IHOP

This weeks foodie fave takes us to none other than IHOP! For a bit of change, we wanted to go for breakfast rather than dinner and this was the obvious choice. In our opinion, it's the best place to get breakfast, but IHOP has much more to offer than just breakfast items! Renowned for it's great selection of pancakes, the menu also hosts a large variety of omelettes, crepes, french toast and other breakfast delights. Their lunch and dinner menu includes many American diner style classics and even includes fish and chips.

You should always pick the time wisely that you come here, so the fact that they are open 24/7 gives great scope to plan. For example, if you go on a Sunday you will be greeted with a line of people waiting out of the door. They are usually fairly quick turning over tables here though so it all depends if you don't mind waiting for a bit. Now one of our favourite things about IHOP is the unlimited coffee and believe me...we really get our moneys worth! It's a kick-starter for a busy day so if you're off to the parks then this is a great way to fill your stomach ready for a full day of rides.

We usually like to try and change up our order each time we go, but sometimes you just have to return to your old favourite. Shaun ordered the southwest scramble, which included scrambled eggs with jack and cheddar topped with salsa and avocado served with red potato pepper and onion hash and a side of toast. I ordered the quick two egg breakfast (two fried eggs, hash browns and I swapped bacon/sausage for mushrooms). Both meals were served not overly hot, but enough that we could still enjoy. All the servers are kept on their toes looking after several tables, so food can be left on the hot plate for a while during the busy dining times. The southwest scramble was a nice refreshing twist on the usual breakfast; with the kick of the salsa and the freshness of the avocado. The quick two egg breakfast was not as good as usual due the the hash browns being over done and the eggs not being cooked enough (I always order over easy and it's usually fine). It wasn't enough to put me off this dish for good but I will be trying something else next time.

With it being the International House Of Pancakes, it just wouldn't be right to leave without indulging. The great thing about IHOP is; they always change up their flavours, but remain loyal to the classics (such as blueberry and New York cheesecake). They also had a seasonal special for the new Grinch film coming out, they were offering bright green pancakes and 'Minty Who' hot chocolate. We decided to order from the International Pancakes menu and it was a choice between the Belgian dark chocolate mousse or the Mexican Tres Leches. In keeping with Shaun's Mexican style main, we went for the Mexican Tres Leches and I'm also a huge lover of anything caramel! We managed to avoid the temptation to dive right in so that we could get some pictures for your enjoyment! From the pictures, you can see there were no half measures with the caramel and vanilla; so to share this was the sweet treat we were looking for to round off the meal and meant it wasn't too sickly.

Overall, we would recommend IHOP if you're looking for the following:

• Budget dining. Family orientated atmosphere.
• Friendly and fast service.
• Good selection of breakfast and lunch options.
• A restaurant open 24/7.

Our rating for IHOP is 4/5. (our past pleasant experiences helps to lift the score, however this particular experience wasn't our best, but maybe this is us being picky!).