We had a very nice dinner last night at Applebees in Pella. We were greeted by the sweetest most hard-working hostess. She had a great smile and got us right to our table. I even noticed she was bussing tables, cleaning table tops and booth seats (very thoroughly) and even had time to thank people for coming as they left. Her name was Lily. Our server was Sarah who also made me the most amazing "perfect margarita". Our food was very hot and delicious! I had the Prime Rib Dipper and my husband had the ribs. We ended our meal with the apple pie dessert. All hot and delicious!! We are thankful Applebees is hiring hard-working staff who really seem to care about serving people well! read more

Cute little place! I got the prime rib dipper and it was excellent! I think they recently hired like all new staff and they were so sweet the whole time! So hard working and the tables were spotless! I have had some interesting experiences coming here before, but I think these guys have taken a turn for the better! read more

We came in for our anniversary and the service was terrible it was lunch time the restaurant was not busy and we waited 10 minutes for drinks to hit the table and another 10 of watching my drink sit at the bar before I got that my husbands food was okay at best and my four cheese Mac and cheese with honey bourbon chicken tenders and they didn't put the chicken tenders on it and when I said something they just slapped plain chicken tenders on top and brought it back I told my husband not to tip but we left 2 dollars because that's how we were raised definitely an experience start to finish and not a good one read more

Service wasn't great and food was terrible. Mash potatoes were so cold the butter wouldn't even melt. read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Pella, Iowa

Terrible all the way around. Was not greeted right away. Finally, someone came and asked how many, which there was only 2 of us. She proceeded to walk around and look at different tables. It wasn't that busy, but all the empty tables were still dirty with dishes on them. She went around looking for someone to clean tables. Which I don't know why she couldn't clean up a table really quick herself. She went back toward the restrooms, then started circling to find someone to clean tables. She could have clean several tables in that time. Finally a gal came to us and apologized for the wait because she was in the bathroom. We didn't need to know that. But she did clean a table for us to sit at. After sitting there for about 15 minutes, we left. That is the second time in about a year we have left because the service was so bad and slow. As far as the gal that seated us, she told at least 2 other groups that she had been in the bathroom. NOBODY WANTS TO KNOW THAT! When she was in there, maybe she could have washed the fresh-looking tomato sauce stain off her shirt. read more

Upon entering we were not greeted immediately, there was no one around, then a waitress came up to someone's table and then after finishing up with them came to greet us, we asked if we could sit by the window in a booth and she hesitated, and had to ask another waitress because she said they "usually rotate". So we sat down and waited for our waitress for a moment and she appeared to be very overworked and not enough help. One waitress was trying to bartend, greet, and help deliver food from the kitchen all at the same time. Everyone was friendly and our waitress kept checking on us a couple times, just doesn't have enough help. The food was great, no complaints, just could have been a bit warmer. The wait is always terrible at Applebees. We usually wait always at least 25 mins for our food, And it was not busy. The Ambiance was okay, Just pretty dark, good natural light though! The Window sills were dirty and the bathrooms needed some better cleaning, but nothing too bad. The Music was very intrusive and needs to be turned down, coming from a music lover! read more

Only place open on Sunday night in Pella and I recommend they close. Of those we saw, servers were really poorly trained and seemingly unhappy to be there (One server complained how ready she was to go home and no one seemed interested in picking up new tables). Food had too much sauce and the chicken had a weird, rubbery/fatty texture (chicken won ton tacos which were much better at an Utah Applebees). The French Onion Soup was flavorless, think brown water with warmed cheese on top. Cocktails tasted watered-down. Closes at 10pm but chairs already upside down on tables at 9pm. Very uninviting. Zero stars if I could. read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Pella, Iowa

See all

Burger was so full of grease that when I bit it the grease poured out, Bun and lettuce was drenched. 2 hairs in pasta and only gave me a $7 discount. All and all maybe ate two bites of the food that we waited an hour for. We were told that the manager would come talk to us but apparently they couldn't have been bothered to do so. Terrible experience would not recommend to anyone! Please please choose somewhere else to eat! (Also somewhat unrelated but the "Average ticket price" for all the waitstaff was posted by register and our waitress was near the bottom so I am assuming that is why there was only a $7 discount) read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Classic Bacon Cheeseburger - Sports Bars Near Me - Pella, Iowa

