Frightening Meal at Applebee's in Bristol: Respiratory Distress Across Restaurant

Diners at Applebee's in Bristol on Valentine's Day afternoon experienced a very unsettling experience as everyone in the entire restaurant began to cough. An irritant was causing everyone to choke and they were trying to expel it from their airways. It became apparent immediately that all the diners were being affected, and it was scary. Was it a gas leak? Was it a chemical attack of some sort like you hear on the news taking place in subway tunnels?

A call for help

A server was summoned and she chuckled and said it was the "Sizzlers" that they were cooking, and she pointed to a nearby table where people had large platters of food that were popping and cracking like fireworks! She told the choking customers that they should see how bad it was in the kitchen. She mentioned bourbon on the grill, but the offending plates were sizzling fajitas. It isn't clear exactly what the cooking process is that generates so much respiratory trauma on the entire facility.

The Twilight Zone

It was surreal. Literally the entire restaurant was choking and sputtering and everything went on as usual. Waitresses delivered food, refilled drinks, and smiled. They assured the breathless diners that it would stop when the offending platters of sizzling and popping food stopped sizzling and popping. It did for a few minutes until another lady ordered a sizzling platter, only to start the whole thing all over again.

What's wrong here?

Evidently, this is part of dining at Applebee's now. There was really no manager circulating to apologize. However, the servers made it clear it was a routine thing. Maybe it is only for a limited time? Perhaps Applebees Sizzlers will go the way of McDonalds McRibs?

What restaurants do not understand is that there are no acceptable excuses. Diners do not get paid to come in; if something is disagreeable or maybe even dangerous, you fix it. Otherwise, they do not return.