It always takes me time to figure out how to make a review that is not as positive as I'd like. I've gotten take out here a few times in the last few months. I've gotten boneless wings that they forgot to use sauce on(very hard and difficult to bite), but this last trip was the worst. Everything was ok, except I was so excited to dip that toasted cheeseburger in the tomato soup and eat. Seconds later, my tongue was completely on fire. I could taste NOTHING. Later I tried the burger to see if that was the cause-it was. The sauce they put on my burger was NOT "tangy"-it shouldn't have been on that burger if it was that hot(spice). There should literally be a warning. And it didn't have any bacon taste at all. So, no, I can't recommend this dish at all. Very disappointing. Lot parking. Typical chain prices. Clean. Staff seems friendly. Also, it's 4 days later and my tongue still hasn't recovered. read more

See all

Service was really good and friendly. But the food was not very tasty. I had the beef nachos and they had no flavor and very little beef. Mostly onions and under ripe tomatoes. My bloody mary had only two green olives for garnish. No celery or anything. Tasted like tomato juice. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant. read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Beef nachos - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Are here on Thursday night with my sister. We were seated immediately. The service was awesome. We had a gentleman named Elijah as our server. The food was hot and good. Definitely would recommend and eat there again. read more

The food was terrible. I had the Bourbon St Steak. It did not include the broccoli that the menu states would be included, the taste was off on the steak almost like rancid oil, and the steak was half gristle. The restaurant was very dirty, to the point where I didn't even want to touch the at table checkout kiosk to pay my bill!!! read more

GREAT experience! Our waiter Elijah was phenomenal! Super intentional, thoughtful, kind and truly had a smile on his face the whole time! Will definitely be coming because of Elijah! read more

Area supervisor called and agreed our Experience was bad. Waitress spilled 4 drinks on guest, cold chicken strips, poor chicken salad etc. She stated the store or her would compensate us for the Experience have not heard anything I would not recommend this Restaurant to anyone!! Definitely 000 read more

Just got done leaving apple bees and was not pleased. I thought today would have been a good day to go to apple bees, I was greeted and sat promptly and was told my waiter would be there shortly. 5ish minutes went by while I found out what I wanted to drink and eat, for context it was actively snowing so not to busy. Still have not been greeted by my server. I proceeded to get on my phone and wait patiently. A long while goes by, still not being greeted by my server and I look up and notice another party walk in and be greeted. The party gets sat down and has their drink order taken right away, so I proceed to walk out and take my service somewhere else read more

Server never said please or thank you, rolled their eyes at us, and said "hope your ready to order" while rolling their eyes and walking away from the table. Never got any refills and they practically threw our plates onto our table. Absolutely did not give them a tip. read more

I ordered a burger and a Caesar salad to go. I picked it up and brought it home. The burger didn't have the garlic mayo on it - nothing was on it. My salad had no dressing. Very disappointed. Good wasn't great either. read more

Gluttony is for sure a sin, but its definitely one I will break at Applebee's. Whenever I hear "let's go to half-apps" you can already guess my gut will resemble that of St. Nick during Thanksgiving. If you're looking for a day to come in with little to no wait, Sunday nights would be a great time. We got our seats and ordered our food within 5 minutes of being in the restaurant. The dollar vampires, neighborhood nachos, spinach dip and buffalo wings put me in a dazed state of greatness to my tastebuds and gut. The fangs to the drink added a nice "spooky" vibe to the drink! Haley was a great server which totaled our night to be great! Awesome food and service. Will for sure be coming back! read more

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

I don't usually don't sit at the bar , but this bartender was perfect! From customer service perfection to her drink making skills, the entire experience was wonderful! Thanks Amy!! read more

Checked their website for dinner on Christmas Eve. It stated "open until 11pm." They closed at 8:00pm!!

