I usually go to the place for diner and have a great experience. The staff is always nice and te food always good and well prepared. But i came here last time for lunch and... Well my salad, they forgot the bread, the egg and the bacon... I just had lettuce and chicken. Also i never had a refill on my drink or water. Nobody came once ask us if we needed something.
(3)
S.J. T.
This place literally "SUCKS". My girlfriend and I went here tonight, and the hostess/waitress tried sitting us at an unclean booth with dirty napkins on the floor from the previous customers. I decided to get up, and move to the cleaner booth behind us. I should've known this wasn't the right joint just by the emptiness of the place. I ordered a twoxtwoxtwo which includes pancakes, two strips of bacon, and eggs the new simply fit, and the chic brought out 4 slices of toast, crispy ass bacon, and egg substitute. This place is a place I definitely will not consider in the future. Then she told me that my meal didn't come with pancakes, which I sat there and waited for for over 20 minutes until she went to the back where the cook was and said they debated that item coming with my meal and that they were wrong.. It seemed more like a fucking training facility for people not willing to put in work, only there to collect a paycheck. They don't even serve boysenberry syrup any more. She didn't even come over to check on us or anything. We had to ask for the bill, literally.. If I could, I'd give this place 0 stars. They need a brand new line up of workers.. I'll be definitely calling corporate.
(1)
Ian K.
I generally don't review chain restaurants, but I'm really impressed with this new IHOP location. The staff are genuinely friendly, the food is good, the portions sizable, the restaurant bright and clean and there's free WiFi. (which I'm using to post this review right now) A nice addition to this corner of El Cerrito, and miles better than the dreary, grungy nearby Denny's or the undeservingly lauded FatApple's. FYI, says on the door they are open to 10pm Sunday-Thussday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
(5)
Jose A.
getting a burger for dinner
(5)
Carla L.
I just had a great breakfast fresh fruits delicious pancakes I recommend this place over denneys and the service was great plus we got a discount because my cousin knew one of the workers so we ending up tipping em the discount lol I told my cousin to double it but he didn't ..cheap bustard lol
(4)
Lindsay V.
I've been waiting to update my review for over a year now. I finally revisited this IHOP and was happy with my visit. After my last review, I was very pleased the owner, Eric, reached out to me. I was very appreciative of this after a mediocre experience my first time here. I finally made it in today and had a wonderful dining experience even with a large Sunday crowd. Even though there were ten groups in front of us, we were seated within 15 minutes of arriving. The host staff was friendly and cheerful. I could tell they were having fun with their jobs on this particular day. Our waitress, Alice, did an awesome job and was fun to converse with. Hats off to her for making us feel welcome without being too overbearing (not one of those waitresses that asks you how everything tastes before you've even had your first bite). She seemed calm and collected even though the place was slammed. We ordered the mozzarella sticks, which you have to try! This IHOP goes above and beyond with their cheese sticks; it's hard to screw up cheese sticks but some are better than others and these hit the mark. I ordered the crispy waffle combo w ham, eggs, and hash browns (I was ravenous). The crispy waffles are only available for a limited time, but that is OK because they are too sweet! Furthermore, the strawberry topping was cold; I think it would have been better warmed up first and then poured over the waffles. Everything else I ordered though was splendid. My bf ordered the spicy chicken sandwich; he claimed it was slightly bland, so I advise avoiding that item. With so many other tasty food items on the menu, I don't think that should be a problem. Overall, I was very pleased with my dining experience today. I will be back in the future; that's for sure. A lot can change in a year and this IHOP has made several improvements. Keep it up!
(4)
Gina H.
Horrible. I called in my order at 12 to be picked up at 12:45 and when I get there, there was nothing ready... um, okay... As I looked around, irritated, the guy walking out the door who I found out was who told me he actually answered my call actually had nerve to say that he told me he said he would get the order together once I came in, WTF? What is the point of calling ahead? To make matters worse, a youngish girl working behind the counter rudely says, "it doesn't take that long to make an omelet you know." She doesn't even look at me. Neither does the manager/cashier as she rings me up. I guess this is business as normal? So I ordered my simple and fit omelet with a side of fruit. AGAIN. Anyway it took a few minutes to get the order but when I got back to work it was SO watery!!! YUCK! I just kept telling myself its protein to get it down. I will NEVER come back again.
(1)
Angela H.
Wow, this probably the smallest IHOP I've ever been to. The wait on a weekend was kind of nuts. The food took a long time to come out, too, and it was just so-so. I got the banana nutella crepes, and they were kind of plain. They just had a drizzle of nutella and maybe half a banana sliced on top. I thought they were gonna be filled with both. Oh well. I know not to come back again.
(2)
Vee C.
Decided to come here after receiving bad customer service from Dennys. I have to say from the time we walked in until we left the staff was amazing. Byron our waiter was rocking the whole place. He was the only waiter for the entire restaurant. We watched him take care of every customer and didn't skip a beat!
(5)
Chrystal J.
A friend and I went to IHOP in El Cerrito, ca. Firstly, the inside entrance floor way, where you wait to be seated was so dirty. (I mean dirty). The windows are in need of a good cleaning. (for real) I ordered, I had to ask for my toast, which came when I was about done with the breakfast. The toast was cold and a little bit of butter. My friend has instant mashed potatoes and the turkey was cut in little chunks with hardly no gravy. We deserve better than a place like that. No more going to IHOP. Oh! and the staff is young. One worker came in to work, but went to the soda machine to get soda without washing his hands
(1)
Kat K.
Horrible food! No taste just too salty! & burnt bacon! Is nasty! The soda had no gas all watered down! & the food was cold, pancakes no flavor & no butter for the toast not to mention hot orange juice!!! As soon as we sat down the waiter wanted to know what we wanted, dam we had just gotten there! Then we had just received our meal to eat & the waiter brings the receipt like wtf! Let us atleast get halfway done! Btw the coffee is also nasty! No taste. & the place is filthy dirty! Went once & never again.
(1)
Coral V.
The service was amazing! We were so impressed with how friendly everyone is my family found the manager just to tell her how wonderful the staff was. The food was yummy too. My favorite is the Nutella crepes with bananas.
(5)
Muffy J.
Are you kidding what is wrong with those pancakes . They used to be big and thick now they are extremely small.
(2)
Eddie K.
Disappointing. My "lunch break" did not occur until 8:40pm and I was at the restaurant by 8:45 pm, while I was seated right away, it was 10 minutes before my order was taken and 25 minutes before it was on the serving shelf. Do the math.... 35... THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. The straw that broke the camel's back was the waitress walked into the serving area and turned right instead of left to pick up the food. The manager? behind a partition dicking around with his phone. There were four working tables... and one waitress. The manager couldn't pitch in? I was on my first (and last refill). I got up and walked out. I called the store and the manager apologize.... "come back and you can take your order with you, no charge." How nice... no charge. In that case you eat, because your lack of care and service cost you my business and a phone call to your store's regional manager. Have a nice day. Oh put down that damn phone and do your job. I have dined here twice before when I work evenings and have had an otherwise pleasant experience. I'm in the customer service industry and I know what, how and why to provide stellar customer service. I won't go back to this location.
(1)
Esmeralda H.
This is the best IHOP restaurant i have ever been in. JASON the server is awesome. He is always smiling with a positive attitude and makes me feel welcome. The food is delicious and everytime I travel to Northern California I make sure, I arrive here. Recommended!!!
(5)
Morgan K.
Terrible service, they got our orders wrong. Took long to get food. And to top it all off they had no toilet paper in the bathroom. Not fun using seat covers as toilet paper.... Good thing I'll never be in this area for any reason.
(1)
Reshmi A.
For the bad service, the business owner immediately apologized me and sent me couple of dine in vouchers and this time when i went in, i got an excellent service and clean food. :)
(5)
Tiffany H.
AVOID this location. Run by DISHONEST and incredibly rude staff. Came here this morning - when the check came, we noticed we were charged twice for the Belgian waffle, and waved the waiter over about the issue on the check. Before we even told him what the problem was, he said "it's for the waffles right? Let me get that changed for you". He already knew we were double charged and still brought us the incorrect check. After using a couple to take off the double-charge, we went to the cashier to pay. We explained the situation. The staff refused to acknowledge that this is the 2nd check that we were brought and claimed that this is the original receipt with the coupon applied. One of the servers even gave us attitude exclaiming "I don't know what your problem is" "do you want me to add that $8 back on" when all we wanted to do was let them know what had happened. we were really mad by the end of this. General manager was not much better. Avoid this store.
(1)
Diana C.
Want IHOP? Find a different one. We stopped here on our way home to Sac. Most ghetto place I've ever been/seen. Workers taking across restaurant, basically yelling saying "bruh" 20 times. Workers saying they didn't wanna do certain things. So embarrassing. Just overall worst restaurant experience EVER. Oh and manager was a witness through the whole thing. 0 stars for sure.
(1)
Mireya R.
Great service, and the manager was very generous in compensating us for our past experience.
(4)
Wayne W.
Came in early on Sunday. Looking for a great breakfast. Place looked clean and new. The server came over after 12 min wait time. There were 5 other people there. We ordered coffee and water then ask for couple min. She returned and promptly spilled a glass of water on my date. The proceeded to pour my coffee out of a empty container. She said she was sorry 5 times. But I never heard in real time. I finally poured my coffee and noticed a large lipstick stain. We just got up and left. Won't be back
(1)
Song K.
I never would have imagined that some of the best customer service I've experienced would be at a chain or franchise and even more so at an iHop. The service at this iHop is extraordinarily warm, comforting, and genuine. This is evident by the many locals who frequent this establishment and the close relationships that the staff has with the community. It carries the wonderful 'small-town' service that I had thought was extinct. Beside my own table, I've had the pleasure to witness this warm service extended to everyone else around me. Senior citizens were treated with respect and sincerity and were gently hugged. Servers were polite to families and individuals of all ages and background. A server thanked a patron next to me for the wait for a table and remarked 'I will be sure to make it up with the service I will provide to you'. Another elderly patron walked arms locked with a server to her table bearing a beautiful smile. And another server danced a group to their table. It is remarkable to witness and I believe that it has restored my faith in humanity. It is quite a feat and I'd like to congratulate every staff on creating this ideal environment and model for customer service. Cheers.
(5)
Kevin J.
