THEJNSREPORT

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S Summer Food Travel Log IHOP Bronx Edition!!

This past hump day I decided spontaneously after doing some sight seeing and running a few errands to stop at a brand new IHOP location in the Bronx just off the Bruckner Expressway and WhitePlains Road.  Truthfully only two thoughts came to mind as I neared my destination.  The first was man I’m hungrry!!!  The second was to ponder if my experience at an IHOP in the Bronx would be the same as it had been in Manhattan.  On such a gorgeous day out I thought it would be really cool if they were able to offer outside seating but perhaps that’d be too much to ask.  At any rate I approached the entrance.

There it sits on the corner of The Bruckner Expressway and White Plains Road.  Looks like the other chains…let’s see inside.

Once inside the main foyer area I snapped a couple of pics of the inside and waited to be seated.

Guess I caught em at the best time of the day…when no one is there. Yes Lawd!!! Lawda mercy!!!

I stood at the waiting area where no one was in sight to greet me.  After a moment a nice employee made her presence known and said it’d be just a moment before I was seated.  I got to sit in a comfortable booth near the back of the place.  It was the perfect spot, because I was insulated by the booth on my right side while being able to look out across the seating area to see the Bruckner Expressway.  Being the restaurant was mostly empty at a little past noon I had an unobstructed view of windows showing cars whizzing by on the expressway.  I thought to myself this is what you call hi-speed people watching as I waited for a server to come and bring my menus.

Always one to try to be a bit wiser than most restaurants think of the average patron, I left my OJ on ice untouched.  I wasn’t about to fall for the drink your liquids before your meal comes trick.  It held its place on the table until the “Main Event”.  LOL.  I continued to bide my time by looking around the restaurant and out the windows contemplating what was coming and whether I had enough stomach for what I ordered which was breakfast food.

The view says it all I think…No one in sight.

Time kept ticking away and just as my patience was beginning to teeter onto seeking out my server to check my order… out came my food.

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Main Event!!!

Decisions decisions which do I attack first? As you can see above I got the “scrambled eggs” and cheese with turkey bacon, stuffed french toast, and pancakes for good measure.  I decided to go with the pancakes first before diving into the eggs.

Ahhh The short stack

Now for the review.  There is no question that the food comes looking as advertised in their menus which in many of my experiences usually isn’t the case.  That being said, it’s official, I do not like egg substitute or eggs from a carton.  While they look like eggs and may have a similar texture, the taste is nothing short of bland and really artificial tasting in your mouth.  My tongue definitely noticed that I was not consuming real eggs.  IHOP uses a lot of salt with the cheese in my opinion to mask this in their egg substitute.  I ate them any way as I was famished.  Now the turkey bacon made my mouth sing as I combined a piece of it with the first bites of my pancakes and maple syrup.  I decided to put off eating the stuffed french toast in the mean time.

Wakey wakey…eggs and bakey!!!

How do you love a short stack of buttermilk pancake goodness?  Obviously with a hunk of butter, some good ole strips of turkey bacon, and a smothering of maple syrup of course.  I almost went in for a swig of my OJ but I refrained valiantly savoring every delicious bite.  I began alternating back and forth between “the eggs, cheese,” turkey bacon and bites of my pancakes.  This is what ensued.

Pancakes get a Paula Deen sized drenching of maple syrup

Going…Going

“Eggs” and Turkey Bacon…Gone!

While I contemplated the mysteries of how maple syrup and pancakes union first came to be, my focus began to shift toward my stuffed french toast.

Stuffed French Toast IHOP Style HaWhaat!!!?

The Ohmygoodness of it!!!

And like that… poof it’s Gone!!!  

That stuffed french toast is sinfully delicious.  I had mine topped with caramelized apples and whipped cream.  They do come with the option of a variety of other fruit preserves toppings.  However,  the combination of in my mind apple pie filling and whipped cream on top of a light and fluffy pastry that’s doughnut taste (always a welcome treat) is married with a cream cheese is simply put… smart!  The result is outstanding and definitely a must have for a cheat day treat!!  As evidenced above, only streaks remained.  Oh almost forgot the OJ.  That too went down smooth but oh so deliciously cold.

“May I have some of your tasty beverage to…wash this down?”

Yessuh it all hit the spot!

For a first impression I guess I have to admit IHOP was what I expected it should be.  Service was decent and I handled my business with every item I ordered so it must’ve been good.  Recommends on this visit say get the pancakes, turkey bacon, and stuffed french toast topped with apple pie and whip cream, skip the eggs.

The OJ which was very cleansing and topped off the palate was to my surprise fresh squeezed or at least filled with pulp and tasted fresh.  I’ve eaten at other chain restaurants like IHOP that give you OJ concentrate which never tastes any better than someone taking left over pulp from and empty container and pouring tap water on it and serving it to you.  This was a pleasant surprise and for the price my meal was very affordable.

I recommend IHOP in the Bronx as a definite destination on my food map tour for repeat visits.  I have to mention that their menu is very extensive with far more options and varieties of food combinations than what I had so I will definitely be back to try their burgers, chicken, appetizers and other dishes.  Also my experience was pretty much the same as it had been in Manhattan.   Till next time this has been THEJNSREPORT’S Summer Food Travel Log IHOP Bronx Edition.