See all

Applebee's, I want to praise you like you deserve. Like an old blanket or Grandma's house, you are always there for me. All too often you get a bad rap being that you are part of the "corporate" hierarchy that is slowly destroying my America. Granted, you are not the French Laundry but you are consistent, you are everywhere and you are delicious. I forgave you when you removed chicken fried chicken from your menu which is still a mistake of biblical proportions but we've moved on, haven't we. I wanted a steak but I wasn't interested in visiting an overpriced steak house. I wanted quick, I wanted delicious and I wanted to have enough money left over to be able to buy my needed recreational pharmaceuticals. It's the only way that I can write Yelp reviews or anything else for that matter. "I want the Bourbon Street Steak and Shrimp" "Mashed alright" "Yes ma'am" "How would like your steak" "Medium rare, more on the rare side...like my sex life. Dt Coke." My companion ordered brisket tacos, two words that definitely do not go together but who am I to judge. For being in the middle of a pandemic, it was pretty busy considering that it was 12:30 on a Tuesday in Pella Iowa. Granted, it was mostly seasoned citizens but old people know where the good food is. I was there for lunch. They were probably there for dinner or a nightcap before going to bed. Again, I don't judge. Old people just know. My steak came out sizzling as it should, on a cast-iron platter, covered with shrimp and mushrooms and snuggled up to a mound of mashed, this wasn't the first time that I felt the desire to impregnate my food, it looked that good. The steak was perfectly cooked and delicious. The mashed were piping hot and might have caused 3rd degree burns to the roof of my mouth but unlike that bat shit crazy McDonald's coffee psycho, I'm not suing. The acid in the diet coke quickly extinguished the searing flesh in my mouth so I could return to enjoying my butchered cow as any good American would. Applebee's, because America! read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Brisket tacos - Sports Bars Near Me - Pella, Iowa

See all

Management yells at staff. Cursing managers can be heard in the restaurant area from the kitchen. Doesn't like the after church crowd. Managers lie to cover themselves about the wait staff and kitchen. Absolutely horrible! read more

I've had fairly good experiences here and then mediocre ones. Last night, wifey met me for dinner and we tried to be fancy like Applebee's on a date night. We felt pretty rushed from the get-go on ordering and then the check dropped a couple of bites into our food. Definitely felt an unwelcome vibe. Some of the staff seemed in a real hurry, but it didn't seem crazy-busy to us. Nothing horrible, but not a great dinner for us. read more

Applebees is a good place to take a nine year old, but I am embarrassed every time I suggest going there with an adult who knows better. Service is slow and the wait staff seems to be working really hard to cover up for the kitchen. Anything beyond a burger seems to be risky. If they even have it (often they are out of things) it will probably taste like it came out of a can. It looks pretty from the outside, but if you have other options- use them. read more

We ate there this afternoon/early evening. Mackenzie was our waitress, she was working both the bar and waiting tables. She was great; quick, nice, and did a good job. After our food came, I cut my sandwich in half and noticed my chicken was still raw in the middle. We told her and she immediately took it back and apologized. I ordered a burger and while I was waiting she brought me more fries. When we got our check, not only did she comp the meal I ordered, but she gave us a discount also. Thank you Mackenzie for great service! read more

I had a wonderful experience eating at this Applebee's. The food was delicious and we had an excellent waitress. We will definitely be coming back again. My grilled chicken Cesar salad was so yummy. Our food came out quickly and we received several refills. read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Here's a picture of our friendly waitress, Carin. - Sports Bars Near Me - Pella, Iowa

See all

I ordered the New Sweet and Spicy Chicken Sandwich. It was raw, only the outside edges were cooked and she wasn't aware of it until taking a few bites. Terrible dining experience! Won't be back to this Applebee's again. read more

Couldn't believe the lousy service at Applebee's in Pella, Iowa, on Friday evening on 7/28/2023 at 6:00. We were told that we had a 45 minute wait for a table for five. The waiting room was full yet there were at least 16 empty tables. It looked like the owner and/or manager was nowhere to be found. The place was being run by staff that looked to be 21 and under. A lot of standing around doing nothing. We were told that a group of 13 were there and they didn't want to overwhelm the kitchen staff. Really? 13 people on a Friday night for dinner and Applebee's is overwhelmed? We left and found a Mexican restaurant that was full, yet we were seated in less than 10 minutes. Simply pathetic. read more