I'm waiting in line on Sunday. 20 min wait. No problem, I can understand that... But I see 4 two top tables and 2 four top tables-all empty. Why are that not seating folks? Seated now. My server seems like he does not want to be here. He is not rude and the service is elementary... But definitely not acceptable. I found out it's not the server, it's the kitchen. They are so backed up. My server is just frustrated by slow kitchen service! I'll give him an extra tip... If I can get my food.
(2)
Rene L.
This place was alright ....I ordered country fried steak and eggs and my hash browns tasted old and cold so I didn't eat them. My girl got the breakfast sampler with french fries instead of hash browns those where also cold and old. Also the waitress refilled my water cup but brought it to the wrong table lol. I think mels or Denny's will be better for breakfast in my opinion.
(3)
Lisa T.
So glad we eschewed the hipper places and ended up here. Tasty food & warm service! Seriously.
(4)
Milan H.
Just horrible service all around pathetic. The restaurant was filthy. There was a odd stench of urine in this ihop. Maybe it came from everyone who worked there attitude.
(1)
Jerrell M.
This ihop is rude judgmental ignorint and full of it i went the on national free pancake day there rude and judgmental the black ladie with the messed up wig this fat shreck lookin ladie that keep trying to make us give a donation or 1 or 2 $ me and my bro was more than happy to give a donation we were just waiting for our full party of 4 arived to give a full donation so as we're my bro asked for more pancakes because there unlimited one of the young men that was working haf to ask this ladie with dreads come over to make sure because we havent gave a donation so she came to us saying well you know you have to give a donation we"re not stupid we heard you th e first dam time so after that they thought we were playing them so all there lil ratchet ass stuff kept looking at us i wouldnt recommend this place ti nobody rude ass hoes
(1)
H S.
I ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes & corn. The chicken was warm on the outside & nearly frozen on the inside. I mentioned it to the waiter who was very nice about it & only charged me for the biscuits & gravy & iced tea. I must say that the restaurant was very new & clean but I wondered why the restaurant was nearly empty at dinnertime. I still tipped the waiter because he was very professional about the whole thing.
(2)
Jasvir D.
Service is HORRIBLE. The hostess said out loud that she doesn't want to be there cause she just got off her second job. No silverware on the table, nothing to mix my coffee with, the pancakes were over cooked, sausage not cooked on both sides, coffee was terrible, and I was over charged. Keep the 2.49 I would rather never enter those doors again. This restaurant is a total failure!!!
(1)
Jon F.
The worst most incompetant service I have ever experienced. No water. No menus. Only 4 tables with people and order took 40 minutes. AVOID this place
(1)
Ziryy B.
If I could I wouldn't give this place a star... We waited for 30 min to get seated (which can be bearable) but after we were seated, we had to wait for almost 2hrs to get our food while other guests that got there after us were already eating (not to metion it took the waiter about 30 min to notice us). The manager was rude when I tried talking to her about my discomfort and walked away from me while I was still trying to talk to her. The waitress was rude and threw the straws to us and also definitely NOT attentive at all. I had to chase the personal to get forks and spoons because they did not give us any. The food they brought us (after almost a 2hr wait) was not what we ordered or at least the New York cheesecake pancakes did not look or tasted like that; they were only regular pancakes with strawberry syrup. I was a big fan of IHOP and used to eat at this place pretty often (one thing they didn't know and might thought they could fool us by giving us the order however they wanted) but after this kind of stuff will definetely not be returning to this location. So if you're planning on going to IHOP just AVOID THIS LOCATION!!!!
(1)
Gabriela S.
The waiter was so slow that it took 15 minutes to approach us (not like they were packed) another 20 minutes to get our food only to find hair in my eggs- since he was nowhere to be found I had to get the receptionist. He shows up 20 minutes later and throws the plate on the table with a question "ok mam"? We just got up,paid and left. Stay clear of this place- I am surprised that IHOP chain allows this place to hold their name.
(1)
Emilio V.
If there were negative star ratings i would choose one slow service and there was literally no one sloppy service wrong sides i just dont like it it was nasty overpriced I would rather go to dennys or another breakfast resuraunt
(1)
Elenie V.
Ive come here a solid amount of times this year to make a review. I Love breakfast food at any time. Depndeding on your waiter youll get good service. The last time, my waiter was busy with other things so he wasnt really able to attend us well enough. I dont blame him being a waiter is hard. So I still give this place 4 stars. Im not picky As long as someone helps me, which they did, when I need to pay and go or need something then Im good!
(4)
Rei S.
Waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged and minuted 20 minutes to get a table. The place is also dirty.
(1)
Larry H.
My boyfriend and I will never come to this IHOP again. As soon as we walked in, things went down hill. We stood at the Host station for about 5 minutes waiting to be acknowledged. The Host looked over at us about 2 or 3 times while he finished his conversation. When he finally came over, he acted as if we were bothering him and that he was doing us a favor by greeting us. When we got to our table, he threw our menus down and pointed to the table as he walked away. We were then greeted warmly by a female server, who swiftly brought us water and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. If she had been our waitress, our experience probably would have been a lot better but she was only helping out our waiter. (Why he needed help, I'm not sure since the restaurant wasn't in the least bit busy.) Unfortunately, our waiter soon came to the table. He looked very disheveled and unhappy to be at work. He hastily took our order and rushed from our table. He didn't return until about 35 minutes later, carrying only part of our order, which we could tell, had been sitting out for a while. Side Bar: the lady that had brought our water, stopped by the table to apologize for the wait and to assure us our food was coming soon. Our waiter yelled at her and told her she was making it worse. On to the "food"... I ordered the classic breakfast crepes and my boyfriend ordered the sirloin tips and eggs with a side of pancakes. My crepes were burnt and hard and the eggs were brown. The sirloin tips tasted dry and old. And the pancakes didn't show up until about 10 minutes later. We told the waiter, that we wanted to send everything back and he became very angry. With an attitude he asked if we wanted everything remade or if he should just pretend we were never here. Steer clear of this IHOP! There is only one person there who actually knows how to treat customers and she gets reprimanded for it.
(1)
Cyn C.
I revisited this IHOP location for breakfast and I must say the service completely improved. My wait time was much better and my napkins and utensils were brought before my meal. As with my last visit, food was very tasty.
(4)
Greg H.
My wife and I bring my Mother-in-law here frequently. This time it was for Christmas day breakfast. It was a total fiasco. Once order was taken, the server NEVER came back, except to deliver the bill. The order (5 meals) was delivered incomplete. 2 meals did not get toast, and 1 meal was not delivered. The wait staff were not on the floor filing water, checking on customers. All were congregated at the cooks window most of our entire time there. The window was full of orders just sitting there. Eventually someone named Jennifer came over and already knew our order was incomplete but I don't know how- we had never been able to get anyone's attention. She promptly arranged for the missing items, however I ate my meal after everyone at our table was finished. She also seemed to know exactly what was missing without asking us. so SOMEONE was aware there was a problem. I learned as I was inline to pay that there was some type of staff crisis. The cook was yelling, literally in a raised voice which I could hear just fine at the cash register at the staff, 6 or 7 of them, who were in front of the cooks window. Telling them all to "politely tell the customers to wait" WHAT? The window is full of prepared food and customers have to wait? For what, the fight to end? One employee had obviously had enough and quit on the spot and walked out. Our server, Porcha, did manage to keep track of that (instead of her customers)- she yelled across the restaurant, from the cooks window to the front door area where the departing employee was to tell someone to tell the employee not to quit. Once I paid I asked for my itemized receipt because I wanted to complete the survey. The girl who took my payment told me i couldn't have it - that it was the store copy and had to go into some box she pointed to. hum, why wouldn't they want me to compete a survey that day? I insisted and then the printer was out of paper. She had no idea how to load new paper and get it to print. She called another guy over who loaded the paper and printed my bill. This guy thought the whole thing was funny and gave me a "new employees are funny" comment. The whole employee fiasco was going on while he was up front with me. I can appreciate problems in a food service business but the upsetting thing was the total disappearance of our server - we literally saw her twice, order time and bill time. She should have come by, acknowledged there was a problem and told us how she was resolving it. That alone would have gone a long way! Finally, the management staff should be dismissed. If for no other reason that not managing staff discord in a private way. Someone should have stopped the yelling and shouting and got the staff back to customer service and then dealt with the internal issues in private. I was upset with the food order, amazed and actually embarrassed for the staff for what was going on and finally had to laugh at the total incompetence of the management team. You should know that the food, when served, was hot and tasted good. Other than this time, I've had consistently good food and service. With the total lack of management involvement and control, I can not dismiss this as a one time slip in an otherwise good restaurant. This restaurant failed on all accounts. I would like a NO star option but I'm OK with giving them a one only because the food was good.
(1)
Vepa S.
This place was so dirty and short staffed a couple walked out complaining as I walked in. I should have taken that as I sign but I really wanted stuffed French toast. The utensils were dirty and there was dry food inside the water cup. I'm never coming to this place again. Not only was it dirty but they only had one waiter for 6 tables. On top of it all the same waiter helping me had to leave the tables and help me pay for my bill at the register. He was super busy and rushed. Poor guy but they need to work on cleanliness.
(1)
John M.
lackadaisical [lak-uh-dey-zi-kuhl] adjective 1. without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt. 2. lazy; indolent: a lackadaisical fellow. 3. service at this IHOP: both our server & the manager were lackadaisical. After an exhilarating but somewhat masochistic day of trail running the Ocean View & Lost Trails back behind Muir Woods, I went for a jog around my 'hood & literally ran into a couple friends wrapping up an epic day of road cycling of their own. None of us had eaten all day & we were all starving. 1 of my friends was really craving breakfast for dinner. Within time & proximity constraints, IHOP seemed like the best place to get that breakfast for dinner on a Sunday night. This IHOP, though on the small side, was clean & brightly lit. Service was casual. Too casual. Way too casual. Our server & even the manager wanted to be cool & friendly & funny. That's all good. But not at the expense of being professional. It was a little like open-mic night at the local comedy club whenever someone did come around, but those occasions were too infrequent. Instead, our server & the manager seemed much more interested in devoting their time to entertaining a couple female friends at another table. Aside from the slow & negligent service, between the 3 of us, the food ranged from not good (T-Bone Steak & Eggs) to mediocre at best (Philly Cheese Steak Stacker) to decent (BLT). All things considered, I'd give this IHOP 4 stars for setting, 2.5 stars for food & 1 star for service. An overall 2 star rating sounds about right.
(2)
Sean Y.
Was skeptical because of the mediocre ratings but the service was excellent, and the food was definitely on point
(5)
Grace C.
