I'm giving Applebee's in Altoona 4 stars, sort of as an average. One visit was phenomenal. The waitress was friendly and prompt, the bartender was excellent at making our drinks, and the overall experience was very fun and light. But the next visit was long, tedious, and 100% unsatisfactory, with cold food and barely a waiter in sight. Rating is difficult for that reason. Hopefully the better days become more common. That being said, the boneless wings appetizer has a great crunch under the sticky BBQ sauce, which is a great contrast of texture and flavor. And the garlic mashed potatoes are to die for! read more

I had ordered a sweet tea and had to wait almost ten minutes for it. There was very little ice and the tea wasn't even sweet. The server came and wrote our food down then we had to wait 45 minutes. I had ordered a cheese burger and my mother had ordered a steak cooked to medium, and my grandfather had ordered a wrap with fries and his fries were cold. When our food finally arrived my burger and fries were cold and my mother's steak was cooked to well done. When we finally got our check, they charged us full price for my burger and the steak after they had to make a new burger and steak and more fries. read more

I came in on a Sunday evening and a server came to my table shortly after. I ended up ordering the salmon with a side of broccoli and mash potatoes and the wait was not bad at all. It was busy but not too crowded so I was surprised they got to me so fast but I will take it. Overall experience was nice and I definitely don't mind coming back to this location again soon. read more

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We had reserved 2 weeks prior for a party of 15. Upon arriving the host was "unaware" of the reservation and handled it very unprofessionally! However, our server Joseph was absolutely amazing!! He was very calm and on top of it the entire time we were there. I could not thank him enough for being such a great server for my Son's birthday! Thanks again Joseph! read more

We were excited to see that they were open until midnight and stopped there at 11. Doors were locked even though there were cars in the parking lot. if you aren't going to be open til midnight don't have it on your website and your door. read more

Nobody is here and I have been waiting for 20 minutes for an all you can eat chicken strips. I have taken a lap and counted the customers. There are 17 people here counting my table of 5. I have spent over an hour at this restaurant waiting for the cook to make 4 chicken strips. I don't understand why they advertise all you can eat if they don't want you to eat. I decided not to tip the server because of the time it is taking to cook a chicken strips for 7 minutes. We have decided that the smell of urine in the bathroom, the sticky table and the underperforming cook make this a less than one star dining experience. If I was a server I would have been pissed the cook costs me a 20% tip. We have decided that our experience was so bad that all the Applebees are less than one star restaurants. Apples don't fall far from the tree. read more

We went on Valentines Day, the food was good, but it took forever to get our meal. The kitchen lost the order. The manager for the night came to our table and said he apologized and gave us a desert on the house. read more

Foods are always good. Good atmosphere. Nice people. I like the Asian salad. Or the bourbon stake. Or....

DO NOT EAT HERE! Filthy lazy kitchen. We stopped on our way home on a road trip. Got the 2 for 24 deal, all of our food was very nasty. Our fries were soggy and mushy, the fried shrimp was old and soggy, best of all WE DO NOT EAT BEEF, we asked for the impossible burger and got a beef burger. This place was nasty, smelled Nast and looked nasty. Don't trust this food. Now we have 9 hours ahead of us to drive with a sick, THROWING UP family member. You all should be ashamed! read more

I ordered a Bacon Ranch crispy chicken sandwich. Instead of a chicken breast it was made from three chicken tenders, which fell out with the first bite. My guest, who was celebrating her birthday, ordered chicken penne. The waitress came back and said they were out of chicken breast, so she ordered a side of broccoli. A few minutes later a waitress was going table to table to see who had ordered two chicken breast dinners. When she found no one she headed back to the kitchen. Within minutes our order came and the waitress said they "found" a chicken breast for her order. Everything was cold. A couple years ago I took a friend and used cash as payment. The waitress brought another slip, which I thought was a receipt, I didn't look at it. We went outside and was standing in front talking and the waitress came out and ask if I was going to pay. I looked at the slip and it was a duplicate bill. I told her that I gave her cash and she turned and walked away. A little embarrassing in front of several people waiting to get in. The food here has never been good, but for some reason, ladies like it. Now I know why the lights are so dim, they don't want you to see what you are getting. read more

We had friendly and fast service, with great food from the moment of enter the restaurant. Highly recommended!

