Weekend Special: Our IHOP Experience

One Saturday after Datu's monthly check up, we decided to attempt to eat at IHOP, BGC. We tried a couple of times before but were always discouraged with the amount of people we see hanging outside the restaurant. Based on my experience in the US, it wasn't worth waiting an hour in line. I could eat else where.

However, after seeing pictures posted by friends on Facebook, their omelettes and chocolate pancakes really looked appetizing. In all fairness, when we were in the US, I only tried the strawberry pancakes and I had very high expectations. During the weekends in Charlotte, there were also very long lines outside IHOP and that drove my expectations further up. When we finally got a chance to eat there, I found the pancake ordinary. When I heard they were opening in the Philippines, I was still interested to try it out with the hubby. The second weekend after it opened, we tried our luck but we didn't expect the lines to be that long I guess. We'd pass by a couple more times but there were always a bunch of people outside that made us look for other places to eat. One of my friends experienced to be 50th in line. I'm not willing to wait that long.

Finally, we had time and the crowd volume didn't look too daunting. We still waited some 30 minutes. By the time we were seated, we knew our orders and placed it as soon as a server got to us. Service was pretty quick. Before we knew it, all our food was out. Dru ordered the Big Steak Omelette. You can have the omelette meals upgraded to come with pancakes, you just need to add about 50 pesos. I wish they had a set that came with drinks. Good thing though is that a lot of their drinks are refillable (coffee, tea and spritzers). He chose Strawberry banana pancakes to go with his omelette and iced coffee. The omelette was good, cheesy and had lots of onion, the way the hubby liked it. It could use more of the meat though. He liked his pancakes too. The iced coffee was iced three-in-one coffee.

Big Steak Omelette Php 325

Strawberry Banana Pancakes

I got the Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Bacon Temptation Omelette. The pancakes were loaded with chocolate chips and were oh so good with the Butter Pecan syrup. For my drink, I got an iced tea. The omelette was good too. The iced tea tasted a bit weird. Tasted like it had maple syrup in it. I should've gone with plain water. I was hoping the tea would taste like southern sweet tea, I guess.

Syrupy goodness

Bacon Temptation Omelette Php 285

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes

It's weird to get for breakfast but we also ordered onion rings. We love onion rings. We always try the onion rings at a new restaurant to see if it's any good. This one was ok but forgettable. Let's just stick with the pancakes.

Onion rings Php 195

Service was fast. We got our orders quickly so that compensated for the long wait in line to be seated. We didn't have to ask for condiments as the servers went ahead and offered that to us. Though they could be more attentive for requests to refill drinks.

All in all, IHOP did not disappoint. I would go back again for the pancakes. I asked the manager if they had plans to open branches elsewhere and she said a branch in MOA, Mandaluyong and QC are in the works for this year.They might open in the new wing of Shangri-la Mall, that would be nearest to me, yay!