There are many that were truly anticipating the arrival of the State College IHOP. Me, meh... Been down South enough and seen them everywhere. Honestly, I haven't been to one since the mid 80s. I am not typically crazy about chains. Especially ones that are mainly in the breakfast business. But, it was the new place in town. My wife and kids are lovers of this type of food. They like safe food choices like this. So, we made the trip. Actually did it twice, two Friday's in a row. First, it is located in the old Perkins building. Parking is odd as it seems to share lots with a business next door. During both stops, there was snow plowed into huge mounds making parking tough. Entering and exiting the lot can be confusing or challenging, at times, too. Onto the dining experience. Upon entrance, we were seated immediately both times. Not really surprising. We came in on Friday nights but it was after 7 both times. After seating, we were waited on immediately. The first weekend, the waitress was very attentive, friendly, and got everything right. She visited the table multiple times and was quite attentive and friendly. The second weekend, the waitress was friendly enough. But she wasn't incredibly attentive. Multiple items were forgotten or came to the table late. It felt, somewhat, like we were a burden to this young waitress. She wasn't incredibly engaged and almost seemed like she wanted to rush us out of there. Maybe she was tired out from the rush. It was THON weekend and perhaps the supper crowd was tough. The food was good. But breakfast food is typically the easiest and lamest dining experience there is. If you can't make breakfast right, you have no reason to be in the food business. I enjoyed their new crepe bundle meal on the first weekend. The crepe was pretty tasty. The second weekend I had the country fried steak. Nothing special. It was good for this type of food. The one thing that really impressed me was the menu. They have expanded into burger and steak territory, over the years. So if breakfast fare isn't your thing, you can order from this part of the menu. This impressed me because I wasn't aware of this until this store opened. So the bottom line is, it is a standard IHOP. Service is spotty depending on waiter/waitress. Food is typical breakfast fare. The restaurant is in a newly renovated building and is clean. Parking is a crapshoot. I'm not above going back. It is a decent later evening option. IHOP is = to Denny's IMHO.
(3)
Josh T.
Having an IHOP in State College is great! Denny's was getting old, and the Waffle Shop is only open until 4 on a good day. I'm really happy that this finally came to State College. The food was great, the service was excellent, everything looked to be running smoothly. The only down fall is that they are not 24 hours yet, but hopefully they will do that after being open for a little while.
(5)
Paul M.
I was not expecting much, with the "breakfast" at the Ramada a disaster we decided to do the IHOP. Yes it is a chain, but this location is doing it right -it is pretty big, so despite the large number of cars, wee were seated right away. I do not know if new or newly remodeled but this place was spotless. The menu is large and the crepes were a big hit. So unless you are looking for the PSU experience on College Ave - there is no reason to not come here for standard breakfast.
(4)
John S.
When this place first opened up this year (2014) in State College, it was a total disaster. There wasn't nearly enough parking, the wait was horrible, and there were no refrigerators for the kitchen. They had a refridgerated truck sitting in the parking lot, taking up even more parking. Back then I visited twice, once to experience it, and a second time to use my corporate apology coupon (a free visit). It's much better now, but nothing special.
(2)
Anthony S.
The past 5 trips to this IHOP have all had the same basic problem: No matter what we order, at least one of the dishes is made wrong, and it absolutely doesn't matter how we order, this always happens. In addition we have often had to wait a long time for anyone to take drink orders, and several times have had to ask repeatedly for things like ketchup or syrup. (It's a breakfast place, why not leave ketchup on the table?) Good Things: There is one really, really good waiter there. If you get the guy with the forearm band, he's a total pro. If not, your luck may vary. The food is good, and priced well. The place is clean, the lines move quickly, and there's plenty of seating. So if luck is on your side and you get a good server who does your order right, you'll probably have a good experience.
(2)
Alice M.
Glad to have an IHOP in State College so I don't have to wait in Waffle Shop lines anymore. Yay!
(4)
Eilfie M.
Got to go to the new Ihop that finally open in State College and it was great. The place was hopping and you could tell that word had spread fast about it being open. We actually finished up just before even more people were showing up to be seated. At the moment the place is not open 24 hrs. but it is understandable until they get into the grove with the new staff and what not. Everyone was really friendly and we had not problems with service.
(4)
Jess P.
I'm so glad to have an IHOP in the neighborhood.,been here last night Waiters are super nice.,food is great also.The only issue I have is that it can be very crowed however they get you seated as quickly as possible and food came fast,,will be defininity return.