Server failed to acknowledge us so this party of 5 is heading to Ankeny. Now manager lacks ambition to get on the phone to listen to customers. Zero star if I could. read more

I was so confused after reading all the negative reviews. I am in town visiting my mother and we decided to hit Applebees. My meal was delicious, I had the Appetizer Chicken Wonton tacos as my entree, and the service was great! The staff was very friendly and attentive. read more

The To Go service at Applebee's has been in operation for as long as I can remember! We have always enjoyed eating at Applebee's, but in this pandemic time, we decided to give the To Go service a try. What a first-class process all the way! We ordered online. When it was ready, we drove to the pickup parking spots. They came to the car without any wait time. The meals were nicely packaged. When we opened our Fiesta Chickens at home, they were hot and delicious. -Smooth operation! read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - To Go - Simple process! Highly recommend! - American Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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Food was undercooked and bland. Took 45 minutes to get our drinks and appetizers. I would only recommend this place as a bar to watch sports but even then anywhere is a better option than here. read more

Stopped by Applebee's for dinner since Burger Shed had a long wait. We sat at the bar since there was a short wait and just wanted to eat a quick dinner. We're glad that we did since we got our drinks and food right away. Plus the server and manager was really nice. When my food came out I noticed the lack of fries on my plate and before I could say anything to my wife the server said "let me get you some more fries". Then when our chips ran out he got us some more to take home. The burgers we had were pretty good too. Lots of flavor and it wasn't dry. A tad overcooked but not by much. When you get good service it makes the dining experience a lot better. We got that here for sure! read more

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Weird is what comes to mind. Usually the food and help are good. Waitress was training a new one. Took our orders just fine...had to ask me if what I ordered was a classic lunch item so she could bill it correctly I think. A man brought our food and friend asked for salsa. He said ok and never brought it. Waitresses immediately stopped by, before we had one bite & said, "How's the food look?" I shrugged my shoulders & said fine. They never checked back. We kept trying to catch someone's attention for salsa. Finally caught trainee after 1/2 of rollup eaten. She had someone bring some--a cook?? Friend then asked for crackers because there were no potatoes in the potato soup. He immediately brought 6 packages. All this while I'm watching a manager deal with someone who had problems with boneless wings at the table next to us. My salad and honey tenders were ok but pretty small portions. Our bills came on one tray and were returned in one folder. Friend's coin change was missing. She had to ask waitress to take money after it laid there, with my credit card, for several minutes. We were warmly greeted and warmly thanked as we came/left. Might be a while before we lunch there... read more

My parents and I chose this restaurant on December 4, 2021. We arrived and were greeted quickly at 5 pm. We all ordered the 6 oz sirloin with an appetizer, the chips and artichoke dip. It was very good. Once our steaks arrived it was a big disappointment. I've never had a tougher sirloin steak. Neither had my parents. The broccoli was cold and the mashed potatoes just room temperature. Our waitress was very pleasant. She tried her best. But the food was simply the worst I've ever eaten. We won't be back. The food was served in a timely manner. read more

