Woke up and told my husband I needed to eat. I suggested going to Moe's on Ten, and he suggested IHOP since we haven't been to the one in Novi yet. Fine, let's go. We get ready, get in the car, and drive there. We arrived at 9:05AM-9:10AM. Parking lot was packed, and plenty of cars were pulling in at the same time, so he dropped me off at the door so I could grab us a seat. Once inside, the place was pretty busy, but I didn't have to wait to be seated at all. There weren't any booths open, so the hostess sat us at a small 2-person table, in the middle of the main aisle. No problem - it was just 2 of us, so I didn't want to take a bigger table when I knew there were larger groups coming in behind us. She thanked me for that. So far everything was off to a good start. Our waitress came over within 1-2 minutes. She took our drink order, brought us our drinks, and then took our order. I'd guess that all of this took place within 10 minutes. Nothing unreasonable whatsoever. Our waitress checked in on us periodically and gave us an update once, telling us that our food should be up shortly. Still going well - or so we thought. We started to notice tables seated before us were still waiting on their food to come out. I started watching the clock, and began to panic a little. I had an order to work on with a 3PM deadline - and it wasn't a simple order. I didn't have time for breakfast to consume nearly 2 hrs of my day, from start to finish. Sadly I'm not even exaggerating. We left around 8:50AM and didn't get home until 10:38AM. So if the pressure of a work deadline wasn't bad enough, I then started getting a really bad headache because I'm pregnant and hadn't ate anything. I told my husband we needed to leave, and could just pick up BK breakfast or something. I honestly didn't even care at that point. I needed food & time, and IHOP wasn't supplying either at the moment! I told him at 9:59AM, "If we don't get our food in one minute, we're leaving!" Well...the IHOP Gods must've heard my threat because 30 seconds later, out came our food! And I started crying. I was hungry, had a headache, was stressed over my deadline, and was frustrated that we now had to stay since our food came out. And to make matters worse, I was crying more because I was embarrassed and had absolutely ZERO control over it! Ugh! Worst dining out experience of my life! I was eating my meal through tears. Well our waitress noticed so she came over and apologized, and told us the manager would be over to talk to us because the wait was unacceptable. I couldn't look at our waitress because I knew it would've been worse for my crying, and about the only control I had over it was preventing it from becoming hysterical sobbing. The manager came over, my husband talked to her and explained the situation, and she said she was gonna modify the bill. Didn't look at her at all either. When she came back she told us that she gave us 50% off our bill, and apologized for the delay. She said she felt "really bad" and said she just walked in and didn't know what was going on. She told us the delay was due to "only half of the kitchen was open." So on a Saturday morning - at IHOP - you only run half of your kitchen??? What kind of sense does that make??? I will say that my meal was good. The strawberry banana french toast was delicious! BUT - no simple IHOP breakfast meal is ever worthy of a 50 minute wait. This is simple stuff: bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes, and french toast. Any other restaurant would have your meal out to you within 15-20 minutes. So yes - the food was good, but not worth any of the BS that came along with it. I really debated on whether or not to rate this a 1 or 2 star. I asked myself - "would I go back here?" and that solved my 1 or 2 star dilemma. No. I wouldn't come back here again. Our waitress - Ifeoba - was great, and was no way at fault for the delay in us getting our meal. Could she have communicated better/differently about what the actual delay was? Yes, but it wouldn't have solved any of our problems. Maybe we would've known to leave, but I'm not holding it against her. Anyways. Read the reviews beforehand. They'll likely save you from a breakfast crapshoot!
(1)
Mark J.
The food is alright but the service is exceedingly slow. It doesn't seem to matter if it's packed or you are the only one in the place, I've never gotten my food, which is generally just pancakes, sooner than 30 minutes from ordering.
(2)
Jeff M.
We were excited when IHOP first opened. Our daughter LOVES pancakes, so where better to take her? Um, lots of places! Horrible experience. To be fair, they had just opened. It might have been the first weekend. So the place was packed. However, the service was still slow our order was wrong. Waited forever for refills, etc. Decided to give it a try again recently, as I said, they had just opened their doors and was very busy. Nothing changed. Horrible service. Ok food, at best (how do you mess up eggs and pancakes?) Not a place we'll be returning to and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
(1)
Darryl W.
Ok so writing this as I sit here waiting on food. At this point I do not care if the eggs have gold in them and the pancakes have keys to a new car hidden inside, my (pregnant) wife and I have been waiting well over a half hour for food. If she didn't absolutely have to eat and soon I would get up and walk out...we walked in just after 9:00 am on a Saturday and it is moderately busy, but definitely no excuse for waiting this long. Come on folks this is what you do. You are primarily a breakfast place and you can't get breakfast out in a reasonable amount of time? Should have paid closer attention to the reviews before we came. Never again. As I look at my watch I see that it's closer to like 45 minutes at this point. This place needs a corporate review by their headquarters, and fast!
(1)
Lauren G.
I was very happy with my experience here and will be going again. The whole place looked very clean and the workers were very nice and also looked very well-kempt. There are a lot of food choices; not just breakfast. And I would give their Cobb Salad a 9 out of 10 ONLY because if they added some avocado it would be the perfect salad.
(5)
Rebecca K.
Ok, good stuff as far as diner quality ... Food was okay - depending on what you get, but the service was great. I know they just work on turning those tables but our waitress never missed a thing and always had my "dates" drink full. We go often for breakfast for dinner .
(5)
Austin S.
Service was extremely slow. Server never checked on us and it's was freezing in the place.
(2)
Chandini W.
I really liked it. I haven't been to IHOP before and after going here, I'm regretting that! The pancakes were delicious and the service was nice. The girl we had was very sweet and no complaints!
(4)
Scott S.
Not impressed, only one in the restaurant, poor service, under cooked hash browns, over cooked eggs, tiny micro piece of ham. And over priced.
(2)
Ak S.
Food here is pretty good, service is really slow and disinterested, i did go at 4 am but i do believe,as a restaurant manager and worker in the past, that if there are two customers at a 24 hour restaurant, you should be able to make their food faster than one 40 minutes, and also tend to them, in one hour I had 0 refills and nobody checked on me, i still left a 10$ tip because i do understand they get very few tips on that shift.