Came here around 7am. Not many ppl in here around that time. I had two pancakes the blueberry and double chocolate chip one. If you're looking to go to IHOP for a gourmet meal, then you are mistaken. IHOP is what it is- breakfast diner food at a decent price. The service was good as my waiter always came over to refill my water. Pancakes were a bit too sweet but i knew coming in that I wasn't going to get perfection
(4)
Anne R.
Been here a handful of times and all of those times were decent experiences. Not much of a wait , decent customer service, clean tables, clean bathrooms, parking is good. The food is also good - much better quality than Denny's any day.
(4)
Kevin W.
Could this place get any smaller - okay it's not your normal size IHOP! It is an IHOP squeezed into a strip mall. Food is not arranged not as the menu displays, nor are the portions what you think. I had ordered two halves of Belgian waffles, sausage, crispy bacon, and two eggs over easy medium. I received two itsy bitsy tiny waffle halves (not sure if they were Belgian or each only took two bites to eat), bacon came kind of uncooked and greasy. I am giving a star for well the over easy medium cooked eggs as they are hard to accomplish by a breakfast diner, the sausage was also cooked well. My friend ordered and omelet and it was so big that it almost didn't fit on the plate. So he had a feast of more than plenty. Waitress was slammed with four tables and our order went in after she took two other tables orders, and we got our beverages after waiting some time too. If I am in the area again, I will try IHOP again, but for now I'm not impressed since we were ignored for several minutes when we entered the lobby too!
(2)
Bryan W.
Avoid! Do NOT come here! Bad service. Waited for a long time. Bad food. Just do yourself a favor and eat elsewhere.
(1)
Arin B.
As far as IHOP goes, this is your classic IHOP place. Good food and fast service. Why the 5-star? It's the staff! Byron was our server and he was stellar. The manager, Collette, is caring and oversees the staff like family. There is an eclectic mix of staff that truly resembles the diversity of the Bay Area. The place was full, but the service was not lacking at all. We never felt rushed and were asked several times how our meal was. The crew is helpful and cheery and welcoming.
(5)
Rick S.
Not my usual sort of place, but I thought I'd try something a little different. It took 30 minutes to be seated (party of 1). Another 20 minutes to be served a plate of ham and eggs that had been under the warming lights until it was inedible. I walked out.
(1)
Ladonna A.
By far the cleanest looking ihop in the area. I go here for their omlettes and pancakes! Their customer service is OK. I went one time with my sister and they refused us business cause they were so busy.
(4)
Jasmine R.
Worst place ever, horrible costumer service. the food was ok, just really horrible service here so slow.
(1)
D S.
I can't even rate this place to tell you how the food was. The Seating area is old and tired. Those seats have held many buts. The place is and looks to stay busy, so busy that in fact they failed to seat me two times and expected me to wait yet again for another table to become free. It was enough for me. I was and still am too hungry and type more. And the place is dingy. Bad management!
(1)
Didiana Z.
Good is pretty decent but they took a long time to serve the food. The servers are warm and polite. Great place for breakfast or brunch.
(3)
Troy S.
Came to this location for the first time today and got the same thing i always get..Sirloin Tips and mashed potatoes...took one bite of the mashed potatoes and wanted to spit it right back out. They tasted extremely sour and bitter at this location i did not take another bite. It tasted as if they used spoiled/rotten milk! I let them know and she did nothing. Then when she brought back the check for the tip she stood over me impatiently as if she was waiting for me to sign her over the few dollars she needs to live while i was having a personal conversation with my grandfather. I used to be a waiter myself I know you don't ever do that. Will not come back to this location even if it's late/early because it isn't even open 24 hours anymore like most. They also let a crazy looking homeless guy who stared at his menu for over an hour without ordering sit next to us and even closed our blinds for him so we could not see out. WORST IHOP EVER never thought I'd say this but you are much better off going to the Denny's across the street.
(1)
Chris O.
I was craving Lingonberries so I decided to check out the brand new IHOP in El Cerrito near the OSH. The food was your standard IHOP fare prepared properly and overall the place was very clean. I had the international passport breakfast with the Swedish crepes. The outstanding part was the customer service. I'm not sure I have ever had better service anywhere, yet alone at an IHOP. It was fun and friendly, I felt right at home there. If this rating was just for the service they would get 5 stars. I hope they are open late but forgot to check the hours.
(4)
Craig G.
This review is about the service, not the food. Foodwise you should know what you're getting at IHOP already. My daughter had a hankering for their Nutella Crepes. The waiter had to inform us that crepes were not available. OK, second choice is waffles. Sorry, the waffle machine is also broken. She ended up with French Toast, which wasn't all that good. But the waiter did charge us the Crepe price, which was lower. So the good service made up for the so-so food in this case. Got to give them props for that.
(3)
Miguel A.
I suppose that most IHOP restaurants in CA offer similar menus so it's not fair to judge this place based on whether I liked or disliked the actual food they served. It all boils down to the other factors such as cleanness, service, waiters being nice/helpful and the actual area where the restaurant is. Comparing to the IHOP in Emeryville (6 miles down the road) the El Cerrito IHOP is in a much quieter place (especially around dinner time) and looks cleaner/better maintained. I've got mixed feelings about the service - the waitress that served us on Friday evening was really really nice and helpful but the other waiter (tall guy with a pony tail) might have been the rudest waiter I've ever met in a CA restaurant and I'm probably not coming back to this place because of the way he treated us. To sum it up, I still recommend this location but be careful not to choose this waiter.
(2)
Rubeno M.
This place has the rudest waitress in the area, she ignores you, is way to fast and by the looks of it she hates being here. She would be off laughing with the other customers and when she came to us was rude, rushed us through our orders and didn't answer any questions we asked. She said and I quote, "you either want it or you don't." This place wasn't even busy! I had a manager talk to another customer while resting her hand on my chair, wtf is that all about. I'm sticking to the ihop at Hilltop from this point on. The waitress' name was artesia or something around that area. The manager was this heavy set female
(1)
Altan K.
Great service and good food. Family stopped by on a busy Sunday. Only a 10 minute wait. Our server Collette did a great job with our table. Pleasantly surprised :)
(5)
Cross S.
My wife been come here for a while now. So have my co-workers. This IHOP is MUCH better then the one in Emeryvile. For the one in Emeryville... DO NOT EAT THERE!!!!! I was very surprised being adjacent to Cutting Blvd, Richmond that is place would of the dreads of society like the one in Emerville. No, just good people looking for an inexpensive meal. The food here is every good. The staff is friendly and very attentive. For an IHOP I will be coming here again. BTW.... did I mention not to go to the one in Emeryville???
(4)
Courtney M.
I've eaten at this particular location a few times, with mixed results. This last time, however, has scared me off of this location for at least a few months. I decided to eat here for breakfast on my birthday a few days ago. The hostess was pleasant, but our server seemed to be having a bad day. He avoided our table every time we tried to flag him down. I'm not one to complain in restaurants, but our dishes were filthy to the point of being a hazard. Our first sign was the OJ glasses: one had the appearance of being used, rinsed, and released for use again without any soap involved. We sent it back for a new glass, and the one that joined our table next had dried OJ all over it. Why would you not even check the glass before setting it down, especially when it was meant to replace a dirty glass? Come on. What's worse is, the server practically ran away after setting the glass down. he disappeared into the kitchen and we didn't see him again until our food arrived. We had to hunt down the hostess to replace the dirty glass. Things only got worse from there. When our food arrived, I unwrapped my fork to find the handle coated in enough butter for a piece of toast. How does that even happen? After trying to flag down our server, who was doing his best to not make eye contact, I had to call over a different server to help with the problem. Unfortunately, the fork she brought back clearly had been not been cleaned after the last patron had used it... it was greasy with food. I almost left the restaurant then. Instead, I tracked down the hostess again (our server had left to go on a smoke break and the other waitress was busy) to get a new fork. By then, I had little appetite, thinking that the dishwasher was the cause of all the dirty dishes and that my plates were probably just as filthy as the forks. Not once did our server stop to ask us how the food was, if everything was okay, or anything. But I figured he was having a bad day, because he's served me before and has always been pleasant in the past. It's unfortunate his bad day coincided with the day the dishes were disgusting, though, because we could have really used his help on fixing the issue. Instead, IHOP has lost a customer. Ugh. Every time I think about the experience, I want to brush my teeth... blegh.
(2)
Leslie W.
One star only because I can't rate a zero ... Ummm.... Where r you suppose to sit.. They attired to sit us blocking in a booth.. N asked if it was okay.... Then attempted to sit us near the doorway to the kitchen..... N asked if it was okay... WTF.. No its not okay so we left... Smh
(1)
Judith B.
You know IHOP ... nostalgia, the chocolate chip pancakes my mom would never let me order as a kid and now I don't want them. But I still enjoy their pancakes; I'm a kid at heart - what can I say? This location is great. Parking is great, the staff are really nice and make you feel comfortable.
(3)
Darlene A.
Went here with a large group of disabled teens on an outing this summer. We did have to wait a long time (extremely busy, and the restaurant is small) , but the hostess brought crackers, and was kind. The waiter extremely helpful and patient also. Returned this morning for breakfast with the family. We came in early, so there was no wait. Had the crepes, and my son the chocolate chip pancakes. Food was hot, yummy, and the coffee,fresh. Pleasant staff. It is slim pickings in this area for a decent meal in a clean establishment. Ihop exceeded in both areas. They do need to,expand though!
(4)
Noor M.
I have realized that there is nothing particularly special about IHOP. In fact, the only word that comes to mind when I think "IHOP" is mediocre. The prices are relatively steep for the low quality of food and the poor service. However, the service at this particular IHOP was definitely better than I have experienced before. Our waiter was funny, efficient and friendly. We took his recommendation on what to order and when we decided to share a milkshake, he actually bought it out in two glasses. We had the Spinach and Mushroom Omelet (personalized it with american cheese) with a side of buttermilk pancakes, Grilled Tilapia Hollandaise, chocolate milkshake and strawberry lemonade. The Omelete was fluffly albeit underseaoned. The mushroom were wonderfully cooked and the hollandaise sauce added a nice flavor to the omelete. The Tilapia was soft and flaky but otherwise tasteless, once again, the hollandaise sauce to the rescue. The potatoes were pretty standard and we substituted the broccoli with corn and glad we did so! The corn was perfect. We wanted to top our meal off with a slice of the chocolate cake, however, it was not available. Overall rating - - 3/5 If I were rating it based on the food alone, I would have given it a 2/5, however, the service was wonderful and deserves a star.