I want to preface this review by stating the review is more about Applebee's as a company than about this location. It feels odd writing a review about Applebee's. I feel that we all know what to expect here. There's one to ten of these in every city and suburb of America. They don't exactly strive for perfection but we think of them as an average ho-hum what you see is what you get, you've certainly done this once before, affair. I'm writing this because I was surprised by the visit and hoping my information might be useful to someone. This was my first visit to any of their restaurants in probably 10 years or so. We haven't made a pact to avoid this chain but just haven't needed to return with so many other great options that are a little more culinarily assertive. Someone other than myself chose this visit and while I wouldn't have picked it I was just a tiny bit excited. I imagined visiting the big A to be like reuniting with an old friend. Some 10 odd years ago when we lived within a mile from one we would stop in several times a year when a last minute decision was made to eat out. The service was more or less what I expected. They were understaffed and it was painfully clear our server felt overwhelmed. There was a small mistake in order taking and some delays here and there. He was trying his best. No big deal. The service was acceptable and was in the area of not being noteworthy either way. The food is what really threw me off. I don't remember the food being so lame. I really expected mediocre food but what I tasted was beneath that expectation. I could tell that every single item was from a sysco or similarly labeled container. The tastes were all very bland. I imagine every hospital cafeteria shares the same recipes seen here involving all frozen food including sauces that are made in a factory and thawed onsite. My biggest surprise was the french fries I received by accident. They were honestly the most tasteless fries I have tried in a very long time. I don't think it was only the lack of salt. Something else was off like the type of cooking oil, or they were reheated, I really don't know. Fries are above acceptable about anywhere you go. Sure I have my favorites but nearly all of them are good unless they come from the grocery store to get baked in an oven. These were almost that boring and I can't completely figure out how. When I have a plate of fries sitting in front of me and I'm disinterested something is very wrong. The mashed potatoes had a similar fate. They tasted exactly like instant potatoes. It's very easy to taste the difference. I would describe the other food items in a similar way. You can just taste that they were made to be stored on a shelf for a long time instead of being made to taste great. I'm trying to think of the last time I had a meal from a restaurant with such disappointing flavors and I'm having a hard time finding a good comparison. The way the dining room was dominated by elderly was a sign I should have recognized. I thought it was because we were in Altoona however I was wrong. They have come because Applebee's is their neighborhood champion in the niche market of tasteless food. If I were to be forced to return to the McDonald's of sit down restaurants I would order differently. Anything that normally takes a real recipe or a sauce or something freshly concocted - I would simply avoid. If a return visit happened I think I would attempt a steak or a hamburger. Keep it simple and avoid the packaged components that should have been prepped fresh onsite. I'm a little sad that this reunion didn't live up to my enthusiasm. It's like meeting up with an old friend from high school and realizing you were better off going separate ways. Can't stay sad for too long. There are so many great places to eat around the Des Moines metro area. Unfortunately Altoona isn't home to any of them. My heart goes out to the entire city of Altoona. You will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. read more

I ate here for the first time in about a year (first time since the new manager took over). The food was decidedly better, in fact everything came out properly cooked and looked very appetizing. The service was also much better than in the past. We walked right in, were greeted promptly, and our food was delivered correctly. This location recently added the tableside electronic ordering / bill pay, and a few new drinks and food options. These were welcome additions. Where this location struggles (and ultimately why I still give it 3 stars) is that parking is a nightmare, and the place needs a thorough cleaning. Keep in mind that there are precious few reliable food options in Altoona, IA - so I understand that this place gets heavy use. That still doesn't explain why there were used napkins under our table, and the bathrooms were dirty on a random week night. If you are out for a casual meal in Altoona, this place is totally acceptable. If it's a Thurs - Sat night after about 5:30pm, I would have a back up plan. They just don't have the parking or the staff to deal with the crowds of people when it's busy. read more

We had not been in Appleby's since before covid so we thought we would give it a try. We entered resturant around 7 and were told 20 minute wait which was fine .it was just about 20 minutes and we were seated. Waitress arrive and took our order fairly quickly. Food arrived by another person not our waitress and it was wrong,we had ordered mushrooms with our steak and steak sauce and salt and pepper. We told the food server and instead of going back for those items said she would find our waitress.So it took extra time. Waitress did bring those items but later.To be fair waitress did not charge us for mushrooms. In conclusion we left deciding it will be quite awhile before we are going to be back to applebee's. To bad because we used to like it alot. read more

I'm going to preface this review by saying that it is for the TAKEOUT services, not the dine-in. I have ordered salads on numerous occasions from this location and about half the time they forget to put the salad dressing in the containers. I get home and I have no dressing for my salad. Also, I have ordered fries on numerous occasions to go with burgers or other entrées and the amount of fries they give you is a total joke! Last time, I decided to take a picture of the fries because it was shocking at how ridiculous it was. Not ordering take-out here again. I have tried and re-tried at least 10 times. read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - American Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

