i don't really think about them too much... food's ok, but certainly nothing to write home about. they tried to get my hometown to build them a restaurant and let them operate tax free or something like that, which seems a tad shady to me. but that got shot down anyway.
last time i was there i saw a black homo waiting tables. luckily, he was chained to the bar and all of his tips went straight to the white women.
In Honduras Applebees, Fridays, and those type of places are considered "fancy" (not high end, but fancy). My band back in the day played a couple of shows there and it considered a big deal.
Applebees is a decent place if you want to sit down and eat cheap without going fast food. When we eat out that is one of our main stops, but beyond being cheap, it's the closest to us, generally. I much prefer Outback Steak House, but if I were to go somewhere I'd call fancy, it'd be something like St. Elmo's or Ruth's Chris Steak House......
Applebee's didn't seem any cheaper to me than any of the restaurants I listed as ones I'd rather go to.
I feel the same way about those places as I feel about Chilli's. They just aren't as close to my house. I still prefer Outback Steakhouse over them too.
I've never been to Outback. If my brother goes one day, maybe I'll get to go. Haha, that's how my family finds new restaurants to eat at, my brother or I discover them. And seeing as he's the only one vehicularly-inclined right now, I'm pretty sure he'd go there before me, lol.