(3)
Ghst C.
I couldn't sleep and have had a craving for pancakes for days. I didn't know this place was here until driving by a few weeks ago. I ordered the Sirloin Tips and Eggs. The tips were very tasty, marinated in a sweet, teriyaki-like flavor. The eggs were done exactly as I ordered. And yes, the pancakes hit the craving, being some of the fluffiest I've ever seen. I also ordered the Chicken Fajita Omelet to go, for someone else; haven't tried it yet, but it looks appetizing enough that I might consider "forgetting" to have ordered it for my friend, and indulge in it myself. It's 1:30am, and the place was clean and relatively quiet. Waitress was very nice and attentive, and even one of the cooks came out to help serve and make sure I was happy with my food, so there really was minimal wait time for anything. Food was fast and good. Sometimes coming out in the middle of the night is just one of the best times to go.
(5)
Alyssa R.
I've always had pretty good service at the Novi location. Today when I went the hostess said it would only be a few minutes to wait but there were at least 5 other groups ahead of me waiting to be seated. I wouldn't have minded waiting but what really pissed me off was that there were 12 empty tables and the hostess did not seat anyone at any of them. There was clearly space for all the customers but she didn't let any of us sit there. The wait was getting to be ridiculous so I left and am not planning on coming back to this location again.
(2)
Betty B.
Was so excited it came to Novi. Great food. Love pancakes. The downside, It's a terrible location. It's way too small and the parking is horrible. They need a bigger spot.
(4)
Kelsey H.
I love ihops, but this location in particular is a disaster. Every time I'm there there's a problem with me or another patron. My order is never correct. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR TAKE OUT BAG, they will forget something you paid for. Food is good, manager is a pro at apologizing.
(2)
Gail D.
I wish I could put zero stars! WE WALKED into a empty waiting area...no one in line and were told to have a seat......someone else approached us and asked how many and sat us! We waited at our table for a long time until waitress finally came. Our order was taken and when our food arrived from a different person we had no silverware and it was cold! I was excited to have an IHOP in Novi....but will not go back! Lots of people including the Manager milling about but not helping anyone else!
(1)
Raj A.
This is my first review!! I have been to many cuisines and there are some I just don't like i.e. I just don't like that type of cuisine and not a particular location. In case of IHOP, this location is easily the most terrible place. I have been to many IHOP's and never had any problems. We went there at around 11:40 and by the time we came out it was 12:55!!! We only spent 10 min. eating and the rest of the time was what it took them to take an order from us and serve it. First the lady at the entrance didn't even look at us for a while, as we waited there to be seated. And she asked us what beverages we want, took the order, disappeared and nobody showed up for 20 min.!!! Then another girl came, apologized for the delay and took the order from us. I asked her if they were short-handed and she said no!! She also said, nobody told her to take our table and apparently no one else also did. After we ordered the food, it took another eternity for it to show up. The usual norm is, the longer it takes the better cooked the food would be, or at least that's how I think!! But here, the hash browns were mostly burnt, the tilapia we ordered was falling apart, and the mashed potatoes were not juicy at all and were very dry!!!! We were very hungry and somehow finished the meal and were immediately out. For a fast food restaurant, there could be no excuse for taking more than an hour to complete an order. Further, even the standard recipe items were out of the place. I recommend IHOP, but NOT THIS LOCATION.
(1)
Carl K.
The family always enjoys going to IHOP for breakfast (day or night). I could take it, or leave it to start, but will generally go along with the preference of the group. So, the day before father's day (last month), we went for a "quick" breakfast before an event where we were volunteering. The experience was anything but quick. My order was the last "complicated" by far......2 eggs poached, sausage, hash browns, and wheat toast. I know, I make it sound complicated, but I thought at the time is was a relatively easy task that would result in a breakfast that may take up to 35 minutes after we were seated (keep in mind they were not overly busy; just over half full). Now the fun part. Poached eggs showed up and we're almost hard boiled. I asked if they could remake them (cuz I thought that they might take another 2 minutes ; including back and forth walking for the server). 10 minutes later.....with the server not showing up or anywhere to be seen, still no eggs. Another 5 minutes went by and we noticed a manager and told her about the situation and she went to "take care of it". Another 5 minutes went by and the manager was now also "in hiding". The server showed up, without eggs mind you, and told her we had the manager involved. Another 5 minutes later I was brought "new" eggs, with an apology and a 10% reduction from the bill. By this time (25 minutes later) I had finished the rest of my meal. And, the best part was that the "new" poached eggs were still nearly hard boiled!!! The server was very apologetic, and said "come back for Father's day and we'll do better, I promise". I told her that I wouldn't be back.....and I meant it. Overall, it's always been clean restaurant ......but I always have better service and food at a near by Coney Island. I will never go back, and recommend the same to everybody. And, you're welcome!!
(1)
Jackie D.
The food here is great and very consistent quality everytime I go. Its one of the few places where I can honestly say that the food looks almost identical to what they present on the menu. That menu of course, being one of the biggest menus i've ever seen for ANY restaurant. They have such an insane selection that it can take a very long time to decide what you want. A couple points against them for service. The waitresses are nice but they were SEVERELY understaffed when I dined here. Our poor waitress was running around the entire large restaurant like a chicken with its head cut off. She must have been waiting on 8 or 9 tables at once. She had indicated that some other staff memebers had called in, yet this is not the first time i've experienced this issue here. Also, a minor point, but their chocolate milk is literally just milk with chocoate syrup stirred in. While this obviously isn't a huge deal, chocolate milk lovers know that it simply isn't as good as factory style chocolate milk.
(3)
Robert P.
The energy here is fantastic the service is top notch it's a pleasant place to go and grab a bite after church on Sunday morning.
(5)
Chuck M.
This place seves great breakfast food. The service has been excellent each time we have come to this restaurant.
(4)
Ken S.
