IHOP is now a burger joint?

JG Pasterjak said:

RevRico said:

...everything tastes like salt and regret. 

You say that as if those two things aren't delicious, perfect complements to one another.

When combined with alcohol, you are correct. Sober, not so much for me. 

I've been inside a Waffle House 3 times in my life. Each was when I was feeling miserable because of a questionable decision. The food didn't help.

Ihop has been dead to me since they dropped the swedish pancakes.  Since then, they're as international as International Delight coffee creamer.  

From what I hear, the whole IHOP thing is just a marketing campaign, not a permanent change.

I tend to concur that pretty much all the chains are bound to be disappointing most of the time. I rarely go into them unless the need is dire, as I am also blessed to live in an area well-equipped with good old-fashioned 24hr diners, many of them dating back to the 1950s or earlier. Probably why the chains are relatively thin on the ground around here.

I can confirm with everybody else having eaten their this year the food is bad.  IHOB doesn't change the bad food and bad services. They have unfortunately put a lot of good breakfast places out of business in my community, because of name recognition and location. 

RevRico said:

Like all chain restaurants, I cannot for the life of me understand why there are so many of them and how they're always so busy. Do people not have taste buds? Are they so stupid that the constant stream of commercials that never look like what you get convince them it's good? Do that many people just have money to waste?

Olive garden, Friday's, chili's, Texas Roadhouse, IHOP, etc. They all share a few things in common, and it baffles me. Those things being: it's cheaper and faster to make the same thing at home, everything tastes like salt and regret, the staff get perpetually dumber and slower every year, and yet somehow there is a line around the building EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Look who defended people who like Olive Garden.

I went to an IHOP last week. Got there about 6:30 AM to find they didn't open until 7:00. 

How does THAT make any sense for a place that serves breakfast??

IHOP is the next Sears. 

I live in an Air Force town, and we have no independent restaurants outside ethnic cuisine in a town of over 100k people. I've always suspected it's because the military families are so transient. They recognize the chain names and know what they're getting so that's who they support.

It's funny, years ago I was headed to Hartford for business and had a young coworker who grew up in the area. I asked her if they had any good stand out restaurants I should check out. Her response was oh, yeah, we've got tons of stuff. Long Horn, Carrabas, Outback....

It's a marketing campaign for their "new" burger menu.  They haven't permanently changed their branding.

Seems like a terrible idea to make a bid for playing in an overcrowded market instead of being the go-to place for a niche market.  There's a bazillion places I can go for a burger. But if I want pancakes or an omelette? Well, there's the Peachtree Cafe in my hometown. But if I'm on the road and happen to want an omelette the size of a mailbox, where else am I going to go?

As the guy who started the Ghetto Cuisine thread I may not have much authority on this subject (or any subject really).

I like Red Robin. My first date with my wife was at red robin. We go there quite a lot and I enjoy the food and almost always order something different. I have been disappointed on occasion, but that goes with everything in life. Maybe we just have a better than average RR here, I don't know. 

I haven't eaten at IHOP in probably 20 years. If a breakfast joint can't make pancakes to satisfy a 10 year old then they really can't have much going for them. Like BK, I can't understand why people eat there.

Dennys is bad, except around 2-4am. Maybe I'm just too tired to care and anything tastes better in those hours... But if I am up, hungry, and not too lazy to get in the car, I'll gladly eat a grand slam at 3am.

In my experience, the best chain pancakes come from Black Bear Diner. And the best waffles come from Village Inn. Unless I am feeling like doing battle with my grandmother's cast iron waffle iron. That truly is a rare occasion though.

Also like OG. But, If I feel like spending decent money and making a reservation, there is a little Italian joint here run by a real import (owns, cooks, and only employs two other folks at any given time, one to take orders and one to wash dishes.) using his grandmothers recipes (or so legend goes). Dudes stuff is magic. He even comes out and visits with folks, makes sure everything is ok. A bit off topic maybe, but holy moly, I love that place.

The only chain restaurant worth attending are those with "endless" or "all-you-can-eat" options, such as Chilis all you can eat soup and salad, Olive Garden AYCE soup and salad, Eatin'Park's salad bar, or Ruby Tuesday's Salad Bar.

Denny's is still my favorite breakfast place. It's actually 30 minutes further then waffle house but the local waffle house sucks. In Maryland it was the exact opposite. I've never been a big fan of ihop but I usually just eat eggs, bread and meat. Weirdly enough I prefer homemade waffles. My wife's are delicious.

Very seldom go out to get a hamburger but when I do I go to Fuddrucker's.

I don't ever eat at IHOP, but if I did I sure as E36 M3 wouldn't order a burger.

Waffle House is the Florida of restaurants. 

Hal said:

Very seldom go out to get a hamburger but when I do I go to Fuddrucker's.

Whoa! I didn't realize they were even still open. I don't think I've seen one on more than a decade.

Most places I’ve been have local places that areas good or better than a chain at the same price so even traveling I rarely stop at a chain unless it’s one I don’t have home like WH or Zaxbys. I can’t think of an instance where I’ve eaten at a mom & pop place and wished I’d gone to a chain instead.  I’m completely baffled by the number of chains that have managed to take off in Manhattan.  It’s a crime that people will wait an hour plus for an Olive Garden or Applebee’s while actual restaurants at similar prices sit half empty steps away.  

In reply to pheller :

Ruby Tuesday's salad bar is decent, Jason's Deli is the bomb. If a Nalley Fresh opens locally to anyone, go. It's fantastic. I highly recommend it. 

captdownshift said:

In reply to pheller :

Ruby Tuesday's salad bar is decent, Jason's Deli is the bomb. If a Nalley Fresh opens locally to anyone, go. It's fantastic. I highly recommend it. 

And Jason's has free ice cream!

Will said:

Waffle House is the Florida of restaurants. 

It’s like dinner theater.

SVreX said:

I went to an IHOP last week. Got there about 6:30 AM to find they didn't open until 7:00. 

How does THAT make any sense for a place that serves breakfast??

IHOP is the next Sears. 

Stick with the Lizards Thicket. 

JG Pasterjak said:

Nick Comstock said:

Woah now. In no way shape or form is WH better than the worst Ihop. No way.

Are you TRYING to get banned?

# NOT MY BREAKFAST PLACE!!!

Wally said:

Most places I’ve been have local places that areas good or better than a chain at the same price so even traveling I rarely stop at a chain unless it’s one I don’t have home like WH or Zaxbys. I can’t think of an instance where I’ve eaten at a mom & pop place and wished I’d gone to a chain instead.  I’m completely baffled by the number of chains that have managed to take off in Manhattan.  It’s a crime that people will wait an hour plus for an Olive Garden or Applebee’s while actual restaurants at similar prices sit half empty steps away.  

Because people see them as a known quantity when traveling.  Many people are terrible travelers and are so afraid of the unknown that even when they venture out to a new city or area, they solace in the familiar and known.

Basically, humans are just messed up.