My girlfriend and I tried to eat there Saturday night around 7pm. We completely understood that it was a busy time and we were expecting a wait time. Sure enough, we were told it was a 45 minute wait. However, my girlfriend pointed out after waiting for about 5 minutes that there were so many open tables and booths. Even one in the back for two that was already cleaned off. At the front near the service desk, two of the three women there weren't even working. One was talking to the woman who as actually doing her job and the other sat on a chair and played on her phone. As we left to find another restaurant to eat at, we saw staff members near the kitchen area laughing and pushing each other as if there weren't families waiting for tables or booths. We didn't need to eat our meal there to realize how bad the service would be. First impressions are everything and this Applebee's made a terrible impression. read more

With the exception of the new waitress, Cori, this place is horrible. My family and I sat for 23 min. waiting on someone to take our drink order. As we waited there were two women in blue shirts who kept coming by and did not acknowledge us at all. There was only 1 waitress with a red headband who asked before Cori came. The food was bland and very greasy. My husband and I had to eat something else after we left just to get the taste out of our mouths. We still can't figure out how spinach and artichoke dip with chips could be so nasty. I wasn't going to post about this experience until I observed one of the blue shirt women coming over to Cori to find out why a table of 3 WalMart workers left. I was appalled because the same lady walked by our table and the Walmart workers several times without acknowledgement of our existence. I was totally shocked that she realized that the individuals left. I'm was taken aback that she was frustrated by the people leaving and tried to imply that the sole responsibility was Cori's. Well, perhaps coming over and helping the waitress who's been there for 3 days a little more the next time would have convinced them to stay. Needless to say, this was my first and last experience at this particular location. #HORRIBLE read more

My husband and I have been to this location twice. Each time was the same. Good food but poor service. Don't go here if you're in a hurry or on your lunch break. After we were seated it took 5-10 minutes for the waitress to take our drink order. Then it took at least 5 minutes for her to bring our 2 waters. We ordered from the 2 for $25 menu and the food was good. Our salads came out pretty quickly and so did our entrees. However, we were eating ribs and the waitress left us with one napkin. She kept disappearing for extended periods of time so we had to ask the manager for napkins. I heard a lot of tables asking the manager for things the waitress should have been handling (check, ketchup, etc). I can't say enough good things about him. He has great customer service skills. But it seems like he's working for the employees and not the other way around. We never got drink refills or asked how our meals were. The waitress spilled water on our table and didn't clean it up. However, she did ask if we wanted dessert. The hostess was standing at her station texting on her cell phone and then stepped outside to take a personal call. There was a table near us that took at least 30 minutes to be bussed. I have no complaints about the food as it was delicious and fresh. The manager needs to take control of his employees. When he's doing more serving than the actual servers, something is wrong. read more

Worst ever! Went in tonight with the family for Mothers Day dinner; the restaurant was only half full with the wait staff standing around. There were about 4 large family waiting.... why I don't know. The hostess then said it's going to be 30 min wait. There were at least 10 tables empty! Poor customer service. Will never come back. read more

I am writing this review late, because it popped into my mind that I didn't have a chance to email corporate because I lost the receipt. I went the the grand opening event. This was my first time coming back.I took my family. The food was terrible for the adults, ok for the children. My steak was not cooked as ordered. It was very well done, the sweet potato mash was skimping on the garnish. My mom ordered a pasta dish that looked no where near like the pic on the menu. It was A LOT of pasta and a very TINY scoop of over cooked veggies. The ratio if veggies to pasta was not acceptable. And no sauce. The waitress was very nice and accommodating. The manager had a bad attitude and kept telling me how everything was prepared to specs. As I was walking out, another customer was outside going off on the manager about the poor service and nasty waitress that she would hem up, if she wasn't a professional. If you go, go earlier enough to get something to eat elsewhere. I ended up going to Publix. Sad. read more

I don't understand why this Applebees has such bad reviews. The food was delicious, it was very clean, and we had amazing service. Will was very attentive and thoughtful. We plan on stopping by here next time we are in Columbia. read more

literally worst service ever. everytime we get a togo order everything's wrong, but this time i've been waiting on my food that was supposed to be ready 30 minutes ago. i don't even know if anything is wrong yet cause they can't even get it together to bring it out here. PERIODT. read more

The managers here have horrible customer service and the kitchen doesn't know how to prepare the meals. THREE times later, I have finally learned my lesson. Shame on me. Never eating there again. read more

Food was bland, dirty restaurant and wait staff that didn't seem to care about serving. Spend your $ elsewhere.