Took the girls for breakfast, parking was a nightmare as there wasn't a spot anywhere, we needed to park in a lot next door and walk over. The sidewalks still had snow piled on them so we needed to walk back into the parking lot entrance, there were a lot of cars coming in and out, not the best with a 4 & 6 yr old. The parking lot is to small for this business, I'm surprised the City of Novi allowed it. The wait wasn't bad maybe 10 min, it's a new IHOP which is nice as I haven't seen a new one open in like ever. The staff seemed over whelmed as our waitress wasn't the most friendly person in the world and we had another one come over to take our order after we already orders so there definitely was some confusion. The food was OK, I was disappointed that the Strawberry & Banana pancakes only had 2 slices of banana in each one, $7 for 4 pancakes I expected a few more slices. The choc, choc chip pancakes were enjoyed by my 4 yr old If you like IHOP this one will do, I'm sure they will get better as time goes on
(3)
Bobby B.
So far, I have waited about 25 min to order food. Maybe it's because I have been sit back in the corner and it's right after the lunch rush. Anyways, I can't give it a 1 because the food isn't here yet. Or ordered for that matter.
(2)
Erin M.
do NOT go here! I went here with 2 other people and it took over 40 minutes to get our food. It was quiet at the time, with only a few other patrons so it wasn't because it was busy. The excuse they gave us? They said "Egg whites just take longer to cook than regular eggs" since one of us switched to just egg whites. Having cooked with just egg whites before I know this is not true! Shortly after leaving the restaurant every single one of us got horribly sick. I question their food handling and cleanliness because of this. Go elsewhere if you're in the mood or breakfast!
(1)
Lynn H.
I know, an IHOP is an IHOP is an IHOP. But I like IHOP. And I especially like that this IHOP opened in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago. We first visited the weekend it opened and had the pleasure of talking to the manager. He was very attentive and very service oriented, even accepting a coupon that was no longer valid. The manager's attention to excellent service was evident in the wait staff's service on that visit and our subsequent visit. We had a different waiter on each occasion, but both paid the same attention to details like water and coffee, and both remembered who ordered what, avoiding the annoying "food auction" that often occurs at breakfasts with large parties.
(3)
Paul G.
Clean, friendly, great food.
(4)
Friend of D.
What sets this IHOP apart from other IHOP's (and breakfast places in general) is that this one is (as of 2014) brand new and with that comes better service, cleaner restrooms, and just a better dining experience. Love pancakes and this place does them well.
(4)
Geoff W.
Its a little slow on the weekends but the service is nice and they have lots of seating so no waiting. It's IHOP so you know it is good for breakfast.
(4)
Amanda R.
Came here last night for a sugar fix because what is better then pancakes? Oh, nothing. Got here and we were both kind of weirded out by the parking lot. It's super cramped and dark. The building itself is very small for an IHOP too, IMO. Anyway.. We enter and are seated. Order one salted caramel hot chocolate, black coffee, and two waters. Waitress brought back hot choco, waters, and a mt.dew... Good try, but not. So we wait another 5-6 minutes for a black coffee then proceed to place our order. Let me remind you how dead this place is considering there were maybe four booths of people in the entire restaurant. We order our food and my pancakes were supposed to be white chocolate raspberry pancakes. They were supposed to have white chocolate chips in the cake itself and it literally had under 10 pieces for three pancakes. When I asked the waitress "aren't these suppose to have white chocolate chips in it?" She replied "yes. It doesn't?" And I said "no." So she took it back then five seconds later returns and says "actually there's one there and a few over here." Okay, my point is there is so little you have to point out two to me? She then asked "so do you want extra?" No? Why don't you actually just put the chips in the pancake instead of skimping HARD on them. Don't advertise something as one thing then bring out a pancake with a few chips. That was THE fastest she ever came back to our table as well, to tell me I was wrong basically. She never refilled my water so I ended up drinking my boyfriends until at the end when she brought the bill I had to ask for more water. IHOP isn't luxury eating, but I didn't expect this service or lack of food quality to be in a Novi IHOP when I've had better. Ruined my yearly IHOP fix.
(2)
Mark Z.
Finally got try this Ihop it was close by. Food is average. Really irratated me was I didnt get my coffee till my food came out.
(2)
Kranthi B.
Great place to go with family. We went for dinner on a weekend. We were promptly received by the waitress and were given a comfortable place. The kid was given crayons and paper to spent time. It took some time for the waitress to get us water. My wife ordered hot chocolate and they brought in reasonable time. How ever the food order took quiet a bit of time to arrive. The food tasted excellent and it guess it was worth the wait. One down side of the restaurant was, it didn't have much options in the kids meal and kid was given the regular silver ware which adults use for eating and they were too big for their hands to eat. Other than that , pretty good restaurant and on an average would cost 12 bucks per person..
(4)
Seyedrahmat F.
The place is not clean and quiet, they are late to make your order ready, and the quality of food is not so good like other IHOP lications
(1)
Christopher W.
Didn't think breakfast could be screwed up this much! Waited a long time to be seated but the place was almost empty. 5 minutes to get drinks, and another 10 to actually place our food order. Took 20 minutes to get the cold and wrong order delivered to the table. Asked for sunny side up eggs, got scrambled. The chicken fried steak tasted like freezer burn. My wife's ham was bone dry and her 'lite' bacon was so overdone it broke into a million pieces just picking it up. At least the pancakes were Ok, not great but edible. Couldn't pay the bill fast enough and ran for the door. We love IHOP but just can recomnd this location.
(1)
Mish M.
Food was good..A little on the pricey side compared to other places and to compare to the ones that are in the same price range, it's average. I like that's it's nearby and a good standby if needed.
