Something I didn’t mention in my two recent posts about visiting Nashville, Tennessee (that you can read here and here) was how much time I spend outside the city here. Nashville is fun for sightseeing, shopping, and fine dining, but there is much more to see in the area. So when I spent time exploring the countryside (as you can see from my recent Instagram posts), it made sense to try a restaurant with a familiar name, Applebee’s, who recently debuted their wood fired grill menu that I was invited in to try.
Summer Eats & Treats from Applebee’s
Checking Out The Dining Area
We drove to the Applebee’s in Spring Hill, Tennessee, which is a rather remote area about an hour outside of Nashville, and I ordered enough for my parents, me, and my two kids to eat for lunch, dinner, and leftovers for the next day. My kids were super excited to sit down at a restaurant. Since we went on a weekday afternoon, the dining area was empty. This was perfect for energetic kids because they couldn’t disturb any other guests there.
I treated each of my kids to a milk and an apple juice. They were so happy to get their pick of items off the menu. The lighting was nice inside the restaurant, and there was plenty of space inside our booth.
Food Begins To Arrive: The Boneless Wings
We started off our meal with the boneless wings. Even though I mainly ordered these for my kids to eat, I had to try a couple myself. The texture was a lot like a chicken nugget with real chicken inside. Everyone loved the sauce, which was sweet, flavorful, and kid-friendly.
These wings were enough to fill both of my girls up enough that they couldn’t help eat the rest of the food we ordered (except the dessert). They loved the wings so much they are every last bite and had none left over to take home. Since they can be really picky about their food, I took this as a huge compliment showing how tasty the wings were.
Wood Fired Grill Salad: The Latest To Debut At Applebee’s
One of the latest items to debut at Applebee’s is the wood fired grill menu. Not only can you can buy meat dishes that have been cooked on the wood fired grill, but there are also delicious salads with that smoky, grilled flavor. In honor of National Watermelon Day on August 3rd, I ordered the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad.
After a long day of watching to kids play outside in the most unbearable heat, this salad was the most refreshing dish! Paired with a savory feta cheese, the watermelon gave a light and hydrating touch to the salad. There was a light dressing that contrasted the bold flavor of the spicy shrimp. I loved the balance of flavor and textures.
French Onion Soup
An appetizer we ordered was the French Onion Soup. I liked the amount of cheese and onions. The flavor of the broth was rich but not overly bold. Although a restaurant French Onion Soup can’t quite compare to the homemade French Onion Soup we sometimes have, this was a good effort and was overall successful and tasty.
Wood Fired Grill Steak with Broccoli and Green Beans
Another item we ordered was the wood fired grill steak with broccoli and green beans. I thought the green beans were amazing. They were cooked well enough that they weren’t tough at all, and they had a delicious garlic butter flavor. The steak was a great cut with minimal fat. It was cooked nicely and had a good flavor. You can really taste that the steak was cooked on a wood fired grill.
Wood Fired Grill Salmon with Broccoli and Green Beans
For a seafood dish with a woody taste, you can order the wood fired grill salmon. This dish has a delicious smoky flavor and comes in a generous helping of salmon. In fact, there was plenty of salmon for two meals since this dish was more than enough for lunch. The sides were cooked very well.
Full Rack Of Ribs With Macaroni And French Fries
So, with a $100 gift card to spend, it only made sense to order an extra dish to take home. I ordered the full plate of ribs with a side of macaroni and french fries, hoping that my kids would eat this after their wings. Since they filled up on the wings, they ended up not touching this rib plate, leaving me with plenty for dinner and lunch for the next day. The ribs were cooked nicely and had a good flavor. I liked the barbeque, which was sweet and smoky.
The macaroni had a gourmet flavor with chunks of bacon on top. I liked the large, chunky macaroni noodles and the creamy cheddar taste. My kids enjoyed the fries.
Brownie Bite
For dessert, the kids split the Blue Ribbon Brownie bite that had a nice mixture of hot fudge and cool ice cream. The size of this dessert was nice and small, so it was perfect for kids or adults trying to eat healthy. I also ordered each kid a milk shake, which they loved.
