I'll not be going to Applebees anymore! [Archive]

View Full Version : I'll not be going to Applebees anymore!

NFrawRUNNER

11-01-2006, 07:35 PM

OK, it was our son's choice for his "birthday dinner" so we went to Applebees. I thought, no problem, I'll just ask for a big fresh salad with balsamic vinegar on the side....Well, AFTER their appetizers and dinners came our waiter plopped down this pathetic wilty, slimy greens salad with a few apple slices on top....all green, no extras....and balsamic vinegrette, not vinegar....After inspecting the salad I opted to nix it and wait until I got home. Why is something so simple to make so difficult for a restaurant to provide....and another thing why don't restaurants (chains) offer fruit platters or fresh veggies for appetizers....I'm just a little uptight. I love being raw but hate feeling like I am an inconvenience just because I eat healthy!!!! :mad: The good news is that my 16 year old son is a culinary arts student and so I called him from the restaurant and asked if he would make me something. When I got home he had concocted a great sprout salad with sweet red pepper, banana, mango, leeks, and a few cranberries with balsamic vinegar......and it was divine!!!! TG for my children! At any rate, I won't eat there again! Are there any decent "chain" restaurants that have healthy/raw meals? We live near a big Army base so there are lots of restaurants but none that even come close to being raw (no one even knows what "raw" is around here! I live in hicktown, USA...)....sorry I'm venting, just had to unwind/unload! I think I may write them a letter suggesting they try to "broaden their menu" and offer more healthy alternatives!!! Have a good night all! ;)
Di

Shmoopie

11-01-2006, 07:45 PM

Well, I don't know where you live, or if this could be considered a decent restaurant, but Big Boy/Elias Brothers always has a salad bar that always has tons of vegetables and lots of fruit. If I'm not mistaken, I think they even have nuts sometimes. If you have one of those in your area, that might be a good place to go. It's just a "family style" restaurant with your typical meatloaf and spaghetti type dinners, burgers, breakfast, etc.

That's the only one I can think of. Oh! Maybe Olive Garden?

ShelShel

11-01-2006, 08:49 PM

I have found that going to smaller restuarants in my area give me the best options. They get to know me when I walk in and are more willing to change a few things for me.

One place I eat at in our mall is actually a Rueben Sandwich shop. But they serve a very large garden salad for only $3.50. When I walk up, she says, "Garden, no onion, no dressing?" I smile and say yes. She knows all about me because she took the time to ask. ;) SO, on Saturdays, I make a raw dressing...put it in a to-go container. I pack some yummy sweet fruits for dessert. Maybe some extra veggies to top my salad if I think I will be too hungry and a baggie of nuts to snack a few hours after lunch.

It takes planning ahead for me to make a meal out work. If it's spur of the moment, I smile and bare whatever gets thrown at me. This is the choice I have made for me. My family is still SAD and I don't want them to feel like they can't eat where ever they want because of me.

My recommendation. Visit some of these places and look over their menus by yourself and start planning a "what if I came here cenario." ;)
I find it always helps to plan. No matter where I eat. But that is just me.

I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience at that Apple Bees. Hope you have better luck next time. :o

juliebove

11-01-2006, 09:37 PM

This is why we don't go to Applebees, ever. We tried them twice (I think) and discovered that it is impossible to get a plain vegetable salad from them. Everything they sell is glopped up and gooped up.

I have a story about Applebees that I think is funny. A neighbor who was a very picky eater for herself and her child. She claimed to be feeding him very healthy things, yet every night she gave him unlimited amounts of store brand frozen treats made with high fructose syrup. Anyway... She told me she had been eating very badly that week so she went to Applebees where she knew she could get a very healthy meal. What did she get? Plain steamed white rice and plain fish. Gah!

As for why restaurants don't sell fruit or veggie platters, I think I know. They don't sell! There used to be a Mexican restaurant here that had a lovely raw veggie platter on the menu. My family loved it and ordered it every time we went in. Then one day it was no longer on the menu. When we asked, the owner said we were the only ones who ever ordered it. He said he would gladly make it for us if we would call in advance to request it so he could go buy the needed foods.

I have seen fruit platters in some restaurants but they often come with weird dips, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, etc.

I think a lot of people use dining out as an excuse to eat stuff that they know is not good for them. For me, dining out is just a fact of life and I only dine at places where I know I can get what I need. As for special occasions, if I know I can't get what I need, I eat ahead of time (or after) and make do with a dinner salad, assuming they have that. Most places do, but they're not always edible.

StudentforLife

11-01-2006, 09:52 PM

Ruby Tuesdays has a huge salad bar and if you choose to only get that it's the cheapest thing on the menu.

D'vorah

11-01-2006, 10:09 PM

You can't even get a decent COOKED low-fat vegan meal there, I have NEVER had a successful meal at Applebees. I refuse to go there.

