IHOP — Restaurant in Virginia

Who your waiter/waitress is really plays a huge role in your experience. Myself along with 5 others visited this location for breakfast Sunday morning (4/25/2021). When seated a young lady came to our table to get our drink orders and after she took them, asked us if we were ready to place our food order. Of course we were because we know how it can be in a busy kitchen. Mind you, this location looked empty. I understand they can’t have a large crowd because of Covid, so I expected us to get our food in a decent amount of time. While waiting we spent our time catching up and entertaining ourselves, at 45-50 minutes I ask where are our drinks. This lady didn’t put in our drink order or our food order. We couldn’t even ask our waitress where the drinks were because WE DIDN’T SEE HER. One of the members in our group had to ask a lady who was cleaning a table about the drinks. Then they showed up, about 30 minutes after that the same gentleman asked to talk to a manager. Manager walks over, “dang, y’all haven’t got your food yet?” Of course we haven’t because you stuck a party of 6 with a waitress who appears to have just started that day! They talk and he tells us he’s going to the kitchen to check it out. He was also asked about a discount in the discussion, which he replied “I got you”. After the waitress brought the drinks out she disappeared, AGAIN. Not once did she check on us, ask if we maybe needed a refill or something. We had to ask another waitress if we could get refills. I prefer my water room temperature and always order water without ice. When the lady brought the refills of course my water had ice. She didn’t know and I wasn’t about to ask for a different glass of water. The manager finally returns with food and there’s a waiter and waitress with him, both not our server, but carrying our food. I didn’t care because I was just thankful the food had arrived. The food was excellent! The orders were wrong, unfortunately. The kitchen did what they had to do when it was crunch time. I feel like he went back there and asked where our food is and they said our orders were put in 20 minutes ago. He tells them that we’ve been waiting for over an hour for our food and to make it now. What really made ME feel disrespected was how on it she was when it was time to cash out. She didn’t even wait until we left to collect the signed copies. I tipped because I always tip and will forever tip. I’m not telling you not to go, I’m just saying ask for G or the young skinny red hair girl. I wish I could have tipped the kitchen. Oh, the “I got you” the manager mentioned... that turned out to be 10% military discount. I’m already in the military, I just shook my head and asked myself why would they do that to this young lady? She should have been servicing the elderly couple that came in after us, and yes they did get their food and drinks before...

After a poor first experience, we decided to give this location another chance. We would have been better off elsewhere.

Our first time at this location, we received rushed, impersonal service from our waitress and a longer than acceptable wait time for food. We waited 15 mins for a table and the restaurant was very loud as they were crowded. Once seated, we ordered and then waited about 35 mins before our meals arrived. Once we received our meals, we were immediately given our check and were made to feel less than welcome to spend time enjoying our meal. First experience, not so great. They were busy though, and busyness causes tension and stress, so the uninviting atmosphere was a bit more understandable. So we decided to try again...

Second time, we were seated almost immediately and greeted by our waitress, Grace. She was friendly, and she brought us our drinks and took our orders just as soon as we were ready. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. About 25 mins later, she refreshed our beverages. And then we waited some more. After waiting for 40 mins for our food to arrive, we were irritable and hangry, but thankful to have food in front of our faces. Until I went to take a bite of my brunch burger and found that it was missing the thing I was most looking forward to: the egg. So I ate my side of pancakes and my husband called to a waitress passing by (not our Grace) to see if it could be remade, this time with the egg, and we specified that it had been made with turkey bacon. She apologized and very kindly immediately took it back to be remade and came out to tell us they were putting a rush on it, it should be done soon. She apologized again and we thanked her. By this time, my pancakes were eaten and my husbands meal was just about finished, so I decided to get a box for my burger because we had somewhere to be. We had given ourselves an hour and ten mins to have a meal at IHOP, and unfortunately we needed all of that and then some. Well, the remade burger came out within ten mins of her taking it back, but it had been made with regular bacon instead of turkey bacon! Ugh. Being in a rush, I decided to just take what I was given, but my husband asked to speak with a manager. He very cordially explained the scenario and did so with the intention of the manager being equipped to handle future situations like this. He did not ask for any kind of reimbursement or discount. The manager was kind enough to discount the burger that had been made incorrectly for us twice, and we appreciate that. But after two poor experiences at this location, we will not...

9:52am I ordered online from the parking lot, parked in a spot directly outside the door, for curbside pick-up. I called 2 minutes after my order to add 2 butter pecan syrups and confirm my order and phone number and that I was already in the parking lot waiting with my toddler for her special day sprinkle pancakes. We made silly faces and video called her grandparents waiting patiently for 10:12 to arrive (the estimated time of completion of our order) Knowing not everything is exact, I saw that time come and go, figuring they were busy, or behind somehow, it happens. Finally, 25 min AFTER my order was supposed to have been done, I called inside to check on it. They said, yes, it's done are you coming in to get it? ..... No, I ordered curbside pick up because I have my toddler with me, I didn't want to bring her in, or have to leave her in the car..... Ok, it'll be right out.... I see a lady walk out, and deliver someone ELSE their food... And 5 minutes later, I was furious. I got my daughter out, walked in, and asked for my food. Oh, here it is... I left before I got loud. Cold, sitting there for now a half hour. No sorry, you want it warmed? Remade? Nothing. 3x confirmed curbside. Says "curbside" on the receipt. WHY?!? Why was my food left to just sit at the front desk getting breathed on, going soggy, while everyone got there's hot and brought out? Thank you for making me expose my 3yr old (and myself) to everyone that had walked in that door the last 3 hours so that she could have cold, melted whipped cream, soggy sprinkle pancakes for her special day. Great job. Never using this location again. 2* because she still ate her pancakes without crying about her no toppings. But they forgot my coffee, only 1 syrup, and what looked to have been delicious eggs and hashbrowns for me, I told my husband he could heat and eat or throw away, I was too disgusted with the lack of service to even try tasting my cold lump of breakfast. I'd...