(3)
Luke R.
my wife and I have been there three times now. this review covers all 3 visits. the 1st time it was well after 11pm and we were completely surprised that there was a food eatery in Novi open past 10pm, let alone someplace open 24/7. We both ordered the endless pancakes and enjoyed our food and the service was great. Not much could be said about the food or service, as I was overjoyed at eating good food for a good price. There might of been 3 other tables of customers at the time, so I am assuming that was why we had such quick & efficient service. this visit was worth 5 stars the 2nd time we visited was noonish on a weekday - they were slammed with customers - however the wait was only 15mins to be seated. This visit was slightly frustrating as we had no idea who our waiter was. only after a bit, did some lady come by and ask us if we had been helped. I don't think she was our waiter for section, but she tried. I had to ask several times for refills of our drinks. We both ordered omelets. I had one of my tried n true favs, the big steak omelet. My wife ordered the colorado omelet, which I had never seen before, I liked her omelet better than mine. Again we had issues with our waiter... I had to ask other servers for extra napkins and refills. this visit was worth 4 stars, primarily because of the long wait from our server. our 3rd visit was after a late night get together with friends, on our way home, at 3am we decided to visit IHOP because we were both hungry. If I recall properly there might of been 2 other customers in there at the time. Our server, Cassie, was extremely friendly and courteous, especially for it being after 3am. my wife ordered the French onion Pot roast dinner and I ordered the Fried Chicken dinner. Chef Mike cooked the heck out of both dinners - the corn was buttery, the mashed potatoes were spot on full of flavor, the garlic bread was soft & chewy. My wife loved the Pot Roast and it looked like they had given her a double portion. My fried chicken was still sizzling, it was 4 pieces, it should of been a leg, wing, thigh, breast, but for whatever reason they had given me 2 breasts. the chicken was extra juicy too. Cassie, brought us refills on our drinks, extra napkins, as well. for my wife and myself this visit was worth 5 stars. IMHO... the key is to come to this location anytime after 10pm. As for the prices, there are Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner options in/around Novi which are more expensive. I know of 2 other Breakfast places near by which I no longer visit as the prices were too high. I generally love IHOP. and until now, anytime we wanted to go to one, we were forced to drive all the way out to West Bloomfield or Livonia. I've read other reviews of the Parking situation. YEP I agree is crazy small. But not sure what the solution is. I am sure this is one of the growing pains for the biz. My wife and I plan on coming back many times. I can forgive the crappy parking lot... Because they are open 24/7. and there are not many eateries in Novi open after 11pm everyday of the week.
(5)
Mary A.
Came here a month ago and had the worst experience ever! Walked in and stood in front of the counter with my husband and another couple without even being acknowledged by he 2 employees behind the counter. The restaurant was maybe half full, so it wasn't really that busy considering how it usually gets on the weekend. After we were seated and got our drinks we asked for a couple more minutes to figure out what we were going to order. Waitress leaves and doesn't come back for another 15 mins, she literally disappeared and we couldn't find her. After reappearing, she takes our order and brings out our food another half hour later and she gets our order wrong! She didn't even say sorry or ask us if we wanted something else, we were basically left with food we didn't ask for. She leaves once again and comes back a couple minutes later to bring us our check! We had barely started eating our food and she hadn't even asked if we needed anything or refilled our drinks. When leaving we went to pay at the counter so we wouldn't have to deal with her and she suddenly appears at the register even though there was a cashier already up there. That didn't scare us from giving her a lousy tip for her lousy service(I hate giving bad tips but the way she treated us was baffling & ruined our morning.) The waitress was unfriendly and rude, and she definitely ruined ihop for me. Was my first and last time coming to this particular ihop, and I probably won't go back to another one either. Forgot to mention how the hash browns weren't crispy at all!!
(1)
Amber W.
I discovered this IHOP on accident the last time I was driving through Novi and decided to check it out for breakfast this morning. The parking was good, although I can see where it could be an issue during busier times as the lot is shared with surrounding businesses. I wouldn't dare try to make a left-hand turn onto Grand River Ave. during peak traffic times either. This IHOP was very clean outside and inside. The interior was very spacious and kind of reminded me of a Golden Corral, only without the cafeteria atmosphere. I was a bit confused as to whether this was a "seat yourself" or "wait for server" kind of place / time of day as there was no sign indicating either. A manager elected to seat me and asked me my preference of a booth or a table. I didn't have a preference, and was seated in the corner booth just behind the cashier area. I found that the staff was very friendly and relatively quick to get me seated. My server was pretty attentive and took my drink order right away, as well as took my food order after returning with my orange juice. The OJ was very good - not quite as sweet as you would get at other places. I ordered a 2x2x2 (2 buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon), which was delivered fast to my table and very tasty. Probably the only negative of my experience here at this IHOP was the price, which I did find to be kind of high for what I've ordered. ($10.26 in total). Whilst the portion size was good for what I did order, I typically get hash browns, home fries, and bread (toast/banana) with my meal for the same price (and sometimes less) elsewhere. $10 for breakfast for one person is a bit steep. I wouldn't say that the cost is enough to deter me from returning, but I don't think I will become a "regular" because of it.
(3)
Saagar U.
This particular IHOP location is not good. Stopped by around 10 pm on a Thursday and there was only one person working as hostess and server for the entire restaurant. I ordered banana strawberry pancakes, which I cannot complain about. However, what I can complain about it the fact that my friend never got the orange juice that he asked for when the server came around for drink orders when we got there. I did also ask for a refill for my water and this took over 10 minutes for the server to get.
(1)
Bryxn G.
1. A lot of open tables, and when finally seated, they sit us next to somebody.... 2. We didn't get utensils. So when we asked we finally got it 10 minutes later, there was 4 of us so of course she brought 3. 3. It's been 45 minutes, no sign of food or drinks, just a lot of dirty tables. And people bringing food back, don't know why. 4. A lady complained because the syrup on the waiters shirt was touching her food, the waiters response "oh that's just syrup." 5. One guy with glasses and had working extremely hard, the rest very calm and slow, almost comatose. 6. Lady behind me asks if mash potatoes come with gravy, waitress says no, lady asks if she can get gravy, waitress says no it's just mash potatoes. In a very rude way.
(1)
LJ G.
Let me tell you something. This is the BEST IHOP I have ever been to. From the server Kennedy, who gave us so much attention and dynamic service we had a hard time leaving! While it has what any other IHOP would serve food wise, the friendly atmosphere and ambiance of peace along with the food (Chicken Fajita Omelet and Shortstack) being serve as soon as as it was done, this IHOP is the reigning Champ.
(5)
Sherill M.
Not bad. My food was good and fresh. Ihop mixes it up, they have many flavored pancakes, lots of specials, coupons, free pancakes on your birthday! This location is clean and neat. Servers are mostly cute little teens that try to be nice/ accommodating. Try the chicken fajita omelette!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Drive-Thru : No
Grace W.