When I'm travelling away from home, I try really hard to avoid chain sit-down restaurants if it's my choice. For example, places like Buffalo Wild Wings, Texas Roadhouse, and Olive Garden are normally on my "no fly " list. If I'm on business, my local hosts lead the way with good regional restaurant recommendations. And yet, here I was some months ago at Applebee's in Ames. This time it was my parents leading the way and probably because it was one of the few local restaurants that they hadn't visited for awhile. And I think they had some discount coupons available. COVID-19 lockdown has muddled my memories, but I do recall a pleasant dining experience, with good reasonably priced food, and a caring staff that went the extra mile to give my elderly parents the extra degree of help that they needed. My "no chains - with exceptions" rule still applies and my shadow may or may not ever darken a Applebee's door, but I'll never dismiss someone else's suggestion to come here. read more

It's Applebee's. Always good in the neighborhood. Love their broccoli Alfredo and flavored lemonades. Staff is always friendly. read more

me and some friends went there a few weeks ago mind you the food was delicious as always, but the staff were so rude to my whole table. when we were in the middle of enjoying our meal and night out without the kids with us a young male staff with brown curly hair and what looked to be hazel or dark brown and greenish eyes and rather skinny came up to our table with our receipt claiming that someone their probably my now husbands ex-girlfriend who works there claimed that I had said or something she did not like and chose to say we had to hurry up and finish our food then leave and not come back, which was so dam rude because a matter a fact my whole table can say that I never did or said anything wrong about my husband's ex-girlfriend. so just to say I would suggest watch out for staff there one wrong move or word they will be complete assholes and kick you out and ban you from there. the staff will never be seeing me or any of my family there ever again because of their lies and accusations from my husband's ex who works their mind you she hates me, but I also never said anything wrong that night and my whole table would say the same thing read more

Not bad. It's an Applebees so you know what to expect and this is a pretty clean location.

Service was good. Food was just ok. Took a little long for the meal to be prepared, about 30 minutes. Place was not all that busy.

This was one of the better managed, and frankly nicer, Applebees I have been to recently. The service was excellent, and the food was better than many Applebees I have been to. I like that it had a local Ames feel, and there was a great beer selection. I liked my brisket tacos, they were very filling. Overall, I bet this can be crowded at times but I think the staff can handle it. The food is above average and they have a great bar. Perfect for a group outing or a night with friends. read more

Standard Applebee's fare and service. There is a nice entertainer who comes on certain nights paid for by the restaurant. Does magic tricks which people get a kick out of, especially children. read more

Food was subpar -nothing to brag about. Skimpy portions and tasted like gas station food. Will not be coming back.

Applebees used to be one of my favorite restaurants to eat at, but after trying various local establishments, I've actually come away underwhelmed with my most recent Applebees visit. Nonetheless, I was in the mood to sit around and read while someone cooked me a good meal, so I decided to take my business to the Applebees in town. The exterior and the interior of the building is in good condition. It used to have this weird, cluttered feel, but with the recent renovation, everything looks a lot more professional and laid-back while still offering areas that clearly display the "Cyclone Pride". Parking is pretty numerous, but I could see running out of spots during the peak hours. Staff was friendly during my entire visit. I always get a bit concerned about being treated rudely when eating by myself, but they were friendly. My waitress refilled drinks promptly and checked in with me on a reasonable timeframe. My food was completed quickly (within 10 minutes, I think). This Applebees location now has one of those "tabletop tablet" things. It allows you to call over your server, order appetizers or desserts without needing to track down a waitress, and view your total bill (and pay as well, I believe, but I didn't try that). It also has games built-in to entertain you (or your kids), but it costs a dollar to unlock all of the games for playing. I'd love to see Applebees add a "virtual" nutrition menu to this little tablet so you could look up and make educated nutritional decisions before ordering. Partway through my meal, the device asked if I wanted a refill, and I just had to press a button to notify the server, so that was neat. Unfortunately, I was seated next to two extremely loud girls. As I had been trying to read while waiting for food and enjoying a relaxing evening, this was extremely frustrating. As I saw patrons from the other side of the restaurant glaring at the two girls, I'm surprised that none of the staff asked the girls to tone it down. Luckily, they left shortly after my food was delivered, so I was able to enjoy it in much more silence. There's also the fact of the food quality. Just like I remember, the food was relatively bland. The "bread" was just a piece of kinda-hard bread slathered in oil and gunky spices. Ack. The pasta was pretty good, but it also was pretty bland. They did a good job with the balance between too much cheese and too little cheese, though, so I have to give them compliments on that. I am, however, annoyed that they got rid of my previous favorite dish, so I moved onto the Three Cheese Penne. It's not a bad pasta, but I guess I expect something a bit more flavorful. Final thoughts: This is a very nicely-staffed restaurant with a nice and modern decor. If you enjoy Applebees food, you're probably going to like this one more than most. Please also remember that this is a pretty favorite restaurant for groups of college students, so it can get a bit loud or packed depending on the night and time. read more

