss! I forgot her name but she was petite brown skin complexion with long dreadlocks. The food was great and she really went out her way to make sure we had an enjoyable experience. 5 stars for great service and food!

I was in this area and wanted to just sit somewhere and get some me time. To my surprise they were setting up for Karoake night. It was a different experience for me because it had a party type of feel. It was refreshing for me being African American and not many places to hang out at a fun affordable price in the DMV area. It may seem a bit bizarre for someone outside being familiar with our culture but it is a breath of fresh air. I invited my best friend the next week and she felt right at home. We are both from Michigan.
P. S Our drinks and food was great. She ordered a pasta, I had shrimp. We kept it simple because we usually don’t go to chain restaurants.
p. s.s There is police present, which is not the norm for Apple bees but neither is the type of night they have. It is appreciated unfortunately this is the world we live in (wish it wasn’t necessary but they know more then I know about the area and safety first before politics) …
Thanks!

I had the best time of my life, and yrs it happened at Applebee’s!!! I have recently moved to Maryland from North Carolina, and after days of unpacking my neibghor invited me out to diner. To my surprise we arrived at Applebee’s, she say the look on my face and said trust this isn’t like other Applebee’s. As soon as we walked in I noticed a large crowd around the bar. It was Tuesday night and it was poppin like Saturday night club! Music was playing, we danced for hours, then had the best service of my life! Fast friendly and everything was hot, even my special order came out right and was amazing! What a great restaurant !!!

I’m not an Applebee’s fan, but I must admit, I haven’t had this much fun on a Tuesday night since I was in undergrad.
My sister wanted to meet for dinner at Applebee’s. Why would anyone want to eat at Applebee’s when there are so many other choices in the DMV? I was annoyed when I got here, and it was packed. You mean to tell me that I have to wait 30 minutes for a table!!! at Applebee’s!!! At this point, I was too hungry to leave. The wait wasn’t as long as I expected because the people watching was the best.
Once seated, a dj was setting up. The music was loud, and the crowd was live. The server and hostesses were so upbeat. They looked like they truly enjoyed their jobs.
It was karaōke Tuesday! No wonder this place was live. The brave souls sang their hearts out. There were times were a popular song was on and the patrons danced in their seats.
For dinner, I ordered a cheese sandwich and tomato soup. The sandwich tasted like a cheese pizza, but the soup was great. I was impressed with the quality. To drink, I had a mango margarita. I am convinced that the bartender forgot to put the mango flavoring in my cup. That was the strongest margarita I EVER had, and it was at Applebee’s. I WILL be back :-)
Overall, I had so much fun there. It was more like club Applebee’s. It was relaxing to laugh and have great conversations with complete strangers. The vibe was great. True, franchise restaurants are usually a solid 3– stars, but this Applebee’s was a step above. I felt like I was a Deep South family reunion— good food, strong drinks, awesome music, and great people!

This Applebee’s has been here for years and I have had years worth of experiences eating here, both good and bad. So I settled on 3 stars. A-​OK fits this place pretty well. Mostly, experiences depend on what time of day you come, what you order, and who your server is. Friday and Saturday nights, for example, tend to be packed houses with people waiting in lines out the door. The crowd is usually grown & hungry and less family friendly. And Applebee’s has a pretty decent bar and cheap eats so it can turn into more of a hang out spot on the weekends. Some will try to leave here and opt for the Friday’s up the street, which is just if not more crowded than here. If Applebee’s isn’t worth the potential long waits and big crowds, then opt for daytime hours.
During the day, this place is completely chill. The last 3x I came here my servers have all been pleasant and my food came out perfectly. I actually decided to jump out there and order a steak on the new 550 calories and under menu. If you’re like me, you’re probably skeptical of an Applebee’s steak. But the price and calories were right so I took a chance. And it paid off. Applebee’s managed to cook an absolutely perfect steak. Now I can’t stop ordering that meal when I come. I’ve also recently had that new apple cinnamon dessert thing they have. I think it’s like a dessert spring roll. DELICIOUS!!! I’ve been thoroughly and pleasantly surprised with the recent menu changes.
Pretty good taste bud bang for the buck.

