The 68-Year-Old Breakfast Chain Customers Say Isn't Worth It Anymore

At one time, IHOP was known for serving up massive portions of American-style breakfast food at all hours of day or night. Since 1958, it has been The Great Equalizer — inebriated artists, broke college students, and insomniac businessmen could all congregate at their local IHOP in sacred solidarity. Nowadays, however, competitors like Waffle House are also open to the late-night crowd, and shed light on an unflattering comparison: IHOP's food is often pretty lousy, actually. The dishes coming out aren't as good as they used to be, say fans, many of whom agree that the restaurant chain simply isn't worth visiting anymore. 

It may not currently be a great time to be an IHOP fan, but it once was. As one customer in a Reddit post rants, "I miss the old IHOP ... First they get rid of 90% of their menu items that were 'difficult to prepare' ... If you had any favorite items that were taken off the menu as well let's reminisce over the good times. I miss their cream cheese frosting and flavored hot chocolates." Here at Tasting Table, we've praised IHOP's Mexican Tres Leches Pancakes and Spicy Poblano Omelette in previous taste-tests due to these unique flavors, which are more complex than the stripped-down diner classics that foodies can make themselves at home. Alas, the post's comments section is filled with similarly disappointed customer testimonials, whether from low-quality food orders or intensely bad service. Overall, the trend seems to be an all-encompassing downturn in the IHOP dining experience.

Another Reddit post solemnly predicts, "IHOP will go out of business." The poster argues that inflation-era prices have made it feel unjustifiable to eat at IHOP nowadays — especially considering the recent menu shift toward pared-down, basic dishes that are just as easy to make at home, and aren't exceptionally tasty. Commenters agree, with one lamenting, "[I] used to love the breakfast burritos when they first came out, now they're almost double the price." Another complains, "IHOP quality has consistently gone down. The prices consistently go up."

Indeed, as price and quality drift further apart, IHOP's customer traffic seems to be floundering in recent years. According to the IHOP website, the chain had 1,790 total locations as of June 2023 with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. Fast-forward to March 2026, and the chain's U.S. presence sits at 1,683 (according to data analytics firm ScrapeHero). In fact, two states do not have a single IHOP location.

In addition to these apparent closures, IHOP's sales dropped by $38 million in 2025 compared to 2024, as reported by Franchise Times. Last October, IHOP President Lawrence Kim shared that high-quality service and value pricing would be integral to the chain's persistence, or (hopefully) comeback. "We focused on simplifying back-of-house operations to improve speed and accuracy," says Kim, per the outlet. In execution, however, it seems that oversimplifying the menu has served to eliminate the items that once kept returning customers coming back.