# I just ate at Applebees (I think I'm going to die!) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 8, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314 "2009-09-08T18:16:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/81 "2009-09-09T23:23:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The Good Doctor here disagrees with you\*\*,Joey P.\*\* although I admit it’s not all that common to set in that fast. I shall hang my head in shame. But in my defense, I didn’t know there was a second page when I replied. Besides, as both posters mentioned, there are some that can start within an hour, but I’m under the impression that the more ‘popular’/common ones tend to take quite a bit longer. Of course I could be wrong on that too. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/82 "2009-09-10T01:03:54Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > The other burgers are all over 1200. > > That’s how many I eat per _day_ on my diet. > > You fatties. Unless you are a 5’ 98 pound girl that doesn’t exercise looking to lose weight, that seems pretty low. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/83 "2009-09-10T01:46:30Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > Unless you are a 5’ 98 pound girl that doesn’t exercise looking to lose weight, that seems pretty low. Indeed, it seems like starvation: > **[Human energy requirements](https://www.fao.org/4/y5686e/y5686e07.htm)** > > Since 1949, FAO has convened groups of experts to evaluate > current scientific knowledge in order to define the energy > requirements of humans and propose dietary energy > recommendations for populations. The World Health > Organization (WHO) joined... ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/84 "2009-09-10T01:47:45Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I shall hang my head in shame. But in my defense, I didn’t know there was a second page when I replied. Besides, as both posters mentioned, there are some that can start within an hour, but I’m under the impression that the more ‘popular’/common ones tend to take quite a bit longer. Of course I could be wrong on that too. No, you’re right, which is why I said " although I admit it’s not all that common to set in that fast" ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/85 "2009-09-10T01:55:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The Good Doctor here disagrees with you\*\*,Joey P.\*\* although I admit it’s not all that common to set in that fast. The Good Doctor **Jackmannii** gets the credit. I’m merely the chorus here. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/86 "2009-09-10T01:55:29Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > _Cite!!!_ [Certainly](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11534129&postcount=62). ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/87 "2009-09-10T02:13:57Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > It is (here, I mean). Our main shopping strip includes the following restaurants: > > Local Italian place, but it’s like a Olive Gardeny-type place – my favorite > Applebee’s – second favorite > Friendly’s – sentimental favorite > Chili’s > Burger King > McDonald’s > Denny’s > Weathervane (seafood, local chain) > Wendy’s > 99 Steakhouse > Subway > Chinese takeout > D’Angelo > Panera > > So Applebee’s is one of the best options there. (I’m also a big fan of huge portion of greasy cheesy American goodness.) Yes, it’s better to go to a different town for a nice dinner at a non-chain! I wonder how often we’ve bumped into each other and not known it… However, the nice thing about living around here is there are so many little locally owned awesome hole-in-the-wall type places that there’s no excuse for eating crap. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/88 "2009-09-10T02:20:35Z")
So, are local restaurants always better than chains? Seems like in Doperland, the very worst mom & pop restaurant is far superior to the very best chain. I’ve eaten at bad locals, good locals, bad chains and good chains. In any discussion about terrible chains, there’s always an exception: the local or regional chains near where the poster lives. “Oh, I’d rather have my eyes gouged out followed by being hung by the testicles than eat at a chain restaurant … except [Freebirds/In-N-Out/Winstead’s/Whataburger/Blake’s Lotaburger/Anderson’s/Braum’s/Sonny’s Barbecue/whatever].” ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/89 "2009-09-10T02:32:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Indeed, it seems like starvation: > [Human energy requirements](http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e07.htm#bm07) I’m 5’2" 145lbs, and if I want to lose weight at a moderate pace ( 1lb/week, with moderate exercise) I have to keep my calories 1200-1300 cals/day. Not the case when I was 20, but now that I’m 34, I guess I’m just getting efficient. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/90 "2009-09-10T03:25:59Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve been seated and ordered an iced tea at an Applebees. I studied the menu. I have inflammatory bowel disease, or irritable bowel syndrome, depending on which doctor is diagnosing me at the time. WHICHEVER it is, if I eat more than a smidgen of black pepper in any given period of time, I am guaranteed to spend the next two or three days on the toilet. **Lynn** –I am pretty sure that I speak for all of humanity in asking you please, please stop telling us about your bowels. I mean seriously, you have to pull out a packet of pills if you even ‘sense’ that a kid will be in a restaurant due to an impending child induced headache, but have no problem describing in disgusting detail your bathroom issues. We get it already! You are obese, your ass can’t deal with the BEEF, BEEF, sometimes LAMB and… [QUOTE=Lynn Bodoni] I certainly wasn’t going to order a vegetable plate. [/QUOTE] well, no veggies that you feed yourself. You come off as disgusting, really. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/91 "2009-09-10T03:30:27Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > So, are local restaurants always better than chains? Seems like in Doperland, the very worst mom & pop restaurant is far superior to the very best chain. > > I’ve eaten at bad locals, good locals, bad chains and good chains. > > In any discussion about terrible chains, there’s always an exception: the local or regional chains near where the poster lives. “Oh, I’d rather have my eyes gouged out followed by being hung by the testicles than eat at a chain restaurant … except [Freebirds/In-N-Out/Winstead’s/Whataburger/Blake’s Lotaburger/Anderson’s/Braum’s/Sonny’s Barbecue/whatever].” I’ll put it this way for Applebee’s- I can have a Juenglings Red Draft (2 for 1 happy hour all the time.) at around $2.00 and order anything for half price after 10pm off their appetizer menu. They have inordinately good and creative, yet simple apps for the price- Admittedly, very American _Suburban Tapas_. It’s all relative…I would honestly rather have an order of Classic Applebee’s Spicy Chicken Wings than an order of comparable BW3 wings. They are much better quality wings and much more classiclally prepared, but BW3’s has Buzztime Telecom Trivia, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/92 "2009-09-10T03:30:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Indeed, it seems like starvation: > [Human energy requirements](http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e07.htm#bm07) 1200 from meals (400 per, generally), not counting juice, fruit before every meal, and 1 snack. Probably 1500 or so altogether. I’ve been losing about 4-5 pounds per week with light exercise, 30 pounds so far, though it’s tapering off. ---
