6 Breakfast Chains That Aren't Worth The Money

Going out to eat might be more expensive than it's ever been, and breakfast restaurants are no exception. In recent years, diners have sounded alarm bells about just how overpriced restaurants are becoming; even formerly budget chains are now prohibitively pricey for the average diner. The food at some chains, customers say, has also decreased in quality or portion size, while prices continue to skyrocket. 

But hey — breakfast has always been easy and cheap, right? A couple of eggs, a little pancake mix, and a few strips of bacon — it's hard to mess up. But no, even breakfast chains seem to be going downhill. These are some of the breakfast chains that diners say just aren't worth the money anymore, either because of rising prices, a dip in quality, or a combination of the two. We used social media discussions to determine a customer consensus; a full methodology is included below.

The International House of Pancakes may be losing some of its continental appeal. As its name implies, IHOP specializes in pancakes, which it churns out late into the night at some locations. But besides that, there's a kind of nostalgia related to eating at IHOP: the blue roofs, the eternally sticky tables, and the array of flavored syrups feel like relics of a time gone by.

But if you haven't been to IHOP in a while, you might experience a little sticker shock when revisiting the chain today. "Am I insane, or are these prices ridiculous?" said one Reddit user. "$12 for a 2x2x2 is something I'd expect at a local diner, not a subpar chain like IHOP."

While prices may have gone up for the 2x2x2, which has since been renamed the "Breakfast Faves Combo," at certain locations, some IHOP customers also say they're getting less for their money. "They are making the pancakes smaller," said one Facebook user. Another Reddit user noted that their local IHOP removed the syrup selection from tables and would no longer leave the coffee carafe behind for customers to serve themselves. "Not IHOP anymore, but IWONT," they said. 

Cracker Barrel has had it rough, even before its 2025 rebrand caused immediate, widespread, and baffling controversy. Former fans of the chain's crowd-pleasing, American comfort food staples now say the food's on the decline and that the chain has gone downhill. "Quality is not what it used to be," said one Reddit user. "Dry hash brown casserole, lousy biscuits." After a visit to their local Cracker Barrel, one frustrated Reddit user said that the portions had gotten smaller, adding in a comment, "I love [Cracker Barrel], but they're doing everything they can to drive me away."

In addition, Cracker Barrel announced on a 2024 investor call that the chain would begin "optimizing" its price points at locations around the country. While Cracker Barrel's CEO Julie Felss Masino claimed some locations would see a reduction in price, others raised menu prices by as much as 5% (via New York Post).

That price hike has been the last straw for many Cracker Barrel diners who were already complaining of decreased quality and portion size. The chain reported a 10% drop in traffic in the second quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript of its earnings call that quarter. "Cracker Barrel is not doing anything to keep their dedicated guests," commented one Reddit user who claimed to be a server at the chain.

Denny's has long filled a niche as America's diner, serving up affordable breakfast and simple fare at over 1,000 locations — many of which offer either late-night or 24/7 hours.  Recently, however, many customers have noted that the cost of eating at Denny's outweighs the benefit. The Lumberjack Slam combo platter, previously priced at just $5.99, now goes for more than $18 at some Denny's locations. Like Cracker Barrel, Denny's prices do vary by location, so there's some variation in just how expensive it has become.

It's not just the big combo platters that have gone up in price, either: one Facebook poster noted that it cost them $5 to add a side of hash browns to their meal. "I don't get it," said one Reddit user of the chain's increased prices. "$30 just for myself ... that oversteps the price to time ratio of just get it from the grocery store."

As a result of the increased prices and decreased quality, other former aficionados say they've been driven away from Denny's in favor of local breakfast joints. "Chains are going to kill themselves if they don't realize they are more expensive than better locally owned places," commented a Reddit user.

