Instead of cooking at home or eating leftovers stored in the back of the fridge? I went to IHOP to tell if the food was up to par or not.
The IHOP I went to was on Independence road, next to the Ynot Pizza. Although the parking lot was a bit crowded, I was still able to find a spot. After parking, my friend and I entered the establishment. As we entered the restaurant, we noticed that there were some Halloween decorations spread out across the place. A cutout ghost here, a fake spiderweb there, and some colorful designs. While we walked up to the “Please wait to be seated” sign, I noticed that there were only a few people working that night.
About three minutes later, which was a little longer than I’d expected, our waiter, Dom, sat us down at our table. I glanced down at the menu and saw something seasonal; Churro Waffles, which was a Belgian waffle with cinnamon and cream cheese icing. I thought about it for a bit, but I ended up ordering steak tips and the “cinnastack” pancakes. After some deliberation, my friend ordered the pumpkin pancakes.
I noticed that the table across the aisle had ordered the Churro Waffles. As I took a glance, I started having second thoughts about what I ordered. The waffle was cut into quarters on a long rectangular plate, while the icing was delicately glazed on top.
Once the food arrived, it looked great. But something was off. As I looked at my pancakes, there wasn’t any icing on them, as the order normally comes with. So I decided to eat my steak while I waited for Dom to return so I could ask for the icing.
When I peered at the steak, a few pieces of the batch had some large areas of fat on them. Which isn’t preferable, so I put those few pieces to the side and cut into my first piece. It was cooked to perfection! A somewhat pink center, with touches of pepper, salt, and other spices I didn’t recognize made it amazing. Dom then returned to the table, so I asked for the icing on the pancakes.
“I’m so sorry, I completely forgot,” Dom said. I didn’t mind, in fact, it just shows that people make mistakes. He returned shortly after with my pancakes, which were glazed in icing, and a refill of my Diet Pepsi.
The pancakes were amazing; there was no problem with them whatsoever. The cinnamon glaze paired with the icing made the pancakes taste delectable.
After our meal, Dom quickly took our plates with a smile and gave us the bill, $38. A little bit pricey, but I think it was worth it considering I ordered steak with my meal. As we left, we took one last look inside the IHOP, the Halloween decorations making the place just a little bit more inviting. The red carpet beneath us as we walked out the door making no sound with each step we took.
For ambiance; I would give IHOP a rating of five stars. It was very simple, as it wasn’t too loud like some restaurants are, and the Halloween decorations were a good touch. Service I’d say is a four out of five. As there were a few bumps here and there. As I had to wait a few minutes before getting to my table. Along with the fact that my pancakes had no icing, which isn’t the fault of the waiter, but the fault of the chef. Lastly, taste. I’d rate it a five out of five. Both the pancakes and steak were delicious.
In conclusion, I do believe that IHOP is a great place to eat. I’d recommend it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With great service, food, and my personal rating of four-and-a-half stars, IHOP is a must-try.