The service was lack. We both ordered an Octoberfest, they brought us Big Brews, but we never asked for them, Applebees Standard is Brewtus or suggesting 16, 20, 25 ounce. We also ordered waters but never received them. He ordered the all you can eat classic wings, but they looked as if they were sitting in the expo window for a while. I ordered the neighborhood burger and although I was say the sandwich was good, there was a lack of fries with it. The waiter Daniel then brought us our bill, never asked if it was together or separate, never suggested dessert. We did not feel very welcome. read more

The service is the Worst I have ever experienced in the entire time I've been coming to this store, since they first opened the doors! There are three service people And a bartender... but the bartender is the only one seating people and taking orders, serving food, clearing tables ect. There are only three tables and one bar guest... but wait time is 20 to 30 minuets. The back door is open, letting a cold breeze through. This is unexcusable service!! Even Macdonald is faster and better! read more

I don't know the last time I've been to a decent Applebee's. I had high hopes for this Pella location. Unfortunately the second we walked in I was discouraged. We were not smiled at, greeted or acknowledged. The host had offensive body odor, truthfully not what you want to smell when you walk into a restaurant. The male host was going to seat us and the curly brown haired waitress was talking with her table as she put her hand up, stopped him in his tracks and said "Do NOT seat me." Very aggressive, rude and off putting. We ended up leaving. No one there seemed friendly. One of the waitress' was working behind the bar and also serving. That's a sure sign that the service is going to suck. Terrible service and unfriendly workers. We should have listened to the reviews, they seem to always be right. read more

Quite frankly one of the worst experiences I've ever had at a restaurant, and we didn't even get sat down. Around 9:30 pm we get to this Applebees for a meal with my siblings and the place is not even half full. We get there and are waiting for a solid 15 minutes while multiple staff members are watching us wait and talking in corners of the restaurant. At one point, I made eye contact with a server and she proceeded to make a pouty face at me in a "bummer" sort of way from across the restaurant. When we finally have a hostess (or whatever job she was) come over, she asked if anyone had helped us in a snarky way and proceeded to tell us it would be a 10 minute wait for an already dead restaurant. I work in a restaurant and believe me, I've been over it at times too, but this was just bad staff with bad attitudes. read more

Service was good, but the food was far from it. My and my wife's steaks were supposed to be medium well and were closer to medium raw. My sons chicken strips were dry and hard and my daughter's strawberry lemonade tasted more like water. One of the worst experiences we have had at an Applebees. read more

Food was good. Service was terrible. The lady that took our order never checked on us during our meal and didn't bring us the condiments requested. She gave us our bill while we were eating our salads, this made us want to leave then but we didn't. The lady that brought us our food was nice. We were not thanked by anyone. read more

Very upset waited for 3 hours to get our food and sit down and got it and had a hair in it and the chicken was still pink in the middle.

Horrible service. Went at 7pm and my waiter was rude and impatient. He only came to the table twice the entire night and managed to mess up our order probably because he wouldn't write it down. Waited 20 minutes just for a drink refill. Would not recommend read more

I ask another time for some gosh diggity darn marinara sauce. They came out with MORE cocktail sauce. I just want to eat my scrumdiddlyumptious mozzarella sticks. EXTREMELY furioso. read more

Was told we were first on the waiting list but saw 5 groups seated before us. They were short staffed but that didnt have anything to do with seating order. Server was great once we finally got seated. read more

Go after work several time great place to unwind and get some good alcoholic beverages they are very inventive with that and in a good location also easy to find right next to a highway and there is a Walmart near by if you need to do some shopping at low prices. Burgers are there Specialty and I recommend the Whiskey Burger also there Brisket Tacos and the make a Classic Combo Appetizer that's really good. Also there Pub Brew Pretzels are really good. read more

We waited for 50 minutes to get our food. We had to ask the waiter how much longer the wait at 50 minutes and she came back with our food and said it just got done. After the long wait and we got our food it was already almost cold as if it had been sitting for some time and wasn't good. My Dr. Pepper didn't taste right at all. Our waiter didn't even say a word to us during our wait about the food or anything. read more

Great food and good service. We love the Buffalo Wedge Salad! Our favorite place to eat in Pella!

