IHOP — Restaurant in Maryland

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Not Worth the Money or the Disrespect

I don’t usually write reviews, but my recent visit to IHOP was such a disappointing and frustrating experience that I feel compelled to speak up. I left the restaurant feeling disrespected, unwelcome, and like I had completely wasted my money.

That alone felt strange and unwelcoming, especially when you're just trying to get a simple meal and enjoy your day. We noticed others who arrived before us still waiting while we were seated earlier, which created an uncomfortable tension.

Once we were seated, we expected things to turn around. At the very least, we hoped for decent service and good food to make up for the awkward start. Unfortunately, that did not happen. While our food came out quickly, it was not worth the price we paid—not even close. The portions were small, the flavors were bland, and everything felt slapped together without care. . For a place like IHOP, which is supposed to be casual and family-friendly, it was ridiculous.

The service overall was rushed and impersonal. No one checked in to ask how things were or if we needed anything. We felt like we were being pushed in and out, with no real regard for making our dining experience enjoyable or even comfortable. It honestly felt like they just wanted to clear the table and move on to the next group.

To make matters worse, the total bill was shockingly high for what we received. Paying that much for a meal that left us unsatisfied—both in terms of food and experience—was a slap in the face. I’ve had better meals from drive-thrus at a fraction of the cost.

I understand that not every dining experience can be perfect, but this wasn’t a matter of a bad day or a small mistake. This was a pattern of poor service, bad attitudes, and low-quality food wrapped in an atmosphere of judgment and discomfort.

A big part of going out to eat is the experience. It’s about feeling welcomed, treated with respect, and getting value for your money. None of that happened here. I felt disrespected as a customer and honestly, a little humiliated by how we were treated.

IHOP may have a recognizable name, but this location (or perhaps this staff on this day) completely missed the mark. I left feeling worse than when I arrived, and that should never happen after a meal.

I will not be returning to this location, and I would caution others to think twice before spending their money here—especially if you value kindness, fairness, and basic hospitality.

There are so many better places to eat where your presence is appreciated and your money...

Went to lunch with my mom and really just not impressed at all. I know it's just an IHOP but still. We went on a weekday and the place was practically empty - not surprising for that time of day on a weekday. But you would think that because there weren't many customers, the place would have been cleaner. Floors were sticky. What I thought was a wet footprint was actually probably syrup because it was sticky. I walked back to the restroom and the whole way felt sticky under my shoes. The stall I was in in the bathroom had no toilet seat covers and, again, the floor was sticky. I wondered if it was my shoes, but even my mom felt the stickiness. Our order was taken promptly, but my mom was served her food first before mine came out. That just isn't right - you should always make sure the table is served at the same time. If you know one meal will be cooked faster, then time it right. It wasn't like there was a lot going on in the kitchen. Mom got pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns. She did say the eggs were perfect. The pancakes were good too, but the sausage didn't look appetizing and the hash browns just didn't seem cooked all the way. I didn't want breakfast and I really didn't see anything on the menu that appealed to me but I ordered a crispy chicken sandwich. I hate ranch so I asked that it not be put on it, but it did seem to need something. The combination of the chicken, avocado, tomato, lettuce, and shredded cheese was not all that great. I would have done without the avocado. The fries were really good though.

Unfortunately, the waitress didn't really do much follow up. She came once early on to ask if everything was OK, which it was. But she never came back to offer a refill of our drinks. Also, we sat there for probably 15 minutes when we were done and no one came with a check. In fact, there were NO employees in the entire dining area for probably 10 minutes. We got up, looked around, my mom even looked into the kitchen and couldn't find anyone. We walked up to the counter, and eventually someone did come for us to pay our bill. But honestly - we could have walked out of the restaurant and no one would have known.

Wish we had just gone to...

UPDATE 01-07-24 : We gave this IHOP a second chance and unfortunately the experience was even worse this time. Once again the place was relatively empty with at least three servers who were mostly in the back unseen. It was a solid 15 minutes from sitting down until we had to actually go get someone to take our order. We did not have a particularly complicated order however one of the dishes was so poorly made with so many mistakes that my wife had trouble eating it and the other dish didn't come out until about 15 minutes after everyone else's. And was cold. This is definitely a place to stay away from. Conversely the IHOP in Germantown where my wife and I usually go is fantastic.

The food was exactly what you expect from IHOP. No surprises there whatsoever. However, the IHOP in my neighborhood in Germantown the service is exceptional and the food comes out quickly even when they are packed. This IHOP in Olney was fairly empty. I think there were maybe about eight tables with customers in the entire place. Despite seeing at least four different waiters, we waited an inordinate amount of time just to have our orders taken. Once taken the waiter came back twice to reconfirm what we had ordered as if he had forgotten or written it down wrong. After that, the food took an incredibly long period of time to come out and then when the food finally did came out, two out of our four orders were incorrect or missing items. On top of that, once the food came out we never saw our waiter again until he came to bring the check so none of us were able to get refills on our drinks or anything else. I don't know if they were just having a bad day but for a restaurant that empty there's no excuse for this level of...