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iHop Catering Review (2026)

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Written by Evan Waters • March 6, 2026

iHop Catering Review (2026)

At CaterCow, we’re always testing catering options to understand which brands truly work for office meals and which ones fall short. Breakfast catering is especially tricky — it needs to arrive hot, organized, and ready for a group to serve themselves easily.

For this test, we ordered IHOP’s Small Breakfast Combo, advertised to feed small teams of 6–10 people.

What’s Included in the IHOP Small Breakfast Combo

The Small Combo is IHOP’s standard breakfast catering bundle and includes:

IHOP Small Breakfast Combo Item Included Amount
Buttermilk Pancakes or French Toast 20 pancakes or 10 slices of French toast
Scrambled Eggs Small tray
Breakfast Potatoes Small tray
Bacon, Sausage, or Ham 20 pieces
Feeds 6 to 10 people

For our order we selected:

  • 20 Buttermilk Pancakes
  • Scrambled Eggs
  • Breakfast Potatoes
  • 20 Pieces of Bacon

We also added coffee catering (96 oz) since early morning office gatherings crave coffee more than anything.

Portion-wise, IHOP does deliver what it promises — the meal comfortably fed 6–10 people, especially for a casual breakfast gathering.

However, the experience highlighted several issues that make IHOP catering difficult to recommend as a corporate catering solution.

The Ordering & Pickup Experience

Unlike most modern catering providers, IHOP requires pickup for most catering orders. This alone introduces friction for offices trying to organize breakfast meetings.

In our case, pickup created immediate confusion.

The town we ordered in had two IHOP locations, and Google Maps surfaced the wrong one first. So I woke up early only to accidentally go to the incorrect restaurant. Only after the store manager came out and we reviewed my order confirmation did I discover there was a second location in the town--sending me on another 15 minute drive.

While that’s not entirely IHOP’s fault, it’s exactly the kind of logistical headache that makes pickup-based catering difficult for busy office admins.

iHOP Catering Order Was Late Despite No Rush

Our order was scheduled for 8:00 AM pickup.

We arrived at the correct location at 8:09 AM, and the restaurant was nearly empty — clearly not dealing with a breakfast rush.

iHOP catering order was late despite a near empty restaurant

Despite that, the order was still not ready.

Staff told us they were waiting on the coffee, which delayed the entire order further.

For corporate catering where meetings start on schedule, even small delays like this can be disruptive.

iHOP Catering Packaging Problems

Once the order was finally ready, packaging issues started to become clear.

The coffee container was broken and had been taped shut with office tape, which isn’t something you want to present in a professional meeting environment.

Our iHOP coffee catering looked like someone at least tried to fix the problem, though the Scotch tape was not fit for purpose

Additionally:

No cups were provided for the coffee

Only one serving spoon was included for the entire spread

For a group meal meant to serve up to 10 people, this creates unnecessary friction during setup. Could you imagine the looks of tired disappointment from your colleagues trying to figure out last-minute cups from which to pour a broken coffee container?

Pancakes Without Syrup

The most surprising omission was that IHOP did not include maple syrup.

Considering pancakes are the centerpiece of the meal, this was a major oversight.

Without syrup, the pancakes simply don’t eat as intended — and it’s something offices might not realize until the food is already on the table.

Pancake Packaging Issue

Another challenge was the way the pancakes were packaged.

They arrived stacked inside plastic containers, which caused them to steam and slightly congeal together during transport.

This made them harder to separate and took away some of the fluffy texture pancakes are known for.

iHOP's Coffee Was Actually Good

To give credit where it’s due: the coffee itself was good.

It was strong and fresh, and IHOP did provide plenty of sweetener options including:

  • Sugar
  • Equal
  • Splenda
  • Half & Half

Unfortunately, without cups included, it still created extra work for the person organizing the breakfast.

Avoid iHOP for Office Catering

IHOP’s Small Breakfast Combo delivers enough food to feed a group, but the overall experience highlights why some restaurants aren't able to translate their in-person dining experience to a catering setting and for office events.

Key issues included:

  • Pickup required
  • Late order even without a rush
  • Broken coffee container
  • No cups included
  • No maple syrup for pancakes
  • Only one serving utensil
  • Packaging that made pancakes stick together

When organizing food for a team meeting or office breakfast, these kinds of small details matter.

Because of these operational gaps — and the lack of delivery-focused catering infrastructure — IHOP isn’t a brand we typically recommend for corporate catering events.

For offices that want reliable breakfast spreads delivered and set up properly, it’s usually better to work with restaurants that specialize in full-service catering packages designed for groups.

Check out CaterCow's Breakfast Catering Options Nationwide

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