Woke up and told my husband I needed to eat. I suggested going to Moe's on Ten, and he suggested IHOP since we haven't been to the one in Novi yet. Fine, let's go. We get ready, get in the car, and drive there. We arrived at 9:05AM-9:10AM. Parking lot was packed, and plenty of cars were pulling in at the same time, so he dropped me off at the door so I could grab us a seat. Once inside, the place was pretty busy, but I didn't have to wait to be seated at all. There weren't any booths open, so the hostess sat us at a small 2-person table, in the middle of the main aisle. No problem - it was just 2 of us, so I didn't want to take a bigger table when I knew there were larger groups coming in behind us. She thanked me for that. So far everything was off to a good start. Our waitress came over within 1-2 minutes. She took our drink order, brought us our drinks, and then took our order. I'd guess that all of this took place within 10 minutes. Nothing unreasonable whatsoever. Our waitress checked in on us periodically and gave us an update once, telling us that our food should be up shortly. Still going well - or so we thought. We started to notice tables seated before us were still waiting on their food to come out. I started watching the clock, and began to panic a little. I had an order to work on with a 3PM deadline - and it wasn't a simple order. I didn't have time for breakfast to consume nearly 2 hrs of my day, from start to finish. Sadly I'm not even exaggerating. We left around 8:50AM and didn't get home until 10:38AM. So if the pressure of a work deadline wasn't bad enough, I then started getting a really bad headache because I'm pregnant and hadn't ate anything. I told my husband we needed to leave, and could just pick up BK breakfast or something. I honestly didn't even care at that point. I needed food & time, and IHOP wasn't supplying either at the moment! I told him at 9:59AM, "If we don't get our food in one minute, we're leaving!" Well...the IHOP Gods must've heard my threat because 30 seconds later, out came our food! And I started crying. I was hungry, had a headache, was stressed over my deadline, and was frustrated that we now had to stay since our food came out. And to make matters worse, I was crying more because I was embarrassed and had absolutely ZERO control over it! Ugh! Worst dining out experience of my life! I was eating my meal through tears. Well our waitress noticed so she came over and apologized, and told us the manager would be over to talk to us because the wait was unacceptable. I couldn't look at our waitress because I knew it would've been worse for my crying, and about the only control I had over it was preventing it from becoming hysterical sobbing. The manager came over, my husband talked to her and explained the situation, and she said she was gonna modify the bill. Didn't look at her at all either. When she came back she told us that she gave us 50% off our bill, and apologized for the delay. She said she felt "really bad" and said she just walked in and didn't know what was going on. She told us the delay was due to "only half of the kitchen was open." So on a Saturday morning - at IHOP - you only run half of your kitchen??? What kind of sense does that make??? I will say that my meal was good. The strawberry banana french toast was delicious! BUT - no simple IHOP breakfast meal is ever worthy of a 50 minute wait. This is simple stuff: bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes, and french toast. Any other restaurant would have your meal out to you within 15-20 minutes. So yes - the food was good, but not worth any of the BS that came along with it. I really debated on whether or not to rate this a 1 or 2 star. I asked myself - "would I go back here?" and that solved my 1 or 2 star dilemma. No. I wouldn't come back here again. Our waitress - Ifeoba - was great, and was no way at fault for the delay in us getting our meal. Could she have communicated better/differently about what the actual delay was? Yes, but it wouldn't have solved any of our problems. Maybe we would've known to leave, but I'm not holding it against her. Anyways. Read the reviews beforehand. They'll likely save you from a breakfast crapshoot!
(1)Mark J.
The food is alright but the service is exceedingly slow. It doesn't seem to matter if it's packed or you are the only one in the place, I've never gotten my food, which is generally just pancakes, sooner than 30 minutes from ordering.
(2)Jeff M.
We were excited when IHOP first opened. Our daughter LOVES pancakes, so where better to take her? Um, lots of places! Horrible experience. To be fair, they had just opened. It might have been the first weekend. So the place was packed. However, the service was still slow our order was wrong. Waited forever for refills, etc. Decided to give it a try again recently, as I said, they had just opened their doors and was very busy. Nothing changed. Horrible service. Ok food, at best (how do you mess up eggs and pancakes?) Not a place we'll be returning to and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
(1)Darryl W.
Ok so writing this as I sit here waiting on food. At this point I do not care if the eggs have gold in them and the pancakes have keys to a new car hidden inside, my (pregnant) wife and I have been waiting well over a half hour for food. If she didn't absolutely have to eat and soon I would get up and walk out...we walked in just after 9:00 am on a Saturday and it is moderately busy, but definitely no excuse for waiting this long. Come on folks this is what you do. You are primarily a breakfast place and you can't get breakfast out in a reasonable amount of time? Should have paid closer attention to the reviews before we came. Never again. As I look at my watch I see that it's closer to like 45 minutes at this point. This place needs a corporate review by their headquarters, and fast!
(1)Lauren G.
I was very happy with my experience here and will be going again. The whole place looked very clean and the workers were very nice and also looked very well-kempt. There are a lot of food choices; not just breakfast. And I would give their Cobb Salad a 9 out of 10 ONLY because if they added some avocado it would be the perfect salad.
(5)Rebecca K.
Ok, good stuff as far as diner quality ... Food was okay - depending on what you get, but the service was great. I know they just work on turning those tables but our waitress never missed a thing and always had my "dates" drink full. We go often for breakfast for dinner .
(5)Austin S.
Service was extremely slow. Server never checked on us and it's was freezing in the place.
(2)Chandini W.
I really liked it. I haven't been to IHOP before and after going here, I'm regretting that! The pancakes were delicious and the service was nice. The girl we had was very sweet and no complaints!
(4)Scott S.
Not impressed, only one in the restaurant, poor service, under cooked hash browns, over cooked eggs, tiny micro piece of ham. And over priced.
(2)Ak S.
Food here is pretty good, service is really slow and disinterested, i did go at 4 am but i do believe,as a restaurant manager and worker in the past, that if there are two customers at a 24 hour restaurant, you should be able to make their food faster than one 40 minutes, and also tend to them, in one hour I had 0 refills and nobody checked on me, i still left a 10$ tip because i do understand they get very few tips on that shift.
