Applebee's Restaurant Review

Chipotle Lime Chicken - my plate

I had lunch at Applebee's today (see their main page here) so that I could enjoy more of their Weight Watcher menu items (Menu with Points Plus).  Having it all spelled out in Points Plus makes meal choices so much easier and pleasant than having to second guess and calculate. 

Side orders of tomato basil soup and oriental chicken salad served with a bread stick

I ordered the Chipotle Lime Chicken and my coworker ordered off the Pick'N'Pair Lunch Combo menu - tomato basil soup and side of oriental chicken salad, served with a bread stick. 

My meal was a Weight Watcher's dish and indicated on the menu for 13 Points Plus.  I had to calculate my coworkers Weight Watcher's points afterwards.  And this is the reason why I like it all spelled out on the menu.  While I was doing the looking up and calculating, I'm thinking, how bad could this be...a bit of soup, some salad and a bread stick, all ordered off the lunch special menu.  Well, would you have guessed 25 points?  This is a huge amount for lunch, that sneaks up on an unsuspecting person.  This is a classic for the Order This Not That from Men's Health blog by David Z something.


Chipotle Lime Chicken - photo from website

The menu describes Chipotle Lime Chicken as:

Grilled chicken breast topped with spicy chipotle lime salsa, served with Southwest rice and black bean & corn slaw and cilantro tossed in our citrus vinaigrette.

I really liked the spicy grilled chicken breast.  As you can see from the pictures, mine had more cilantro than salsa, which I really enjoy on my foods - it adds such a zip for fresh flavor.  I found the slaw to be mostly cabbage with very little vinaigrette, corn, or black beans.  I don't think there were any black beans on my plate.  The rice was nice and moist, with bits of tomato.  I think the rice might have been more of a medium grained/arborio type of rice than traditional long grain rice.

While my plate didn't exactly resemble the menu, it was a very filling and spicy.  For a lunch meal, 13 points is a lot but at least I won't be famished when I get home for dinner.  My plan is to not eat as much for my final meal of the day, to make up for lunch.  It's all in the planning!

I applaud Applebee's for being such a great supporter of Weight Watchers and incorporating the PointsPlus right on the menu.  I'll definitely come back and try some of the other dishes. 

Astrid