Ever since its founding in 1958, IHOP (or the International House of Pancakes, if you’re fancy) has been a pillar of the American breakfast crowd.
Stacks of pancakes and syrup, eggs, sausage, bacon, French toast – and more recently lots of interesting new menu additions (like stuffed French toast) have kept this traditional American chain relevant for an incredibly long time.
(And also, they’ve always kept some great traditions – like a free stack of pancakes on your birthday – just one of many birthday freebies out there!)
But let’s face facts – it’s 2025, and there are lots of great breakfasts out there.
And in fact…
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There are several competitors whose fans would absolutely claim they’ve lapped good ol’ IHOP at this point.
Are they right? Is IHOP fading?
Or does it still have some juice left in the tank?
Well, let’s take a look at the competition…starting with:
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Where you’ll find them: Just 25 locations across a handful of states, mostly just a hop skip and a jump away from their native Asheville, North Carolina. (But they’re also in Texas, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, along with a handful of other states closer to home.)
What makes their breakfast amazing: Generous portions, high-quality ingredients, great cooking. Their biscuits are my favorite ever.
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Where you’ll find them: Cracker Barrel is in 43 states after the surprise closure of its last location in Maine.
What makes their breakfast amazing: Traditional favorites, executed well. Their biscuits and gravy is a perennial favorite of mine, as is their chicken and french toast. (I like it better than chicken and waffles, to be honest!)
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Where you’ll find them: 21 states, mostly in the South and Midwest. Huddle House is biggest in Georgia and Alabama.
What makes their breakfast amazing: Plenty of great traditional favorites (their Classic Huddle Breakfast checks all the boxes), but they’ve also done some great stuff with maple butter – like their maple butter chicken and waffle…yum…
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Where you’ll find them: There are just a handful of Marie Callender’s restaurants left – one in Utah, one in Las Vegas, and a handful in Southern California.
What makes their breakfast amazing: You probably know Marie Callender’s for their pies in the frozen aisle at the grocery store, but they also operate a handful of restaurants (there used to be more, but time comes for us all, I guess). I highly recommend their bacon quiche and their big country smasher (it’s a fantastic skillet with everything you’d want).
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Where you’ll find them: First Watch is mostly a Southern and Midwestern chain, with over 500 locations in 29 states.
What makes their breakfast amazing: First Watch does great eggs benedict – if you like hollandaise, you’ll love it there. (Most of their other breakfast dishes are good too.)
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Where you’ll find them: La Madeleine is in just nine states right now, all in the South aside from Maryland – and as far west as Arizona.
What makes their breakfast amazing: La Madeleine isn’t a place that you’re going to get a massive breakfast with three eggs and tons of sausage. Their dishes are restrained and thoughtful – avocado toast, Croque Madame, parfait, croissant sandwich, galette – with their country French breakfast being their biggest and most filling offering. Everything is excellent.
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Where you’ll find them: A Midwestern chain, Bob Evans is biggest in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana – but it has over 400 locations across 18 states, so you can still get their delicious food out in New Jersey, Kansas, and Florida.
What makes their breakfast amazing: The “whole hog” is maybe the most filling dish I’ve ever eaten? It’s huge and delicious. When people ask me about Bob Evans, I usually tell them that it’s “Denny’s, but more.”
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Where you’ll find them: Hardee’s has nearly 1,600 locations in 31 states. (And if you don’t have a local Hardee’s, check out Carl’s Jr. They’re owned by the same company and have many similar breakfast options.)
What makes their breakfast amazing: I know, Hardee’s is fast food while IHOP isn’t, but I just had to include it because their maple bacon super biscuit is so good. (And so is their super sausage biscuit.) Also, their breakfast wraps are great – my favorite is the sausage egg & gravy wrap.
If you need a great breakfast on the go, check out Hardee’s. I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed!
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Where you’ll find them: Au Bon Pain is in 13 states plus DC, mostly in the Midwest and East Coast (plus Texas).
What makes their breakfast amazing: ABP’s baked goods are fantastic (particularly recommend their croissants – especially their almond croissant, pictured here), and of course they work nicely if you need something sweet for breakfast. I also recommend their oatmeal and their bigger “The Good Egg” breakfast sandwich – two eggs, avocado, lemon aioli, cheddar, tomatoes, and spinach. It’s a great, healthy, filling breakfast on the go.
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Where you’ll find them: IHOP is in every state and loads of foreign countries. It remains an absolute pillar of the American breakfast scene.
What makes their breakfast amazing: Pancakes, of course, but I’ve really been loving their stuffed French toast lately as an indulgent alternative. And I’ll admit it…I’ve never had their lunch or dinner options. Breakfast all the way for me!
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So there you have it – nine restaurants whose fans would absolutely claim they’ve beaten IHOP.
And each has their own compelling argument to make (although, honestly, I think it’s just a matter of taste).
But here’s the REALLY important question:
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What do YOU think?
Is IHOP #1 in your heart, or has one of these competitors (or another that I forgot to mention) won out?
Let us know in the comments!
(Especially if there’s a great chain I didn’t mention – I’ll try to have breakfast there and include in a future update!)
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