IHOP — Restaurant in Santa Ana

Eating breakfast at this ihop location was almost one of the WORST service experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant, ANY restaurant. And I just ate at the ihop on Beach Blvd in HB a couple weeks ago & that ihop was probably one of the BEST service & food experiences I’ve had recently so I know it’s not an ihop “thing” it’s just this location on 17th in Santa Ana. To begin with we only had 2 in our party & they were only about 1/3 full so they weren’t all that busy. We ordered the exact same thing (except for eggs cooked differently) so super easy order, too. Our server asked us ONLY ONCE how we were doing, and that was literally about 3 minutes after taking our order. He never checked on us again after that. Once our order was placed I actually had to stand up & wave my arms every single time to get anyone’s attention any time we needed anything. To start off, we ordered 2 cups of coffee, we were brought 1 cup so we asked for the second cup & a pot of coffee (I thought ihop always brought the pot of coffee when u ordered coffee??). Next, we had to ask for sugar & extra napkins THREE TIMES!! I had ordered my hash browns well done, and of course, they were not well done. And when our food FINALLY arrived, it was tepid at best. The butter wouldn’t even melt on the pancakes. And it was all served piled on top of each other on little tiny plates. I had to ask for extra plates so we could actually eat each food item separately rather than stacked on top of each other. And my husband’s pancakes never came so of course we had to ask for those after we’d already been told they were “on their way”. So he ended up having to just box those up to bring home. When we were done eating our barely warm food, we asked for “to go” boxes. We had a lot of food left: eggs, pancakes, chicken fried steak with gravy on it, hash browns with ketchup on them, for 2 people. We were brought 2 VERY tiny boxes & nothing else. We could put only the leftover chicken fried steak in the tiny little box so of course we had to get somebody’s attention to ask for more boxes. We were brought 2 more tiny boxes. Sadly, we ended up piling our leftovers on top of each other after all because it was easier than trying to get anyone’s attention again. And of course we were not provided any bags to carry our 4 boxes out to our car so we once again had to get someone’s attention to ask for carrying bags, which took quite a while. Needless to say we did not receive our bill, so my husband walked up to the cash register to pay. It was REALLY expensive, too! Each meal was almost $18, plus tax!! So, for 2 chicken fried steak breakfasts & 2 cups of coffee, with tax & tip, we spent almost $65!! THAT’S...

I am extremely disappointed by what happened to Dr. Omar at your restaurant. The server refused to serve him simply because of the color of his skin. This is the height of racism and has no place in a reputable brand like yours. Such behavior is unacceptable, offensive, and deeply disturbing.

I am writing to formally express my deep concern regarding a serious incident of racial discrimination that occurred at the IHOP branch located at 1001 E 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701. According to a verified report, a customer, Dr. Omar, was denied service solely based on the color of his skin. Such conduct is not only morally reprehensible but may also constitute a violation of both state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Racial discrimination in any form is strictly prohibited under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title II), which guarantees all individuals the right to receive services in places of public accommodation without discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin.

This behavior reflects a serious breach of IHOP’s duty of care towards its patrons and undermines public trust in your brand. We strongly urge your corporate leadership to initiate an immediate and thorough investigation, hold the responsible employee(s) accountable, and issue a public statement reaffirming IHOP’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Failure to address such matters appropriately can expose your business to significant legal and reputational consequences. We trust that you will treat this issue with the gravity it deserves.

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We came in party of 3 on a slow day and restaurant was half empty only about 2 booths occupied already served and we sat and waitress took our drink orders. She came back with our drinks and we ordered an appetizer along with our food. 30 mins passed no food yet or anyone to come check on us. A family of 4 came and sat next booth to us and same waitress got their drinks and order. About 20 mins later they recieved their food!!I called over the waitress after she served them and I told her that I didnt want to be a bleep but why did they got served already when we were here first and waiting for over 30 mins!!!NOT EVEN BUSY!!!She apologized and 5 mins later she brought our food along with our appetizer. Point of appetizer was to bring it first while we waited. She brought it along with our main food which was so stupid.Our $18 omelettes were cold and I had asked mine with avocado on top. She came back 3 mins later with a small plate of avocado on a piece of lettuce. Terrible service for a $92 bill. With everything going up you expect some decent service. Tipped her $1. This IHOP needs to be looked at in hiring new staff. No wonder this place is always empty and yet they cannot be quick to service you.Never eating...