**Author:** ![Myrrajh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Myrrajh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrrajh)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/93 "2009-09-10T03:44:23Z")
I’ve been to Applebee’s many times, had great service and enjoyed every item I ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Zhen\_ka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zhen\_ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhen_ka)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/94 "2009-09-10T04:36:06Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > **Lynn** –I am pretty sure that I speak for all of humanity in asking you please, please stop telling us about your bowels. I mean seriously, you have to pull out a packet of pills if you even ‘sense’ that a kid will be in a restaurant due to an impending child induced headache, but have no problem describing in disgusting detail your bathroom issues. We get it already! You are obese, your ass can’t deal with the BEEF, BEEF, sometimes LAMB and… > > well, no veggies that you feed yourself. You come off as disgusting, really. Yes, please. We all know that you are fat and gross. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/95 "2009-09-10T05:34:44Z")
If there’s one thing the average Doper knows a lot about, it’s food. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/96 "2009-09-10T05:51:12Z")
I eat at Applebees, in fact I kind of like it, at times. I’ll admit I find it kind of indistinguishable from Chile’s, now that Chile’s has gotten rid of its lettuce wraps (god I loved those things). Sometimes it’s good, in one instance it was so bad that I first sent my steak back, and then didn’t eat it. When the server saw that I hadn’t really touched it, he removed it from my bill. Sometimes the food is lots better than other times but it’s never made me sick. But I’ve only ever gotten food poisoning from really trendy new places. You can easily get food poisoning when the food tastes exceptionally good. In one instances my whole office went out to try this new place, we loved it, we had to close the office early because we only had one bathroom and we all needed it, all afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/97 "2009-09-10T07:44:20Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > **Lynn** –I am pretty sure that I speak for all of humanity in asking you please, please stop telling us about your bowels. I mean seriously, you have to pull out a packet of pills if you even ‘sense’ that a kid will be in a restaurant due to an impending child induced headache, but have no problem describing in disgusting detail your bathroom issues. We get it already! You are obese, your ass can’t deal with the BEEF, BEEF, sometimes LAMB and… > > well, no veggies that you feed yourself. You come off as disgusting, really. My goodness, I have a fan who (mis)reads everything that I write! No, I don’t “sense” that a kid is going to be a problem…until it starts screaming and won’t shut up. There’s no great trick to predicting that a child is going to cause trouble if it’s whining and crying when it comes in, and the mother isn’t paying any attention to it. And I’ll make you a deal, I’ll quit talking about my bowels the instant that I don’t have to constantly think about them. I’ve lost over 25% of my weight. If I want a veggie plate, then I can make that at home, and most of my meals are in fact vegetarian. My bowels actually have more problems handling non-starchy vegetables (I don’t eat starchy vegetables very much, if I can avoid it) than meat, for some odd reason. I can’t remember the last time meat gave me any problems, provided it was not over-seasoned. Maybe I should switch to a more carnivorous diet. It’s just that when I go out to eat, I want a treat, not something that I usually eat and fix at home. I don’t eat out that often, but when I do, I want something that I can eat without complications. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/98 "2009-09-10T09:06:09Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > My goodness, I have a fan who (mis)reads everything that I write! No, I don’t “sense” that a kid is going to be a problem…until it starts screaming and won’t shut up. There’s no great trick to predicting that a child is going to cause trouble if it’s whining and crying when it comes in, and the mother isn’t paying any attention to it. And I’ll make you a deal, I’ll quit talking about my bowels the instant that I don’t have to constantly think about them. > > I’ve lost over 25% of my weight. If I want a veggie plate, then I can make that at home, and most of my meals are in fact vegetarian. My bowels actually have more problems handling non-starchy vegetables (I don’t eat starchy vegetables very much, if I can avoid it) than meat, for some odd reason. I can’t remember the last time meat gave me any problems, provided it was not over-seasoned. Maybe I should switch to a more carnivorous diet. It’s just that when I go out to eat, I want a treat, not something that I usually eat and fix at home. I don’t eat out that often, but when I do, I want something that I can eat without complications. You’ve missed the point entirely. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR FATNESS OR BOWEL PROBLEMS! It’s fucking disgusting. Ok? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/99 "2009-09-10T12:37:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Indeed, it seems like starvation: > [Human energy requirements](http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e07.htm#bm07) I am active, work 50-60 hours a week, train in martial arts\*, and only have 1200 calories a day, and I’m not losing weight. [sub]\* OK, fencing, but technically it is a martial art, just not one of the cool ones. Stop laughing at me![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314/100 "2009-09-10T15:14:54Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I wonder how often we’ve bumped into each other and not known it… I’m the one with the onion rings. 🙂 > [@DrDeth](#): > > I went to Chilis a couple times for their new “2 can eat for $20” special. I then learned the quite tasty onion rings things were over 1000 Calories all by themselves!:eek: A friend and I stopped in during their later happy hour and got $5 burgers and fries. We were bemoaning the disappearance of the Bloomin Onion. I posited it was because it regularly made the top spot in Worst Food lists but the bartender says it’s because they can no longer get HUGE onions to use. Niche market, I said, and thought briefly about building a greenhouse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-at-applebees-i-think-im-going-to-die/509314.md?page=6)