Okay... so I have a crush on my waitress
Written: Jul 07 '02 (Updated Jul 07 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Vast menu, great food, good service
Cons: Pricey, certain staff very gullible
The Bottom Line: You hungry? Let's grab a stack of pancakes and go home for a nap. ^_^
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| lovable_loser's Full Review: IHOP |
Whenever, the world seems to dump a load of complications into my life, I always head to my hangout. It's a place where I can always find solace and happiness. That's right... the International House of Pancakes. It's a lengthy drive but what the heck? A stack of buttermilk pancakes with sausage links is worth the fuel in my car. Onto the highway I go, destined for fried batter, pork products, and dairy liquid. Mostly, I want to see Karen, the waitress I've come to love, respect, and leave $5 tips. She's such a pretty girl, and she does her job well. She has no idea how I feel about, and besides I'm way too shy to tell her. Who knows? One day I shall present my love to her. Enough about my bottled up desires for IHOP employees, let's get onto the review.
Review
APPEARANCE
The IHOP facility is very clean. The parking lot and landscaping are kept clean by a contracted company. Surrounding the parking lot are a column of Bradford pear trees, and the front of the restaurant is nicely contained by Cleyera and boxwood shrubs. The exterior is a pastel 'cream' colored stucco. The roof (which looks like it belongs on a Catholic cathedral) is royal blue color and it offsets the stucco very well. The tinted windows are kept clean, while the walkways are free of litter. Inside is even more pristine. The carpet is a dark blue (great for stain hiding) and the tables are made of attractive, polished wood. Separating the booths are brass poles with glass panels, displaying the flags of many nations imprinted on them. Indoor plant life includes Philodendrons, red spike plants, and Poinsettias (during the Christmas season). The lighting is good too; the conic lights are suspended from the ceiling via brass chains to unify the overall schematic of the interior. Like I always say, "Where you eat at, makes a BIG difference." This particular IHOP has superceded the dining room appearance standard!
FOOD
The food selection is so vast, that the menu folds three times... with items on the front and back. I rarely order anything other than breakfast food, so let's start there. Pancakes... ah, the pancakes. Griddlecakes, hot cakes, flapjacks, whatever you want to call them, IHOP does them RIGHT. Buttermilk is my personal favorite, but the pancakes come in many different varieties. Aside from buttermilk, there's buckwheat (otay!), rooty-tooty fresh n' fruity, chocolate chip (created with a smile, literally), silver dollar, harvest grain, banana nut, pigs in the blanket, apple-cinnamon, Swedish, French, German, and a few others. There's also French toast and Belgian waffles. These can be ordered with any meat you choose; be it bacon, ham, sausage links, or sausage patties. Eggs? Order them how you want. I prefer scrambled soft, but if you like yours sunny side up, boiled, runny, or fried easy, it's your choice. You can select from four kinds of omelets, or you can customize your own omelet. Peppers, onions, diced bacon, cheese, whatever you want on the omelet is up to you. The 'big' meats (as I call them) come as the main entree'. These include the country style steak, and the mighty T-bone. Each comes with a side of eggs, and a small stack (3) of buttermilk pancakes. Other breakfast dishes include cheese blintzes, and the Vive La French toast (an American spin on the French recipe). Next, is the lunch & dinner menu. Appetizers; IHOP has chicken strips, onion rings, cheese sticks, and garlic bread to tide you over until your appetite is really ready to take over. The sandwiches available are the grilled chicken breast, turkey sandwich, Philly cheese steak, and one of my favorites, the BLT (excellence). There's also fish fillet sandwiches, and club combos if you want. IHOP has salads too. The Mexican fiesta salad is one exotic dish with peppers, olives, two cheeses, and served in a tortilla shell. The other is the grilled chicken Caesar salad, a dish which needs no description. The main entree's include fish fillets, roasted chicken, chicken breast fillets, fillet strips, pot roasts, the T-Bone, golden fried shrimp, and country steak. All these entrees are served with your choice of mashed potatoes, French fries, hash browns, onion rings, a dinner roll, cornbread cakes, soup, salad, or a baked potato. IHOP has burgers, yeah, burgers! I've enjoyed the pleasure that is a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. Of course, you can decide what you want on yours. There's also sourdough bread or patty melt options. Phew! That sums up the menu, I know I've left out some stuff, but you get the idea of how diverse the menu is.
SERVICE
When Karen is my waitress, I'm a happy man. Not only because my heart infinitely beats for her affection, but she takes care of me. I order my food, and she does a good job getting all the little details like how I want my eggs and when I would like my beverage brought to me. After I get my food, she checks back regularly to see if I need anything. It's the little things that make the difference in customer service. When Karen is not there (days off), I'm ready to take the life of another human being. One guy forgot my milk, my glass of water, and never even checked back to see if I needed further service. It drives me crazy. Ever seen As Good As It Gets? I am, in a sense, Melvin Udall. The good service at IHOP is thanks to Karen and a few other waitresses... anyone else, I turn into Jack Nicholson.
PRICE
The items are good in quality, so I guess that's why they're a little pricey. Don't get me wrong, the food is really good and people should get what they pay for. Dining at IHOP isn't something that should be done frequently, unless you have the cash, or a crush on a waitress.
Overall, I can say that IHOP has given me a happy digestive tract. I'm am satisfied with every aspect of the restaurant, especially Karen. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is pristine, and the service is prompt and friendly (depending on certain factors). IHOP gives a solid 'A' performance.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lovable_loser
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Location: Triad, NC, USA
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I'm a college student that's down on his luck, but people love me anyway. ^_^
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