IHOP — Restaurant in Stonecrest

Went into this IHOP and I normally don't, because I was looking for something and it was getting late it was probably 10 minutes before 10:00 p.m. there was only one person dog gone PERSON working/cooking in the restaurant Saturday. This was November 23rd 2024. When we walked in there was a guy sitting at a table and at another table for other women. The gentleman look like he had never been waiting on and soon after he got up and left! After waiting for a while I called the restaurant to see if anybody would come to the front. No one ever did! So, I walked down the side to see if there was anybody in the kitchen... because I did see a gentleman walk across the back area of the restaurant. And that's when he saw me from his kitchen view and he asked me if I needed help. He then came out and started to take off his gloves. We asked the gentleman if he was the only one working here! He told us he was the only one working and he was doing the waiting and the cooking that's why it took so long for him to come to the front. So then he cut me off from speaking and asked me what I want to order and I told him. He gave me my total but never took a payment and said, I have one order that I'm working on now and I will get yours started right after that. As we waited that's when we saw this woman, really frail looking come into the door and when she walked past us, my eyes lit up so bad meaning that my eyes got hit with a blast of pollen! If anyone deals with allergies you know what I mean. She rushed into the restroom area and stay there for a little while. She had what looked like a cigarette in her left hand and it was a white thin cigarette?? And she have a bag with her. When she came out she just walked around the front area where we were sitting and waiting. And then she walked down all the way down towards the back end of the restaurant to see if anybody was working in the back then she walked back down and looked inside the kitchen! And the whole time she was pacing back and forth looking into the kitchen and mumbling to herself. She then came back to the front. She went to the front desk and started fondling the menus that we had just looked at and then she walked over to the hostess table and started going through all of the menus stacked up there and that's when I took a picture of her! We got up and left because I didn't know what this woman was about to do or what she had going through her mind! I didn't feel like fighting nobody that was filled with possibility of diseases... Is really sad to see that in these types of areas that there can't be more than one person working at night and it's dangerous especially for a restaurant that is open 24 hours a day!!! I'm shocked that this restaurant is still even open as well as panola! The service at this restaurant has always been bad ever since they've opened! I've only been to this restaurant in one time and that was years ago. Thank God I didn't have to pay for anything because if I had I would have walked right back in that kitchen and told that gentleman to give me back my money! Anything could have happened in this restaurant. And by the time we got back to the car do you know that homeless woman walked over there where those women were sitting waiting on their food!!! And just stood there mumbling and walking around in that area where they were sitting. Ain't no way I would have stayed there sitting there waiting on food! With a homeless woman smelling and you don't know what this person may do she could have been on drugs for all we know. It's dangerous to have one person male or female I don't care to be working at night and they are the only person in their handling everything. THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THE CUSTOMERS OR THE EMPLOYEE THAT IS TOLD TO B THERE BY THEMSELVES! I don't care if somebody was coming in later that night. The point is is that that man was there by himself and he didn't even know that that woman was in there until...

This is the worst IHOP I've ever been to. I've been going to this one since it first opened and it's just getting worse and worse. We're going to the one that's further away from here on. There isn't often much of a wait to get seated, which is great, but then it sometimes takes a while for a server to get around. It then takes a while for them to return. It takes a while for the food to come out. Many times something is wrong with the order -- eggs are cooked completely wrong, get the wrong kind of pancakes, something is missing from a dish, or missing an item entirely. The syrup bottles aren't kept very clean, so they're terribly sticky and dirty, if you even get all of the flavors. They no longer offer a hot syrup. Worst, many of the servers are, at best, detached or apathetic, and some are downright unpleasant. There are those few good ones who seem to care, have a pleasant demeanor, and seem to want to earn a tip. Being apathetic and not trying somewhat to keep our glasses full and see that our food is OK is a big mistake with me, because I'm a very generous tipper. Not being able to keep up because your workload is too much is not something I penalize for, nor do I penalize a server for a kitchen's mistakes when the server takes up to get it rectified. I do, however, penalize for obvious lack of concern and willingness to do a job, and I seem to be doing that a lot at this location. I suspect this is part of that store's culture, a result of bad management, and perhaps the servers are treated poorly by management which would make it harder to be that enthusiastic. I don't know.

