"I placed an online order for pickup for my fiancé and I's 5th anniversary dinner at Applebee's, as this is where we had our first date. We are full-time travelers and have found that every big chain restaurant we visit here in Northwest Arkansas is terrible, including Applebee's. Despite placing my order at 3:30 for pickup at 5:30 and following the instructions on the website to indicate my arrival time, the pickup process was very disappointing. When I arrived, I could see that there were only 3-4 tables in use, so I used the online website to notify them of my presence. After waiting for 10 minutes and getting hung up on when I called, I observed one of the employees inside hanging up the phone without even attempting to assist. After calling again, another girl answered and informed me that they were putting the last few items in the bag. I waited an additional 5 minutes along with other customers waiting for their carside pickups. It became apparent that they were not handling the to-go orders efficiently. When I received my food, it was cold and seemed like it had been sitting since 3:30. They had also forgotten the fries for the burger, and all the food was not only cold but also hard. Additionally, the dessert I ordered for our special occasion – a brownie slice and scoop of ice cream – was disappointing. The brownie was tiny and there was hardly any ice cream. The dessert was rock hard, leading us to believe that there was something wrong with it. It is clear that they do not prioritize to-go orders, assuming that customers will not return to complain. Overall, this experience was absolutely awful. I would give zero stars if possible, but the only positives were that my meal was barely edible and the employee who handed me my food was friendly. This experience has left me with no desire to return to Applebee's in the future."