We ordered car side to go. Our order was in time, everything was in the bag. Except for full servings. My husband thought my meal was a kids meal. My kids said their cheesy pizza bread is disgusting and refused to eat. Unfortunately I pre-tipped $5. What a waste of money for small portions of gross food. Never eating here again. read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Riblet basket. So sad. $10.99 - American Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

It seems most people either enjoy Applebee's or really hate it. It isn't my first pick, but I've never had a bad experience. It seems there menu is evolving and they have some fun fancy drinks. I met my aunt at this location around 6:30. We were greeted by Alex, an amazing, vibrant host. It wasn't busy so we were sat quickly. Our server, Theresa, was great too- very pleasant and timely. I ordered the light fare sirloin and whole grain dish and the French onion soup. It was just the right amount and super tasty. My aunt ordered the Mac and chicken, and her friend ordered the fiesta chicken. All good reports on the food. The dessert menu was hard to resist but when there is no more room.. There is no more room. read more

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So very disappointed, waited nearly 30 mins for my food. They got the order wrong. The day we went is normally kids eat for 99cents, well they charged full price. They also charged me for loaded mashed potatoes but only put bacon on them. They completely forgot my daughters dinner. The girl "forgot" to bring us a receipt and change. Upon looking at the receipt she put in that it was a tip. Needless to say wont be returning anytime soon. read more

We went one night with another couple. The waiter came to take our drink order, but it was difficult to understand him due to his habit of mumbling. Got our drinks and placed our food order. Food finally came, but only three of the orders! Patiently waited for the fourth order to arrive, but eventually had to grab the waiter and ask. More mumbling! Something about the order being "bumped"?? Whatever that means? It finally arrived after the others were almost finished. Asked to see the manager. She said she would discount the bill. Which means "not much"! The waiter never checked on us and neither the manager. Also noticed that the waiter spoke clearly when he was talking to his co-workers! Stage fright?? Don't waste your time here! Applebee's used to be a great place, not anymore!! read more

Last night had to be our worst experience in years! Ordered the 2 for $20.00 special which has changed over the last year. My wife had the Oriental Chicken salad & I had a NEW dish that looked on the menu like mac & cheese with chicken strips etc. Tried the onion rings that were greasy & tasted like they were forgotten in the deep fat fryer. Ordered a cherry coke that tasted like seltzer water. Wait staff never did ask how our meal was & no one from the MANAGEMENT TEAM stopped by to check on us like normal. Wasn't busy either due to 4 pm on a Sunday afternoon. Anyway, when the wait staff FINALLY came back to our table she said do you want a box for that? I said I ate the chicken strips but the noodles had NO flavor and were cold and had no cheese on them like the picture. I asked for some shaker cheese earlier when I first got the dish and she said we don't have any. No cheese when you serve PASTA dishes? Have you ever been to an ITALIAN RESTAURANT? She said a lot of people really like that dish and order it every time with no effort for price reduction or another choice on the menu & no offer to get a manager. I then asked for our ticket and asked if she got us our 10% SENIOR discount? Oh she forgot and would have to have a MANAGER correct it. After waiting ten minutes I told my wife let's get out of here. When I grabbed the wireless device to pay she showed back up to make sure I knew how to enter a 20% tip which I changed to 10%. Still NO 10% discount and she said I'm still waiting for MANAGEMENT to make the change. I usually don't blame the wait staff for kitchen mistakes, but she definitely dropped the ball this time and it will cost this location about $500 - $60O per year for loss of business. This used to be a GREAT place to eat but there has to have been a MANAGEMENT change at this location that needs an attitude adjustment. Priority #1 Success from client satisfaction. read more

The star is for my frozen lemonade only. This was the most uninspiring boring freezer food I have tasted in a long time. Applebees with all the world chefs out there you don't have to serve flavorless crap to hard working Americans. I think the chef is 18 and thinks the garbage he is sending out is good I'm sooo glad I didn't pay for this meal!! I won't be back until major changes take place here fresh ingredients! Use them! the breaded boneless chicken nuggets tasted like they were in the freezer for a year. I really used to like applebees what happened? read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - American Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

