It is absolutely fitting that this Applebee's gets a 3 star rating. A-OK. It is the epitome of A-OK. The seating is A-OK. Food is A-OK. Ambiance is A-OK. It is the most average place you could eat.
The server was average. Not too nice, not an ass. Average. He looked like he led an average life, nothing exciting but nothing shady. The booths were average. They have a design on them specifically to make you forget about them. It was almost like staring at a casino floor, it has patterns but nothing you could ever remember. The walls are decked with Rebels stuff but I can't remember a single thing. That was also made to seem appealing but entirely forgettable. The music level also was at some optimal level, just enough to make out the words but not loud enough to drown out your conversation.
We did the 2 for $25 deals. Mozzarella sticks had the breading actually stay on which was good. Unfortunately, there was TOO MUCH breading and then trying to think how many chemicals or the process to keep that breading on there made us worry. Marinara sauce was weak, nothing good there. Ribs were average. The smokey chipotle BBQ sauce was actually good. But no good deed goes unpunished as the ribs were a tad burnt and hard to cut. Shrimp that came with it were pretty gross actually. Not fresh and greasy. Four cheese mac n cheese was not great. It was weirdly sweet and the chicken fingers they put on were comically small.
But hey, drinks were like $4. So that makes up for some poor food.
I really think the person who designed/designs for Applebee's is a genius. They have perfected the art of the average dining experience. The food isn't good but it wasn't offensively bad, like it's not the best meal but it was $25 for the whole thing. Eh. The ambiance is generic but nice enough to have a conversation. It's non-threatening. When you are finally tired of debating with your picky friends on where they want to end, you all end up at Applebee's, because why not. Guaranteed to be average.