It took around 20 minutes to get our drink refills. We had to wait one hour and 15 minutes for our food. When we asked the manager about our refills she said«what refills? Refills on your food?» And we hadn’t received any food whatsoever and it was an irrelevant comment. It was obvious that most of the problems they were having was because of short staff plus manager. We suggested Applebee’s to a group of 13 friends and we ended up paying for them because of how sorry we felt that they received poor service. The food was okay but it absolutely didn’t look like the picture in the menu. The burger didn’t have lettuce or tomatoes even after he had asked us if we’d like any and we said yes. They never brought us our lemons, lettuce, tomato, or chips. The fries were cold. The kids menu said that it was free refills for Apple juice but they ended up charging us since it was boxed apple juice and not in a cup. We’ve had horrible experiences every time we go to an Applebee’s.
J V.
Place rating: 2 San Diego, CA
I’ve been here twice, but haven’t ordered food(there are better deals within walking distance). The prices on beer are ok(the selection lacks), about the same as everyone else($ 7 per glass), but bring a jacket when you come in; they keep the room temperature cold. The only real complaint I have and a bit of a «head’s up» is about their margarita machine. It is EXTREMELY loud and very annoying!(and I’m a former Heavy Metal guitarist!)…so bring ear plugs too!
Pam K.
Place rating: 3 San Diego, CA
Went as a group, but they made it difficult to make reservations and the area we sat in was not the best for groups. Food was good and average value, service was average. Would be good for just a party of 6 and under. I would visit again, just not as a group.
Drayce M.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
I decided to come back here to give them a second chance, and I was not disappointed! Me and my bf came here on a saturday night and were instantly seated and greeted by this awesome server named justin? Tall white guy, he’s super funny and polite! I ordered a basic appetizer; boneless buffalo pieces, and a tomato basil soup comes about $ 10ish? Also i really enjoyed their strawberry lemonade quencher! Would definitely come back!
Suhail S.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
Great place for dinner. We visit it occasionally. Burgers and steak offerings are delicious.
Charles B.
Place rating: 2 San Diego, CA
Visited this location before a movie. Food was marginal, at best — and definitely no bargain. Makes Chili’s look good.
N. S.
Place rating: 3 San Diego, CA
Food is okay, service is also okay depending on who you get. We ordered different meals and the chicken was served cold in the middle. The drinks aren’t bad.
Myhien D.
Place rating: 2 San Diego, CA
I only come here for the 2 for $ 20 or the 2 for $ 25. usually I just want the spinach artichoke dip because it’s my favorite thing here. I got the steak and my aunt got the ribs. both weren’t that good. there wasn’t anything special about the ribs. the steak was pretty dry and hard to chew. pretty disappointed.
Joel E.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
Came for dinner and was very pleasant all round. Food and service was good. Cool way to check out with tablets at the tables. For the $ 1.99 they charge for games, saw nobody playing perhaps they could get more creative with that and add a loyalty program to it?
Missy F.
Place rating: 2 San Diego, CA
I had the two for $ 20 deal. We ordered a quesadilla burger, and the bourbon street chicken and shrimp. The quesadilla burger was flooded with grease and not good at all. The bourbon street chicken had a nice little flavor to it, however it needed more sauce. The chicken and shrimp were a little dry and portions are small. Honestly it’s not a bad deal for $ 20 because it includes two entrees and an appetizer. You are able to order salads as the appetizer but I ordered the nachos which were actually pretty good. Don’t forget to wash this all down with a cold one.
Cuong N.
Place rating: 4 Villa Park, CA
Came here for a late lunch today. My wife and I got the 2 for $ 20 special. The special came with an appetizer and two entrees. For our appetizer, we got the grilled chicken wonton tacos… it came highly recommended by other Unilocalers and it didn’t disappoint. Had a nice sweet teriyaki flavor and light crunchy wonton shell that was a perfect compliment to the grilled chicken. For the two entrees, we got the Bourbon grilled street chicken and shrimp which came on a sizzling skillet. The chicken had Cajun seasoning while the shrimp was blackened. Also comes with red potatoes and sautéed onions and mushrooms. It was perfectly seasoned and cooked, no complaints. For the second entrée, we selected the Applebee’s riblets. It had an applewood smoke flavor and was served with fries and cole slaw. It wasn’t bad, but nothing memorable. Ribs are generally better off saved for establishments that are known for their BBQ. They generally taste best when cooked slow and low and I highly doubt Applebee’s cook their ribs that way. ;)
Joanna R.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
I love coming here for happy hour, which starts at 9. Once you’re seated you can basically just order off the iPad they have on the tables. The apps that they offer are at 50% off the original price! And the portions are pretty good too. I’m not really impressed with their happy hour drink menu. I would rather have a martini or a Mai tai. It’s pretty limited. I love the desserts here! I usually got their cookie shooter, which is the prefect size for your sweet tooth, but they got rid of it! They only have the hot fudge one. Once you have selected all of the items, make sure you send them to the kitchen! It usually takes about 10 – 15 mins for the food to come out! Oh, I also how you can spilt the bill however you want on the iPad!