(5)
J R.
Sometimes predictability can be a good thing. You know what to expect in regards to menu, pricing, atmosphere, etc. If done well, you will be pleasantly relieved that your favorite chain restaurant in Billings serves the same delicious breakfast as does it's sister-shop in Bangor. Generally speaking, every IHOP restaurant I've been to (several dozen in my lifetime) keeps to this same predictability, with the exception of a few specific regional specialties catering to local tastes. The IHOP restaurant located on South Atherton is no exception to this. Good food, great prices, reliable predictability. So what you ask, makes this restaurant as good (or better) than the other diner-style restaurants in the area? Especially when compared to some of the more "historic" and iconic diners in State College. A few things: Cleanliness: Windows are spotless and ledges are dirt free. Carpets and walls are clean. Seats and tables are clean and not sticky from syrup, spilled drinks, etc. Condiments are organized and uniform between tables. Bathrooms are spotless and well kept. Dining area always well lit, preventing any "Wizard of Oz" moments (dim the lights to hide how gross our carpet and table is). There is nothing going on here that isn't out in the open for everyone to see. Staff: Friendly, courteous and always presenting a professional appearance. We have come to know several of our regular servers by their first names and every one of them seem willing to go out of their way to do a good job. Although you would think this would be expected, I cannot count on two hands how many times we've had servers from other local restaurants come to our table with an attitude or looking like they woke up under a bridge, wearing dirty uniforms, dirty hands, bad breath, body odor and unkempt hair. If I have a question about something on the menu, I know I won't get a roll of the eyes and a curt, non-informative answer. I can use two words to describe the staff here: professional and reliable. Parking: Perhaps it is due to the restaurant being adjacent to the Super 8 motel, but we've never had a hard time finding parking here (excluding game days). Large parking, with plenty of spaces. You won't be prowling through the lot to pounce on the next open space, only to find out it's too tight for your SUV to fit in. The lot is also well lit at night. If you eaten at any IHOP anywhere else, the items here won't come as a shock. In fact, if all goes well, nothing should come as a shock. You come in with your family, sit down, place your order, get your food, eat, pay your bill and leave. Reliable predictability, and shouldn't that be what it's all about?
(5)
Robert H.
I thought I would wait several weeks after this place opened in State College to give the staff a chance to know what they are doing. I went there on Sunday morning and arrived about ten minutes after they opened at 6 am since they are not open 24 hours yet. It took about 5 minutes before someone came out to seat me (by myself). I was seated by one of the waiters and he did get my juice that I ordered promptly but he was not waiting on my table and got me the menu and the waitress that was to be waiting my table came over after I was handed the menu and I told her I was not ready to order yet (had not had a chance to even open the menu yet) and she said she would be back. I waited for 30 minutes and she never came back to check on me and I had finished the juice I had ordered and almost finished reading the Sunday newspaper. I had to leave soon to get to work so I flagged down the gentlemen who had originally taken my order and asked for my bill. He apologized to me that the waitress had not come to take my order. I left a small tip. When I paid my bill the lady at the counter wanted to not charge me for the juice but my personal beliefs would not accept that. I have been to other IHOP's and have liked them. I know that this place is still new and probably still needs more time to get up to speed on customer service. I will probably wait some more before I return and will update my review then. 3/2/14 Today was my second attempt at dining at IHOP here in State College. I guess they must have known I was coming because I could not even get in. Seems there was a problem with the locks or something this Sunday morning because the staff was outside and Auman's locksmith was there when I arrived at 615 am (supposed to open up at 6 am). So it seems this place is still having issues. Well I am glad that State College has Waffle Shop. 3/16/14 My third attempt at dining here. I arrived around 630 am and only waited a little while before someone noticed and seated me. My waitress was friendly and service was good. I ordered the Garden Omelette with the hash brown potatoes. I enjoy omelettes but the Garden omelette seemed a little bland to me. I don't know if it was bland because they use buttermilk and wheat pancake mix in the egg or not but the eggs were just not to my liking in this omelette. I would have appreciated more choices of sides also for the price of this dish. Well at least I had a chance to sample the food this time.
(3)
Mandy E.
So good, servers are friendly, Managers are great, food is excellent!! I like that the servers read everything back and they have flavored coffee creamers!! Yum!!
