Restaurant Review

On Thursday March 10th, 2016, I and a few of my friends had dinner at an IHOP in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This restaurant serves mostly breakfast. There was plenty of available parking located in the front of the building and also in the back. From the outside, the restaurant looked nice. When we walked in there was a register and a sign that said “Please wait to be seated”. There were also some benches around the lobby for when customers had to wait before being seated. However, we were greeted almost immediately and were seated right away and we did not have reservations. The dining area was one room that consisted of both booths and tables with chairs. We were seated at a booth. The space between the booths was a decent size, but I think some of the tables were a little too close. The atmosphere felt very family friendly. The room had a warm color scheme and the décor on the walls were paintings of food. There was some subtle music playing. It wasn’t too loud and it wasn’t too quiet. They played a variety of music and none of it had any inappropriate lyrics. Overall, the atmosphere was family friendly.

When we sat at our table, our server came to our table almost right away. Our server’s name was Raul. He was very friendly, quick, and polite. He got all of our orders and drinks correct on the first try, too. First, Raul took our drink order. While he went to get our drinks, we looked over the menu to see what we wanted. 

The menu was colorful and easy to read and there were pictures of most of the items. The prices were affordable, considering my friends and I are broke college students and were able to afford to eat here. The prices were reasonable, as well, because I was able to get two meals out of my dish. There was a range of options, including omelets, pancakes, waffles, crepes, and more. There was also an adult menu as well as a children’s menu.

 When Raul brought us our drinks, we were all ready to order. I ordered the breakfast crepes. In about 15 minutes, Raul came back with our food. My food looked delicious. The crepe looked moist and the bacon was cooked well. The serving size was enough to feed me at the restaurant and also later back home. The only thing that I would have changed about my meal was that I wish it would have had more sauce on it. That’s my favorite part. Throughout our visit, Raul visited our table a few times, but not so much that it was annoying or disruptive. All of the waiters and waitresses were dressed in white, button-up shirts and black pants. The girls had their hair tied back. The dress code was clean and professional.

The clientele of the restaurant was diverse. There were people of all ages around. At our table, there were college-aged people, behind us was an elderly couple, and a few tables over there was a family with young children. The clientele all seemed to be of the middle class and there seemed to be an even amount of people from each gender present. Of the people who were in the restaurant, a majority of them were Caucasian and there were also some African Americans, as well.

IHOP’s website is very user friendly. At the home page, you are greeted with a giant picture of their featured dish. Right now, that dish is their new Double Dipped French Toast. There are two kinds of this new dish and there are pictures of both of those options. As you scroll down the homepage, there is a spot to search for a nearby IHOP, a spot to sign-up for their birthday club, and also links to their social media pages. At the top of the page, there is a toolbar that includes links to IHOP’s menu, their story, and their contact information.

I decided to take a look at IHOP’s history and I found that they became a restaurant in 1958. They cater to people of all ages and ethnicities and offer affordable food “with warm and friendly service”. IHOP’s philosophy offers a few suggestions on how to enjoy your time at IHOP. These suggestions are come as you are, savor every minute, go with the flow, be good to yourself, and get it anytime. IHOP’s values include integrity, excellence, innovation, accountability, inclusion, trust, and community. As of 2015, there are 1,650 different IHOP locations throughout the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Dubai, Guatemala, Kuwait, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, The Philippines, and the Virgin Islands. One thing that I found out about IHOP while exploring their website is that they changed their logo to incorporate a smile under the “O” and the “P” because they have seen so many smiles in their restaurant since they’ve been open!

Overall, my visit to IHOP was very enjoable! I had a good time with great friends and food. I would definitely  recommend coming to this establishment!