Claire T.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
I always come to this Applebee’s for take-out. I happened to order for pick up and I happened to have a question and the person who took my order on the phone sounded like she was not in the mood to work, and hung up the phone. I called back and let them know I had a question and that I was hung up on. The manager who was working tonight brought out the food I ordered, gave us complimentary ice cream. Customer service at its best! I didn’t catch her name, but wow. She was awesome. She made tonight’s bad experience into a a great one. She deeply apologized for what happened and just made her customers feel important. Thank you so much, sweet lady! You’re just what Applebee’s needs.
Rubyjane A.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
Came in on a friday night with my hubby and son. Me and the hubs ordered the 2 for $ 25 dinner. It comes with an appetizer and 2 meals. For the appetizer we ordered the boneless chicken wings.(asian spice) It tasted like orange chicken it wasn’t spicy at all. Just a little zing. for my dinner meal I ordered the crunchy shrimp with mexican rice and veggies. it was good. and the hubby ordered the ribs with french fries. my son ordered the chicken mac and cheese. it looked like a chicken alfredo pasta. and a side of mozzarella sticks. I also had a mango iced tea which was refreshing. overall applebee’s is a good simple family restaurant with great customer service. we had a great waitress named anne.
Ariel D.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
I love coming here because it’s a «cheap» sit down place to eat. I love their pick an appetizer and two entrees for $ 20 or $ 25. They have mini screens at the table where you can order and pay to make your experience a little faster. They also use that to pay games, which i don’t recommend. My favorite appetizers would be their spinach and cheese dip, buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks. Service is ok and their is usually never a wait to get a table.
Alejandra Q.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
Came in again today, service was great and was seated in 10 mins. Samantha our server was great. Great customer service skills and she always had a smile! from all the times ive been here she has been the best server ive had at this location
Summer A.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
I’ve been to this location several times and have typically received great overall service. I won’t say I am a raving fan of their food, but their drinks and appetizers aren’t bad when you are hitting up a late night or happy hour with friends. On my most recent occasion, I found out that their«late night» appetizers weren’t available outside of the bar area. I shrugged it off, as I guess I could have asked when I walked in, and ordered the cheese sticks anyway. Our server’s, whose name I cannot recall, was incredibly attentive throughout the experience. At the end, he came over with my check letting me know they did honor the happy hour price for my appetizer. This was a very nice gesture as I wasn’t expecting this.
Peng X.
Place rating: 2 San Diego, CA
Growing up, I’ve always seen the Applebee’s commercials but never visited so I decided to give this place a try. I tried to order the mushroom and swiss burger medium rare but they can only do medium well. Does that say something about the quality of their meat or the skill of their cooks? Neither one can be good. The burger came out overcooked and greasy with the cheese half sliding off. You can get better burgers for half the price next door at In-N-Out. Even McDonald’s has better burgers than Applebee’s, and that’s saying something. Pros: — I like the computer at each table which makes payment quick and easy. Cons: — Low quality food that looks nothing like the pictures — Overpriced for the quality and quantity
Randy S.
Place rating: 3 San Diego, CA
Late night or random restaurant place for a quick meet-up. Pros: — Great Service, always helpful and friendly — Food comes out quick… or at least it doesn’t take that long — Very clean, nothing left on the ground and no messed-up/wobbly chairs. — Paying for the bill got easier with a tablet at each table Cons: — Parking lot gets crazy during the day time(shares a lot with a lot of great shops/food places) — Drinks are gamble, depending on who the bartender it(but I guess that’s with almost every bar, huh?) Happy Time Review: Note: This review is mostly focusing on the service and during late nights. Just like most of the franchise places I have reviewed, I feel like all the food would generally(to me at least) be the same. The key difference is the atmosphere and service. This isn’t my usual«go-to» and/or my first choice for a restaurant. It just happens that once in a while, when I’m with friends and it’s late at night, this would be a good spot to chill, have food, and just catch-up, talk, and joke around.(just like Cheers… minus the drinking cause I’m a light weight). Service is spot on whenever I go. If I can just rate that, they would definitely get 5-stars. Always punctual, always friendly, I never really had to wait long to refill my drinks, and they would always check up on us to see how we are doing. Even the manager of the night, would do their hosting rounds. Would I come back here? Yeah, it is a close/in-the-middle area of where most of my friends would want to meet up and do a late-night sit-down-thing vs. going to Denny’s Would I prefer another place over Applebee’s during the late nights? It depends on the time, what I am doing beforehand, and my mood. I have a detailed preferred list of my late-night nearby food places I go to depending on my current status =P #ImDetailedAndSpecificWithMyFoodPlacesSometimes
Linh T.
Place rating: 3 San Diego, CA
My coworkers and I would usually come here after a long night at work to just have some appetizers & a beer. Service is always really good here but the food good be better(and cheaper). I usually get their mac & cheese appetizer but when I found out it was the same price as a steak I was so taken back… mac n cheese should not cost the same as a steak!!! Then I started to notice that all of their items are pretty overpriced and the portion was small + quality not so good. Would definitely come back just for the drinks though & great service! I recommend sitting at the bar since the bartendars are more attentive.