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IHOP: International House of Dim Lights

A couple of nights ago, I had this odd dream that I went to an IHOP restaurant, and the next morning, I felt like I really just had to have it. Talk about subliminal messaging! The pancakes, the burgers, and the food in general I'm a big fan of. Having recently gotten paid and just having had a good week in general, I took my girlfriend to the restaurant on Alameda to celebrate despite it being 6:00 in the evening, because who doesn't want breakfast for dinner?

    We drove there and it didn't seem very busy. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was that it was noticeably dim inside, as if all of the lightbulbs needed changing. Despite it not being busy, it took almost ten minutes for a server to get us a table. It was so... quiet. Surreal almost, as if I walked into an evil IHOP of sorts. 

    After being seated, we looked through our menus. IHOP did have that campaign around 5 years ago when they branched out beyond breakfast, at one point naming themselves "IHOB," the International House of Burgers. The menu now has a variety of options, like the aforementioned burgers, tacos, salads, and sandwiches. There were a good amount of drinks as well, and the menu seemed pretty expansive. I am a simple man however, and usually opt for the breakfast type items. It's hard to mess up a pancake, but I needed protein too.

    I got myself a Pepsi and my girlfriend got herself blue raspberry iced tea. It did take maybe a little too long for the drinks to arrive, and afterwards it took awhile for us to order the actual food. I ended up ordering Chicken and Pancakes, as it's both a lunch and breakfast kind of thing. A jack of all trades, to check if they've still got the breakfast and lunch in order. She got a breakfast combo with eggs, sausage, and french toast. My girlfriend isn't a very talkative eater, but I didn't hear any complaints on her end. My food was... Ok. It wasn't the best chicken or pancake I've ever had, but it was definitely serviceable. It took awhile for it to be ready despite it not having been busy. I do like the burgers as well and may have been more filled if I opted for a burger, fries, and pancakes, but I wanted to behave myself just that one time. 

    I've been to this location numerous times with varying experiences, and I can say that I didn't find them at their best. The service took a long time, the general vibe was off, and the food was just OK. Perhaps had it not been a Sunday night it would have been busier and more lively, but it wasn't the best experience I've ever had at not just the chain, but that particular restaurant. IHOP is usually pretty good, but since COVID there's been a noticeable decline in not just their service, but restaurants in general. I hope that the next time I crave them I catch them on a better day, because when it's good, it slaps.

Want to prove me wrong? Check them out below.

IHOP Menu: https://www.ihop.com/en/menu

Chicken and Waffle: https://www.ihop.com/en/menu/combos/chicken-and-pancakes