Applebee's Grill & Bar

4004 Frederick Ave
St Joseph, MO 64506
(816) 233-0801
Near the East Hills Mall, intersection of Frederick Blvd & I-29

Visit date: 3/1/09
Meal ordered: Three Cheese Chicken Penne

Cleanliness of restaurant - 4
Value for food - 4
Food appearance - 3
Taste of food - 3
Staff (overall) - 4
SMOKING RESTAURANT - BOO!

*Rated on a scale of 1-5

Remarks: What can I say, I had a delightful experience at Applebee's. The hostess seated us promptly, and told us about a special with the "entry's". I'm sure she meant to say entree, but I had a good chuckle. My waitress did not deliver my meal; however, the server named my penne pasta "penny". Another good chuckle. My waitress was rather happy to be doing her job and did keep the drinks full, but managed to disappear when it came time to pay the bill.

My meal was fair, others at my table discourage any future burger purchase because the buns are soggy and the patties are overcooked. The kids meals were good.

One of the drawbacks about this restaurant is the layout. The bar and smoking section is situated in the center of the restaurant, with non-smoking seats surrounding. Needless to say, the entire restaurant is smoky, with no "escape" from the smoke. The seats are rather close and you can definitely hear your neighbor's conversation.

Overall recommendation:
Great bar environment. Munch on snacks, watch some sports on the tv's, get a drink and chill with your friends. Although there is a kids menu, it really isn't a very child-friendly environment, mostly because of the smoke and the close dining quarters. Expect a relatively clean facility (albeit the restrooms failed to stock hand soap), and to spend approx. $12 per person. This is a good casual restaurant - good for out-of-towners who are looking for easy access on and off the interstate with a well-known name.