Day 995 Landing in an unexpected spot

When I suggested to Tim that we go out for dinner, I never imagined we'd end up at Applebee's—or as I like to call it, Crapplebee's. But once Tim gets an idea in his head, there’s no stopping him, and for some strange reason, he was set on giving the chain restaurant another try.

I reminded him that we’d eaten at one somewhere in New Hampshire about ten years ago with our grandsons. It’s a solid option when traveling, but here at home, it wouldn't crack my top 50! After tossing around a few ideas—Mariner Grill, as always, coming out ahead—I finally said, “What the heck, let’s go.” And off we went to dine at our unexpected destination.

The menu prominently featured a special: an appetizer and two entrées for $25. Not bad. We each ordered a cocktail and, to my surprise, they were actually delicious. Before long, our waitress returned with boneless wings that looked more like frozen chicken nuggets, but Tim seemed perfectly happy with them. I went rogue and ordered a side salad, which turned out to be a good call, since I wasn’t particularly interested in the chicken.

Our steak dinners arrived sizzling on skillets—and honestly, they weren’t half bad. Tim went for a second drink, this time from the special drink menu, but we quickly realized it was pre-made and not very good at all.

As we ate, we watched an older crowd (ok, old) shuffle in, giving us a glimpse into our possible future on a fixed retirement budget. We often joke that someday we'll have to chase early-bird specials and happy hours—but I’m not sure Applebee’s will make it into our regular rotation.

All in all, it wasn’t horrible. I’d definitely go back if we had the grandkids with us, and it might even be fine for drinks and a couple of appetizers with friends. But considering we're surrounded by amazing local restaurants with consistently delicious food, I don’t think Crapplebee’s has earned a permanent spot on our list. However, we were impressed at our bill, only $50 for two dinners, three drinks an appetizer and side salad, at least half of what we'd usually spend, so all those old folks aren't foolish! 

The best part of the night, Tim got to satisfy his curiosity, and as always, we have a good time together—no matter where we land....and this certainly was an unexpected spot for us to land.