(2)
Andrea C.
an ihop is an ihop is an ihop. all i want to say is that this one has the CLEANEST bathrooms out of any ihop i've been to, which is a few (i drink a lot). naturally the food is whatever, i mean, it's an ihop, but i do dig that cheesecake banana strawberry stuff they do. it's a good place to kill time when drunk, bored, or hankering cheap (pancake-related) thrills.
(3)
Ishak K.
They sell a lot of Chicken and Waffles thanks to the commercials, I'm sure. But, they are disappointing. Fast food style chicken tenders and soggy waffles with a mustard sauce. I imagined real Southern fried chicken. Kids meals were sad. Mac n cheese out of a box. Anyway, the club sandwich was pretty good. I think breakfasts are the way to go here. Try to avoid the crowds, because they're easily overwhelmed.
(2)
Erick L.
Awesome customer service, food is delicious, I recommend this IHOP, I would come back again!
(4)
Albert B.
My wife and I ordered the sirloin tips with eggs and pancakes. The maple syrup was not on the table but the waiter brought it for us. We went to the IHOP at Hilltop. We had a wonderful time, the food was great and the service was excellent. This IHOP is much better than the one in Emeryville. We will be returning to this one.
(5)
Micki B.
I went to Ihop El Cerrito to pick up four breakfast meals. After arriving home with I found that two of the meals were incomplete- I'm talking a bacon and egg breakfast with no bacon and a pancake breakfast with no syrup. I called the restaurant and asked if I could drive back and receive two newly cooked meals. To my astonishment I was told they would only replace the bacon and give me syrup. You're kidding me! I'm supposed to eat cold pancakes and cold eggs with warm bacon? I was really disappointed because the hostess was extremely rude. I will never go back there especially when Fat Apples is close and has better food.
(1)
Chris K.
This past Sunday, we visited this IHOP for the very first time. It is located in the strip mall across the Old Target on San Pablo, next to OSH and Staples. The restaurant itself is inserted into a space that was meant for a retail establishment so it's got zero charm as far as decor goes. But then again, we didn't go for the decor. We went because we got a 30% off coupon and I wanted syrupy pancakes for breakfast. I just want to say that our waitress gave us service that was on par with a 5 star restaurant. Dang it, I forgot her name, but she was awesome. She brought over the menu, offered to bring several different fruit toppings for my daughter because she couldn't decide, brought over extra crayons. I looked around at the other servers to see if we just got extremely lucky but everyone seemed to be in a decent mood as well. Maybe I didn't have such a high expectation because it was IHOP but as far as IHOP's go, it is as good as I ever experienced. So five stars.
(5)
Cynthia A.
We've come here twice. Last time we had rather poor service, though the workers were nice. We ended up re-filling our own drinks more than once. Non-breakfast food was not as good as at Denny's nearby. First visit was much better, though not as cheap as I expected for breakfast. I'm not into eggs or all-you-can-eat pancakes, so that's probably why. For both breakfast & lunch/dinner, if the hubby and I are lazy and feel like diner food, we'll definitely opt for Denny's over this IHop.
(2)
Richard H.
I do not know why but my wifey loves IHOP. We had coupons so we ended up here on a trip to Roseville. Anyway the people were great. Tina our server was outstanding. My wife loved the crepes ...lots of whipped creme and strawberries. For me not so much..I wanted a waffle...after 10minutes I was told they forgot to plug in the waffle maker. They gave me Bacon while I waited and fruit cup. Well 10 minutes later The manager apologize and stated the waffle maker was broke. WOW no waffle. So they gave me a two short stacks. The were very nice and shit happens..Anyway the food was good and they were very courteous. I will come back. ( who could foreseen a waffle maker breaking down...shit happens)
(4)
Karime C.
AWFULL CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! WATING THERE FOR 15 MINITUES AND NOBODY CAME TO GREET OR OFFER ANYTHING TO DRINK!!! After been waiting there for an unaceptable time I decided to call a "waitress" asking to for the Manager's Name. I saw every body eating and another Waiter delivering a big round of pancakes to other tables. Without her letting me say anything She just says "if you are here for the free pancakes, we are just making more batter" I said, I don't care, I want the name of your manager, she says I will call him, and I said NO! I want his name! She just left ignoring me. I decided to leave the place. How come no one offered coffee or anything to drink? So disrespectful. It's not about the "Free Pancakes" You have to make a donation anyway! It about the stinking Service they have.!!! YELP IS ASKING TO RATE THIS PLACE. THEY DON'T EVEN DESERVE ONE STAR. I'M GOING TO SELECT ONE STAR BECAUSE YELP ASKS FOR.
(1)
D L.
They need to serve larger portions...or use smaller plates. The 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, and 2 sausages looked pathetically small on the plate. Tasted good though!
(2)
Delmy O.
Food is good! People are friendly, good service.
(4)
M C.
Service was so slow Food was even sloooowwerr (slow like Carrow's!) Waited about 20 minutes for the meal And the place wasn't even crowded (maybe 5 other tables) But the sirloin tip dinner was good Guess it was worth the wait (?)
(3)
MoshPitGoddess O.
I'm so sad! We used to looooovvve going here. They seemed to have cut way back on their staff and it has REALLY hurt their ability to serve their customers. The last time my daughter and I went there, we were seated right away but then left to sit there unattended to for literally over 30 minutes! Then we finally received beverages, but they weren't the ones that we ordered! Sat around for another 20 minutes (up fo 50 minutes waiting with a starving child) before we finally had to just get up and leave. We loved this place when it first opened, but the cuts in staff will keep us eating elsewhere.
(1)
George S.
I agree with Chris. I hope this place doesn't slide downhill. This is my third visit, and the food was good and the service great. They got my eggs right, so the slightly over cooked hash browns (which I don't really like anyway) were ignored. Lest I forget, I haven't had a bacon and egg cheeseburger for a couple decades. There it was, on the menu. No way I could resist, and it was perfect. If you aren't afraid to risk a cholestrol bomb, give this one a try. Also, the crowd is my kind of people. Mixed, and a little noisey.
(4)
Nicole W.
They give you so much freakin' food here, it's ridiculous! And almost everything comes with a short stack of pancakes, dangerous... but so good!!!
(4)
Richard C.
We decided to stop at the IHOP for a late breakfast today. You pretty much know what to expect at a pancake house, but as we were waiting for a table, I soon realized that we were in one of those special work places where the staff was working together cheerfully and with respect for each other. Made my day. They must have good managers. Food was on the better side of typical IHOP.
(4)
Paulringo M.
like this ihop the veggie crepes are good here as they layer it with cheese which is nice and on the inside, comes spinach and mushroom wrapped in egg, very tasty, very friendly service, love their iced coffee, their tilapia is here good and mind you IT DONT COME EASY to find a good ihop at times but this one is good.
(4)
John D.
There is not much seating at this location (it's very small for an IHOP) and I personally witnessed the manager pour back a glass of orange juice into their main dispenser after it was on someone's table and they said they didn't order it. Granted, they had not drunk from the glass but it was still sitting on their table for a few minutes.
(2)
Christina G.
Went here late Monday morning with my husband and 4 month old daughter. The service is great, the food was good. Good mix of people. Relaxed atmosphere with moderate noise. Almost all of the tables were filled when we got there but we were seated right away. I noticed they cleared the tables quickly between customers. I'm not always crazy about eating at chain restaurants, but I would definitely go here again.
(4)
Jay D.
this iHop is exactly what you want an iHOP to be: iHOP food, decent service, good prices, and clean. Regarding the food: "It is what It Is" - I happen to really like the breakfasts, which are a great value. iHOP;'s vary widely in terms of management, which leads to huge differences in service, cleanliness, and so forth. This one is on a roll right now; hopefully, the current management will stay and make it great.
(4)
Tom L.
wow i totally forgot to write a review on the day i went here but when i came here, it was fabulous! the lady who took our order was very friendly, the place was extremely clean. the restroom was the cleanest i've seen out of all the restrooms in el cerrito for a restaurant. but thats probably because this place is still new, we'll just have to see in a few months :) orders came out pretty fast, i've noticed the portions are slightly larger than other ihops but they are generally the same, i only notice it because i end up coming to these types of joints often at night after having some fun. the food was delicious, i didn't have a problem with my food, neither did anyone at my table. everyone in the ihop was having a great time as i observed. im not sure about the hours but i hope they open late. i'll check on it the next time i go :) this ihop, if you're in the area and you want to choose between ihop or dennys or some other late night place, i'd go to this ihop! coffee is served to order, pancakes are buttery fluffy, bacon comes out crispy but soft at the same time, i usually get cardboard looking bacon at most places i go to so this is new to me! :) parking is plentiful, the place is spacious and relaxing. i hope nothing changes ever! this is a place i'll say to recommend!
(4)
Jacqueline C.
stay away from MARIA. she is a rude ass person! i never EVER go to ihop because service sucks. the person i went with told me next time IF I END UP COMING BACK to ask for Alice,because is on top of her game. we waited about 20 mins before maria came to even say hi and who she is.no water no coffee no NOTHING. then our food was cold,i told her about it and the fact that EVERYBODY ELSE that got there before we did GOT THERE FOOD ALREADY! all she said was "oh.well thats the way the orders are done.not by who comes first.but by where they seat you" needless to say i sent it back.and its not that im a picky bitchy person.but this lady pissed me and 3 other tables off.so she is just rude. so stay away from Maria from this iHop.and stay away from the iHop near Richmond Parkway.they suck EVEN MORE! btw. it wasnt lunch or rush time. it was a Tue after noon. NO NEED TO TAKE AN HOUR TO GIMMME MY FOOD!
(1)
Richard S.
As other reviews mention service and attitude was TOP notch. We were greeted and welcomed by at least 4 people from entry until we got to the table. Food was typical IHOP food. Very good, not great presentation so-so but flavor good. My son ordered their special holiday gingerbread pancakes that looked nothing like the pretty menu photo but he liked it and cleaned his plate. My blintzes were as good as always, my wife's chix/spinach/mushroom crepe was over-seasoned with some kind of paprika/salt/pepper seasoning that had a funky sweetness with the crepes and hollandaise but it was still edible though not something we'd order again. Place was clean, coffee poured frequently and again very nice staff. Hope this good attitude holds out for the future. Will be nice having a decent IHOP nearby. Well be back every few weeks or so.
