(Dined 11/08/13 F @ 11:00pm): 24-hours has arrived in Glendale and I celebrated by ordering non-breakfast food for the first time!
Some years ago Glendale finally lifted the 10pm or 11pm curfew over the entire city, and as a result my hometown IHOP was now open 24 hours! To that point, it's been those same amount of years since I last dined here.
On this particular Friday night, a friend and I were coming from a performance of "12 Angry Men" at the Pasadena Playhouse compliments of Yelp, and met another bud to shoot the shit and catch up with each other. This was one of our old haunts as we grew up and held many fond memories. Since it was no-meat Friday for me and I wasn't in the mood for breakfast food, I went in a new direction I'd never done before at any IHOP - real food! Here's how it went down for me:
Buttermilk-Battered Fish & Chips ($10.69) - As imagined, my selections were limited until I came across this menu item. I'm always down for fish & chips! So, served-up were two buttermilk-battered fillets with a side of tartar sauce, seasoned chips (fries), and a slice of garlic bread. I was pleasantly surprised at the two decently-sized fillets and the batter was thicker than I'm used to but it worked. It was light and flaky and the fish (don't know what kind) was steaming hot and broke apart nicely as you pierced your fork through it. The tartar sauce was kind of running but no big deal. The chips were serviceable but hardly seasoned, and the garlic bread reminded me of the brand I would sometimes buy, Mama Bella. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=NyTFYtnn0AaLz3ZtvMMJGw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Potato Soup (came with meal) - It was a cool night so I wanted to warm up and this did the trick. Although I finished it all, it was nothing special and I wouldn't be surprised if it came from a can. I liked the creaminess but was bland in flavor and the potato pieces were the size of small bits (I preferred bite-size cubes). I added a copious amount of pepper and Tapatio which helped it some. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=fZvRoRistB9RYETsep4J_Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Service - Because the friend we were meeting was already seated at a window booth, we sat right down. The place looked to be half-full but I felt they may have been short-staffed. Our older waitress wasn't as attentive as we liked but very friendly. We had place settings and waters all set for us. Once we decided what we wanted our order was taken immediately. My soup came out rather quickly and our respective food about 10 minutes later, but then she disappeared. We had to track down a busser to get our water refilled and then to eventually clear empty dishes away. She later apologized and was cool that we hung out long after we finished. Then, we took the check and paid at the front before we left. We had no plans so I'd cut her some slack.
Parking - Located in an outdoor shopping center along with a Vons, Rite Aid, Honey-Baked Ham, and more, there were ample free parking spots to be had.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience - Fifties' diner nostalgia updated with vibrant warm colors, there were multiple upholstered booths and wooden tables and chairs throughout every nook and cranny; yes, it was kind of crammed. Windows surrounded this business so plenty of natural (also from the street) as well as electric lighting. Some framed pictures hung from the walls. I didn't recall any TVs but I believed I heard background music.
Attire - I was in business casual wear since I came from the theatre, but otherwise it's casual all the way, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
Overall, my first non-breakfast meal at the Glendale IHOP wasn't too bad and I'd recommend my entrée, but come on, you came here for pancakes, waffles, etc., and I'd stick with those staple dishes. In previous times the service has been lackluster so hopefully they could work on this. I was happy that it's now 24-hours, but I had two outstanding grievances - ability to pay at the table and a better waiting area/system. Historically speaking, I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total bill was around $11.00 before tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice...AMEX! read more