The WBC feels fortunate to have several devoted fans. These are the readers who have stuck with us over the last year and a half, who check out our breakfast adventures week after week, and who provide us with reinforcing feedback.
So, when we received a thoughtfully writen review of an IHOP in Jersey from one of said readers, we wanted to give him a guest spot on our blog.
Without further delay, here is a review from our very own WBC Groupie!
WBC Groupie, Birthday Edition: IHOP Hasbrouck Heights, NJ…Better than your average IHOP.
Since it was almost on our way to Wild West City (we were headed to Netcong, NJ…is anything “on the way” to Netcong??), the family and I stopped into the Hasbrouck Heights IHOP for a quick breakfast. The first thing I noticed was that the place was much larger than the one we have on Central Avenue in Hartsdale. Also, that there were several cars in the lot at ~10:15a.m. on a weekday…a good sign? The exterior and interior were typical IHOP decor, except that inside they had a train track suspended from the ceiling near the waiting area, that meandered around parts of the restaurant. My kids enjoyed watching the train make a few circuits before returning their attention to their respective handheld video gaming/music devices…or to pestering my wife. When entering, we were immediately and rather warmly greeted by the host…a sure sign we were not in a NY IHOP. Within seconds we were shown to our table where my morning caffeine fix awaited, albeit without a coffee mug to pour it into (technicality). That minor setback was remedied quickly as our waitress swooped to the rescue, mug in hand.
After a quick tour of the breakfast menus (kids’ and adults’), orders were placed and after a couple rounds of Family Feud app with my daughter, our food arrived. I won’t go into details on everyone’s meals. Instead, I’ll highlight the kids’ menu items and my own. From the kids’ menu, my two boys ordered chocolate chip silver dollar pancakes, that came w/eggs and bacon. It’s important to reiterate, kids’ menu. These meals were most notable for their sheer volume of food for a child (what U.S. childhood obesity problem?)…and their price (you get what you pay for, and you get a lot…do the math). What arrived for each of them: 5 choc chip silver dollar pancakes, a scrambled egg, 3 slices of bacon, and a small bowl of whipped cream. Surprisingly, my boys managed to eat most of their respective mountainous “kids’ menu” meals (growth spurts forthcoming?).
Figuring we wouldn’t eat again until dinner, I settled on the hash and eggs w/ pancakes for myself. The hash was perfectly cooked and there was a lot of it. I love my hash to have a crisp layer on top, but not totally dried out, and that’s exactly what I got. The eggs were good, if ever-so-slightly on the dry side, and there were plenty of them, too (it’d put the over at 4). For “dessert”, I doused my 3 large buttermilk pancakes in blueberry syrup. The pancakes were thick and fluffy and very good. I cleared my plates and managed to nab a slice of bacon from my youngest. The bacon was also cooked to perfection…although, it’s hard to screw up the meat-candy that is bacon.
Overall, everyone enjoyed their breakfasts. Being an IHOP, I wasn’t expecting the bill to be as substantial as the meals. After all, it’s IHOP. But on this day, our breakfast would turn out to be more pricey than our dinners + desserts at Cracker Barrel. I chalk this up to the kids’ menu being farcical. In a nutshell, if you’re ever driving though Hasbrouck Heights craving a huge, quality breakfast, and you just got paid, then loosen your belt and give ‘em a go.