See all

Fair meal. About the whitest place you can eat if you're trying to be' "eatin good in the neighborhood". It's you run of the mill franchise in 2020-2022 thats understaffed. Food mediocre and recycled. I can't hate that much just cause it's apple bees but god bless the little time this country has left read more

Around 4pm on Friday Sept 22, my wife and I stopped in for supper. Our waiter did not bring our saliva until I asked for them before our meal then it was still 15 minute wait. When we got our main meal mashed potato's were cold. We were not very happy and may not come back read more

If you're looking for a place to go out and eat at Applebee's should be on your list of places to go. Its a great place for groups of 2-10 and its got a chill, laid back environment. I love coming after 9pm for their half priced appetizers, don't sleep on this folks, especially if you're trying to save cash, but also want to go out to eat. The brisket Quesadilla is definitely one of my favorite appetizers to get, besides the wings. Applebee's is for sure a place to stay for a long time and a good time. read more

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

Great ppl that works here. And always efficient services by Tyler whom served us for the second time unexpectedly this week. Thank you, Tyler! Great food selections for reasonable prices. Definitely coming back for more! read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Three cheese chicken pasta - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

See all

We ate a late lunch today at the Ames Applebee's. The place was mostly empty. THe server and hostess were fantastic. THe food, not so much. Two bacon cheese burgers, both over cooked, bacon undercooked. the fries barely cooked , Just meh. The Bourbon street chicken meal was subpar as well. THe potatoes had no seasoning, the vegetables super salty. THe chicken tasted OK. I don't expect a lot from chain restaurants but I do expect consistency. That why we choose them when out of town. I think it just fell really short this time. read more

Got taken out to Applebee's the other night and it was fun. The waitress was very nice. And our food was very good. Except for my fries had too much salt on it it was like they dumped the whole salt bottle on it. And when we said something to our waitress she just like oh okay like it was nothing. Other than that our experience was pretty good and yes I would probably maybe go back. I think they should have fried pickles on their appetizing list. And have more things for vegetarians and vegans on their menu. Non-dairy people that can't have dairy need to start considering people who can't have dairy read more

See all

applebee's, a college town classic. of course a group of us got together for half priced apps. what we didn't know was the restaurant would be closing early because of a storm. the staff was very kind and let us know so we could order as much as we wanted before the kitchen closed. instead of apps, i decided to go with the $13 all you can eat shrimp, chicken or ribs which was an excellent choice. i got 3 plates in total -- all including fries that were perfectly crisp and seasoned. if i were to do it again, i would just go with chicken. the shrimp wasn't that impressive. it's called double crunch but there wasn't even a single crunch. just don't do it. on the bright side, i do feel like i got more bang for my buck by going with the all you can eat. it isn't specified but you don't get a full order of wings, maybe about half... but you do get a full order of fries. i ended up taking my 3rd plate home with me. if we could've stayed longer, i would have ordered a 4th to take too! why not, right? needless to say, i'll be back again. read more

It was my birthday and I was craving Applebee's. It was delicious. Food was hot and fresh. Service was amazing, we will definitely ask to be put in Elijah's section if he's working! read more

