Newsletters
Food
Review by Jena Brown
- I compared pancakes from Cracker Barrel and IHOP to see which chain serves the best breakfast.
- IHOP's New York cheesecake pancakes were tasty, as they contained chunks of the sweet dessert.
- But, for me, Cracker Barrel's deliciously fluffy pancakes were the clear winner of this taste test.
Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
Advertisem*nt
Like most people, I think any morning that starts with a stack of pancakes is a good morning. As they can be a bit time-consuming to make at home, I wanted to see which fast-casual chain had the better pancakes.
I compared buttermilk, blueberry, and cheesecake-stuffed pancakes at Cracker Barrel and IHOP in the Las Vegas area to see which chain had the tastiest meal.
Here's how each restaurant's pancakes stacked up.
Advertisem*nt
I started at Cracker Barrel.
I've been a fan of Cracker Barrel for a little while, so I was excited to try more of the restaurant's breakfast items.
Cracker Barrel is known for its Southern-country theme, an aesthetic that's pretty obvious once you see the rocking chairs on the front porch of each restaurant.
The Tennessee-based chain has about 660 locations across the US.
Advertisem*nt
The interior of Cracker Barrel was inviting.
The interior of the restaurant sticks to the Southern-country theme as well, with walls decorated with farming tools, instruments, road signs, and vintage-looking photographs.
The tables were mostly empty when I got there. Right off the bat, I thought the service was exceptional. I was seated right away, and our server was very helpful.
Advertisem*nt
I ordered plenty of pancakes, which came with other breakfast items.
Most of the pancakes at Cracker Barrel can be ordered as a side or as a main dish, along with eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage.
I ordered Momma's pancake breakfast, a side of blueberry pancakes, and the cheesecake-stuffed-pancake breakfast.
In total, the meal cost about $30.
Advertisem*nt
Cracker Barrel's buttermilk-pancake breakfast was delicious.
I've had the buttermilk-pancake breakfast before, and it was just as delicious as I remembered. The perfectly sweet, buttery pancakes were cooked perfectly and even had a crisp outer layer.
I could've eaten them plain, but tried them with the maple syrup that came with the breakfast. The syrup added just a touch of sweetness without overpowering the flavor of the pancakes themselves.
The buttermilk-pancake breakfast comes with two eggs and a side of bacon or sausage. At $11, I felt the value was exceptional.
Advertisem*nt
The blueberry pancakes were full of flavor.
At $5.20, the blueberry pancakes were a little pricier than the $2 buttermilk side, but I thought the fresh pop of fruit was worth it.
The overall taste and texture of the blueberry pancakes were similar to that of the buttermilk version, as they had just the right amount of sweetness and buttery flavor. But the blueberries in the batter added a burst of fresh-fruit flavor to every bite.
The pancakes were served with a small jar of blueberry syrup, which I thought was the perfect addition.
Advertisem*nt
I was excited about the cheesecake-stuffed pancakes, and they did not disappoint.
If I was judging the presentation alone, the cheesecake-stuffed pancakes, which came on an adorable plate with blue detailing, were a delight. But the flavor also blew me away.
Two pancakes were folded over a thick, oozing cream-cheese-based filling. The pancakes were topped with whipped cream and strawberries and were served with a tiny bowl of strawberry syrup on the side.
Each bite tasted like a buttery pancake and melted cheesecake. The slightly savory flavor of the pancake combined with the creamy sweetness of the cheesecake filling was the perfect balance. These pancakes were also incredibly filling.
It was my favorite out of all of the pancakes that I ordered at Cracker Barrel, though its richness makes me think I probably wouldn't order it outside special occasions.
The cheesecake-stuffed pancakes came with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage for $12.50.
Advertisem*nt
Next, I went to IHOP.
It had been a few years since I'd been to IHOP but I was excited to go back.
IHOP specializes in American breakfast foods but is most widely known for its variety of pancakes. The family-friendly chain has more than 1,600 locations across the US.
Advertisem*nt
The interior of IHOP looked cozy.
This IHOP was tucked into the corner of a shopping center with a flower bed out front and a cute outdoor seating area.
I would've loved to sit outside, but this area wasn't open. Instead, I sat at an open booth by a window.
IHOP had wooden tables and '70s-style lighting fixtures, which gave the place an old-timey pancake-house feel.
Advertisem*nt
I got more pancakes in my order at IHOP than I did at Cracker Barrel.
Unlike at Cracker Barrel, I was able to order just pancakes at IHOP.
I got a short stack of the original buttermilk pancakes, double-blueberry pancakes, and the New York cheesecake pancakes.
All together, the pancakes cost about $35.
Advertisem*nt
I started with IHOP's buttermilk pancakes.
I was excited about the short stack of three thick and fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Unfortunately, I thought they were plain and didn't have a lot of flavor.
They came with a small dollop of butter on top, but it was enough to cover only two pancakes.
The syrup tasted pretty standard. It was thin and sweet, and I needed quite a bit to add flavor to each bite of pancake. After a few bites, I was ready to move on to the double-blueberry stack.
But, at $9, I thought the short stack was a decent deal.
Advertisem*nt
I thought the double-blueberry pancakes were disappointing.
Next, I tried a stack of three double-blueberry pancakes, which came with a pile of blueberries and whipped cream on top. They looked appealing, so I was hoping the fruit would add some flavor.
Unfortunately, the double-blueberry version was also a miss for me. The blueberries tasted a little hard, and I didn't think they were super flavorful. I prefer when blueberries are much sweeter with a fresher taste.
I also expected there to be more blueberries. They were in the batter, but they were spread out quite a bit, and I didn't get one in every bite.
At $12.30, I didn't think the double-blueberry pancakes were worth it.
Advertisem*nt
I had high hopes for the New York cheesecake pancakes.
Finally, I was ready to dig into the New York cheesecake pancakes. I got a stack of four pancakes with whole glazed strawberries and a giant serving of whipped cream on top.
The menu said the pancakes would have actual "cheesecake bites," so I was hopeful that the pancakes would be as delicious as they looked.
Of the three pancakes types of pancakes I tried at IHOP, I liked the cheesecake version the most. The cheesecake chunks added a rich flavor to each bite and provided some sweetness to the otherwise bland pancakes.
But the glazed strawberries were another miss, as I thought they were bitter and mushy. I ended up scraping them off and focusing on the cheesecake pancakes.
The New York cheesecake pancakes were $12.70, which felt a bit expensive to me.
Advertisem*nt
It was clear that Cracker Barrel was my winner.
Both restaurants were solid, but I'd say Cracker Barrel's pancakes were the clear winner.
I loved how much flavor the Cracker Barrel pancakes had on their own. IHOP's pancakes fell flat for me because I felt they needed syrup or jam for flavor. I also thought the fruit that came with Cracker Barrel's pancakes seemed of higher quality.
As far as value goes, Cracker Barrel definitely had the better deal. The pancakes were cheaper at Cracker Barrel, and the buttermilk and cheesecake-stuffed versions came with a full breakfast.
Next time I'm craving pancakes, I'm heading to Cracker Barrel.
Read next
More...
Advertisem*nt