Triple Chocolate Meltdown
Another dessert we ordered was the Triple Chocolate Meltdown. This was incredibly rich and chocolatey. For anyone craving chocolate, this dish is the perfect item. There was more than enough to share. When you’re eating this dish, you really need to fill each spoonful with some brownie and some ice cream to balance out the rich flavors.
Overall, we had a delicious meal with so many different dishes to try! I loved sampling everyone’s dishes. This was a fun outing for the whole family, and everyone was happy with their food.
Giveaway
I’m giving away two $50 gift cards to Applebee’s! To enter, just leave an answer in the comments to this question – which new grilled salad at Applebee’s would you try and why? Then, to get credit for your entry and to get additional entries, use this simple Rafflecopter widget.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can also enter a sweepstakes hosted by Applebee’s. Guests are invited to submit their favorite salad recipes via photo or text on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #WoodFired and #Sweepstakes and tagging the Applebee’s account, for the chance to win a $100 Applebee’s gift card. The sweepstakes runs from July 20 through August 3 (National Watermelon Day).
Disclosure
I received a free Applebee’s gift card, but it in no way influenced my opinion.
I want to try the Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad. It looks so yummy and love crispy chicken salads.
Yum, that sounds delicious! I love the sound of that combination.
You have me sold on the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp salad. It looks absolutely mouth watering. I can imagine how delicious the blend of the cool, sweet watermelon is with the spicy shrimp!! Yum!!
So glad you liked the sound of it! The meal was super delicious.
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Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed reading it!
I would love to try the Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad because I love everything avocado and grapefruit.
I love anything with avocado! That sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it!
I want to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp salad! I love shrimp and watermelon and it looks so fresh. Applebees new menu items are always pretty good and these salads definitely look yummy!
The watermelon and shrimp salad was so tasty and was perfect for summer. You’ll love it!
I’d love to try the Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad. Sounds soooo good!
I want to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp!
I’d love to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad because I love Shrimp and usually order that when I go out to eat.
Watermelon and shrimp! It looks simply amazing and perfect for summer!
I would like to try the Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad from Applebee’s because it the combination of the Grapefruit and Avocado make the salad refreshing and light.
I’d like to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad.
I would love to try both the Southwestern Steak Salad and the Crispy Chicken ‘N Cornbread Salad. They look so delicious plus the both come with Ranch Dressing which I love.
Thanks for entering! Good luck!
We always enjoy going to applebees and enjoying some good meals plus treats.
The Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad sounds interesting!
Looks good!
I love the chicken salad. You have a lovely blog btw! I’m happy to find another Tennesseean!
The Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad sounds like it would be delish!
I’ve had that shrimp salad, yum! It’s delicious!
Absolutely, it was tasty! Glad you enjoyed it too.
My kids are seriously obsessed with Applebee’s!! Any time we go out they always suggest we go there. Its the best!!
That Triple Chocolate Meltdown though… <3 What a well-done review. I like your style!
It was so spectacular! You’d love how chocolatey it is.
I haven’t been to Applebee’s in quite a while. All of this food looks delicious though.
The grilled watermelon salad sounds amazing. We would skip the chicken as we are vegetarian. : )
Thanks for the suggestions! Great post! xx, gracie
snappedbygracie.com
I would try the Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad because I like salads that have chicken in the meal
I would love to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad. I love anything with shrimp and grilled watermelon sounds interesting! 🙂
I want to try the NEW Southwestern Steak Salad! looks delicious on their site.
I would like to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad.
I love the Wood Fired Grill Steak with Broccoli and Green Bean. It sounds delicious, and I enjoy their steaks.
It looks absolutely delicious! See you there!
I would love to try the Southwestern Steak Salad
I would love to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Chicken Salad.
Oh my goodness, those pictures are making me hungry! I would love to try the watermelon and shrimp salad. And the salmon…
All that food looks amazing! And that salad, yum! I love Feta cheese! But I also think the crispy chicken and cornbread salad looks really tasty!
Looks like you had a lovely meal with your family!
The Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad sounds wonderful! It seems like it would be healthy and refreshing!
Sounds like you had a wonderful lunch! If only I was still in the States I would totally go give the menu a try! Oh well, something to look forward to, right?
I would love to try the the Crispy Chicken ‘N Cornbread Salad.
