March 21st, 2004
The last thing we expected to see on the Damon's window was a flyer announcing to prospective customers that Damon's would be glad to have you visit it's one remaining location located in Jantzen Beach. Uggghhh! So we decided to scratch off that planned recon and check out one of the other 'possibles' on our very long list of tasty establishments, Applebee's. Applebee's of Lake Oswego is opposite I-5 from where we were, so we packed ourselves back into the recon-mobile and thank gawd they hadn't decided to downsize. We pulled into the spot, and the fun seemed to start even before we got out of the car. Ever seen a ghost? We did that night. It seems one was driving the tiny manual transmission Nissan parked in the spot directly in front of us. Ummm, the word 'parked' is used loosely here, because as we watched, this car must have slowly slid back five feet from it's original position. We tried boarding the runaway, found the doors locked and decided to enter the restaurant with the news. A young couple was very interested to find out they're car had sprouted wings and that was the last we saw of them.
Applebee's is billed as 'The Eating Good in the Neighborhood' restaurant. We managed to sidle up to the bar and with the smile still on our lips from the runaway car incident, we grabbed up a menu and ordered our favorite, the Coconut Shrimp. Mmmmm... Tasted great! I ordered a brewski to go along with it, and my choices were not as plentiful as I'd like, but I did manage to find an IPA worth swallowing. Besides the regular Special Ed type domestics, Applebee's sports a full bar, a ribs and steaks and seafood menu, good wines, and three or four microbrews. Not enough microbrews to get excited over, but just enough to find something you like.
Applebee's doesn't see fit to print a happy hour menu, but they do have a twice daily happy hour of half off the regular menu appetizers (except the one that you want, the humongous Sampler Plate), and a dollar off the beer price. I've seen worse. Times are from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m., and 9 p.m. until the closing time of Midnight.
All in all, I've seen better places for cheaper drinks or grub, but for those of us interested in well made food, and decent libations, minus the usual rock bottom prices, ye can't go wrong.
Each member of the Recon Squad felt Applebee's to be worthy of a Club Meeting.