Bites Nearby: IHOP

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

IHOP 

100 W. Old Country Road, Hicksville 

Overview: Breakfast all the time - Eggs, bacon, pancakes and sausage however you like it, whenever you like it. It can be at eight in the morning or six at night. IHOP brings the whole ‘dinner for breakfast’ to another level with their delicious breakfast foods.

Decor: The place is a little beige. There isn’t much color on the walls and the pictures that are hung up are about pancakes, and breakfast. There isn’t any much'pzazz' to the restaurant, but that’s not a bad thing. The restaurant gives the feeling of an old country style bed and breakfast. Simple, plain, and elegant. It is a little crowded in the front if there are a lot of people waiting for service.

 The Drinks: There is the typical hot coffee and tea as well as orange juice, and milk. The restaurant also offers soft drinks like Pepsi, diet Pepsi, and Sprite. There is iced coffee, apple juice, grapefruit juice and lemonade as well as hot chocolate. The original drink on the menu are the IHOP Splashers. These are blends of juice, fruits, and lemon lime soda.

 Appetizers: They have a chicken fajita quesadilla and steak fajita quesadilla which consists of chicken (or steak) mixed with onions, green peppers, tomatoes in a flour tortilla with cheddar and jack cheeses. It is served with salsa and sour cream. There are also crispy chicken strips with fries, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings. There is an appetizer sampler that combines chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings. It comes with honey mustard and marinara sauces.

 Entrees

 Breakfast foods:

• There are hearty omelets which are omelettes stuffed with different ingredient's (i.e. steak strips, peppers, ham, mushrooms, bacon, cheese, tomatoes) Each can be served with pancakes, or fresh fruit on the side
• Simple and Fit omelettes: omelettes made with egg substitute instead of real eggs.
• French Toast: Original French toast, stuffed french toast is cinnamon raisin French toast with a sweet cream filling, crowned with a choice of cool strawberry topping, warm blueberry or cinnamon apple compote and whipped topping. There is also strawberry banana French toast, cinn-a-stack French toast which is french toast layered with cinnamon roll filling and cream cheese topping. It is a stack that is also cut in three strips.
• Waffles: Belgian waffles. Regular Belgian waffles can be ordered or they can be ordered in a combo which is served with eggs, bacon, or sausage.
• Crepes: Strawberry banana Danish fruit crepes, Nutella crepes which are crepes filled with Nutella, and sliced bananas. It is covered with strawberry topping and whipped cream
• Pancakes: Pancake platter which is three buttermilk pancakes served with either four strips of bacon or four sausage links. You can make a pick-a-pancake platter: Your choice of two same-flavored famous pancakes. Served with two eggs, hash browns and your choice of two bacon strips or two pork sausage links. Flavored pancakes: blueberry, cinn-a-stack, New York cheesecake, and strawberry banana.

Other food: There are regular lunch and dinner type foods for people who don’t like breakfast foods for dinner. There are burgers like a double BLT and a philly cheese steak stacker. There are sandwiches like a turkey and bacon club sandwich and pot roast melt. You can order shrimp. Tilapia, or lemon chicken.

There is a special section for kids to order from and that has foods like create-a-face pancake, funny face, Jr. Scrambled egg and pancake, chicken strips, grilled cheese, Jr. Fish.

 Sides

 Soups: Bacon and potato soup which consists of creamy potato and bacon soup topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream. There is also the soup of the day that changes daily.

 Salads: Grilled chicken Caesar salad and crispy chicken salad. There is also a fresh fruit and yogurt bowl consisting of a bowl of fresh fruit topped with low-fat strawberry yogurt and granola. You can get a house salad as well.

 Desserts: Ice cream sundae, regular ice cream, and a fruit crepe crowned with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and either cool strawberry topping, warm blueberry topping, or cinnamon apple topping. You can get crispy strawberry banana cheese cake (Creamy cheesecake layered with caramel and chunks of banana, quick-fried in a flaky pastry tortilla. Topped with cool strawberry topping, fresh slices of banana and whipped topping) or old fashion chocolate cake (Rich, moist chocolate cake with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate frosting)

 Service: The wait was a little long, however it was a Sunday. The wait staff is friendly and easy people to have conversations with while waiting.  They know when to leave you alone to eat while coming and asking if the customers need anything. The only glitch is that they are a little quick with giving the bill when you are almost finished with your entrée. They didn’t inquire about whether or not you wanted anything else, like desert.

 Signature Dish: Pancake Combos

IHOP

Address: 100 W. Old Country Road, Hicksville

Cost: $$