(3)Ghst C.
I couldn't sleep and have had a craving for pancakes for days. I didn't know this place was here until driving by a few weeks ago. I ordered the Sirloin Tips and Eggs. The tips were very tasty, marinated in a sweet, teriyaki-like flavor. The eggs were done exactly as I ordered. And yes, the pancakes hit the craving, being some of the fluffiest I've ever seen. I also ordered the Chicken Fajita Omelet to go, for someone else; haven't tried it yet, but it looks appetizing enough that I might consider "forgetting" to have ordered it for my friend, and indulge in it myself. It's 1:30am, and the place was clean and relatively quiet. Waitress was very nice and attentive, and even one of the cooks came out to help serve and make sure I was happy with my food, so there really was minimal wait time for anything. Food was fast and good. Sometimes coming out in the middle of the night is just one of the best times to go.
(5)Alyssa R.
I've always had pretty good service at the Novi location. Today when I went the hostess said it would only be a few minutes to wait but there were at least 5 other groups ahead of me waiting to be seated. I wouldn't have minded waiting but what really pissed me off was that there were 12 empty tables and the hostess did not seat anyone at any of them. There was clearly space for all the customers but she didn't let any of us sit there. The wait was getting to be ridiculous so I left and am not planning on coming back to this location again.
(2)Betty B.
Was so excited it came to Novi. Great food. Love pancakes. The downside, It's a terrible location. It's way too small and the parking is horrible. They need a bigger spot.
(4)Kelsey H.
I love ihops, but this location in particular is a disaster. Every time I'm there there's a problem with me or another patron. My order is never correct. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR TAKE OUT BAG, they will forget something you paid for. Food is good, manager is a pro at apologizing.
(2)Gail D.
I wish I could put zero stars! WE WALKED into a empty waiting area...no one in line and were told to have a seat......someone else approached us and asked how many and sat us! We waited at our table for a long time until waitress finally came. Our order was taken and when our food arrived from a different person we had no silverware and it was cold! I was excited to have an IHOP in Novi....but will not go back! Lots of people including the Manager milling about but not helping anyone else!
(1)Raj A.
This is my first review!! I have been to many cuisines and there are some I just don't like i.e. I just don't like that type of cuisine and not a particular location. In case of IHOP, this location is easily the most terrible place. I have been to many IHOP's and never had any problems. We went there at around 11:40 and by the time we came out it was 12:55!!! We only spent 10 min. eating and the rest of the time was what it took them to take an order from us and serve it. First the lady at the entrance didn't even look at us for a while, as we waited there to be seated. And she asked us what beverages we want, took the order, disappeared and nobody showed up for 20 min.!!! Then another girl came, apologized for the delay and took the order from us. I asked her if they were short-handed and she said no!! She also said, nobody told her to take our table and apparently no one else also did. After we ordered the food, it took another eternity for it to show up. The usual norm is, the longer it takes the better cooked the food would be, or at least that's how I think!! But here, the hash browns were mostly burnt, the tilapia we ordered was falling apart, and the mashed potatoes were not juicy at all and were very dry!!!! We were very hungry and somehow finished the meal and were immediately out. For a fast food restaurant, there could be no excuse for taking more than an hour to complete an order. Further, even the standard recipe items were out of the place. I recommend IHOP, but NOT THIS LOCATION.
(1)Carl K.
The family always enjoys going to IHOP for breakfast (day or night). I could take it, or leave it to start, but will generally go along with the preference of the group. So, the day before father's day (last month), we went for a "quick" breakfast before an event where we were volunteering. The experience was anything but quick. My order was the last "complicated" by far......2 eggs poached, sausage, hash browns, and wheat toast. I know, I make it sound complicated, but I thought at the time is was a relatively easy task that would result in a breakfast that may take up to 35 minutes after we were seated (keep in mind they were not overly busy; just over half full). Now the fun part. Poached eggs showed up and we're almost hard boiled. I asked if they could remake them (cuz I thought that they might take another 2 minutes ; including back and forth walking for the server). 10 minutes later.....with the server not showing up or anywhere to be seen, still no eggs. Another 5 minutes went by and we noticed a manager and told her about the situation and she went to "take care of it". Another 5 minutes went by and the manager was now also "in hiding". The server showed up, without eggs mind you, and told her we had the manager involved. Another 5 minutes later I was brought "new" eggs, with an apology and a 10% reduction from the bill. By this time (25 minutes later) I had finished the rest of my meal. And, the best part was that the "new" poached eggs were still nearly hard boiled!!! The server was very apologetic, and said "come back for Father's day and we'll do better, I promise". I told her that I wouldn't be back.....and I meant it. Overall, it's always been clean restaurant ......but I always have better service and food at a near by Coney Island. I will never go back, and recommend the same to everybody. And, you're welcome!!
(1)Jackie D.
The food here is great and very consistent quality everytime I go. Its one of the few places where I can honestly say that the food looks almost identical to what they present on the menu. That menu of course, being one of the biggest menus i've ever seen for ANY restaurant. They have such an insane selection that it can take a very long time to decide what you want. A couple points against them for service. The waitresses are nice but they were SEVERELY understaffed when I dined here. Our poor waitress was running around the entire large restaurant like a chicken with its head cut off. She must have been waiting on 8 or 9 tables at once. She had indicated that some other staff memebers had called in, yet this is not the first time i've experienced this issue here. Also, a minor point, but their chocolate milk is literally just milk with chocoate syrup stirred in. While this obviously isn't a huge deal, chocolate milk lovers know that it simply isn't as good as factory style chocolate milk.
(3)Robert P.
The energy here is fantastic the service is top notch it's a pleasant place to go and grab a bite after church on Sunday morning.
(5)Chuck M.
This place seves great breakfast food. The service has been excellent each time we have come to this restaurant.
(4)Ken S.