Of course I would like to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad! It sounds and looks delish! Your girls are beautiful and your food pics are absolutely mouth watering. Well-done! I just noticed you;re a certified teacher. I am too! 🙂
I would like to try the Wood Fired Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad because I’m crazy about avocado.
The Crispy Chicken and Cornbread salad looks and sounds amazing. Being a southerner you can never go wrong with this combination.
The shrimp salad! Thanks for the chance!!!
This all looks good! I would try the shrimp salad. I haven’t been to an Applebee’s in years!
Ooooo yummy!!! I just love Applebee’s! I haven’t been in awhile. Need to change that.
My kids would love those wings and the watermelon salad sounds fantastic!
I would love to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad.It looks amazing!!
Southwestern steak looks delicious
I would like to try the Wood Fired Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad!
I would love to try the Wood Fired Grill Steak with Broccoli and Green Beans—it sounds delicious to me!
I would try the Southwestern Steak Salad because it sounds delicious.
I’m a big fan of Applebees… I love their boneless chicken too but we order them plain with buffalo sauce on the side.
Thanks for entering! I loved eating there too.
I would love to try the NEW Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with shrimp!
So sorry I forgot the why. I would love to try it because love shrimp and avocado
and this sounds so refreshing on a hot day!
Grilled watermelon and spicy shrimp!!
I want to try the southwestern steak salad.
I would love to try the grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad because it sounds light and refreshing!
I WOULD LOVE THE Southwestern Steak Salad.
The Southwestern Steak Salad looks delicious. I would like to try that one first.
Yum, I love anything with steak! I bet it’s delicious.
Always enjoy visiting Applebees when im in the states.
Oh I would first try the Southwestern Steak Salad! Oh that looks so good, as do they all!
I would love to try their Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad
I would have to try the Southwestern Steak Salad.
Love all foods Southwestern!
thank you
I would try the southwestern steak salad. I’ve been on a big kick of loving steak lately and especially love it in a salad.
The Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad looks great! Must try 🙂
Yum, that’s another one I’m hoping to try!
I need the Full Rack Of Ribs With Macaroni And French Fries in my belly ASAP! It looks delicious!
I would love to try the Southwestern Steak Salad, I love steak and it looks amazing!
Those desserts look so yummy…I would skip the main meal just to have those desserts:)
YUM! We like Applebee’s too! A family favorite!
I would love to try the grilled watermelon and spicy shrimp salad.
I love Applebee’s! I’ve been super impressed with their menu changes and rebranding lately.
I absolutely love Applebees!! It’s such a staple with me and my family since there’s one so close to my house as well as well as one right where we go on vacation every year. I’m so excited about their rebranding, and I’m sure I’ll be off to get some of their new food soon! The salad I’d most like to try off their new menu is the Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad, I love crispy chicken (makes me feel a little less like I’m eating a salad (; hehe!) and duh, who doesn’t love cornbread!
xo
Sami
http://www.theclassicbrunette.com
Applebees is one of my fave restaurants – especially their asian chicken salad!
The Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad sounds so good!
Grilled watermelon and spicy shrimp salad. Looks yummy!
I would like to try the Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad because I have never tried anything like that before. It would be different!
I’d love to try the Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad because it looks delicious! I love watermelon and shrimp but have never had a chance to enjoy them in a salad 🙂 I love trying something new too.
I want to try the grilled watermelon and shrimp salad because I love shrimp and watermelon is my favorite fruit.
I would like to try the Southwestern Steak Salad.
I want to try the Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad. It looks so yummy.
The Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Chicken Salad sounds delicious! Watermelon is absolutely my favorite fruit in the summertime.
I want to try the Crispy Chicken ’N Cornbread Salad because I love chicken in a salad and hope that the cornbread is as good as southern cornbread
I’d love to try their Grilled Chicken, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad. I’ve been really into avocado lately and the grapefruit would be an interesting touch!
I would love to try out the new Southwestern Steak Salad…because I love steak!
I would try the Wood Fired Grill Salad with shrimp because I love shellfish.
I would like to try their Crispy Chicken ‘N Spicy Cornbread Salad.
Grilled Watermelon and Spicy Shrimp Salad would be my choice!I like the idea of watermelon in a salad, and of course the shrimp in a salad is always good.