Waffle House has a reputation for reliability to the point that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) even uses a measure called the "Waffle House index" to determine the severity of inclement weather. But some Waffle House adherents say its prices have gone up by too much to make dining at the chain worth it. "Moved back south and Waffle House seems comically expensive," reads one Reddit post. "Not even three years ago, I remember being able to get an All-Star Breakfast for like $8. Now they're almost $13."

But unlike other chains that raise their prices all at once, Waffle House opts for incremental increases over time, says some customers. "Waffle House raises some of their prices by .05-.15 cents every few months," said a Reddit commenter. These periodic price increases seem to have outpaced what some customers are willing to pay. "$7.50 to $13 in less than 3 years is not an acceptable increase," one Reddit user commented. 

In another thread, Reddit users discussed a dip in quality at Waffle House. One reply blamed it on new waffle iron plates, but whatever the underlying cause, it's clearly leading some customers to declare Waffle House no longer worth the price. "It just sucks that it feels like it's slowly getting worse while quickly getting more expensive," read the original post. "If I can do it cheaper at home, I will, and have been," commented another customer.

Dunkin' used to be synonymous with a quick, cheap, grab-and-go breakfast that came with a halfway decent cup of coffee. Although Dunkin' is still more affordable than Starbucks (which is one of the major differences between the coffee giants), as its quality has declined and its prices inch upwards, some customers have begun to leave it behind in favor of the bigger chain. "So bad that I completely switched over to Starbucks and haven't looked back," said one Redditor.

Dunkin's prices have increased significantly over the last few years, and it's not just the drinks. In a post on Reddit, a Dunkin' customer asked, "A coffee with [cold foam] here went from like 3.45 to 5.50. Do they think they're [Starbucks] or something?" Another Reddit user shared a photo of two Dunkin' receipts — one from 2022 and one from 2025. The same order went from $9.46 to $12.98. "And they don't even have a good rewards system/deals anymore," the same user continued, likely in reference to the 2022 DD Perks overhaul. In other words, customers feel they're no longer rewarded for their loyalty at Dunkin'.

Many customers also say the quality at Dunkin' has decreased. "If we're being real, it's fast food trash these days," one Reddit commenter said of the chain. Another Dunkin' customer complained that their iced coffee "quite literally tastes like creek water." "I think it's gonna be the last time I get a coffee ... and I was an avid [Dunkin'] lover," they continued. 

Whereas many breakfast chains focus on the fast, cheap, and easy, First Watch, at least outwardly, looks like an upscale alternative. Restaurants like Denny's and IHOP may stay open at all hours, but First Watch only offers seating for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Its menu includes options like the Elevated Egg Sandwich (featuring Gruyère cheese and served on a brioche bun), lemon ricotta pancakes, and strawberry tres leches French toast, alongside a rotating selection of seasonal options.

This is all reflected in the chain's pricing, which some customers say is even more elevated than its menu. Diners on a Reddit thread discussing one of the chain's locations generally agreed that First Watch's food is "decent," even "pretty good," although it doesn't always justify the price. "First Watch is fine," argued another commenter in a separate Reddit thread. "It's just Waffle House with cloth napkins." 

But some diners say that the quality of its food doesn't always justify the price point; it doesn't offer them anything they can't make themselves for a fraction of the price. "Brunch places need to up their game in general. I can make eggs and grits at home for like a dollar fifty," said one Reddit commenter.

To determine which popular chain breakfast restaurants customers feel are no longer worth the price, we searched Facebook and Reddit for posts complaining about increases in prices and decreases in quality. We looked for similar complaints and a general consensus that a chain was no longer worth the money. Where applicable, we cited statistics to verify rising prices or declining restaurant traffic, using archived versions of restaurant menus, customer photos of past receipts, and transcripts or summaries of earnings calls.

While many of these chains also serve lunch or dinner, and a few are even open late into the night, we considered them "breakfast chains" because they have a significant variety of breakfast offerings on their menus and offer early-morning hours at many locations. We generally prioritized international, national, or regional chains over local ones.