Took the girls for breakfast, parking was a nightmare as there wasn't a spot anywhere, we needed to park in a lot next door and walk over. The sidewalks still had snow piled on them so we needed to walk back into the parking lot entrance, there were a lot of cars coming in and out, not the best with a 4 & 6 yr old. The parking lot is to small for this business, I'm surprised the City of Novi allowed it. The wait wasn't bad maybe 10 min, it's a new IHOP which is nice as I haven't seen a new one open in like ever. The staff seemed over whelmed as our waitress wasn't the most friendly person in the world and we had another one come over to take our order after we already orders so there definitely was some confusion. The food was OK, I was disappointed that the Strawberry & Banana pancakes only had 2 slices of banana in each one, $7 for 4 pancakes I expected a few more slices. The choc, choc chip pancakes were enjoyed by my 4 yr old If you like IHOP this one will do, I'm sure they will get better as time goes on
(3)Bobby B.
So far, I have waited about 25 min to order food. Maybe it's because I have been sit back in the corner and it's right after the lunch rush. Anyways, I can't give it a 1 because the food isn't here yet. Or ordered for that matter.
(2)Erin M.
do NOT go here! I went here with 2 other people and it took over 40 minutes to get our food. It was quiet at the time, with only a few other patrons so it wasn't because it was busy. The excuse they gave us? They said "Egg whites just take longer to cook than regular eggs" since one of us switched to just egg whites. Having cooked with just egg whites before I know this is not true! Shortly after leaving the restaurant every single one of us got horribly sick. I question their food handling and cleanliness because of this. Go elsewhere if you're in the mood or breakfast!
(1)Lynn H.
I know, an IHOP is an IHOP is an IHOP. But I like IHOP. And I especially like that this IHOP opened in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago. We first visited the weekend it opened and had the pleasure of talking to the manager. He was very attentive and very service oriented, even accepting a coupon that was no longer valid. The manager's attention to excellent service was evident in the wait staff's service on that visit and our subsequent visit. We had a different waiter on each occasion, but both paid the same attention to details like water and coffee, and both remembered who ordered what, avoiding the annoying "food auction" that often occurs at breakfasts with large parties.
(3)Paul G.
Clean, friendly, great food.
(4)Friend of D.
What sets this IHOP apart from other IHOP's (and breakfast places in general) is that this one is (as of 2014) brand new and with that comes better service, cleaner restrooms, and just a better dining experience. Love pancakes and this place does them well.
(4)Geoff W.
Its a little slow on the weekends but the service is nice and they have lots of seating so no waiting. It's IHOP so you know it is good for breakfast.
(4)Amanda R.
Came here last night for a sugar fix because what is better then pancakes? Oh, nothing. Got here and we were both kind of weirded out by the parking lot. It's super cramped and dark. The building itself is very small for an IHOP too, IMO. Anyway.. We enter and are seated. Order one salted caramel hot chocolate, black coffee, and two waters. Waitress brought back hot choco, waters, and a mt.dew... Good try, but not. So we wait another 5-6 minutes for a black coffee then proceed to place our order. Let me remind you how dead this place is considering there were maybe four booths of people in the entire restaurant. We order our food and my pancakes were supposed to be white chocolate raspberry pancakes. They were supposed to have white chocolate chips in the cake itself and it literally had under 10 pieces for three pancakes. When I asked the waitress "aren't these suppose to have white chocolate chips in it?" She replied "yes. It doesn't?" And I said "no." So she took it back then five seconds later returns and says "actually there's one there and a few over here." Okay, my point is there is so little you have to point out two to me? She then asked "so do you want extra?" No? Why don't you actually just put the chips in the pancake instead of skimping HARD on them. Don't advertise something as one thing then bring out a pancake with a few chips. That was THE fastest she ever came back to our table as well, to tell me I was wrong basically. She never refilled my water so I ended up drinking my boyfriends until at the end when she brought the bill I had to ask for more water. IHOP isn't luxury eating, but I didn't expect this service or lack of food quality to be in a Novi IHOP when I've had better. Ruined my yearly IHOP fix.
(2)Mark Z.
Finally got try this Ihop it was close by. Food is average. Really irratated me was I didnt get my coffee till my food came out.
(2)Kranthi B.
Great place to go with family. We went for dinner on a weekend. We were promptly received by the waitress and were given a comfortable place. The kid was given crayons and paper to spent time. It took some time for the waitress to get us water. My wife ordered hot chocolate and they brought in reasonable time. How ever the food order took quiet a bit of time to arrive. The food tasted excellent and it guess it was worth the wait. One down side of the restaurant was, it didn't have much options in the kids meal and kid was given the regular silver ware which adults use for eating and they were too big for their hands to eat. Other than that , pretty good restaurant and on an average would cost 12 bucks per person..
(4)Seyedrahmat F.
The place is not clean and quiet, they are late to make your order ready, and the quality of food is not so good like other IHOP lications
(1)Christopher W.
Didn't think breakfast could be screwed up this much! Waited a long time to be seated but the place was almost empty. 5 minutes to get drinks, and another 10 to actually place our food order. Took 20 minutes to get the cold and wrong order delivered to the table. Asked for sunny side up eggs, got scrambled. The chicken fried steak tasted like freezer burn. My wife's ham was bone dry and her 'lite' bacon was so overdone it broke into a million pieces just picking it up. At least the pancakes were Ok, not great but edible. Couldn't pay the bill fast enough and ran for the door. We love IHOP but just can recomnd this location.
(1)Mish M.
Food was good..A little on the pricey side compared to other places and to compare to the ones that are in the same price range, it's average. I like that's it's nearby and a good standby if needed.