(5)
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Address :1661 S Atherton St
State College, PA, 16801
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Mike M.
There are many that were truly anticipating the arrival of the State College IHOP. Me, meh... Been down South enough and seen them everywhere. Honestly, I haven't been to one since the mid 80s. I am not typically crazy about chains. Especially ones that are mainly in the breakfast business. But, it was the new place in town. My wife and kids are lovers of this type of food. They like safe food choices like this. So, we made the trip. Actually did it twice, two Friday's in a row. First, it is located in the old Perkins building. Parking is odd as it seems to share lots with a business next door. During both stops, there was snow plowed into huge mounds making parking tough. Entering and exiting the lot can be confusing or challenging, at times, too. Onto the dining experience. Upon entrance, we were seated immediately both times. Not really surprising. We came in on Friday nights but it was after 7 both times. After seating, we were waited on immediately. The first weekend, the waitress was very attentive, friendly, and got everything right. She visited the table multiple times and was quite attentive and friendly. The second weekend, the waitress was friendly enough. But she wasn't incredibly attentive. Multiple items were forgotten or came to the table late. It felt, somewhat, like we were a burden to this young waitress. She wasn't incredibly engaged and almost seemed like she wanted to rush us out of there. Maybe she was tired out from the rush. It was THON weekend and perhaps the supper crowd was tough. The food was good. But breakfast food is typically the easiest and lamest dining experience there is. If you can't make breakfast right, you have no reason to be in the food business. I enjoyed their new crepe bundle meal on the first weekend. The crepe was pretty tasty. The second weekend I had the country fried steak. Nothing special. It was good for this type of food. The one thing that really impressed me was the menu. They have expanded into burger and steak territory, over the years. So if breakfast fare isn't your thing, you can order from this part of the menu. This impressed me because I wasn't aware of this until this store opened. So the bottom line is, it is a standard IHOP. Service is spotty depending on waiter/waitress. Food is typical breakfast fare. The restaurant is in a newly renovated building and is clean. Parking is a crapshoot. I'm not above going back. It is a decent later evening option. IHOP is = to Denny's IMHO.
(3)Josh T.
Having an IHOP in State College is great! Denny's was getting old, and the Waffle Shop is only open until 4 on a good day. I'm really happy that this finally came to State College. The food was great, the service was excellent, everything looked to be running smoothly. The only down fall is that they are not 24 hours yet, but hopefully they will do that after being open for a little while.
(5)Paul M.
I was not expecting much, with the "breakfast" at the Ramada a disaster we decided to do the IHOP. Yes it is a chain, but this location is doing it right -it is pretty big, so despite the large number of cars, wee were seated right away. I do not know if new or newly remodeled but this place was spotless. The menu is large and the crepes were a big hit. So unless you are looking for the PSU experience on College Ave - there is no reason to not come here for standard breakfast.
(4)John S.
When this place first opened up this year (2014) in State College, it was a total disaster. There wasn't nearly enough parking, the wait was horrible, and there were no refrigerators for the kitchen. They had a refridgerated truck sitting in the parking lot, taking up even more parking. Back then I visited twice, once to experience it, and a second time to use my corporate apology coupon (a free visit). It's much better now, but nothing special.
(2)Anthony S.
The past 5 trips to this IHOP have all had the same basic problem: No matter what we order, at least one of the dishes is made wrong, and it absolutely doesn't matter how we order, this always happens. In addition we have often had to wait a long time for anyone to take drink orders, and several times have had to ask repeatedly for things like ketchup or syrup. (It's a breakfast place, why not leave ketchup on the table?) Good Things: There is one really, really good waiter there. If you get the guy with the forearm band, he's a total pro. If not, your luck may vary. The food is good, and priced well. The place is clean, the lines move quickly, and there's plenty of seating. So if luck is on your side and you get a good server who does your order right, you'll probably have a good experience.
(2)Alice M.
Glad to have an IHOP in State College so I don't have to wait in Waffle Shop lines anymore. Yay!
(4)Eilfie M.
Got to go to the new Ihop that finally open in State College and it was great. The place was hopping and you could tell that word had spread fast about it being open. We actually finished up just before even more people were showing up to be seated. At the moment the place is not open 24 hrs. but it is understandable until they get into the grove with the new staff and what not. Everyone was really friendly and we had not problems with service.
(4)Jess P.
