The Easy Workaround For Adults To Order Off The Kids Menu At IHOP And Save Money

The kid's menu at a restaurant often offers families excellent deals, but with a catch: an age limit. Most restaurants will cap the kid's menu at around 12 years old, and IHOP is no exception. Per the menu on IHOP's website, the kid's menu offerings, which can range anywhere between $5 and $7 depending on location, are off-limits to anyone 13 or over. Fortunately, there's a workaround for adults with a smaller appetite who want to eat IHOP's iconic pancakes on a budget: ordering online.

While some waiters may refuse to serve you a kid's meal or upcharge you for the meal if you order in person, IHOP's online platform has no way to verify if you're ordering food for yourself or for a child in your party. This means that if you order online, you can get your pancakes at kid's menu prices no matter your age. This can be a really great deal, since the kid's menu features the Silver Five, a meal with five silver pancakes and a side, for just under $6 or $7.

By comparison, a standard short stack of three buttermilk pancakes from the regular menu is priced between $7.99 and $8.99, depending on location. Despite the kids pancakes being a bit smaller, this still nets you more food with more variety, since the short stack doesn't include a side in its price, whereas the kid's meal offering does.

If you are eating at IHOP with your kids, in addition to ordering a kid's menu meal for yourself, there are times when you can get cheaper or even free food for your children. For instance, IHOP has a promotion where kids can get a free Scary Face pancake during the week of Halloween, though this does require the purchase of an adult entree. Some IHOP restaurants will also let kids eat free from 4 to 10 p.m. if their parents buy a regular meal.

In addition to these deals, adults can get a free stack of pancakes on their birthday if they have a Bank of Pancakes (IHOP's reward program) membership, as well as a free stack when they first create their account. You can also get a free short stack on National Pancake Day every year, typically around late February or early March. Members of the military, whether current or veterans, also get free pancakes on Veteran's Day. Seniors looking for a discount can skip the kids' menu and instead order from the senior menu, which features several of the chain's iconic dishes at cheaper prices than the standard menu.