(4)
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Address :11511 San Pablo Ave
El Cerrito, CA, 94530
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Anais M.
I usually go to the place for diner and have a great experience. The staff is always nice and te food always good and well prepared. But i came here last time for lunch and... Well my salad, they forgot the bread, the egg and the bacon... I just had lettuce and chicken. Also i never had a refill on my drink or water. Nobody came once ask us if we needed something.
(3)S.J. T.
This place literally "SUCKS". My girlfriend and I went here tonight, and the hostess/waitress tried sitting us at an unclean booth with dirty napkins on the floor from the previous customers. I decided to get up, and move to the cleaner booth behind us. I should've known this wasn't the right joint just by the emptiness of the place. I ordered a twoxtwoxtwo which includes pancakes, two strips of bacon, and eggs the new simply fit, and the chic brought out 4 slices of toast, crispy ass bacon, and egg substitute. This place is a place I definitely will not consider in the future. Then she told me that my meal didn't come with pancakes, which I sat there and waited for for over 20 minutes until she went to the back where the cook was and said they debated that item coming with my meal and that they were wrong.. It seemed more like a fucking training facility for people not willing to put in work, only there to collect a paycheck. They don't even serve boysenberry syrup any more. She didn't even come over to check on us or anything. We had to ask for the bill, literally.. If I could, I'd give this place 0 stars. They need a brand new line up of workers.. I'll be definitely calling corporate.
(1)Ian K.
I generally don't review chain restaurants, but I'm really impressed with this new IHOP location. The staff are genuinely friendly, the food is good, the portions sizable, the restaurant bright and clean and there's free WiFi. (which I'm using to post this review right now) A nice addition to this corner of El Cerrito, and miles better than the dreary, grungy nearby Denny's or the undeservingly lauded FatApple's. FYI, says on the door they are open to 10pm Sunday-Thussday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
(5)Jose A.
getting a burger for dinner
(5)Carla L.
I just had a great breakfast fresh fruits delicious pancakes I recommend this place over denneys and the service was great plus we got a discount because my cousin knew one of the workers so we ending up tipping em the discount lol I told my cousin to double it but he didn't ..cheap bustard lol
(4)Lindsay V.
I've been waiting to update my review for over a year now. I finally revisited this IHOP and was happy with my visit. After my last review, I was very pleased the owner, Eric, reached out to me. I was very appreciative of this after a mediocre experience my first time here. I finally made it in today and had a wonderful dining experience even with a large Sunday crowd. Even though there were ten groups in front of us, we were seated within 15 minutes of arriving. The host staff was friendly and cheerful. I could tell they were having fun with their jobs on this particular day. Our waitress, Alice, did an awesome job and was fun to converse with. Hats off to her for making us feel welcome without being too overbearing (not one of those waitresses that asks you how everything tastes before you've even had your first bite). She seemed calm and collected even though the place was slammed. We ordered the mozzarella sticks, which you have to try! This IHOP goes above and beyond with their cheese sticks; it's hard to screw up cheese sticks but some are better than others and these hit the mark. I ordered the crispy waffle combo w ham, eggs, and hash browns (I was ravenous). The crispy waffles are only available for a limited time, but that is OK because they are too sweet! Furthermore, the strawberry topping was cold; I think it would have been better warmed up first and then poured over the waffles. Everything else I ordered though was splendid. My bf ordered the spicy chicken sandwich; he claimed it was slightly bland, so I advise avoiding that item. With so many other tasty food items on the menu, I don't think that should be a problem. Overall, I was very pleased with my dining experience today. I will be back in the future; that's for sure. A lot can change in a year and this IHOP has made several improvements. Keep it up!
(4)Gina H.
Horrible. I called in my order at 12 to be picked up at 12:45 and when I get there, there was nothing ready... um, okay... As I looked around, irritated, the guy walking out the door who I found out was who told me he actually answered my call actually had nerve to say that he told me he said he would get the order together once I came in, WTF? What is the point of calling ahead? To make matters worse, a youngish girl working behind the counter rudely says, "it doesn't take that long to make an omelet you know." She doesn't even look at me. Neither does the manager/cashier as she rings me up. I guess this is business as normal? So I ordered my simple and fit omelet with a side of fruit. AGAIN. Anyway it took a few minutes to get the order but when I got back to work it was SO watery!!! YUCK! I just kept telling myself its protein to get it down. I will NEVER come back again.
(1)Angela H.
Wow, this probably the smallest IHOP I've ever been to. The wait on a weekend was kind of nuts. The food took a long time to come out, too, and it was just so-so. I got the banana nutella crepes, and they were kind of plain. They just had a drizzle of nutella and maybe half a banana sliced on top. I thought they were gonna be filled with both. Oh well. I know not to come back again.
(2)Vee C.
Decided to come here after receiving bad customer service from Dennys. I have to say from the time we walked in until we left the staff was amazing. Byron our waiter was rocking the whole place. He was the only waiter for the entire restaurant. We watched him take care of every customer and didn't skip a beat!
(5)Chrystal J.
A friend and I went to IHOP in El Cerrito, ca. Firstly, the inside entrance floor way, where you wait to be seated was so dirty. (I mean dirty). The windows are in need of a good cleaning. (for real) I ordered, I had to ask for my toast, which came when I was about done with the breakfast. The toast was cold and a little bit of butter. My friend has instant mashed potatoes and the turkey was cut in little chunks with hardly no gravy. We deserve better than a place like that. No more going to IHOP. Oh! and the staff is young. One worker came in to work, but went to the soda machine to get soda without washing his hands
(1)Kat K.
Horrible food! No taste just too salty! & burnt bacon! Is nasty! The soda had no gas all watered down! & the food was cold, pancakes no flavor & no butter for the toast not to mention hot orange juice!!! As soon as we sat down the waiter wanted to know what we wanted, dam we had just gotten there! Then we had just received our meal to eat & the waiter brings the receipt like wtf! Let us atleast get halfway done! Btw the coffee is also nasty! No taste. & the place is filthy dirty! Went once & never again.
(1)Coral V.
The service was amazing! We were so impressed with how friendly everyone is my family found the manager just to tell her how wonderful the staff was. The food was yummy too. My favorite is the Nutella crepes with bananas.
(5)Muffy J.
Are you kidding what is wrong with those pancakes . They used to be big and thick now they are extremely small.
(2)Eddie K.
Disappointing. My "lunch break" did not occur until 8:40pm and I was at the restaurant by 8:45 pm, while I was seated right away, it was 10 minutes before my order was taken and 25 minutes before it was on the serving shelf. Do the math.... 35... THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. The straw that broke the camel's back was the waitress walked into the serving area and turned right instead of left to pick up the food. The manager? behind a partition dicking around with his phone. There were four working tables... and one waitress. The manager couldn't pitch in? I was on my first (and last refill). I got up and walked out. I called the store and the manager apologize.... "come back and you can take your order with you, no charge." How nice... no charge. In that case you eat, because your lack of care and service cost you my business and a phone call to your store's regional manager. Have a nice day. Oh put down that damn phone and do your job. I have dined here twice before when I work evenings and have had an otherwise pleasant experience. I'm in the customer service industry and I know what, how and why to provide stellar customer service. I won't go back to this location.
(1)Esmeralda H.
This is the best IHOP restaurant i have ever been in. JASON the server is awesome. He is always smiling with a positive attitude and makes me feel welcome. The food is delicious and everytime I travel to Northern California I make sure, I arrive here. Recommended!!!
(5)Morgan K.
Terrible service, they got our orders wrong. Took long to get food. And to top it all off they had no toilet paper in the bathroom. Not fun using seat covers as toilet paper.... Good thing I'll never be in this area for any reason.
(1)Reshmi A.
For the bad service, the business owner immediately apologized me and sent me couple of dine in vouchers and this time when i went in, i got an excellent service and clean food. :)
(5)Tiffany H.
AVOID this location. Run by DISHONEST and incredibly rude staff. Came here this morning - when the check came, we noticed we were charged twice for the Belgian waffle, and waved the waiter over about the issue on the check. Before we even told him what the problem was, he said "it's for the waffles right? Let me get that changed for you". He already knew we were double charged and still brought us the incorrect check. After using a couple to take off the double-charge, we went to the cashier to pay. We explained the situation. The staff refused to acknowledge that this is the 2nd check that we were brought and claimed that this is the original receipt with the coupon applied. One of the servers even gave us attitude exclaiming "I don't know what your problem is" "do you want me to add that $8 back on" when all we wanted to do was let them know what had happened. we were really mad by the end of this. General manager was not much better. Avoid this store.
(1)Diana C.
Want IHOP? Find a different one. We stopped here on our way home to Sac. Most ghetto place I've ever been/seen. Workers taking across restaurant, basically yelling saying "bruh" 20 times. Workers saying they didn't wanna do certain things. So embarrassing. Just overall worst restaurant experience EVER. Oh and manager was a witness through the whole thing. 0 stars for sure.
(1)Mireya R.
Great service, and the manager was very generous in compensating us for our past experience.
(4)Wayne W.
Came in early on Sunday. Looking for a great breakfast. Place looked clean and new. The server came over after 12 min wait time. There were 5 other people there. We ordered coffee and water then ask for couple min. She returned and promptly spilled a glass of water on my date. The proceeded to pour my coffee out of a empty container. She said she was sorry 5 times. But I never heard in real time. I finally poured my coffee and noticed a large lipstick stain. We just got up and left. Won't be back
(1)Song K.
I never would have imagined that some of the best customer service I've experienced would be at a chain or franchise and even more so at an iHop. The service at this iHop is extraordinarily warm, comforting, and genuine. This is evident by the many locals who frequent this establishment and the close relationships that the staff has with the community. It carries the wonderful 'small-town' service that I had thought was extinct. Beside my own table, I've had the pleasure to witness this warm service extended to everyone else around me. Senior citizens were treated with respect and sincerity and were gently hugged. Servers were polite to families and individuals of all ages and background. A server thanked a patron next to me for the wait for a table and remarked 'I will be sure to make it up with the service I will provide to you'. Another elderly patron walked arms locked with a server to her table bearing a beautiful smile. And another server danced a group to their table. It is remarkable to witness and I believe that it has restored my faith in humanity. It is quite a feat and I'd like to congratulate every staff on creating this ideal environment and model for customer service. Cheers.
(5)Kevin J.