I've yet to have a good experience at Applebee's and this place did not disappoint. We had two hours between soccer games to enjoy lunch and it turned into a scramble to get fed in time. After taking our order we waited about 45 min to get our food. Our waitress was MIA. Other tables coming and going. The manager even delivered some of our food eventually and did he say anything? No. We had multiple groups and the checks were mixed up. More time lost. And they didn't do anything to remedy the situation. The food was OK but not enough to overcome this experience. read more

just picked up dinner and what a disappointment. Returned home and the half a rack of ribs ended up being 4 rib bones with 2 ounces of meat. ordered fries and received breadsticks. last time I will return ! read more

When we first got there everything was already going downhill. They told us to wait 15 minutes and we did ofc, but then when we came back inside the lady there didn't trust us and said "I don't think yall are next on the waiting list" and then told us to wait ANOTHER 15 min. After waiting 30 min we finally got seated. When our waitress came she decided it would be lovely to come with an attitude! She was so bitchy and rude rolling her eyes and everything. We ordered, and our food took 45 min to an hour, and that was kinda annoying. You would think if the food took that long it would be coming out hot and fresh and delicious but no our food was either cold burnt or not enough they just put 5-10 fries on EVERYONE'S plate and then proceeded to take almost 30 min for 4 refills. It was the most HORRID experience ever! I don't recommend this place. Never coming back ever again! read more

We had a horrible experience at Applebees today. There were 6 of us eating and only 3 of the meals were right - the medium steak was well done so we sent it back but the person who took it didn't speak, just grabbed the plate and walked away. When we sent back the oriental chicken salad (because it was so spicy) we got someone's attention (who appeared to be the cook) and of 5 employees we interacted with he was the only one who was kind. My father-in-law asked our waitress if she could get us drinks and she snapped at him "I just said I was going to do that" (he is older and simply couldn't hear). After all of the problems we had they didn't say a word, we all paid full boat, and all (but one) employee was rude. I hated giving them our money. The two star rating seems generous. read more

If I could give this less than one star, I would. The service is worse than bad.... it's the beginning of a Rodney Dangerfield joke. After a lengthy wait a server came and took our order.... and NEVER came back. Our food was delivered to us by part of the kitchen staff, and then we had to flag down not one, but two additional servers for refills and condiments. We considered leaving without paying simply because we needed to prompt a couple of people to bring us our bill. A manager came over as we were FINALLY ready to leave because she "heard" we were unhappy with our server. (I'm not sure how she heard this -- our server was avoiding our table like the plague.) She neglected to offer an apology even after we explained the situation. This Appleby's is SO bad that we will never eat at another one in the franchise EVER again. We regretted not eating at the McDonald's across the street. (How often can you say that? Sheesh.) read more

Had multiple visits with excellent service. Manager was always present and friendly. I'll be back ;)

Always great service! The place is always packed but the staff is on top of it. Great food and excellent prices!

HORRIBLE, came in sat for 35 mins before even getting food and wasn't even busy. Then when we got our food it was cold and looked like it had been sitting for around 10 mins. Asked for manager and didnt take anything off. Would not recommend to anyone would rather go to west Des Moines and get good food fast read more

great management, David was super pleasant. Staff was friendly and the place is always clean

Saturday night and no 12 Oz Sirloin, they thought it was pretty funny that they didn't have it. They didn't seem to care. Settled for the chicken tenders platter. Pretty bad...we were with guests so we couldn't just leave. read more

Not great not bad, just average? Nothing hate or love about it? Food and service are good

We had quite a few people and we had waited quite awhile on our food, during our wait we actually had more family call to join 5 to be exact and a table cleared next to us and sat empty for quite some time we had at least three refills each and just got our food right as they were arriving! The food didn't taste the best could have been better for the money! This was Cinco De Mayo, so they had a special on margaritas they were OK and only $1 or .40 more if you wanted other flavors besides lime. Hopefully others have better service or can learn from our experience! read more