IHOP — Restaurant in Tulsa

I’ve been a server in the restaurant industry for over 12 years, so I understand how restaurants operate and empathize with staff dealing with the public. I rarely write reviews, but my experience at this IHOP location two mornings ago was so poor that I feel compelled to share. My husband, our 2.5-year-old son, and I visited for breakfast, hoping for a pleasant meal. Unfortunately, it was one of the worst dining experiences we’ve had in a long time.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed an older female employee smoking beside the building. Upon entering, two servers glanced at us but turned back to their conversation without a smile, wave, or greeting. They didn’t bother to inform the host we were waiting. We stood at the entrance for what felt like an eternity, especially challenging while managing a toddler. The restaurant was nearly empty—maybe a handful of tables occupied—so there was no excuse for the delay. In my professional opinion, they had too many servers scheduled for such a slow morning, and most weren’t even working. Instead, I observed multiple servers standing around, chatting, and laughing about something unrelated to work. No one acknowledged us or reassured us someone would be with us soon.

Finally, a woman approached the host stand to seat us—the same employee I’d seen smoking outside. I understand taking a quick break if it’s been a hectic shift, but with so many servers idle, one of them should have covered her duties. This was the first red flag, but I brushed it off. I’d already gotten my toddler out of the car, and I didn’t want to upset him by wrestling him back into his car seat. My husband prefers booths, so he asked to be seated at one. The host agreed but, instead of placing us in one of the many empty booths near the front, led us to the back where large groups are typically seated. She gave us an oversized booth next to a loud party of women celebrating something. They weren’t doing anything wrong, but their volume made it an odd choice for a family with a small child when quieter options were available.

I requested a booster seat for my son, and the host said she’d bring one before walking away. She never returned with it. After waiting, I went to the server station myself to grab one, thinking it might signal to the three servers standing there that we hadn’t been helped yet. It didn’t. By this point, at least 10 minutes had passed—likely more—and we hadn’t even received water or had a server stop by to take our drink order. My toddler kept saying, “Hungry, eat,” and my husband was getting frustrated. We agreed to give it 10 more minutes before leaving. As you might guess, no one came. We packed up and walked out, passing the same servers still engrossed in their conversation. If they noticed us leaving, they didn’t care—they didn’t even look up.

In my years as a server, I’ve learned to distinguish between work-related talk and gossip. This was clearly the latter. The staff seemed oblivious to their responsibilities. As a server, you know when a guest makes eye contact or looks around, they need something. We weren’t demanding or difficult—my son is well-behaved, I always clean up after him, and I tip generously—but we were treated as an inconvenience. Whether it was poor teamwork, lack of awareness, or just indifference, it reflects badly on the entire front-of-house staff. I strongly suggest management address excessive fraternizing and foster better teamwork. A simple acknowledgment or a quick check-in could have made all the difference.

We ended up at a nearby Cracker Barrel, where the service was far better. My son enjoyed a toy from their gift shop, though he wasn’t a fan of their pancakes. He loves IHOP’s pancakes, so it sucks he didn’t get any. We eat out often, and this was, without question, the worst restaurant experience we’ve had in years. I hope our visit was an anomaly and not indicative of regular operations, but I won’t be returning to this location. Good luck—I sincerely hope things improve, as this kind of service could drive...

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!

We arrived at 5:00, we had somewhere to be at 6:30. It took 15 minutes before a waitress appeared for me to flag down to see if we would be waited on. There were only 3 other tables in the whole restaurant at the time. She apologized and rushed over and said, "I guess whoever had this section must have gone on break without telling anyone". We gave our drink order and asked for the manager. We explained, our now hurry, and she said she would have our order expedited. Our meal came rather quickly and was good, the waitress was attentive though a bit inept, and things were moving along. The waitress later brings the check and says, "No rush, I will be your cashier and my manager put a discount on there for you". We came after 4 PM and had 2 kids with us so the kids ate free. I look at the ticket and that was the 'discount' I guess she meant. My mother became offended at this point and asked for the manager saying that's why we came because kids eat free and that's the discount she offered after everything? She then informed the waitress she is a senior and would like her discount. She is a senior, who never asks for senior discount ever! However, this was insulting. The manager, Tamara(?), came back over. Mind you the first time she came she was slightly rude and made excuses for her completely absent staff. Now she was giving us a hard time about the 2 discounts we should have recieved whether we had experienced a problem or not! My mother told her she shouldn't have said she was offering us a discount for our poor experience then give us only the ones we would have gotten anyway. The manager said, "My hands are tied. I rushed your food and gave you a discount." After arguing for a minute with us she went and gave us a 5% discount. When she came back I looked over the check and noticed that I was mischarged for a cup of soup I had added to my wrap. The receipt showed $1.99 when it should have been $0.99. I called the manager over one last time and explained I would pay for it the was it was bit I was mischarged. She snatched the check and my card out of my hand and told me she would fix it. The waitress was sweet and attentive, once we asked for service, though not a stellar waitress. She tried!! The manager was horrible and rude. I will not be recommending to...

Stop trying to order a milkshake to go along with the ice water. As I was waiting on my drink I went to the restroom and came back and was greeted buy a impatience waitress who told me it was time for her to go home and it was the end of her shift and the total that I needed to pay her was $9.68. I asked her nicely How could a milkshake and a water cost almost $10. I asked his four times and the Hispanic waitress acted like she didn't understand English so Isaiah Wynn nicely requested a receipt. Once again I had to ask several times and I finally got a response. She stated ma'am you don't understand you paid in cash so the computer does not print a receipt if you want a receipt you must use a credit card or debit card. I asked to speak to a manager three or four times and of course once again she acted like she didn't understand anything I was stating or asking. What I was really not looking forward to was explaining to my husband that I just spent $10 on one milkshake and the water of course. So I walked to where my husband was sitting at the front of the lobby and explain to him what had just happened. At first he thought I might have fell in the toilet and was stuck in the bathroom. He grabbed the milkshake and water and went back in to speak with the lady. He asked to speak to your manager several times and once again she acted like she did not understand English. She ended up reaching in her front pocket and throwing the money in front of my husband. However when she did this she actually threw $11 in front of him. After she did this she demanded that my husband pay for the water because the straw was already inserted into drink and he must have had a sip of it. The funny thing is the water came with the straw already in the drink. This time she decided to charge $2 for tap water in a cup. Needless to say my husband gave her the $2 and I said building insisting that I call IHOP and get online immediately to write a review. So now I find myself what's in ice water craving a milkshake. Spending my time writing this review in English of course cuz we do live in America and I can't...