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Friday, June 16, 2000

Service at core of problem at Applebee's

Eatery's specialty - deep-fried cheesecake - helps make up for lackluster food

At a glance 6691 S. Padre Island Drive Phone: 906-1999 Food: * ½ Atmosphere: ** Service: * ½ House: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-midnight. Checks: Yes. Credit cards: All major. Wheelchair access: Yes Entrees: $5.49-$11.99

Another restaurant chain has opened a venue on South Padre Island Drive, this one with its special deep-fried cheesecake to set it apart from its usual competition.
   Much like its predecessors such as Chili's and TGI Friday's, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar caters to a crowd hungry for potato skins, generous salads, thick burgers, chicken fajitas and grilled steaks. The bar at the restaurant's center entertains customers with beer, wine and call drinks, along with such grown-up desserts as the mud slide, made of Kahlua blended with vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
   But you don't need to be 21 to feast on the deep-fried cheesecake, which easily proved to be the best and most interesting part of our meal. The folks at Applebee's take a thick wedge of creamy New York-style cheesecake, wrap it in a flour tortilla and fry it to a crisp. The creation is then topped with strawberry sauce, powdered sugar and whipped cream.
   The warm smoothness of the cheesecake contrasted nicely with the crispy fried tortilla, with the strawberries - while not fresh - adding the right touch of sweetness to the dish.
   This dessert highlighted a meal otherwise marred by poor service and somewhat unremarkable food.
   Entree as appetizer
   We had hoped to start our meal with one of Applebee's several appetizers, the spinach and artichoke dip, but the dish didn't arrive until after our entrees and following a reminder to our waitress.
   Once at our table, this dip of spinach and artichoke hearts in an Alfredo sauce was smooth and somewhat tasty on tortilla chips but way too chintzy on the artichoke hearts.
   The chicken cordon bleu croissant was made with a boneless grilled chicken breast covered in a thin slice of ham, sautéed mushrooms, melted Monterey jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion and served with Dijon mustard. We found this large sandwich too messy to finish by hand so we surrendered to a fork and knife.
   The "N'awlins Skillet" looked good on the menu, promising to deliver grilled blackened chicken breast, smoked sausage, sauteed shrimp, onions and bell peppers tossed in a spicy Creole sauce and served over Cajun rice.
   We had difficulty detecting much spice in this dish, which was rather bland and a bit soggy. The small shrimp failed to liven up this entree, which also contained sausage that reminded us of the pre-packaged link variety found at the grocery store.
   Local flavor
   We may have enjoyed our meal more had our waitress been more attentive. After our first serving, our coffee cup and tea glass remained empty of any refills until we finally asked. And our dirty dishes sat on our table for more than 15 minutes after we finished our meal as we waited for our dessert. Once it finally came, the fried cheesecake helped cheer us up a bit but we were still smarting from the poor service and unexceptional entrees.
   Still, Applebee's does better in the atmosphere department, with walls and walls of television and movie memorabilia to occupy your attention while you wait for your food. One section is devoted to Tejano singer Selena, with other spots decorated with mementos from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and some local high schools.
   Nice attempt at giving a home-town feel to a national chain, but improving basic issues such as good service and satisfying meals are more likely to make Applebee's a local hit.
  
  

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