(3)Luke R.
my wife and I have been there three times now. this review covers all 3 visits. the 1st time it was well after 11pm and we were completely surprised that there was a food eatery in Novi open past 10pm, let alone someplace open 24/7. We both ordered the endless pancakes and enjoyed our food and the service was great. Not much could be said about the food or service, as I was overjoyed at eating good food for a good price. There might of been 3 other tables of customers at the time, so I am assuming that was why we had such quick & efficient service. this visit was worth 5 stars the 2nd time we visited was noonish on a weekday - they were slammed with customers - however the wait was only 15mins to be seated. This visit was slightly frustrating as we had no idea who our waiter was. only after a bit, did some lady come by and ask us if we had been helped. I don't think she was our waiter for section, but she tried. I had to ask several times for refills of our drinks. We both ordered omelets. I had one of my tried n true favs, the big steak omelet. My wife ordered the colorado omelet, which I had never seen before, I liked her omelet better than mine. Again we had issues with our waiter... I had to ask other servers for extra napkins and refills. this visit was worth 4 stars, primarily because of the long wait from our server. our 3rd visit was after a late night get together with friends, on our way home, at 3am we decided to visit IHOP because we were both hungry. If I recall properly there might of been 2 other customers in there at the time. Our server, Cassie, was extremely friendly and courteous, especially for it being after 3am. my wife ordered the French onion Pot roast dinner and I ordered the Fried Chicken dinner. Chef Mike cooked the heck out of both dinners - the corn was buttery, the mashed potatoes were spot on full of flavor, the garlic bread was soft & chewy. My wife loved the Pot Roast and it looked like they had given her a double portion. My fried chicken was still sizzling, it was 4 pieces, it should of been a leg, wing, thigh, breast, but for whatever reason they had given me 2 breasts. the chicken was extra juicy too. Cassie, brought us refills on our drinks, extra napkins, as well. for my wife and myself this visit was worth 5 stars. IMHO... the key is to come to this location anytime after 10pm. As for the prices, there are Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner options in/around Novi which are more expensive. I know of 2 other Breakfast places near by which I no longer visit as the prices were too high. I generally love IHOP. and until now, anytime we wanted to go to one, we were forced to drive all the way out to West Bloomfield or Livonia. I've read other reviews of the Parking situation. YEP I agree is crazy small. But not sure what the solution is. I am sure this is one of the growing pains for the biz. My wife and I plan on coming back many times. I can forgive the crappy parking lot... Because they are open 24/7. and there are not many eateries in Novi open after 11pm everyday of the week.
(5)Mary A.
Came here a month ago and had the worst experience ever! Walked in and stood in front of the counter with my husband and another couple without even being acknowledged by he 2 employees behind the counter. The restaurant was maybe half full, so it wasn't really that busy considering how it usually gets on the weekend. After we were seated and got our drinks we asked for a couple more minutes to figure out what we were going to order. Waitress leaves and doesn't come back for another 15 mins, she literally disappeared and we couldn't find her. After reappearing, she takes our order and brings out our food another half hour later and she gets our order wrong! She didn't even say sorry or ask us if we wanted something else, we were basically left with food we didn't ask for. She leaves once again and comes back a couple minutes later to bring us our check! We had barely started eating our food and she hadn't even asked if we needed anything or refilled our drinks. When leaving we went to pay at the counter so we wouldn't have to deal with her and she suddenly appears at the register even though there was a cashier already up there. That didn't scare us from giving her a lousy tip for her lousy service(I hate giving bad tips but the way she treated us was baffling & ruined our morning.) The waitress was unfriendly and rude, and she definitely ruined ihop for me. Was my first and last time coming to this particular ihop, and I probably won't go back to another one either. Forgot to mention how the hash browns weren't crispy at all!!
(1)Amber W.
I discovered this IHOP on accident the last time I was driving through Novi and decided to check it out for breakfast this morning. The parking was good, although I can see where it could be an issue during busier times as the lot is shared with surrounding businesses. I wouldn't dare try to make a left-hand turn onto Grand River Ave. during peak traffic times either. This IHOP was very clean outside and inside. The interior was very spacious and kind of reminded me of a Golden Corral, only without the cafeteria atmosphere. I was a bit confused as to whether this was a "seat yourself" or "wait for server" kind of place / time of day as there was no sign indicating either. A manager elected to seat me and asked me my preference of a booth or a table. I didn't have a preference, and was seated in the corner booth just behind the cashier area. I found that the staff was very friendly and relatively quick to get me seated. My server was pretty attentive and took my drink order right away, as well as took my food order after returning with my orange juice. The OJ was very good - not quite as sweet as you would get at other places. I ordered a 2x2x2 (2 buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon), which was delivered fast to my table and very tasty. Probably the only negative of my experience here at this IHOP was the price, which I did find to be kind of high for what I've ordered. ($10.26 in total). Whilst the portion size was good for what I did order, I typically get hash browns, home fries, and bread (toast/banana) with my meal for the same price (and sometimes less) elsewhere. $10 for breakfast for one person is a bit steep. I wouldn't say that the cost is enough to deter me from returning, but I don't think I will become a "regular" because of it.
(3)Saagar U.
This particular IHOP location is not good. Stopped by around 10 pm on a Thursday and there was only one person working as hostess and server for the entire restaurant. I ordered banana strawberry pancakes, which I cannot complain about. However, what I can complain about it the fact that my friend never got the orange juice that he asked for when the server came around for drink orders when we got there. I did also ask for a refill for my water and this took over 10 minutes for the server to get.
(1)Bryxn G.
1. A lot of open tables, and when finally seated, they sit us next to somebody.... 2. We didn't get utensils. So when we asked we finally got it 10 minutes later, there was 4 of us so of course she brought 3. 3. It's been 45 minutes, no sign of food or drinks, just a lot of dirty tables. And people bringing food back, don't know why. 4. A lady complained because the syrup on the waiters shirt was touching her food, the waiters response "oh that's just syrup." 5. One guy with glasses and had working extremely hard, the rest very calm and slow, almost comatose. 6. Lady behind me asks if mash potatoes come with gravy, waitress says no, lady asks if she can get gravy, waitress says no it's just mash potatoes. In a very rude way.
(1)LJ G.
Let me tell you something. This is the BEST IHOP I have ever been to. From the server Kennedy, who gave us so much attention and dynamic service we had a hard time leaving! While it has what any other IHOP would serve food wise, the friendly atmosphere and ambiance of peace along with the food (Chicken Fajita Omelet and Shortstack) being serve as soon as as it was done, this IHOP is the reigning Champ.
(5)Sherill M.
Not bad. My food was good and fresh. Ihop mixes it up, they have many flavored pancakes, lots of specials, coupons, free pancakes on your birthday! This location is clean and neat. Servers are mostly cute little teens that try to be nice/ accommodating. Try the chicken fajita omelette!
(4)