Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Why Applebee's Is My Favorite Happy Hour In NYC
By
Nell Casey
Published Jan 19, 2016
Modified Jan 19, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Nell Casey
Published Jan 19, 2016
Modified Jan 19, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Moving away from Spanish Harlem—my home for seven years, the longest amount of time spent in one apartment in NYC—was difficult for a lot of reasons. It was home to one of my favorite restaurants, it sheltered a super dive bar responsible for many stumbles home down 2nd Avenue, and it had an Applebee's, one of the most unexpected places to get a generous buzz and a full belly for $20—if that.
One year, I even spent New Year's Eve at Applebee's drinking head-sized Long Island Iced Teas and loving every minute of it—but not so much the ensuing hangover and stomach ache the next day.
Where I grew up in Connecticut, chain restaurants existed but weren't part of the regular dinner routine in my family. Sure, there was the occasional trip to Bertucci's—where they'd give kids raw dough to fling around—or even a stop by California Pizza Kitchen when we were at the mall. But by and large, I wasn't exposed to the joy of sticky franchise chicken wings and overly salted industrial french fries until I lived in Spanish Harlem and the city's super eco-friendly Applebee's opened in the newish shopping development on 1st Avenue. It was there that chalices of sugary cocktails, foot-tall glasses of ice cold Bud Light and gloppy, oddly-flavorless spinach-artichoke dip became something of a revelation in my life.
(via Facebook)
And with good reason. During Happy Hour at the bar, by far the best (and only, really—I am not endorsing a dinner here) time to visit, drinks and appetizers are half off and domestic draft beers are $3. Droopy chicken quesadillas, oddly dense mozzarella sticks and the restaurant's signature pretzel—butter-slicked and accompanied by beige beer cheese and bland mustard sauces—are finally worth their price, averaging around $5 over their typical double-digit (and therefore ludicrously expensive) price tags. Show me a regular bar that's serving the same portions for the same prices and...I'll probably be really excited—so do share!
So yes, the food kinda sucks, but you're getting an America-sized portion of it. Sometimes quantity trumps quality—especially if it's on the cheap.
Maybe my shitty taste in happy hours comes from a perceived childhood trauma. For someone whose parents wouldn't even let her eat the organic, hippy fruit leather at the local health food store—let alone the Fruit By The Foot enjoyed by my classmates—the options at Applebee's were somewhat revelatory. How are the mad scientist chefs able to imbue the gift of 1,060 calories to one order of pretzels? The mystery might never be solved and after a few rounds of drinks, I don't even care.
Inexpensive comfort food is one thing, but it's the cheap drinks that seal the deal. Aside from the $3 beers—20-ounce glasses wonderfully named "Brewtus" (I was somebody's dad in a past life)—their potent margaritas, Bahama Mama's and Long Island Iced Tea goblets are all half off, as are wine and well drinks. But if you're not guzzling all the liquors simultaneously, you aren't really doing it right.
Applebee's won't be achieving Michelin-status (ever) and yes, I appreciate that there are more "quality" options to be found both in Spanish Harlem and beyond. But it deserves a tip of the hat for feeding and beer'ing locals on prices many people can afford and giving them ample opportunity to actually experience said deals. Happy Hour at my once-local Harlem location runs from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily (yes, daily) and that's true of many NYC Applebee's locations, making it one of the more generous offerings in the city. Their commitment to getting customers drunk is truly unparalleled.
Tagged
applebee's
happy hour
harlem
love letter
original
Nell Casey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .