Applebee's jumping on the craft bandwagon?

[swenocha]

I have long complained about Chili's and the like only having variations of BMC pale lagers, with maybe an amber bock or Sam Adams tap for variety. Looks like Applebee's is seeing the value in craft beer.

[FedoraDave]

It's certainly a step in the right direction, and if they're successful, it would probably spur the other similar family restaurants (Chili's, Outback, etc.) to do the same.

The biggest question/hurdle in my mind is this: would they feature smaller craft breweries that would most likely be local, such as the downstate New York area featuring, say, Captain Lawrence? Or would they go with the bigger breweries that have larger distribution, such as Bell's, Stone, Sierra Nevada, etc.? Or a combination of the two?

When my brother got married, he was disappointed with the beer selection at their venue, and he asked if he could bring in a couple of kegs of Defiant's Muddy Creek Lager. He got the okay, and his reception was saved from crummy beer. It was so successful that the venue now offers Muddy Creek as one of their options for weddings, which is good for them and good for Defiant.

[RickBeer]

Applebee`s serves Riblet`s. Enough said. Nothing to see here, move along. #AlmostAsBadAsMcDonald`sRibSandwich.

[russki]

A lot of chain restaurants (Friday's, Chili's, etc.) around here are offering at least a couple craft options, usually local ones. The food sucks donkey balls though... last time we stopped at a Friday's with the kids, it was awful; the only saving grace was $3 pints of Revolution Anti-Hero

The best craft selection of all the chain restaurants around here is at California Pizza Kitchen - great tap selection and $8 bombers of Arrogant Bastard and $14 750ml Chimay Blue bottles - these are just a couple bucks above liquor store prices! And their food is damn good too and not expensive - it's our new favorite chain now.

[John Sand]

Applebee`s serves Riblet`s. Enough said. Nothing to see here, move along. #AlmostAsBadAsMcDonald`sRibSandwich.

I read "Riblets", and thought "I haven't heard of that, let me check BeerAdvocate." until I read the McD reference!

[DaYooper]

I have to say that of the chains, Bailey's (Fox and Hound in some markets) takes the cake for craft. It is one of our favorite spots to take advantage of for "Two Dollar Tuesday" and sample the local beers. Well else can you get a Two Hearted, Final Absolution, or Founder's Breakfast Stout on tap for two beans?

[bucknut]

I recently complained to the Longhorn steakhouse FB page about there decision to replace the one craft beer that I always enjoyed with my steak for another bmc apple malt beverage. They removed SN pale ale and I haven't been back, maybe I need to give Applebee's a try.

[evily]

Most chain restaurants don't really seem to "get" craft beer. They think it's Goose Island, or Sam Adams, etc (which are better than BMC, but nothing special). I'll be really interested to see if Applebee's defines it this way too, or if they go for local market offerings instead. But since their food sucks, I guess I won't be going there to find out in person anyway.

One chain restaurant that always has a great selection of craft brews on tap is Old Chicago Pizza. They always seem to have at least a dozen on tap, plus many more in bottles, and their selection changes pretty frequently. Impressive for a chain. And the pizza is darn tasty too.

And now I'm hungry. And thirsty. Damn.

[Chuck N]

AFAIC Applebees is circling the drain and will soon join TGI Fridays in the chain restaurant bone yard. I can almost guarantee that the craft beer they sell is going to be something like Leinenkugels or the sort. Not bad beer by any stretch but they won't go with local beers unless they can get them in all their restaurants. That's what being a chain is all about: Uniformity.

[philm00x]

Man I haven't been to Applebee's in ages. Or Chili's or any of those chains. I've found a few local joints here that serve similar food but have great lists of craft beer on draft, bottles, and/or cans. And they're not chains, just locally owned and operated small businesses which I'm always proud to support and keep the local economy going.

[Funky Skunk Brewing]

The chain restaurants here in Pensacola like Applebee's, Chili's and Ale Houses all have local and regional craft beers on tap and in bottles when available. They all have had them for a few years now it seems. Regional beers here for us include Pensacola Bay Brewery, Lazy Magnolia and Fairhope Brewing to name a few. Great to see other BMC people trying them out when we are at these locations.

[Wings_Fan_In_KC]

I consider Boulevard Brewing to be a big operation craft brewer.

The Applebees here in Kansas City all carry the Boulevard Brewing selections....Pale Ale year round and then a seasonal like Octoberfest, Irish Ale, 80 Acre Wheat, etc.

Maybe it because BV B is here in KC and although they were sold to a foreign company, so far, nothing's changed.

[Rebel_B]

I haven't been to an Applebee's in about 6 months, but the one I went to here had local & NW beers on tap. I think I had a Georgetown Brewing Manny's Pale Ale & a Ninkasi Brewing Tricerahops if I recall correctly.

[mashani]

Hey at least they have beer. Back in the day I used to travel to Provo UT a lot and the TGI Fridays there had a bar... with the lights out... no chairs... no booze... no beer... they had to build the place with the bar because of corporate "specs" but they didn't ever open it due to the happy valley culture of the time.

[Chuck N]

Dang! I'm wrong again.