Review: Applebee's; Beaver Dam, WI

Roughly three years ago, I wrote a review about the Applebee's here in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. At the time, the restaurant had recently opened and, after eating there on a couple separate occasions, my review ended up being less than favorable.

Well, it's three years later. And, I can honestly say a lot has changed in three years; including my opinion of Applebee's.

Let me start out by saying I still think their prices are a little on the high side for a family of four currently living on one income. So, it still isn't a restaurant I will dine at on a weekly or even monthly basis; just on special occasions (like this past Valentine's Day) or when I happen to have a gift card. But, when that rare special occasion rolls around, I really can't think of any place better to celebrate it.

One thing that hasn't changed about Applebee's in the past three years or since I first ate at one several years ago is the food. While a bit pricey, like I said, it is worth the money. And, unlike many restaurants, I can say that in reference to just about everything on their menu; whether it is a steak or just a cheeseburger. The food tastes great and the portions are pretty generous.

What has impressed me recently about the Beaver Dam Applebee's however, is the service. It used to be, we would get there on a Friday night, have to wait a long time for a table and even longer for our food. And, on quite a few occasions, we would have a server who was rude or would just ignore us all together.

I'm not sure exactly what changes were made. But, the restaurant has improved in all those areas.

Like I mentioned before, my wife and I went to Applebee's for Valentine's Day. More specifically, we went there the Friday night before Valentine's Day; a night when you would expect the restaurant to be somewhat busy.

And, it was. But, despite the fact it was full, we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated; which I feel is more than reasonable considering we didn't have a reservation.

After we were seated, the service remained fantastic. Our server was friendly and very helpful (though she did try to card me when I ordered a Mountain Dew). Rather than be ignored, she was there to check up on us every few minutes and even offered to re-fill my drink before it was even half empty.

More importantly, we didn't have to wait forever for our food. We got our appetizer (mozzarella sticks) probably 10 minutes after we ordered them and the rest of our food was at our table after another 10 minutes. Given the fact they were busy, it was a reasonable amount of time.

Three years ago, I was unhappy with this restaurant and still stand behind that review. But, today, I would recommend this establishment to anyone who asks.