Food Review

Matt Kruger
February 12, 2009
Jasmine Krotzman
Food Review

Food Review
Applebee’s- 4745 Golf Road, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701. (715.831.1255)

This family restaurant has been around for years in just about every city around the country. It is located in a competitive area for restaurants. Buffalo Wild Wings, Red Robin, Texas Roadhouse and many other options for food are within a mile or so. As most Applebee’s are, this one also seems to be very successful and very busy. Usually you can go in and sit right down, but watch out for the prime eating times as there may require a brief wait in line. This restaurant is a great place to bring a family or take a client out to lunch. It not only offers a sports bar atmosphere, but also a fairly professional setting for a casual meeting with a client. The motto of the restaurant is “Welcome to the Neighborhood.” This implies that they want to make everyone feel comfortable. There are dim lights that seem to keep the environment calm and unintimidating. The walls are filled with antiques and televisions playing sports games. The atmosphere is filled with peoples’ voices; some laughing and some almost yelling at one another in the bar area. This creates a fun and interesting place to socialize and grab a bite to eat. This is really a restaurant for everyone. For example, I was sitting across from a family of five, and behind them were two men in suits. This shows the variety of the environment and proves that it’s a place for anyone to go.
The menu was vast and offered something for everyone. It mainly focused on appetizers, burgers, and salads. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries and they offered different toppings for the burger like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and anything else you desired. Smells of everyone’s food near me circulated around the restaurant and finally reached our table. Every time the kitchen door flung open, everyone at our table stared, but the food never seemed to be for us. Finally our waiter was hurrying over to the table, “I’m sorry about the wait” she mumbled. She then set down a huge platter full of oversized portions on each plate. “Cheeseburger with fries?” she asked as she held up the plate, then set it down in front of me. The smells swirled up to my nose and I couldn’t wait to bite into the big burger. The slightly toasted bun was positioned to the side of the burger, resting on top of the steak fries which were loaded with seasoning. A long pickle was cut in half and stretched half way across the plate. Once the burger was put together it looked just like the massive one on the menu. The outside of the burger looked slightly charred with little bits of seasoning coating the patty. It was then time for the first bite. The flavors bolted into my mouth very quickly after biting it, but quickly faded as the condiments overrode the burger taste. The burger was cooked to perfection with a slight pink tint to it. There was nothing very unique about the burger yet it seemed to be perfect. The fresh bun had a soft crunch to it that brought out the juiciness in the burger. The unique part of the meal was the fries; they had a special seasoning on them, making them explode with flavor. As the plate cleared, I noticed how filling the burger actually was. This is a meal that will hold you over for a fairly long amount of time, and considerably delay the urge to eat directly after this meal.
The menus were very neatly organized and the food on the menu looked very intriguing and full of flavor. The thing about Applebee’s that attracts the majority of the people is the family friendly atmosphere and the more than affordable menu prices with the average meal ranging from $7 to $15. The waiting staff is very helpful and they all seem to enjoy the duties involved in their jobs. All the employees smile and make the best possible atmosphere for a family restaurant. The service is reasonable for the amount of people each waiter tends to, and the food is cooked swiftly and brought out to the table in a short period of time. For the money this restaurant definitely gives you the “best bang for your buck” as the portion sizes are very large and the food is of great quality.