I'm waiting in line on Sunday. 20 min wait. No problem, I can understand that... But I see 4 two top tables and 2 four top tables-all empty. Why are that not seating folks? Seated now. My server seems like he does not want to be here. He is not rude and the service is elementary... But definitely not acceptable. I found out it's not the server, it's the kitchen. They are so backed up. My server is just frustrated by slow kitchen service! I'll give him an extra tip... If I can get my food.
(2)Rene L.
This place was alright ....I ordered country fried steak and eggs and my hash browns tasted old and cold so I didn't eat them. My girl got the breakfast sampler with french fries instead of hash browns those where also cold and old. Also the waitress refilled my water cup but brought it to the wrong table lol. I think mels or Denny's will be better for breakfast in my opinion.
(3)Lisa T.
So glad we eschewed the hipper places and ended up here. Tasty food & warm service! Seriously.
(4)Milan H.
Just horrible service all around pathetic. The restaurant was filthy. There was a odd stench of urine in this ihop. Maybe it came from everyone who worked there attitude.
(1)Jerrell M.
This ihop is rude judgmental ignorint and full of it i went the on national free pancake day there rude and judgmental the black ladie with the messed up wig this fat shreck lookin ladie that keep trying to make us give a donation or 1 or 2 $ me and my bro was more than happy to give a donation we were just waiting for our full party of 4 arived to give a full donation so as we're my bro asked for more pancakes because there unlimited one of the young men that was working haf to ask this ladie with dreads come over to make sure because we havent gave a donation so she came to us saying well you know you have to give a donation we"re not stupid we heard you th e first dam time so after that they thought we were playing them so all there lil ratchet ass stuff kept looking at us i wouldnt recommend this place ti nobody rude ass hoes
(1)H S.
I ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes & corn. The chicken was warm on the outside & nearly frozen on the inside. I mentioned it to the waiter who was very nice about it & only charged me for the biscuits & gravy & iced tea. I must say that the restaurant was very new & clean but I wondered why the restaurant was nearly empty at dinnertime. I still tipped the waiter because he was very professional about the whole thing.
(2)Jasvir D.
Service is HORRIBLE. The hostess said out loud that she doesn't want to be there cause she just got off her second job. No silverware on the table, nothing to mix my coffee with, the pancakes were over cooked, sausage not cooked on both sides, coffee was terrible, and I was over charged. Keep the 2.49 I would rather never enter those doors again. This restaurant is a total failure!!!
(1)Jon F.
The worst most incompetant service I have ever experienced. No water. No menus. Only 4 tables with people and order took 40 minutes. AVOID this place
(1)Ziryy B.
If I could I wouldn't give this place a star... We waited for 30 min to get seated (which can be bearable) but after we were seated, we had to wait for almost 2hrs to get our food while other guests that got there after us were already eating (not to metion it took the waiter about 30 min to notice us). The manager was rude when I tried talking to her about my discomfort and walked away from me while I was still trying to talk to her. The waitress was rude and threw the straws to us and also definitely NOT attentive at all. I had to chase the personal to get forks and spoons because they did not give us any. The food they brought us (after almost a 2hr wait) was not what we ordered or at least the New York cheesecake pancakes did not look or tasted like that; they were only regular pancakes with strawberry syrup. I was a big fan of IHOP and used to eat at this place pretty often (one thing they didn't know and might thought they could fool us by giving us the order however they wanted) but after this kind of stuff will definetely not be returning to this location. So if you're planning on going to IHOP just AVOID THIS LOCATION!!!!
(1)Gabriela S.
The waiter was so slow that it took 15 minutes to approach us (not like they were packed) another 20 minutes to get our food only to find hair in my eggs- since he was nowhere to be found I had to get the receptionist. He shows up 20 minutes later and throws the plate on the table with a question "ok mam"? We just got up,paid and left. Stay clear of this place- I am surprised that IHOP chain allows this place to hold their name.
(1)Emilio V.
If there were negative star ratings i would choose one slow service and there was literally no one sloppy service wrong sides i just dont like it it was nasty overpriced I would rather go to dennys or another breakfast resuraunt
(1)Elenie V.
Ive come here a solid amount of times this year to make a review. I Love breakfast food at any time. Depndeding on your waiter youll get good service. The last time, my waiter was busy with other things so he wasnt really able to attend us well enough. I dont blame him being a waiter is hard. So I still give this place 4 stars. Im not picky As long as someone helps me, which they did, when I need to pay and go or need something then Im good!
(4)Rei S.
Waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged and minuted 20 minutes to get a table. The place is also dirty.
(1)Larry H.
My boyfriend and I will never come to this IHOP again. As soon as we walked in, things went down hill. We stood at the Host station for about 5 minutes waiting to be acknowledged. The Host looked over at us about 2 or 3 times while he finished his conversation. When he finally came over, he acted as if we were bothering him and that he was doing us a favor by greeting us. When we got to our table, he threw our menus down and pointed to the table as he walked away. We were then greeted warmly by a female server, who swiftly brought us water and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. If she had been our waitress, our experience probably would have been a lot better but she was only helping out our waiter. (Why he needed help, I'm not sure since the restaurant wasn't in the least bit busy.) Unfortunately, our waiter soon came to the table. He looked very disheveled and unhappy to be at work. He hastily took our order and rushed from our table. He didn't return until about 35 minutes later, carrying only part of our order, which we could tell, had been sitting out for a while. Side Bar: the lady that had brought our water, stopped by the table to apologize for the wait and to assure us our food was coming soon. Our waiter yelled at her and told her she was making it worse. On to the "food"... I ordered the classic breakfast crepes and my boyfriend ordered the sirloin tips and eggs with a side of pancakes. My crepes were burnt and hard and the eggs were brown. The sirloin tips tasted dry and old. And the pancakes didn't show up until about 10 minutes later. We told the waiter, that we wanted to send everything back and he became very angry. With an attitude he asked if we wanted everything remade or if he should just pretend we were never here. Steer clear of this IHOP! There is only one person there who actually knows how to treat customers and she gets reprimanded for it.
(1)Cyn C.
I revisited this IHOP location for breakfast and I must say the service completely improved. My wait time was much better and my napkins and utensils were brought before my meal. As with my last visit, food was very tasty.
(4)Greg H.
My wife and I bring my Mother-in-law here frequently. This time it was for Christmas day breakfast. It was a total fiasco. Once order was taken, the server NEVER came back, except to deliver the bill. The order (5 meals) was delivered incomplete. 2 meals did not get toast, and 1 meal was not delivered. The wait staff were not on the floor filing water, checking on customers. All were congregated at the cooks window most of our entire time there. The window was full of orders just sitting there. Eventually someone named Jennifer came over and already knew our order was incomplete but I don't know how- we had never been able to get anyone's attention. She promptly arranged for the missing items, however I ate my meal after everyone at our table was finished. She also seemed to know exactly what was missing without asking us. so SOMEONE was aware there was a problem. I learned as I was inline to pay that there was some type of staff crisis. The cook was yelling, literally in a raised voice which I could hear just fine at the cash register at the staff, 6 or 7 of them, who were in front of the cooks window. Telling them all to "politely tell the customers to wait" WHAT? The window is full of prepared food and customers have to wait? For what, the fight to end? One employee had obviously had enough and quit on the spot and walked out. Our server, Porcha, did manage to keep track of that (instead of her customers)- she yelled across the restaurant, from the cooks window to the front door area where the departing employee was to tell someone to tell the employee not to quit. Once I paid I asked for my itemized receipt because I wanted to complete the survey. The girl who took my payment told me i couldn't have it - that it was the store copy and had to go into some box she pointed to. hum, why wouldn't they want me to compete a survey that day? I insisted and then the printer was out of paper. She had no idea how to load new paper and get it to print. She called another guy over who loaded the paper and printed my bill. This guy thought the whole thing was funny and gave me a "new employees are funny" comment. The whole employee fiasco was going on while he was up front with me. I can appreciate problems in a food service business but the upsetting thing was the total disappearance of our server - we literally saw her twice, order time and bill time. She should have come by, acknowledged there was a problem and told us how she was resolving it. That alone would have gone a long way! Finally, the management staff should be dismissed. If for no other reason that not managing staff discord in a private way. Someone should have stopped the yelling and shouting and got the staff back to customer service and then dealt with the internal issues in private. I was upset with the food order, amazed and actually embarrassed for the staff for what was going on and finally had to laugh at the total incompetence of the management team. You should know that the food, when served, was hot and tasted good. Other than this time, I've had consistently good food and service. With the total lack of management involvement and control, I can not dismiss this as a one time slip in an otherwise good restaurant. This restaurant failed on all accounts. I would like a NO star option but I'm OK with giving them a one only because the food was good.
(1)Vepa S.
This place was so dirty and short staffed a couple walked out complaining as I walked in. I should have taken that as I sign but I really wanted stuffed French toast. The utensils were dirty and there was dry food inside the water cup. I'm never coming to this place again. Not only was it dirty but they only had one waiter for 6 tables. On top of it all the same waiter helping me had to leave the tables and help me pay for my bill at the register. He was super busy and rushed. Poor guy but they need to work on cleanliness.
(1)John M.
lackadaisical [lak-uh-dey-zi-kuhl] adjective 1. without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt. 2. lazy; indolent: a lackadaisical fellow. 3. service at this IHOP: both our server & the manager were lackadaisical. After an exhilarating but somewhat masochistic day of trail running the Ocean View & Lost Trails back behind Muir Woods, I went for a jog around my 'hood & literally ran into a couple friends wrapping up an epic day of road cycling of their own. None of us had eaten all day & we were all starving. 1 of my friends was really craving breakfast for dinner. Within time & proximity constraints, IHOP seemed like the best place to get that breakfast for dinner on a Sunday night. This IHOP, though on the small side, was clean & brightly lit. Service was casual. Too casual. Way too casual. Our server & even the manager wanted to be cool & friendly & funny. That's all good. But not at the expense of being professional. It was a little like open-mic night at the local comedy club whenever someone did come around, but those occasions were too infrequent. Instead, our server & the manager seemed much more interested in devoting their time to entertaining a couple female friends at another table. Aside from the slow & negligent service, between the 3 of us, the food ranged from not good (T-Bone Steak & Eggs) to mediocre at best (Philly Cheese Steak Stacker) to decent (BLT). All things considered, I'd give this IHOP 4 stars for setting, 2.5 stars for food & 1 star for service. An overall 2 star rating sounds about right.
(2)Sean Y.
