IHOP — Restaurant in Margate

A Disappointing Encounter at IHOP in Margate, Florida on Wednesday July 31st

My visit to the IHOP in Margate, Florida, quickly turned into a regrettable experience that fell short of even modest expectations. While IHOP is synonymous with quality breakfast offerings, my recent trip to this location was marred by a series of missteps that left a literal sour taste in my mouth. Upon arrival, the dimly lit interior and lackluster ambiance already set a disconcerting tone for the evening. The seemingly disinterested staff, engrossed in their personal devices, made for an uninviting welcome at the entrance, where we were left waiting for an acknowledgement to be seated. The gradual realization that the only other patrons were the staff themselves and a lone person that later turned out to be the chef in the shadows added to the eerie atmosphere. The lackadaisical service persisted as we settled at our table, where the initial oversights, such as the absence of straws for our beverages, no silverware foreshadowed the mediocrity that awaited. While our drinks arrived promptly, the wait for our food order seemed interminable, punctuated by glimpses of the chef resorting to microwaved preparations - a far cry from the fresh, made-to-order meals one would anticipate from a notable chain like IHOP. Our meals, when finally served, presented a dismal picture of reheated dishes that lacked freshness and flavor. My pot roast, allegedly a signature dish, arrived dry and devoid of the promised Rich Brown Gravy as advertised, betraying a lack of attention to detail and quality control in the kitchen. The string beans, possibly the lone highlight of the spread, hinted at a rushed microwave preparation that left much to be desired. Amidst the culinary letdown, the mishandled order and forgotten items further underscored the restaurant's lackluster service and organizational inefficiencies. The lingering taste of reheated, subpar fare only added to our disappointment, culminating in a disheartening dining experience that left us with upset stomachs and bruised egos. As we departed, passing by the still-distracted staff engrossed in their devices, I couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for the unsuspecting diners about to venture into the same unsatisfactory dining experience arriving in the parking lot. Despite all efforts to maintain composure, I said nothing to them and came here to express the undeniable letdown and my disheartened experience at the IHOP in Margate, Florida after spending $50+ for the 3 of us we left disappointed, disgusted and ripped-off! Do yourself a favor and AVOID THE Margate IHOP at 7944 West Sample Road! I failed to mention that we were the ONLY Customers in the restaurant and it was later in the evening, so being busy cannot be used as an excuse for the subpar food and service! 5 Stars for Chef Mike aka The Microwave in restaurants, who made sure our meals...

They seem to somewhat dislike savvy consumers, like myself (and this is even prior to seeing the tip).

As I walked in, at the cashier's counter, they advertised a promotion to purchase a $25 to get $5 off a future purchase. My meal was about $27 so, l figured I would snag the $5 promotional discount for another breakfast next week or something. I instructed the waiter of what I was trying to do (goal = get the $5 promo for next time). I also instructed him to FIRST purchase a $25 with my debit card to get the promo. Second, use that same gift card just purchased to pay for the bill. (& 3) The remainder of the bill can be put on the card. Two transactions, easy, right? WRONG. He charged me for the gift card AND my food. 🤦‍♀️

I was very disappointed in the store manager and how he chose to handle it. My time as well as his time was wasted trying to explain something that he clearly understood. I was told at first that if I "purchased a gift card, it could not be used the same day", which is so NOT true in any retailer. As soon as payment is tendered, your store gift card is active!

Anyway, the manager repeated to me several times that I would not be able to use the $5 today and I kept telling him I was aware, just correct it and give me the $5 already! 😠 I was so annoyed that he was trying to make me change my mind by annoying the heck out of me with that irrelevant statment.

Bottom line, the manager refunded and essentially started the transaction over, completing it the way I initially instructed the waiter to process the transaction. 😑

I was polite throughout the situation. It took an additional 30 minutes after I left my table to correct the issue.

Despite that situation, the food was good and service was fast. I ordered 'cracked eggs' 🍳 over the pourable eggs and my omelette tasted so much better. The revamped buttermilk pancakes 🥞 are delish. My meal would have been near perfect if they had brown sugar to offer with my coffee. ☕

Heads up: The waitresses and waiters are fast, so ask for the extras while you can!...

On Saturday me and my family came to this ihop we was there 3 weeks ago when we came down for a game and we was serve by one of the best waiters we ever had was Gina we notice she wasn’t there we ask for her and was told she is no longer there we was gonna leave but my son was hungry so we stay we had the most horrible service ever by a young lady name Marie she was rude as we was ordering she walked off and began speaking creole not knowing we are Haitian I didn’t make a deal about it cause we just wanted to eat and leave at this point food came out horrible my niece went to the front ask a young lady at the register where was the manager she said she didn’t know this restaurant is horrible with customers service the food comes out horrible they really need better servers there I wish I would of got the server hana we watch her with her tables and said we should of got her the server Marie is extremely loud omg that lady need to have a out door job I love Gina the serve but I even mention to my husband about her taking the phones doing reviews those not honest reviews she did all 7 of us with our phone then told the server I got y’all review done for y’all when i got a manager tell them to get reviews and the servers take phone and do them thats a concern to me I ask a young lady who had a extremely big ponytail y’all have to do this she said yes the manager makes us do it I said to her by taking people phones she said yes we write the comment and submit it then give u 10 percent...