Woman Orders Medium Rare Sirloin Steak at Applebee’s. Then the Manager Says She Shouldn’t Have Ordered Sirloin From Applebee’s

If a dish is listed on a restaurant’s menu, one would think the staff welcomes you ordering it and expects customers to do exactly that.

When one Applebee’s customer complained about the quality of her steak, however, she says the manager responded by saying she never should have ordered it.

In a video posted to TikTok, which has garnered over 63,000 views, Grandma Pam (@grandmapamsgroceryfinds) recounts that dining experience, which she says was not pleasant.

What Was Wrong With This Applebee’s Steak?

“You will absolutely not believe what the Applebee’s manager said,” Grandma Pam says at the start of the video.

She then cuts to a video she filmed inside the restaurant, filming the steak up close. The steak looks pink and cooked around medium rare, but it is cut up and looks disheveled on the plate.

“I ordered a steak at Applebee’s, medium rare,” she says. “Looks pretty good to me.”

But according to her, the issue was texture.

“I’ve done everything I can do to chew it,” she says. “I mean, it’s real bad.”

Grandma Pam says she was not angry about it. When the server asked whether she needed a box, she declined and explained that she could not get through the steak.

“She goes, ‘Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Let me go tell my manager,’” Grandma Pam recalls.

But according to the TikToker, the manager did not come to the table. Instead, the server allegedly came back with the manager’s message.

“The manager said to tell you that our sirloin steaks are a really bad cut and that you shouldn’t order steaks from here,” Grandma Pam says.

According to her, the manager also allegedly said she should order the chicken or pasta instead because those items are “so much better.”

Grandma Pam says nobody offered to remove the steak from the bill.

“Um, no, ‘I’m sorry. Let me take that off of your bill’ or anything,” she says. “Just, ‘You shouldn’t have ordered the steak.’”

“I told them, I said, ‘Maybe you should write that on the menu then. That nobody should order your steaks,’” she continues. “I thought that was crazy.”

Commenters Had Thoughts

In the comments, viewers were not shocked by Grandma Pam’s story.

“That steak is probably microwaved like 80% of their menu is,” one commenter wrote.

“I mean your first mistake was I ordered a steak from Applebee’s,” another wrote.

A third viewer repeated the microwave claim.

“They microwave their steaks and then just put char marks on the grill,” they wrote. “I’ve been told by an employee.”

Does Applebee’s Really Microwave Its Steaks?

Applebee’s describes its 8-ounce top sirloin as “cooked to perfection and served hot off the grill.” Its Shrimp ’N Parmesan Sirloin listing also describes the steak as a “tender grilled 8 oz. top sirloin.”

Online posters who have described themselves as Applebee’s workers have backed this up.

One person describing Applebee’s kitchen stations said the broil station puts chicken, steak, and precooked ribs on a grill, while microwaves are used for things like desserts and other prepared components.

A former server quoted in a 2026 The Takeout article similarly said grilled and fried items, including steaks and burgers, were exceptions to Applebee’s heavy microwave use.

Either way, there are plenty of factors not related to a microwave that lead to a chewy steak. Wilson Farm Meats says tough steak can come from choosing a lean or connective-tissue-heavy cut, overcooking it, not resting the meat, or slicing with the grain instead of against it.

@grandmapamsgroceryfinds You won’t believe what the Applebee’s manager said #@Applebee’s Grill + Bar #applebees #customerservice #restaurant #steak ♬ original sound – Grandma Pam

The Mary Sue has reached out to Applebee’s via email and Grandma Pam via TikTok messages for comment.

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