Applebee's Restaurant - Aurora, IL Review

Bottom-Line: We are very displeased with Applebee's.  The atmosphere is agreeable, the service is always good, but the food is sub-par.

Ah Saturdays, made for rest and relaxation, for sleeping late and watching all of those TiVo'ed programs you recorded during the week and now have the change to watch.  Yeah Right!  Saturday's are really for running all of those errands you were too busy and tired to take care of the rest of the week.  And so this Saturday after breakfast the missus and I set out for Home Depot, to purchase our new Weber Genesis Sliver B BBQ grill, then off to Hobby Lobby, and then on to Michael's.  Lots of driving and walking, but in the end we found what we wanted, but by the time we were through it was time for lunch, and we were miles from home.  Enter Applebee's.

About The Restaurant

Applebee's specializes in quintessential American style food seeming to sample item from every part of the country except the New England.  And by that I mean burgers, steak, ribs, and chicken dishes are the centerpiece of the menu, but they are increasingly adding Mexican inspired dishes to reflect the changing demographics of the country. 

My Viewpoint

Now my wife and I are not fans of Applebee's, in fact we decided the restaurant was not for us quite some time ago; the atmosphere was okay, as was the service, but the food was sub-par, and tasted decidedly ordinary, like it had just come straight from a microwave oven.  But recently Applebee's has shown new life adding several new items to the menu that look inviting.  So we decided to give Applebee's another try: we have once again sworn of the place.  Why?  Same ole song: sub-par food. 

I was tempted this time around to try one the restaurant's new Irresist-A-Bowls but I decided that that was too much food to eat for lunch, and opted for their new Blue-cheese Beacon Burger instead.  My wife ordered Chicken Quesadilla Grande from the appetizer menu.  Neither of use was satisfied with the resulting meal.  My burger while cooked to order was virtually tasteless.  The blue cheese was runny and equally tasteless, and the bacon's hickory smoked taste was non-existent.  The fries that accompanied the burger were okay, your standard chain-restaurant fair, but they ware not plentiful (my wife and I usually like to share).  Luck for me the cost was minimal, checking in at $6.99.

My wife's Chicken Quesadilla Grande was not at all grand.  In fact there was hardly any grilled chipotle chicken, onions, tomato, or bacon at all between the copious folds of tortilla shells.  And again the taste was, well lacking, and the cost was high for an appetizer: $7.99.  My wife also had a raspberry lemonade that tasted more like raspberry Kool-Aid with a little lemon flavor added; another disappointment.   

Conclusion

As I stated at the outset we are very displeased with Applebee's.  The atmosphere is agreeable, the service is always good, the food is sub-par, and the prices, while not as low as some chains, are reasonable given our location. 

Our Location(s)

Aurora - Applebee's

449 South Route 59
Aurora, IL 60504

(630) 375-9868
(630) 851-9954 (Fax)

Montgomery - Applebee's
350 US Rt. 30 Bypass
Montgomery, IL 60538
(630) 966-8944
(630) 966-8947 (FAX)