Was skeptical because of the mediocre ratings but the service was excellent, and the food was definitely on point
(5)Grace C.
Came here around 7am. Not many ppl in here around that time. I had two pancakes the blueberry and double chocolate chip one. If you're looking to go to IHOP for a gourmet meal, then you are mistaken. IHOP is what it is- breakfast diner food at a decent price. The service was good as my waiter always came over to refill my water. Pancakes were a bit too sweet but i knew coming in that I wasn't going to get perfection
(4)Anne R.
Been here a handful of times and all of those times were decent experiences. Not much of a wait , decent customer service, clean tables, clean bathrooms, parking is good. The food is also good - much better quality than Denny's any day.
(4)Kevin W.
Could this place get any smaller - okay it's not your normal size IHOP! It is an IHOP squeezed into a strip mall. Food is not arranged not as the menu displays, nor are the portions what you think. I had ordered two halves of Belgian waffles, sausage, crispy bacon, and two eggs over easy medium. I received two itsy bitsy tiny waffle halves (not sure if they were Belgian or each only took two bites to eat), bacon came kind of uncooked and greasy. I am giving a star for well the over easy medium cooked eggs as they are hard to accomplish by a breakfast diner, the sausage was also cooked well. My friend ordered and omelet and it was so big that it almost didn't fit on the plate. So he had a feast of more than plenty. Waitress was slammed with four tables and our order went in after she took two other tables orders, and we got our beverages after waiting some time too. If I am in the area again, I will try IHOP again, but for now I'm not impressed since we were ignored for several minutes when we entered the lobby too!
(2)Bryan W.
Avoid! Do NOT come here! Bad service. Waited for a long time. Bad food. Just do yourself a favor and eat elsewhere.
(1)Arin B.
As far as IHOP goes, this is your classic IHOP place. Good food and fast service. Why the 5-star? It's the staff! Byron was our server and he was stellar. The manager, Collette, is caring and oversees the staff like family. There is an eclectic mix of staff that truly resembles the diversity of the Bay Area. The place was full, but the service was not lacking at all. We never felt rushed and were asked several times how our meal was. The crew is helpful and cheery and welcoming.
(5)Rick S.
Not my usual sort of place, but I thought I'd try something a little different. It took 30 minutes to be seated (party of 1). Another 20 minutes to be served a plate of ham and eggs that had been under the warming lights until it was inedible. I walked out.
(1)Ladonna A.
By far the cleanest looking ihop in the area. I go here for their omlettes and pancakes! Their customer service is OK. I went one time with my sister and they refused us business cause they were so busy.
(4)Jasmine R.
Worst place ever, horrible costumer service. the food was ok, just really horrible service here so slow.
(1)D S.
I can't even rate this place to tell you how the food was. The Seating area is old and tired. Those seats have held many buts. The place is and looks to stay busy, so busy that in fact they failed to seat me two times and expected me to wait yet again for another table to become free. It was enough for me. I was and still am too hungry and type more. And the place is dingy. Bad management!
(1)Didiana Z.
Good is pretty decent but they took a long time to serve the food. The servers are warm and polite. Great place for breakfast or brunch.
(3)Troy S.
Came to this location for the first time today and got the same thing i always get..Sirloin Tips and mashed potatoes...took one bite of the mashed potatoes and wanted to spit it right back out. They tasted extremely sour and bitter at this location i did not take another bite. It tasted as if they used spoiled/rotten milk! I let them know and she did nothing. Then when she brought back the check for the tip she stood over me impatiently as if she was waiting for me to sign her over the few dollars she needs to live while i was having a personal conversation with my grandfather. I used to be a waiter myself I know you don't ever do that. Will not come back to this location even if it's late/early because it isn't even open 24 hours anymore like most. They also let a crazy looking homeless guy who stared at his menu for over an hour without ordering sit next to us and even closed our blinds for him so we could not see out. WORST IHOP EVER never thought I'd say this but you are much better off going to the Denny's across the street.
(1)Chris O.
I was craving Lingonberries so I decided to check out the brand new IHOP in El Cerrito near the OSH. The food was your standard IHOP fare prepared properly and overall the place was very clean. I had the international passport breakfast with the Swedish crepes. The outstanding part was the customer service. I'm not sure I have ever had better service anywhere, yet alone at an IHOP. It was fun and friendly, I felt right at home there. If this rating was just for the service they would get 5 stars. I hope they are open late but forgot to check the hours.
(4)Craig G.
This review is about the service, not the food. Foodwise you should know what you're getting at IHOP already. My daughter had a hankering for their Nutella Crepes. The waiter had to inform us that crepes were not available. OK, second choice is waffles. Sorry, the waffle machine is also broken. She ended up with French Toast, which wasn't all that good. But the waiter did charge us the Crepe price, which was lower. So the good service made up for the so-so food in this case. Got to give them props for that.
(3)Miguel A.
I suppose that most IHOP restaurants in CA offer similar menus so it's not fair to judge this place based on whether I liked or disliked the actual food they served. It all boils down to the other factors such as cleanness, service, waiters being nice/helpful and the actual area where the restaurant is. Comparing to the IHOP in Emeryville (6 miles down the road) the El Cerrito IHOP is in a much quieter place (especially around dinner time) and looks cleaner/better maintained. I've got mixed feelings about the service - the waitress that served us on Friday evening was really really nice and helpful but the other waiter (tall guy with a pony tail) might have been the rudest waiter I've ever met in a CA restaurant and I'm probably not coming back to this place because of the way he treated us. To sum it up, I still recommend this location but be careful not to choose this waiter.
(2)Rubeno M.
This place has the rudest waitress in the area, she ignores you, is way to fast and by the looks of it she hates being here. She would be off laughing with the other customers and when she came to us was rude, rushed us through our orders and didn't answer any questions we asked. She said and I quote, "you either want it or you don't." This place wasn't even busy! I had a manager talk to another customer while resting her hand on my chair, wtf is that all about. I'm sticking to the ihop at Hilltop from this point on. The waitress' name was artesia or something around that area. The manager was this heavy set female
(1)Altan K.
Great service and good food. Family stopped by on a busy Sunday. Only a 10 minute wait. Our server Collette did a great job with our table. Pleasantly surprised :)
(5)Cross S.
My wife been come here for a while now. So have my co-workers. This IHOP is MUCH better then the one in Emeryvile. For the one in Emeryville... DO NOT EAT THERE!!!!! I was very surprised being adjacent to Cutting Blvd, Richmond that is place would of the dreads of society like the one in Emerville. No, just good people looking for an inexpensive meal. The food here is every good. The staff is friendly and very attentive. For an IHOP I will be coming here again. BTW.... did I mention not to go to the one in Emeryville???
(4)Courtney M.
I've eaten at this particular location a few times, with mixed results. This last time, however, has scared me off of this location for at least a few months. I decided to eat here for breakfast on my birthday a few days ago. The hostess was pleasant, but our server seemed to be having a bad day. He avoided our table every time we tried to flag him down. I'm not one to complain in restaurants, but our dishes were filthy to the point of being a hazard. Our first sign was the OJ glasses: one had the appearance of being used, rinsed, and released for use again without any soap involved. We sent it back for a new glass, and the one that joined our table next had dried OJ all over it. Why would you not even check the glass before setting it down, especially when it was meant to replace a dirty glass? Come on. What's worse is, the server practically ran away after setting the glass down. he disappeared into the kitchen and we didn't see him again until our food arrived. We had to hunt down the hostess to replace the dirty glass. Things only got worse from there. When our food arrived, I unwrapped my fork to find the handle coated in enough butter for a piece of toast. How does that even happen? After trying to flag down our server, who was doing his best to not make eye contact, I had to call over a different server to help with the problem. Unfortunately, the fork she brought back clearly had been not been cleaned after the last patron had used it... it was greasy with food. I almost left the restaurant then. Instead, I tracked down the hostess again (our server had left to go on a smoke break and the other waitress was busy) to get a new fork. By then, I had little appetite, thinking that the dishwasher was the cause of all the dirty dishes and that my plates were probably just as filthy as the forks. Not once did our server stop to ask us how the food was, if everything was okay, or anything. But I figured he was having a bad day, because he's served me before and has always been pleasant in the past. It's unfortunate his bad day coincided with the day the dishes were disgusting, though, because we could have really used his help on fixing the issue. Instead, IHOP has lost a customer. Ugh. Every time I think about the experience, I want to brush my teeth... blegh.
(2)Leslie W.
One star only because I can't rate a zero ... Ummm.... Where r you suppose to sit.. They attired to sit us blocking in a booth.. N asked if it was okay.... Then attempted to sit us near the doorway to the kitchen..... N asked if it was okay... WTF.. No its not okay so we left... Smh
(1)Judith B.
You know IHOP ... nostalgia, the chocolate chip pancakes my mom would never let me order as a kid and now I don't want them. But I still enjoy their pancakes; I'm a kid at heart - what can I say? This location is great. Parking is great, the staff are really nice and make you feel comfortable.
(3)Darlene A.
Went here with a large group of disabled teens on an outing this summer. We did have to wait a long time (extremely busy, and the restaurant is small) , but the hostess brought crackers, and was kind. The waiter extremely helpful and patient also. Returned this morning for breakfast with the family. We came in early, so there was no wait. Had the crepes, and my son the chocolate chip pancakes. Food was hot, yummy, and the coffee,fresh. Pleasant staff. It is slim pickings in this area for a decent meal in a clean establishment. Ihop exceeded in both areas. They do need to,expand though!
(4)Noor M.
I have realized that there is nothing particularly special about IHOP. In fact, the only word that comes to mind when I think "IHOP" is mediocre. The prices are relatively steep for the low quality of food and the poor service. However, the service at this particular IHOP was definitely better than I have experienced before. Our waiter was funny, efficient and friendly. We took his recommendation on what to order and when we decided to share a milkshake, he actually bought it out in two glasses. We had the Spinach and Mushroom Omelet (personalized it with american cheese) with a side of buttermilk pancakes, Grilled Tilapia Hollandaise, chocolate milkshake and strawberry lemonade. The Omelete was fluffly albeit underseaoned. The mushroom were wonderfully cooked and the hollandaise sauce added a nice flavor to the omelete. The Tilapia was soft and flaky but otherwise tasteless, once again, the hollandaise sauce to the rescue. The potatoes were pretty standard and we substituted the broccoli with corn and glad we did so! The corn was perfect. We wanted to top our meal off with a slice of the chocolate cake, however, it was not available. Overall rating - - 3/5 If I were rating it based on the food alone, I would have given it a 2/5, however, the service was wonderful and deserves a star.
