Its been a while since I have actually eaten there. Was at the Monmouth Mall for the first time in forever Tuesday. While walking around, Justin and I stopped in for a late afternoon drink. Beer for him, gin and tonic for me. I believe they still have the salad bar which used to be pretty good. I always ranked them far above Applebee’s, which to me is dog shit.
1 Like
Applebee’s is pretty bad. The one thing half decent are the wings. After 9 they used to be half price so at that cost it was an OK value…not great wings but I think then it was like 4.50 for an order (mind you this was a few years back with my poker buddies.) They are probably 13 or 14 bucks now 
Still not worth it to me. The drinks suck. The food is microwaved. The last straw was a visit two years ago in Pennsylvania. What I had wasn’t exactly food poisoning but it relegated me to the bathroom for an entire night. I never forgot the experience and vowed they will never again get my money. I don’t care if they are the last place on earth. I don’t think there is another chain out there which fills me with such contempt and hatred.
Yes everything is microwaved I think except for the few fried items. All I have had there in the last decade are wings. It’s kind of hard to screw up a fried chicken wing 
lol…it can probably be done but it takes a special place to ruin a fried wing.
And there is no doubt in my mind they’d be the place to accomplish it.
I think sizzler and ponderosa were probably next to Applebee’s now that I think of it.
The last sizzler I saw in person was in Puerto Rico. I just went to their website and Kissimmee florida is the closest one. OK I’ve gone off topic onto crappy food lol.
1 Like
Their half price apps are great if you stick to things like wings and nachos. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with their nachos, I would eat them any day.
I actually also really like their riblets. But that’s all.
Hey Now!!! As an ex- Ponderosa cook (circa 1986 Ocean County Mall) you better tread lightly there my friend! When I was in vacation in Florida about 5 years ago I passed a Ponderossa and had to stop in for lunch. Believe it or not it was rather acceptable, well the buffet food was, the steak was typical for the caliber place it is.
Re: Applebee’s @gcaggiano I recently stopped by the Applebee’s on Hope Road in Tinton Falls after dinner at Blu Grotto, to have a couple after dinner drinks and a cigar at their out door bar. I ordered a couple LIT’s (which weren’t bad) and a couple vodka on the rocks. If memory serves me correct the average drink price was about $ 5.00 (I actually think it was something closer to $ 4.50) and I enjoyed them. Actually when the check came I was so surprised by the total, I called the bartender over to question it, I thought they might have a “late night Happy Hour” but the bartender said no, those were their regular prices! I was shocked! (the bartender also thought I was complaining the prices were too high lol)
They have a fire pit and a lot of TV screens outside, some nice “lounge-ish” chairs, I would go back to watch a game enjoy a cigar and maybe…maybe some wings. (God did I just endorse an Applebee’s?)
2 Likes
They let you have a cigar outside? Most restaurant won’t even allow it on their property except for the smoker’s pole out front. Major points for that.
Perhaps I will reconsider if I’m ever out by Tinton Falls. It sounds like they have a good location over there. Perhaps quality (and prices) vary by location?
I cannot and will not vouch for the food, but I was honestly shocked by what a cool vibe the outside bar has fire pit and all.
1 Like
I recently had an outstanding breakfast at the quintessential crappy food place: Denny’s. Well, perhaps Applebees has now unseated them for the honor. Usually I’ll start on a meal and start adding condiments to compensate for bad or lacking taste. But I went through my scrambled eggs, waffle and black coffee without adding a thing. I suspect they may have used a lot of butter on the eggs but they were delicious. The waffle was light and fluffy and I’ve always thought Denny’s had the best coffee of the diner chains. I much preferred it to IHOP.
3 Likes
I honestly don’t remember anything about ponderosa so it can’t be that bad. If it was truly awful I would have remembered it I think.
I still haven’t tried golden corral. I hear it is half decent for the money. I think if I ever do go it will be when I’m traveling and bump into one, kind of like cracker barrell. Ive only been to that place a few times and each time out of state.
Are you kidding… Dennys is amazing.
On the topic of Ruby Tuesdays, how could I forget this question. Does anyone remember all you can eat wings there? I am not sure if it was nationwide but I don’t think it was. Luckily I got to experience this first hand.
Back in 98 and 99 I was living in daytona. On Monday they had 5.99 all you can eat wings! Yes, 5.99. Here is the kicker, they had ten flavors! Compound that with buckets of beer…5 ice cold beers for 5 bucks. And this wasn’t some tiny container. These were neck high in ice and covered well. So ten beers, all the wings you could shove into your stomach, Monday night football, a very talented waitress staff, and ample tvs for 20 bucks… all in. Where can you get 4 hours of fun for 5 bucks an hour? Holy shit!
I will see if I can remember the flavors. You had…
So you had three heat levels of buffalo…
The hottest ones called atomic or something…not super hot but not bad. They had heat but nothing like the crazy stuff we see now with ghost, reapers, infinities, etc. Afterall, it is a chain.
The step down was something that most of my friends liked. They were spicy but not overboard.
Regular heat was like a Frank’s red hot blend.
BBQ
Honey BBQ
Garlic parmesan
Honey mustard
Terriyaki
A dry rub
And I forget …
@joonjoon I’m building a time machine. You’re coming man.
1 Like
THis would have been my Mecca in that timeframe. Too bad I was stuck in the dc area at the time. Do all I got out of it I should have been down in Daytona. That seriously sounds awesome. Condo I was living off of 8 buck cases of beast ice and store brand Mac and cheese at this time it would have been a step up
I was broke too. This was the highlight of my week back then! The fact that you could do ten different flavors just made this a really great night. You didn’t get tired of the same wing over and over and they came out piping hot out of the fryer. They were not the greatest wings ever, but for the price, you really couldn’t beat it. The tvs, football, beer prices, waitresses, and decent seating were icing on the cake. You are on the time machine too my friend lol
I think it was until like 2007 or so that Jack’s used to do 25c wings for happy hour. And theirs wings aren’t the messing around kind, it’s the ginormous ones. 5 bucks would buy you 20 wings… I don’t know about you but that’s past my limit.
Unfortunately their happy hour wing deal is pretty much bust now, but it looks like they have a 21$ 16oz prime rib all the time now.
BWW stopped their all you can eat wings too… where’s a guy to go for cheap wings now? Crazy to think that wings went from throwaway part to being the most expensive part of the chicken in a couple decades.
Yeah it is a shame wings and skirt steak prices are through the roof…even oxtail are nuts now.
As for wings, I want to try bahrs 7.00 happy hour special. I was there last night, see oktoberfest thread.
Let’s go into the way back machine circa 1978. I had a girlfriend from Rochester, NY and when we visited I wanted to get some wings but it was nope, you gotta go to Buffalo 70 miles down the road. Now they’re everywhere.
We did make it to the Anchor Bar for wings when we flew out of Buffalo.
Houston, about the same time frame. Ninfa’s Restaurant was popularizing beef fajitas, note not chicken, veggie, or shrimp which are all misnomers.
Fortunately I lived on the east end so to get my fajita meat, skirt steak fix it was a short drive to the barrio so I could get some at carnicerias at bargain prices and I could grill at home. They were not available in stores.
JSBBQ usually does 50-cent wings on… Tuesday’s? They have specials most weeknights
1 Like