2 stars for two decent things, our waitress was kind and the food came out. That's about it. Friday night 8:00PM (peak hours) The food was disgusting, cold, or both. Cold, unsalted, oily chips. Tastless luke warm dip. Noodles in water - I'd say more, but it just couldn't be considered "Macaroni and Cheese". Unserved drinks. Cold tacos. I get bussiness need support right now but after that... All I can say is you're better off supporting literally any of the other local businesses whos kitchens are actually trying. read more

We have been eating here for 3 years and the food and service are consistently good. They have daily drink and food specials, and the 2 for $20 deal includes an app or 2 salads, main course which is usually chicken, shrimp or small steak. They tend to overcook their steaks and the variety of choices is one of the best in Ames. The desserts are overpriced so you can find an ice cream store along South Duff if you have a sweet tooth. On Fridays and Sat. or before ISU games, expect a 20-30 min. wait or you can sit at the bar. There are plenty of TVs to watch all of the big games in Iowa or around the country. read more

I want to give a HUGE shout out to our waiter Jacob! You made our day! We were going through a loss of a good friend, and all I can say is Jacob... you are awesome! And I think you deserve a raise! Thank you for being such an amazing person! read more

Applebee's is our favorite place to eat in Ames. We like the food and the service. The atmosphere of Applebee's is comfortable and family friendly. read more

I drove my daughter back to ISU and stopped for a BBQ year before I headed back home. She was excited it's ttontry the new bowls and the shrimp was plentiful and she was satisfied with the portion size. I had the buffalo chicken sandwich on a brioche and it was deliciously prepared with fried. You could tell it was prepared to order as it came to our table piping hot. Our timing was perfect as once we were seated the joint became packed with several families on a wait.. great job and we look forward to dining at this location again!!! read more

I pretty much only want to order appetizers and drinks here. The service has not been very good the last few times we've been in here.. I love a mucho mudslide though! Tried to order an "endless appetizer" last time we were there, and I guess there was a miscommunication? Not really sure what happened here exactly, but we were not impressed with the service at all. read more

We were disappointed in our meals...They looked so good on the menu, but when they came we both said really? My husband's meal was 19.99 and it didn't even come close to filling him up...very small portions. My chicken parmesan was so dry I couldn't even eat it... waitress didn't even ask cuz she new our meals were bad....we drank water and our bill was $42....we won't be back to the Ames Applebee's any time soon.... read more

We sat at the bar rail for lunch on February 27, 2021 at approximately 1:30pm. There were only 2 other people sitting at the bar rail. We were "greeted" by the bartender (Nick), meaning he was staring at the computer and didn't even look at us when he said hi. He took our drink order, then proceeded to not make the drinks. Instead he was choosing to handle his cash from a previous table that had already left, then just stand there talking to a coworker across the bar. Didn't even come back to get a food order, on top of still not getting our drinks even started after approximately 10 minutes. Due to this lack of service (not just poor service, it was a lack of service), we decided to leave as it was clear we weren't going to be served. After leaving, we called the store to talk to a manager (Mary) who couldn't had cared less. She sounded like she was holding back a laugh and failed to do anything about the situation. This complaint will be going to Corporate so they can see how their customers get treated by not only servers but their management as well. read more

The service was terrible. We were skipped while waiting for a table and were only seated after asking about the long wait. A few times we had to ask the server for things we had already requested. The food was the only decent part which brings the rating up from one star. Disappointing after being to multiple other Apple Bee's. read more

Walked in, sat us at a dirty table that they never ended up cleaning. I got a half rack of ribs and there was no meat on the bones. Literally had to saw into it and chew it for 5 minutes before swallowing. It's Applebees so what can you expect really. read more

Today I had Applebee's and the service was very slow. Me and my friend ordered Appetizers and they took for ever to come out and when and they were kinda cold. The waitress took forever to fill up our waters. This was probably the worst experience at a restaurant I've ever had don't recommend eating there ever again. read more