Do not eat at this applebees! Went today for lunch during my one hour lunch break my fiancé had arrived before me to go ahead and get drinks and appetizer ordered so we would have plenty of time to eat. It took the waitress 10 minutes to bring the drinks they had just got the the table when I had got there. She drops the drinks and disappeared no big deal. We ended up placing our food order at 12:10. The appetizer comes out around 12:20 that my fiancé ordered at noon. We finish the appetizer it was good but then at 12:40 still no food. I ordered my mac and cheese with no meat and my salmon extremely well done. We were ok with waiting a little longer to make sure my salmon was done however when she brings the food to the table at 12:45 only because I asked how much longer on our food she quickly brings the food to the table and says she was sorry they were waiting on my fiancés sandwich to get done. My salmon was barley even done there was bacon all in my mac and cheese I ended up having to leave and did not eat or take the barley cooked salmon they brought me. Oh I also forgot to mention the sandwich we apparently were waiting on was a cold sandwich! I will not be returning to any applebees. read more

As Northeast Columbia continues to grow I was hopeful that better restaurants would start breaking ground. I was sadly mistaken when Applebee's popped up. I took my family there on a Wednesday night, once we got seated the waiter came up and asked what we wanted to eat. I asked if we can get some drinks first and maybe an app. My wife and I got the 2 for 20. Everything we got was awful. My food was the Cajun chicken, my wife got the ribs. Everything was so blistering hot that I couldn't finish it. The food was very bland and it just was not a good first impression. Not sure if this is true, but I read where Applebee's food is precooked and all they have to do is microwave it. It tasted like it. We will not being going back.. read more

I wouldn't get to excited over this location. For one, it's crowded at takes at least a half an hour to get in on busy days. The food is always low quality, and the beverages are watered down and flat. Waiters are sometimes good and sometimes bad. It mainly depends on who you get. It's extremely noisy in there to the point where you need to shout just to get people to hear you on the other end of the table. And getting your food always takes at least an hour. Definitely not worth the time and money, and that goes for just about any Applebee's in Columbia. read more

Called in orders twice to this location....not only did my order take almost an hour both times.....the food itself was not very good as if it was sitting in the back room for a while....not hot, fries were soggy. Maybe it's the Togo service, I am not sure, as I have not had a sit down meal there. read more

It was my husband's and my first time at this new location. We were greeted with a person on a cell phone and seemed inconvenienced that we were there. My husband visited the restroom and reported back that there was no soap, no paper towels and one of the two sinks had a non existing faucet. It had trash all over the counters and floor. This was a huge red flag for us and we wondered where the employees go to wash their hands. Clearly this was not a good first impression. Between the attitude that we received walking in and the shambles that the restrooms were in, that was enough for us to walk out. We won't bother coming back. Clearly there is no effort from this Applebee's to provide a decent family experience. 0 stars.... read more

Holy cow service was terrible. Waited for 40 minutes for our food at lunch with the place nearly empty.

This is absolutely the worst Applebee's I've visited. The server Cedric was courteous but slow & inexperienced. We made simple orders of appetizers followed by entrees, I think watching sap dry would have been a more expeditious process. When asked to speak to a manager about the lengthy delivery of our meals and lackluster service, he failed to show up after 15+ mins. We asked very kindly for an estimated wait for our food and the presence of the manager after waiting another 5 mins. The manager "Shamar" finally decides to show up without an introduction and proceeds to ask "I heard somebody called me?" While defensively dismissing any valid concern our party had with the wait time while we still sat patiently waiting an hour plus without as much as a salad that was ordered. The service, management, & food in this establishment has diminished the Applebee's brand for my family & myself. I will NEVER eat at this particular restaurant again and will take my buying power elsewhere. I wish I could lower my review to ZERO stars! read more

So let's start off buying saying what was great. We walked into this new Applebee's, on a Friday night was easily seated and the atmosphere was quiet. But unfortunately this review will point out the reason for what was great. The staff & the food was so bad that I will never go back to this place. Good thing I work at a hospital in town because I have made sure to spread the word to never go here. For being about the only couple in the building it took at least 15 mins to get waited on, another 5-10 to actually get our drinks and then to order food. So The staff this whole time decided to turn up the god awful music it was almost like being at a night club. Anyway, the food. The one thing I was looking forward to was a medium stake, thinking how could they screw this up, since they obviously had plenty of time to cook. Well let's just say they are pretty good at making beef jerky. Should have realized when it took 20 - 30 mins to get our food. The only reason I didn't walk out before I got my food was the fact I was hungry and really didn't want to go to another place to eat. God I should have not only walked out, I should have ran. The best part of the night, getting the bill. They at least took off my dinner, payed for my wife's dinner and our drinks and got the hell up out of there. Too bad zero stars isn't an option. For the love of God save your money and don't ever waste your time going to this place. read more