I have had mixed reviews with this very same establishment. The last one is the one i am writing about… I was there with a few friends. I ordered a drink with sugar. it came with salt… sent back. Then my second drink I ordered something different. The waitress placed the glass on the table and it went sliding off on the seat next to me. Good thing I have quick reflexes. The waitress was more confused at my jumping out of the way than the fact that my drink was now all over the seat. no offer to compensate for either situation. Two managers did come over and only one offered us a free min brownie dessert. I do not think I will be returning to this business ever.

2^nd time here for Veteran day. Food awesome. The hurricane had way too much sweet and sour in it. The summer breeze is good. Plus cute cop.

Great food, great crowd, great staff. Great Under 550 Calorie menu!

If you aren’t in a hurry or care about getting good customer service, this is the perfect spot. Waited far to long for the bartender and he was very rude.

Great lil spot. Delicious food. Nice atmosphere.

Before I start I would like to add that my first job was in a restaurant and I have a soft spot/​understanding for what it’s like. I always tip 20% and for great service I tip more… I ate there the other night with wife and friend. The place wasn’t busy (about 10 tables open). We were told it would be about 5−7min wait to be seated, which was fine, we weren’t in any hurry and the empty tables were probably just from being short staffed. After waiting 12 minutes we were approached by the manager but we told him we were fine and we think we are being helped. After a few more minutes we were finally shown a table, but that was after the greeter forgot about us and sat another party that walked in after us (with 3 people just like my party). Whatever… that person must not be the brightest. We sit down and then I notice that another 7 or so minutes have passed and we haven’t even met our server. The manager comes again but doesn’t fix anything. Just says oh ok and walks off in another direction. Our server finally comes, introduces herself, apologizes for the wait and then walks away… wtf, can I get a drink? 5 minutes later (yes at this point I’m looking at my watch) she takes our drink order. After another 7ish minutes I get my beer. Did I mention they aren’t busy? I’ve been at this place for about 30 minutes and haven’t even got a drink. SMDH! She comes back with our drinks and takes our order. I help her out and order apps and our meal so she didn’t have to come back until the food was ready. The food came out at a quick pace… Except we got half our apps and didn’t get the other half until 5 minutes later. Last time I checked we are supposed to get it at the same time. Maybe that only applied when I worked in the food industry. Good thing we were hungry because we only had a few minutes to eat our apps before our meal was brought to us. Which tells me our server was sitting on her ass while our apps sat on a counter in the kitchen. Food was fine. Everything tasted great. But if that place wasn’t called Applebee’s it would have went out of business a LONG time ago. I will NEVER go back and support that place until they get new management. It is obvious the staff doesn’t care about their job or the name they represent and that is a direct reflection of the management. The end.

Thought the food was good (not atypical for Applebees), the service was HORRIBLE. It took ~30 minutes to recieve soup and an appetizer and entrees were not brought with them as I had requested… my 5 and 9 year old were not happe (neither was I). The server seemed knowledgable about the menu, but was apathetic to provide quick service. Would NOT return to this applebees.

Food was average, servers were friendly and the building was reasonably clean for ahving been open for two hours.
The service was just terribly slow. Even something as simple as getting a refill was painful. It was as if the staff just didn’t possess the mental capacity to run a restaurant. Being a good customer, I did help them out… I drank my drink extremely slow and stretched it thru the entire meal, I gave my credit card without the bill to save her the trip and I didn’t order desert.
There was one thing I caught on the way out – I think I know what the core of their problems are, the catalyst of their tanked morale, the lowest common denominator of the entire organization… they haven’t selected an employee of the month since Feb 2010… I bet that one lonely worker who spent her entire life trying to be somebody in the world of Applebees and getting shot down month after month is probably pretty pissed off! :S