Place: Applebee's
Item: Chicken Fajita Rollup
Price: $5.99

Applebee's is a treat for the Lunch Guys, not a birthday lunch but not an average Tuesday lunch, either. As the mammoth menu changes, we never want to miss out on the newest, best option. In our most recent trip, we asked for the top recommendation from our hostess, our server, our fellow customers. The winner: the new Chicken Fajita Rollup, a flour tortilla with Monterey Jack, cheddar, lettuce, pico de gallo, Mexi-Ranch dip and “even MORE chicken.” The losers: the Lunch Guys (though maybe you already knew that).

Tom: Who's fooling whom? The Chicken Fajita Rollup is merely an over-priced Taco Bell Chicken Soft Taco on a plate with fries. Maybe having bigger booths and the game on the tube makes the Applebee's lunch taste better, but the CFR needs way more chicken to work.

It has potential — the chicken tastes good when you find a piece, the tortilla is acceptable, the lettuce fresh and crispy, and the Mexi-Ranch unique.

two high school kids (a.k.a. the hostess and waiter) for lunch advice. I'm a Lunch Guy, for Pete's sake; I should have trusted myself to order what my gut was crying out for -- the Fiesta Lime Chicken. When are we going again, Tom?

Tom: Maybe your birthday. I was hoping my Rollup was just a rogue bad one, but you seem to have had the same experience. All I can think about is how much happier I would have been at the Bell or with one of those good-looking Applebee's salads. Applebee's can do better than this. I want a “do over.”

Chris: Yeah, you wanted to order the Oriental Chicken Salad, and I noticed you have too much honor to say, “I told you so.” I think we should have just stuck to the burger section of the menu. They're bigger and juicier than the fast-food burgers we usually dine on, and I could have asked for some Mexi-Ranch to dunk my fries. Or lather on top of the burger like Cool Whip. Now that would be a lunch!

Rating: 3 sporks (out of 5).

E-mail The Lunch Guys:
tomandchris@thelunchguys.com

Unfortunately, my wrap seems like it was made some time around breakfast. The cheese is completely re-hardened after being melted. It was delivered so quickly after I ordered that either the chef had ESP or Chicken Fajita Rollups are stacked in a corner for the lunch rush. Note to Applebee's: Differentiate yourself from fast food rather than running to the same border.