IHOP — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

Been here two or three times out of convenience. The visit was not remarkable for the food or service, but the outside patio is nice. This time, we are inside. Our buster was ok, although he brought out tea and coffee mugs on Sauceda that were also doubling as honey, cream, etc holders. Not very classy. Our waitress was belligerent about a couple of issues we brought up in a non-accusatory manner. We asked for a plate of condiments to be removed because the packs were dirty and we weren’t going to use them anyway. We pointed this out so they can have feedback, but the waitress lectured us on how they “come that way in the box”. I asked for a fork because my cutlery set came with two spoons and a knife. Then someone gave me theirs, although in their set, the spoon was dirty. I pointed this out to the waitress, Patricia/Patty, so the staff can be more careful about sending out dirty utensils. She was very defensive and belligerent. All she needed to do was say “I’m sorry, I’ll be sure to let the team know.” But she escalated the situation. She even shared that it happened because they are not using hot water in the dishwasher, which means they are not sanitizing dishes at this location (yikes!). The manager, Chris, at least gave us more space to discuss the situation before jumping in to explain. He asked what would be helpful, but didn’t seem actually interested in knowing and couldn’t be bothered to offer a discount for the mess that his staff made. At Eureka, we’ve had $10 gift cards for the staff getting our orders wrong. It feels like they could have easily done something gracious like that, but...

• UPDATED** Ihop almost immediately got back to me and apologized while offering a free meal. Chris is the manager and he's great! He called personally. i ordered the same thing and it was perfect and a delicious this time. I know it was just a fluke but I truly appreciate the follow-through and of course I will eat here again as usual. Thank you chris!

I love ihop but I realized that I'd only every eaten breakfast food there. I tried the T-bone steak with w rice and green beans. I also got a cup of mashed potatoes. BLEGH. I'm sorry but I cannot lie. The steak was completely unseasoned and for some reason tasted like it was uncooked. I couldn't eat more than a bite. The rice and green beans we fine, average. The mashed potatoes traumatized me for life. It was that powder potato mix and it tasted like they didn't add any water. It tasted like what I imagine glue tastes like. It was awful. I'm so disappointed that I couldn't even choke down my 33 dollar meal. I should've just cooked with...

IHOP is generally a popular choice for group outings and family gatherings. However, this particular location falls short in terms of customer service and food quality compared to the IHOP restaurant in Goleta. Despite visiting this spot multiple times on State Street, I have consistently encountered rude servers who lack knowledge about the menu. The food itself is average, typical of chain restaurant quality, and fails to leave a lasting impression. The prices are reasonable, especially for the pancakes and the all-you-can-eat pancake option. Unfortunately, the outdoor patio is often unavailable, and upon inspection, it is evident that maintenance is lacking. Dirty and worn tables, along with rusting chairs, create an ambiance reminiscent of a location one might see in a horror movie. If you're set on dining at IHOP, I highly recommend the Goleta location on Turnpike instead, as it offers better parking and overall dining experience. However I think that IHOP location might be...