One example of crappy service: We've been in the birthday club for many years. The certificates always indicate that they're good for a stack of Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity (coupon says that large at the top) but in the print below says "or any other stack of our pancakes". In the distant past when the servers were more engaged we would be told up front that it even goes further than that: Pretty much order anything and the value of a Rooty Tooty stack would be deducted from the bill. Later they just went to only allowing Rooty Tooty or a stack of something else, which I'm fine with. Then one year we had a server tell us it had to be Rooty Tooty and nothing else, and they wouldn't bend despite what the coupon said. I had already ordered and gotten my pancakes and had to pay full price for those. Then for the next 3 years after that, it's the same hassle every time: We present the coupon UP FRONT to make sure we're clear, and we ALWAYS end up having to go through some hassle where the server starts by saying "That's only for Rooty Tooty", followed by us pointing out what it says, followed by the server going back to the manager and coming out and saying the manager would allow other pancakes (as if this was some kind of one-time favor). Then this year was the worst -- I ordered the seasonal pumpkin pancakes and after going through the "that's for Rooty Tooty only" nonsense and clearing up the "or any other stack" point, I was finally told pumpkin pancakes aren't their normal pancakes so they don't count (as if she knew what counts -- she didn't even know about the "or any other" clause). After some further arguing, the server said she'd have to check with the manager, and then came back and said in a pretty nasty tone, "the manager said they'd let you do it THIS TIME", emphasizing that last bit, and for some odd reason the server clearly didn't seem to like the decision. No idea why this was different because although these are seasonal, they're exactly the same price as a stack of buttermilk pancakes, and the coupon says "or any other stack", not "only our non-seasonal ones". So this is the last trip there. We've changed the birthday club deal to the other location where we always get...

This was the Stonecrest mall location Food was awesome. Manager was attentive and welcoming. The staff absolutely the worst. Whiling waiting at the counter a gentleman cam up to pay his tab. He handed the young lady a 100 bill. She stated they don’t have change immediately. Didn’t ask the manager didn’t say hold on a minute just quickly said she can’t make change. She stated most people pay with. He looked at me and laughed. I’ve never seen a restaurant do that. The cooks did an awesome job on food but the girls working the front were the WORST. Placed a pick up order valued at 66 dollars. Upon paying I attempted to leave tip. The young lady simply gave me both receipts and as she walked away I asked for a pen and said I want to leave a tip but she walked away soooo fast that maybe she didn’t hear me. So I waited until she came back and again asked for a pen she obviously wasn’t listening. I’ve worked these type of jobs before so I understand how important tips can be but she briskly walked away so fast. I assumed they were busy. But as I looked around the place wasn’t busy at all. Well regardless the manager came out and I saw his excellent customer service with others so I do applaud that. I had to ask for my strawberry biscuits order which was the first item on the receipt but wasn’t there. It made me feel like they were just trying to get me out of their face. No eye contact no warm greeting and even after that I still was going to leave a tip. Upon leaving I realized that there were no pancakes in the bag. IHOP. Pancakes are in the name but I didn’t get upset Ok. Accidents happen so I called to come back and they made them for me. Once back in store the dry reception continued. I calmly just took the pancakes and said thank you. I called back to speak to the manager but got hung up on. Then called again and stayed on hold for 15 as I heard them talk about baby daddy coming to pick up one as the others laughed and talked about how they don’t know why I called and he’s asking for a manager and laughing. Maybe they didn’t know I could hear them but they talked about their personal lives. Only if they were as happy when speaking with customers they could have a major success in business. I own a business and literally there is an IHOP across the street from my office. I’ve never had an issue and I don’t leave bad reviews from places I just don’t go back after bad service. The manager needs to see this. Those young ladies will cost him a lot...