I'm so glad to have an IHOP in the neighborhood.,been here last night Waiters are super nice.,food is great also.The only issue I have is that it can be very crowed however they get you seated as quickly as possible and food came fast,,will be defininity return.
(5)J R.
Sometimes predictability can be a good thing. You know what to expect in regards to menu, pricing, atmosphere, etc. If done well, you will be pleasantly relieved that your favorite chain restaurant in Billings serves the same delicious breakfast as does it's sister-shop in Bangor. Generally speaking, every IHOP restaurant I've been to (several dozen in my lifetime) keeps to this same predictability, with the exception of a few specific regional specialties catering to local tastes. The IHOP restaurant located on South Atherton is no exception to this. Good food, great prices, reliable predictability. So what you ask, makes this restaurant as good (or better) than the other diner-style restaurants in the area? Especially when compared to some of the more "historic" and iconic diners in State College. A few things: Cleanliness: Windows are spotless and ledges are dirt free. Carpets and walls are clean. Seats and tables are clean and not sticky from syrup, spilled drinks, etc. Condiments are organized and uniform between tables. Bathrooms are spotless and well kept. Dining area always well lit, preventing any "Wizard of Oz" moments (dim the lights to hide how gross our carpet and table is). There is nothing going on here that isn't out in the open for everyone to see. Staff: Friendly, courteous and always presenting a professional appearance. We have come to know several of our regular servers by their first names and every one of them seem willing to go out of their way to do a good job. Although you would think this would be expected, I cannot count on two hands how many times we've had servers from other local restaurants come to our table with an attitude or looking like they woke up under a bridge, wearing dirty uniforms, dirty hands, bad breath, body odor and unkempt hair. If I have a question about something on the menu, I know I won't get a roll of the eyes and a curt, non-informative answer. I can use two words to describe the staff here: professional and reliable. Parking: Perhaps it is due to the restaurant being adjacent to the Super 8 motel, but we've never had a hard time finding parking here (excluding game days). Large parking, with plenty of spaces. You won't be prowling through the lot to pounce on the next open space, only to find out it's too tight for your SUV to fit in. The lot is also well lit at night. If you eaten at any IHOP anywhere else, the items here won't come as a shock. In fact, if all goes well, nothing should come as a shock. You come in with your family, sit down, place your order, get your food, eat, pay your bill and leave. Reliable predictability, and shouldn't that be what it's all about?
(5)Robert H.
I thought I would wait several weeks after this place opened in State College to give the staff a chance to know what they are doing. I went there on Sunday morning and arrived about ten minutes after they opened at 6 am since they are not open 24 hours yet. It took about 5 minutes before someone came out to seat me (by myself). I was seated by one of the waiters and he did get my juice that I ordered promptly but he was not waiting on my table and got me the menu and the waitress that was to be waiting my table came over after I was handed the menu and I told her I was not ready to order yet (had not had a chance to even open the menu yet) and she said she would be back. I waited for 30 minutes and she never came back to check on me and I had finished the juice I had ordered and almost finished reading the Sunday newspaper. I had to leave soon to get to work so I flagged down the gentlemen who had originally taken my order and asked for my bill. He apologized to me that the waitress had not come to take my order. I left a small tip. When I paid my bill the lady at the counter wanted to not charge me for the juice but my personal beliefs would not accept that. I have been to other IHOP's and have liked them. I know that this place is still new and probably still needs more time to get up to speed on customer service. I will probably wait some more before I return and will update my review then. 3/2/14 Today was my second attempt at dining at IHOP here in State College. I guess they must have known I was coming because I could not even get in. Seems there was a problem with the locks or something this Sunday morning because the staff was outside and Auman's locksmith was there when I arrived at 615 am (supposed to open up at 6 am). So it seems this place is still having issues. Well I am glad that State College has Waffle Shop. 3/16/14 My third attempt at dining here. I arrived around 630 am and only waited a little while before someone noticed and seated me. My waitress was friendly and service was good. I ordered the Garden Omelette with the hash brown potatoes. I enjoy omelettes but the Garden omelette seemed a little bland to me. I don't know if it was bland because they use buttermilk and wheat pancake mix in the egg or not but the eggs were just not to my liking in this omelette. I would have appreciated more choices of sides also for the price of this dish. Well at least I had a chance to sample the food this time.
(3)Mandy E.
So good, servers are friendly, Managers are great, food is excellent!! I like that the servers read everything back and they have flavored coffee creamers!! Yum!!
(5)