D

NFrawRUNNER

11-02-2006, 02:26 AM

juliebove

11-02-2006, 03:33 AM

Thank you everyone for your tips, support and advice. It's nice to "vent" among likeminde individuals. I usually DO plan ahead and bring along my own stash but this time I was in a hurry,etc....We don't have a "big Boys" but do have a Ruby Tuesdays so planning ahead is a must I guess and I will stick with the places that at least offer a salad bar. Tomorrow we fly to NYC for the weekend (I am running the NYC Marathon Sunday). My husband insists he'll find me a "market" Saturday a.m. where I can stockup on produce for the week end and I am compiling a "list" of restaurants I've researched....because in Manhattan there are actually RAW restaurants! I can't wait! But will have my "stash" on standby! Thanks again for rallying around me my RF friends! ;)

I used to live right near the start of the NYC marathon. If you are staying on Staten Island, you won't find good produce unless you know where to look for it. The best place is Family Fruit/Top Tomatoes (they keep changing the name) on Hylan Blvd. or Greely Ave (two locations). Not all of what they have is organic, but you can get some stuff there. The grocery stores are iffy. Waldbaum's would sometimes have good stuff, other times not. Forget about the little mom and pop places. They'll have produce but it's usually rotting. And in the case of bell peppers, they'll shrink wrap them tightly so you can't tell it is rotton.

The Carriage House (on Ft. Wadsworth) is open for breakfast through dinner (bar upstairs open at night but no food served) always has a basket of fresh fruit on the counter and they will be happy to make you a salad. They have a weird/small menu. Doesn't list a lot of stuff but if you just tell them what you want they'll make it for you if they can.

Tony's Brick Oven Pizza on Bay street is a good place to get salads. If you go there be sure to tell them you don't want the mozzarella balls on the salad. They usually put a couple of them on there.

You can actually get salads of some sort at any of the many Italian restaurants. Beware of the Asian places though because their salad is usually just iceberg lettuce, if they even have salad. And I don't know about how it is where you're at but in NYC at a diner, the term "salad" usually means coleslaw, potato salad, tuna salad, or anything but what you want. I remember trying and trying to get lettuce and tomato. The waitress brought me dish after dish and my husband sat there laughing at all the food I wouldn't eat.

Conscious Midwife

11-02-2006, 03:47 AM

Ditto Ruby Tuesday's... they even offer sunflower seeds and almond sliver though not raw

Logans road hous has an "everything" salad that you can order without bacon bits, egg or cheese but you will get pecans,cranberries two types of lettuce, two types of onion, fresh shrooms and bell pepper

Paneras offer olive oil straight out the bottle (though not RAW), I've had this on their romaine salad with pecans and strawberries.

Ocahrleys will give you a half a head of lettuce wwith a half of tomato and some onion for like $8 :eek:

I don't eat out much but I've been known to bring my own nuts and avacods to a restaurant and then just drink lemon water.

ljcoolj

11-02-2006, 05:42 AM

Conscious Midwife

11-02-2006, 09:15 AM

Anyone had any luck with TGI Fridays? I have a work lunch there next week and I'm already freaking out about what I'm going to eat. There's going to be 15 of us there and I'd love to be able to order a salad, sneak my own dressing on and be done with it.

Do just that,

but eat something hardy for breakfast 'cause if one person orders a burger or steak it will take them all day to get your order out.

Shmoopie

11-02-2006, 09:20 AM

lj, it's been a couple years since I've been to TGI Fridays, but I seem to remember them having salads on HUGE plates. If nothing else, you shouldn't have a problem getting a bunch of lettuce and some tomato and onion. Good luck.

juliewiegel

11-02-2006, 10:06 AM

I, also, have found the salad bar at Ruby Tuesdays is pretty good. The rest of my cooked family like Ruby Tuesdays, too.

I didn't like Applebees even when I ate cooked. They can't seem to get a meal out on time and they always burn everything. I have noticed this at different Applebees. I think it is a chainwide problem.

I have several members of my family that like Applebees, though. Last time they visited and we went there all I had was a glass of Sangria! At least it had fruit!LOL (That was before raw)

Nini

11-02-2006, 07:47 PM

Hmmm... I live near 2 Applebees. Both make me a gorgeous raw salad. One even makes me a dressing out of red bell pepper, fresh pineapple and avocado. I go out of my way to support them!

MangoMommy

11-03-2006, 08:29 AM

You can't even get a decent COOKED low-fat vegan meal there, I have NEVER had a successful meal at Applebees. I refuse to go there.

D
me and my husband feel exactly the same way and would never consider eating there

DeadNutrition

11-03-2006, 05:00 PM

I don't go to any restaurants at all. :D

blueberryice

11-04-2006, 05:34 AM

How sad.

Here, you get treated like this when you havent spent enough money to please them. There are numerous places that DO provide salad, but you'll get them loaded with fried chicken pieces, etc.

God forbid someone actually want to eat HEALTHY in an establishment. it's as if you've pulled a machine gun out of your purse.

mindelicious

11-04-2006, 07:32 AM

i dont know how widespread this chain is but they have a great unlimited salad bar for 5 bucks and I always cheat and get the sprouts and cabbage from the stir fry line!!

Also Carrabba's Italian Grill always has a sauteed/steamed mixed vegetable on the menu and you can ask for it raw (or as the waitress said "crunchy") and put that onto the dinner salad they have, ask for olive oil and lemons and you are golden!!

Also any place that serves sushi has been extremely helpful. I have a place around here that will hook me up with a beautiful plate of sprouts/avocado/cucs/carrots rolled up in untoasted nori and fresh seaweed salad!! Heaven!!

blaqberry

11-04-2006, 10:10 PM

God forbid someone actually want to eat HEALTHY in an establishment. it's as if you've pulled a machine gun out of your purse.

*laugh* :p ...agreed :)