For more than 60 decades, International House of Pancakes (IHOP) has fed consumers billions of fluffy buttermilk pancakes.
With 1,850 locations in the U.S. and abroad, food-industry analysts applaud the California-based company for its ability to weather through turbulent economies and dominating culinary trends.
In 2018, for example, it hitched onto the ever-growing gourmet-burger craze. As a publicity stunt, the company flipped the “P” in its name to read “IHOb.” The temporary “b” coincided with its debut of several steakburgers such as the “cowboy BBQ” and “mega monster.” So successful, most of them graduated to permanent menu status.
Now it’s testing burritos—a staple in nearly every North American locale no matter how far removed from the Mexican border.
The six choices slant toward breakfast burritos, with most involving scrambled eggs. They’re available all day and can also be purchased as bowls.
“Burritos are the #1 fastest growing breakfast menu in America, so as the breakfast leader, IHOP needed to create some great ones,” said IHOP’s chief marketing officer Brad Haley in a press release. The beauty of burritos, he added, especially during the pandemic, is that they are portable for takeout and delivery.
A couple of our trusty burrito connoisseurs here in San Diego ranked the Southwest chicken burrito as their favorite. It packs in a payload of ingredients: grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, bacon, green peppers, onions, queso sauce, shredded cheeses, avocado, and hash browns.
Other choices include the spicy poblano pepper with shredded beef; the country breakfast with ham, sausage and eggs; and the “classic” with eggs, potatoes and a choice of meat.
The lineup starts at $5.99. A company rep told us the burritos will stick around for at least the next two months—and longer if successful.
As for the pancakes, we can always count on IHOP for swooped-up iterations that come and go. Current specialties include double-blueberry; French-style crème brulee; and New York cheesecake.