I used to like Applebee’s. Food is generally decent, predictable and relatively inexpensive. And, whoever came up with the Mudslide, as an adult beverage, must have been a genius. Hey, what is not to like about a milk shake with a kick?
So, my husband and I are out doing errands and decide to stop for dinner. We see an Applebee’s. It’s convenient, not crowded and we figure we can each find something we like. What could go wrong?
The hostess seats us and the waiter arrives promptly to take our drink orders. I order a frou-frou drink and my husband orders a beer. Five minutes later the waiter comes back, they are out of that particular beer. Not a problem, my husband orders another type of beer. Five minutes later, my drink arrives and the waiter tells my husband they are out of beer number two. My husband orders another brand and we both order dinner.
My husband’s beer arrives with his dinner. Ten minutes later, I still don’t have my dinner and the waiter has vanished. Twenty minutes later, the waiter reappears and we flag him down to inquire about my dinner. We get a puzzled look and then he says he will check on it. By this time, both my husband and I are less than happy. Five minutes later, the waiter returns and says my entree will arrive in a few minutes. Ten minutes after that, he tells us, “It will be just a few more minutes.” Finally my dinner arrives. My husband has long since finished eating. I am dining solo, but perhaps it was just as well that my husband finished his dinner, since part three of this comedy of errors is about to commence.
There is a family dining behind me. My husband is facing their table. A young lad proceeds to upchuck all over the place. Now, stuff like this happens if you have children, but generally courteous people try and minimize the visibility of the incident and quietly clean up the mess. Not this family…oh no. The parents think the kid puking is hilarious. His older brother proceeds to run up and down the aisle making gagging noises and yelling that, “Bobby puked”. The restaurant staff takes no steps to alleviate the situation. The parents are still amused and laughing as they leave.
It was one of the worst dinners out that we have ever experienced. Did we get an acceptable apology for this “lovely” dining experience? No. We didn’t even get a sincere “I’m sorry” from the waiter or the manager.
We paid the bill and left, never to return. Please note this is the only time my husband, who is now retired, did not leave a tip. Do you think that the waiter wondered why?
tybeetabby 