After not having stopped in for quite a while, I recently learned from a trip to Applebee’s that the restaurant still delivers the goods. After a field trip to the movies, 11 friends and I stopped in for a lunch at Applebee’s. Despite the fact that the restaurant was crowded with eleventh-grade students, the service was still pretty good.

As in most restaurants, the lack of Dr. Pepper angered me; I ended up settling for Pepsi instead. Once our drinks arrived, we ordered our lunch. All but two of the twelve of us ordered Applebee’s special three-course meal for a 13 dollar deal. The food came on interestingly shaped plates, which normally suffice for foods without distinct tastes, but this was an exception.

The Boneless Buffalo Wings were cooked to perfection and the sauce was spicy, but still managed to have a very good taste. The mozzarella sticks were especially good; they were very crisp on the outside, but with one bite I was able to experience the mozzarella cheese as it oozed out of the mozzarella stick. The salads that came out all shared two properties: they were drenched in dressing and they were as soggy as could be. The salads were the only major flaw among an otherwise very good appetizer menu. After around 15 more minutes of waiting, our main courses arrived.

The Angus burger that I had ordered came and looked delicious, but one bite said otherwise. Other people’s burgers were the same. From what I experienced, the shrimp, steak and mashed potatoes were all very flavorful. If you like your mashed potatoes with butter, then you may need some as the chefs seem to be butter-shy. After another 15 minute wait time, we received our dessert. The three-course menu desserts look big in the menu photos but are about half of a pint in actual size. Although they are very satisfying the little cups you get only house one scoop of ice cream.

If you are looking for pretty good food at a minimal cost, visit Applebee’s. I ended up paying 14 dollars for my combo, but the prices end up ranging from 10 dollars to 17 dollars depending on the meal selection. With a welcoming atmosphere, good food and pretty good service, Applebee’s deserves a visit with the family for dinner some day. Just don’t order the Angus burger, unless you like eating charcoal.