IHOP — Restaurant in Jacksonville

At a little corner of pancake heaven in Jacksonville, Florida, I stumbled upon what can only be described as the Holy Grail of breakfast: the $5 unlimited pancakes deal at IHOP in 2024. Now, let me tell you, when I first heard about this, I thought, “Surely, this must be some sort of too-good-to-be-true situation.” But oh, how gloriously wrong I was.

The moment I stepped through the doors, I could already feel the magic in the air. It wasn't just the aroma of freshly cooked batter wafting through the room like some kind of culinary symphony; it was the promise of endless, unadulterated, syrup-drenched joy. And boy, did IHOP deliver.

Imagine this: a plate piled high with pancakes that are so fluffy they could double as cloud pillows. These aren’t just any ordinary pancakes, though—no, these are pancakes kissed by the breakfast gods themselves. They’re golden, with edges just crisp enough to give you that satisfying crunch, like a warm hug wrapped in a tiny bit of sass. As I sank my fork into the first stack, I was greeted by the oozing, melty butter that slid down the sides like a buttery waterfall, each drop promising a tidal wave of flavor.

Now, let’s talk syrup, because IHOP didn’t just stop at the basics. Oh no, they pulled out all the stops. There was a veritable rainbow of flavors, each more tempting than the last. I started with the classic old-fashioned syrup—because sometimes you have to pay homage to the original—and it was just the right balance of sugary sweetness without being too overwhelming. But that was just the beginning.

Next, I moved on to the strawberry syrup, which was like spreading liquid sunshine on each bite. The tangy sweetness of the strawberries mixed with the fluffiness of the pancakes was enough to make my taste buds do a happy dance. But why stop there? Blueberry syrup, with its rich, berry-infused goodness, turned every mouthful into a burst of summer, even if it was just a regular Tuesday morning in Florida.

And then, the pièce de résistance: butter pecan syrup. Now, I don’t want to sound dramatic, but this syrup could end wars. Rich, nutty, and smooth as a Southern drawl, it transformed each pancake into something that might just be served in the afterlife—if we’re lucky.

In between devouring stacks of pancakes, I decided to get a little creative. You see, when you’re faced with an endless supply of pancakes, you start to wonder, “What else can I do with these?” So, I started shaping them—round, square, even a pancake shaped like the state of Florida (okay, that one was a stretch, but I was really into it). It was like playing with my food in the best possible way, except this time, no one could tell me not to. Each shape was its own masterpiece, and each masterpiece was absolutely, mouth-wateringly delicious.

By the end of my feast, I was in a state of pancake-induced bliss. My plate might as well have been a canvas, with syrupy smears and crumbs of what was once the most glorious breakfast I’d ever had. The best part? It didn’t have to end. I could’ve kept going, stack after stack, each more perfect than the last, until I physically couldn’t anymore. But I stopped—eventually—because all good things, even unlimited pancakes, must come to an end.

So, if you’re ever in Jacksonville and find yourself at a crossroads, wondering whether or not to step into this magical IHOP, let me save you the trouble. Just go. Go for the pancakes, stay for the syrup, and let yourself indulge in the kind of breakfast that legends are made of. You’ll thank me later—and maybe bring your stretchiest pants,...

Seating was pretty quick which is a rarity but It took about 5 minutes for the waitress to finally show up to take our orders after leaving twice. Me and my father each got a “Crepes and Cakes” and asked for extra crispy bacon, well cooked hash browns, and scrambled eggs with cheese. And here’s the deal, The bacon was barely cooked, hash browns were slightly toasted on the outside but completely raw on the inside, and the eggs had obviously been prepared by Chef Mike (The Microwave). Nothing on the plate was hot, at best the food was lukewarm.

The attention was also pretty bad. Our waitress never came around to check in on our food and drink which led to my dad not eating his pancakes since he had finished his cup of coffee with the entree. We waited about 10 minutes to see if our waitress would notice we’d stopped eating but there was nothing. When we finally managed to ask for the bill we also told our waitress about our experience to which she seems to have taken offense to and she then angrily took up our plates.

Apart from service, the bathrooms are also an embarrassment. For the men’s room there’s only one urinal which is right next to the entrance and it has no privacy bars. The floor and walls were also extremely dirty. Based on what my mother told me, the floor and wall situation is the same for the women’s room. The dining area wasn’t bad but there was a number of flys buzzing around trying to take a gander at my meal (which after finding out how bad it was, I happily relinquished the food to them).

Overall: Understaffed and under serviced. Expect a lack of attention from your waiter/waitress and don’t ask other waiters/waitresses for help because we tried and they don’t help. Also, don’t use the men’s room unless the stall is unoccupied or you’re okay with having no privacy.

We ended up talking to the manager although we didn’t request for it and he thankfully behaved like a manager should. He was very understanding with the situation and apologized for it. Easily the best interaction with any staff member.

(Extra: I’d recommend that the manager hire the flys to be waiters. I had various flys come and check in on my food and drink and were happy to take away my meal when I said I didn’t want...

This is really a Zero star review. Called in an order of 3 5 stack pancakes and 2 hot chocolates at 11:19am. Drove 15 minutes to the ihop location and waited over 30 minutes while people who got there and ordered after me still somehow got their order before me. Around 12pm I started to reinquire about my order to which I was asked "who took my order" I didn't know, it was whoever answered the phone...I wasn't there to place my order in person and I don't know their staff by name. It appeared my order was lost of never placed. When I spoke to the manager Lisa instead of helping she pushed her staffing issues off onto me as if they were my problem. I am just the customer. I can care less as to how short you are in the kitchen and how many people you have in your dining room and issues with your waitstaff...those are managements problems, not my problem. If I'm being charged regular price for my food I want regular service not excuses. There is no reason to have to wait over an hour for 15 pancakes and 2 hot chocolates. Lisa continued to make her staffing issues my issues by telling me the waitress (whom she didn't know which one of her staff took the order) should have explained to me how they were busy and my wait would be 45 minutes. Despite the fact that the waitress didn't and regardless the wait has already been over 45 minutes. This is the 3rd (seriously 3rd) time I've had this very issues with this establishment and 3 strikes you're out for me. I will be filling a more formal complaint because obviously they need better staff and management as to not burden the customers with their...