(2)Andrea C.
an ihop is an ihop is an ihop. all i want to say is that this one has the CLEANEST bathrooms out of any ihop i've been to, which is a few (i drink a lot). naturally the food is whatever, i mean, it's an ihop, but i do dig that cheesecake banana strawberry stuff they do. it's a good place to kill time when drunk, bored, or hankering cheap (pancake-related) thrills.
(3)Ishak K.
They sell a lot of Chicken and Waffles thanks to the commercials, I'm sure. But, they are disappointing. Fast food style chicken tenders and soggy waffles with a mustard sauce. I imagined real Southern fried chicken. Kids meals were sad. Mac n cheese out of a box. Anyway, the club sandwich was pretty good. I think breakfasts are the way to go here. Try to avoid the crowds, because they're easily overwhelmed.
(2)Erick L.
Awesome customer service, food is delicious, I recommend this IHOP, I would come back again!
(4)Albert B.
My wife and I ordered the sirloin tips with eggs and pancakes. The maple syrup was not on the table but the waiter brought it for us. We went to the IHOP at Hilltop. We had a wonderful time, the food was great and the service was excellent. This IHOP is much better than the one in Emeryville. We will be returning to this one.
(5)Micki B.
I went to Ihop El Cerrito to pick up four breakfast meals. After arriving home with I found that two of the meals were incomplete- I'm talking a bacon and egg breakfast with no bacon and a pancake breakfast with no syrup. I called the restaurant and asked if I could drive back and receive two newly cooked meals. To my astonishment I was told they would only replace the bacon and give me syrup. You're kidding me! I'm supposed to eat cold pancakes and cold eggs with warm bacon? I was really disappointed because the hostess was extremely rude. I will never go back there especially when Fat Apples is close and has better food.
(1)Chris K.
This past Sunday, we visited this IHOP for the very first time. It is located in the strip mall across the Old Target on San Pablo, next to OSH and Staples. The restaurant itself is inserted into a space that was meant for a retail establishment so it's got zero charm as far as decor goes. But then again, we didn't go for the decor. We went because we got a 30% off coupon and I wanted syrupy pancakes for breakfast. I just want to say that our waitress gave us service that was on par with a 5 star restaurant. Dang it, I forgot her name, but she was awesome. She brought over the menu, offered to bring several different fruit toppings for my daughter because she couldn't decide, brought over extra crayons. I looked around at the other servers to see if we just got extremely lucky but everyone seemed to be in a decent mood as well. Maybe I didn't have such a high expectation because it was IHOP but as far as IHOP's go, it is as good as I ever experienced. So five stars.
(5)Cynthia A.
We've come here twice. Last time we had rather poor service, though the workers were nice. We ended up re-filling our own drinks more than once. Non-breakfast food was not as good as at Denny's nearby. First visit was much better, though not as cheap as I expected for breakfast. I'm not into eggs or all-you-can-eat pancakes, so that's probably why. For both breakfast & lunch/dinner, if the hubby and I are lazy and feel like diner food, we'll definitely opt for Denny's over this IHop.
(2)Richard H.
I do not know why but my wifey loves IHOP. We had coupons so we ended up here on a trip to Roseville. Anyway the people were great. Tina our server was outstanding. My wife loved the crepes ...lots of whipped creme and strawberries. For me not so much..I wanted a waffle...after 10minutes I was told they forgot to plug in the waffle maker. They gave me Bacon while I waited and fruit cup. Well 10 minutes later The manager apologize and stated the waffle maker was broke. WOW no waffle. So they gave me a two short stacks. The were very nice and shit happens..Anyway the food was good and they were very courteous. I will come back. ( who could foreseen a waffle maker breaking down...shit happens)
(4)Karime C.
AWFULL CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! WATING THERE FOR 15 MINITUES AND NOBODY CAME TO GREET OR OFFER ANYTHING TO DRINK!!! After been waiting there for an unaceptable time I decided to call a "waitress" asking to for the Manager's Name. I saw every body eating and another Waiter delivering a big round of pancakes to other tables. Without her letting me say anything She just says "if you are here for the free pancakes, we are just making more batter" I said, I don't care, I want the name of your manager, she says I will call him, and I said NO! I want his name! She just left ignoring me. I decided to leave the place. How come no one offered coffee or anything to drink? So disrespectful. It's not about the "Free Pancakes" You have to make a donation anyway! It about the stinking Service they have.!!! YELP IS ASKING TO RATE THIS PLACE. THEY DON'T EVEN DESERVE ONE STAR. I'M GOING TO SELECT ONE STAR BECAUSE YELP ASKS FOR.
(1)D L.
They need to serve larger portions...or use smaller plates. The 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, and 2 sausages looked pathetically small on the plate. Tasted good though!
(2)Delmy O.
Food is good! People are friendly, good service.
(4)M C.
Service was so slow Food was even sloooowwerr (slow like Carrow's!) Waited about 20 minutes for the meal And the place wasn't even crowded (maybe 5 other tables) But the sirloin tip dinner was good Guess it was worth the wait (?)
(3)MoshPitGoddess O.
I'm so sad! We used to looooovvve going here. They seemed to have cut way back on their staff and it has REALLY hurt their ability to serve their customers. The last time my daughter and I went there, we were seated right away but then left to sit there unattended to for literally over 30 minutes! Then we finally received beverages, but they weren't the ones that we ordered! Sat around for another 20 minutes (up fo 50 minutes waiting with a starving child) before we finally had to just get up and leave. We loved this place when it first opened, but the cuts in staff will keep us eating elsewhere.
(1)George S.
I agree with Chris. I hope this place doesn't slide downhill. This is my third visit, and the food was good and the service great. They got my eggs right, so the slightly over cooked hash browns (which I don't really like anyway) were ignored. Lest I forget, I haven't had a bacon and egg cheeseburger for a couple decades. There it was, on the menu. No way I could resist, and it was perfect. If you aren't afraid to risk a cholestrol bomb, give this one a try. Also, the crowd is my kind of people. Mixed, and a little noisey.
(4)Nicole W.
They give you so much freakin' food here, it's ridiculous! And almost everything comes with a short stack of pancakes, dangerous... but so good!!!
(4)Richard C.
We decided to stop at the IHOP for a late breakfast today. You pretty much know what to expect at a pancake house, but as we were waiting for a table, I soon realized that we were in one of those special work places where the staff was working together cheerfully and with respect for each other. Made my day. They must have good managers. Food was on the better side of typical IHOP.
(4)Paulringo M.
like this ihop the veggie crepes are good here as they layer it with cheese which is nice and on the inside, comes spinach and mushroom wrapped in egg, very tasty, very friendly service, love their iced coffee, their tilapia is here good and mind you IT DONT COME EASY to find a good ihop at times but this one is good.
(4)John D.
There is not much seating at this location (it's very small for an IHOP) and I personally witnessed the manager pour back a glass of orange juice into their main dispenser after it was on someone's table and they said they didn't order it. Granted, they had not drunk from the glass but it was still sitting on their table for a few minutes.
(2)Christina G.
Went here late Monday morning with my husband and 4 month old daughter. The service is great, the food was good. Good mix of people. Relaxed atmosphere with moderate noise. Almost all of the tables were filled when we got there but we were seated right away. I noticed they cleared the tables quickly between customers. I'm not always crazy about eating at chain restaurants, but I would definitely go here again.
(4)Jay D.
this iHop is exactly what you want an iHOP to be: iHOP food, decent service, good prices, and clean. Regarding the food: "It is what It Is" - I happen to really like the breakfasts, which are a great value. iHOP;'s vary widely in terms of management, which leads to huge differences in service, cleanliness, and so forth. This one is on a roll right now; hopefully, the current management will stay and make it great.
(4)Tom L.
wow i totally forgot to write a review on the day i went here but when i came here, it was fabulous! the lady who took our order was very friendly, the place was extremely clean. the restroom was the cleanest i've seen out of all the restrooms in el cerrito for a restaurant. but thats probably because this place is still new, we'll just have to see in a few months :) orders came out pretty fast, i've noticed the portions are slightly larger than other ihops but they are generally the same, i only notice it because i end up coming to these types of joints often at night after having some fun. the food was delicious, i didn't have a problem with my food, neither did anyone at my table. everyone in the ihop was having a great time as i observed. im not sure about the hours but i hope they open late. i'll check on it the next time i go :) this ihop, if you're in the area and you want to choose between ihop or dennys or some other late night place, i'd go to this ihop! coffee is served to order, pancakes are buttery fluffy, bacon comes out crispy but soft at the same time, i usually get cardboard looking bacon at most places i go to so this is new to me! :) parking is plentiful, the place is spacious and relaxing. i hope nothing changes ever! this is a place i'll say to recommend!
(4)Jacqueline C.
stay away from MARIA. she is a rude ass person! i never EVER go to ihop because service sucks. the person i went with told me next time IF I END UP COMING BACK to ask for Alice,because is on top of her game. we waited about 20 mins before maria came to even say hi and who she is.no water no coffee no NOTHING. then our food was cold,i told her about it and the fact that EVERYBODY ELSE that got there before we did GOT THERE FOOD ALREADY! all she said was "oh.well thats the way the orders are done.not by who comes first.but by where they seat you" needless to say i sent it back.and its not that im a picky bitchy person.but this lady pissed me and 3 other tables off.so she is just rude. so stay away from Maria from this iHop.and stay away from the iHop near Richmond Parkway.they suck EVEN MORE! btw. it wasnt lunch or rush time. it was a Tue after noon. NO NEED TO TAKE AN HOUR TO GIMMME MY FOOD!
(1)Richard S.
As other reviews mention service and attitude was TOP notch. We were greeted and welcomed by at least 4 people from entry until we got to the table. Food was typical IHOP food. Very good, not great presentation so-so but flavor good. My son ordered their special holiday gingerbread pancakes that looked nothing like the pretty menu photo but he liked it and cleaned his plate. My blintzes were as good as always, my wife's chix/spinach/mushroom crepe was over-seasoned with some kind of paprika/salt/pepper seasoning that had a funky sweetness with the crepes and hollandaise but it was still edible though not something we'd order again. Place was clean, coffee poured frequently and again very nice staff. Hope this good attitude holds out for the future. Will be nice having a decent IHOP nearby. Well be back every few weeks or so.
(4)