I ordered the chicken Parmesan. The noodles were undercooked and stuck together(tip of advice, put a few drops of olive oil in the water and noodles won't stick together). The chicken was slightly dry and the breading was very hard to cut through. I also ordered a sweet tea and it was room temp when arriving and not much ice to make it cold. We ordered the chicken quesadilla appetizer it was very good, probably only highlight of the visit. read more

Our group went to Applebees and was told to wait 5-10 minutes. We waited for over 20 minutes while many staff members sat and watched us. After we witnessed the staff members eating while ignoring us we decided to leave. As we walked out the staff members began to dance and celebrate that they did not have to serve us. We were very disappointed by their service. read more

I am impressed with the service and food that we got. After reading some of the reviews, I was skeptical of going to eat her, but they did not disappoint. Abby M was very helpful and patient and when I was unsure of what choice of dessert I wanted, she kindly pointed out the triple chocolate melt. The food was excellent and at a very reasonable price. Also I wanted to mention that the Oreo shake is the "bomb." If I wasn't so full, I would have got one to go. It was worth the hour drive to eat here. Abby is a great worker and I want to thank her again for her great service. Go Abby! read more

I went to Pella, hoping to find a great "local" restaurant. After having a bad experience at another restaurant where I walked out, I came here. Sheesh, I didn't go to Pella to eat at Applebees. But it was here, so I stopped. Typical Applebees. Got what I expected. Ordered one of their "Classic PLUS Signature" combos. Now I know why they have those BIG TALL MENUS. The dishes look bigger on the menu. When my order came, the dish looked quite small. But it was good, and just what I needed for lunch. Food server was professional and fun. No place to park an RV, although I noticed a 5th Wheel parked next door in the back lot of the Culver's restaurant. I'd like to know how that 5th Wheel got in there, because, although Culver's had room, the entry TO the parking lot looked dicey. I came here in a rental car. read more

Where do I begin? This is the worst service I ever received at an Applebee's. The food was late burnt and cold. Our waitress SARAH M had excuses for everything. It wasn't even busy. It took 7 minutes to get our drinks from the bar and we were right next to it. Sad sad sad read more

Applebee's Grill + Bar - Burnt cold greasy fries. - Sports Bars Near Me - Pella, Iowa

It's Applebee's. Food was as expected. Service was very good (they were very good-natured when my very darling grandfather in law needed some help with the menu). I think it's a bit pricey for Pella but it seems to have fit in well. At the minimum, it's a nice addition to the food landscape of Pella. They don't have many options so any addition is welcome to both locals & tourists. read more

This is your typical Applebee's restaurant. The food is the same as all the other Applebee's that I have been to. We were travelling from Northern MN to Southern Iowa for my nephew's HS graduation. The waitress was very kind and attentative. She engaged us in conversation, as she wasn't very busy, I was a little disturbed that she didn't have a clue where Lake Superior was when I mentioned that we lived close to it. She was in her mid-20s and didn't know about the largest lake in North America... read more

Screwed up order on first visit, send back to kitchen against my wishes, I was just going to eat it like it was, as I don't return food. They brought it back out and I refused to eat it. read more

This is pretty typical Applebee's. Just OK food, decent but not great drinks, way too expensive for what it is. The service at the Pella location is pretty bad. I don't know why I thought this restaurant would be different from any other Applebee's. read more

Food has always been great. Service is definitely adequate and staff are friendly. Always seems clean. Love their drinks

The bartender me and my group had last night was the worst person I've ever had serve me in my entire life. She couldn't make a drink to save her life and was basically forcing us to drink what she wanted. She didn't know what anything on the menu was or how to make even a Long Island. We asked for top shelf and she proceeded to give us bottom shelf and tell us it was all the same price and that what we wanted wasn't as good. We told her we didn't believe her and we aren't paying top shelf for trash vodka. Then she lied saying we couldn't use our debit cards more than once because it would mess with their system. I worked at Applebees and called her out on it. Said fine we have cash. Then we couldn't move and be served by someone else because it would mess with their system. Some super nice server could see she sucked and we did not want her and told us we could sit in her section if we wanted. Lady made no sense and couldn't engage or have fun with us. Worst service I've ever had. Would never ever ever ever let her serve me again. She shouldn't even have a job. Lied about everything and didn't know a damn thing about alcohol or Applebees or people. You're a disgrace. Go work somewhere where you don't have to talk to people because you have no personable skills. read more