Applebee's Maplewood Commons - Visited Sept 2012

Yes, I know Applebee's is pretty much the definition of cookie cutter suburban corporate chain restaurants, but it was not my pick this week and I was still hungry for lunch. And frankly, even though it is very "cookie cutter", I like most things that come out of cookie cutters! And this particular Applebee's location is one of the most generic corporate locations possible, in the Maplewood Commons Wal-Mart plaza next to a Lowe's, an Olive Garden and the Red Lobster we often visit (my mother-in-law's favorite restaurant). It is on the corner of Hanley and Bernard with the Metrolink tracks visible from the front windows. But if you actually try walking to it from a Metrolink station, you would either have to walk across Hanley from the Brentwood station, or cut through the Maplewood Industrial Court area then around Red Lobster to get to it. It is best to drive to get there!

One thing you have to say about Applebee's is that they do have a pretty large menu, even if it is pretty generic all-American Bar & Grill cuisine. I went with the current Pick 'N Pair menu and paired the Fiesta Chicken Chopped Salad with the Roast Beef, Bacon and Mushroom Melt. I also ate the hot chicken wings from my son's Appetizer Sampler. My wife, daughter and mother-in-law all went with the Oriental Chicken Salad. The food was pretty good as usual, but also nothing exceptional, also as usual. Hey, it's Applebee's!

One thing I did have to mention is that our waiter, Joshua, was continually distracted when serving us since they made him wear this headset and they would always be talking to him. I had never seen this at Applebee's or any other sit down restaurant before, and I think it is a pretty bad idea for a restaurant where the waiters are supposed to be serving their customers first and foremost. Let the waiters and waitresses do their jobs and do not pester them nonstop with an electronic tether.