RESTAURANT REVIEW + PHOTOS: Trusty IHOP still pancake paradise

I heart IHOP.

It's always there. It's always amenable (have those Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity Pancakes with peaches, raspberry topping or glazed strawberries -- day or night). It's (almost) always open.

Until it's not.

For about nine long months, the Midtown area of Little Rock had been without the dependable diner chain. The iconic old-school structure with the steeply sloped blue roof closed in July for remodeling and then was demolished for total reconstruction in October.

Until its April reopening, we monitored with great anticipation the progress of the more modern model built at the northeast corner of West Markham Street and University Avenue. One design element got us particularly excited: Our IHOP has a second story?! Is that the champagne room? The plate-cleaners-only VIP lounge? We might never belong at the swanky private 1836 Club. But Club IHOP? We were determined to become founding members.

But sadly the mysterious off-limits second floor is an employee-only area. (Perhaps one that's a little too comfortable? Our servers -- though friendly -- had a tendency to disappear for periods of time.)

One other thing about the new IHOP that is a little less accessible: its hours. For now. While its predecessor was open all day, every day, the new version is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and until midnight Friday and Saturday. But we're told the goal is to be a 24-hour restaurant yet again.

The new digs are impressive. Instead of segmented dining areas interrupted by a hectic kitchen, there is just one more-spacious dining room with comfortable padded booths and chairs and contemporary lighting. With the hustle-bustle contained in a closed-off kitchen, the new IHOP offers a more calm vibe, even when the restaurant is busy.

And it does get busy. Our first Sunday morning trip, we were positive there would be a lengthy wait, however other customers must have sought larger tables or to-go orders. We were immediately seated and served our beverages (coffee and -- sigh -- a Diet Pepsi; IHOP is one of those Pepsi restaurants) immediately, even if it did take about 30 minutes until our food arrived.

My date ordered a classic combo, the Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs ($10.69), smothered in country gravy, served with two eggs, hash browns and two buttermilk pancakes. He was happy with the coarsely breaded steak and the peppery, creamy gravy. The scrambled eggs were fine (can scrambled eggs really aspire to be better than fine?), and the browned clump of hash browns was gratifyingly greasy.

While I was neither pregnant, nor hungover, I felt led to order eggs ... and pickles ... and mustard. I requested the new Cheeseburger Omelette ($9.99), a ground beefy beast with all the odd ingredients I listed, plus tomatoes and onions and cheese and hash browns and ... ketchup. I know it sounds so wrong, but it tasted so right. And, as if that wasn't more than enough, IHOP included a plate of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a perfectly perched dollop of butter as part of the package deal.

On the way out, we'd greet friends who stopped in for their son's birthday breakfast. Some 55 minutes later, I got a text from the father of the bunch, who works in the hospitality industry himself: "Did ya'll have to wait long for the food? We still haven't gotten our food." He'd report back that they waited 90 minutes for their food. After they asked to see a manager, their food was comped, but he vowed he wouldn't return.

His is not the only service complaint I've heard. Still, we personally didn't experience any significant snags during our initial visit, or during a repeat trip on a less-crowded Saturday night.

We couldn't make two bacon-free trips to IHOP, which has a special Bacon Lovers section on its menu, so my date ordered the Bacon Crusted Chicken Breast ($8.99). The chicken, served over a potato hash, wasn't so much "crusted" in bacon, as it was heaped with it, as well as cheese. It was served with a pungent piece of garlic bread.

I had been eyeing the new Blackberry Cheesecake Pancakes ($5.99-7.39), but I couldn't very well order them for dinner. (I -- who had ordered the Cheeseburger Omelette -- suddenly exercised some restraint). Instead, I ordered a Patty Melt ($8.19) ... yep, essentially another burger.

The sauteed onions and an extra layer of cheese made this burger, served on marble rye, especially satisfying. A side of fries (other choices were onion rings, hash browns or mixed fruit) rounded out the plate, if not my diet.

Speaking of diet, as I was eating my sandwich and fries I noticed out of the corner of my eye a girl who was eating strawberry pancakes and making them look delicious. I was instantly filled with diner's remorse. I really should have ordered those other berry pancakes.

When our soft-spoken server whispered if he could bring anything else, I blurted out before I could think about it, "Blackberry Cheesecake Pancakes" and then I added, "to share," as if that made it better and as if I really wanted to share. Still, we'd each have a bite or two and call it dessert.

The soft-spoken server would laugh loudly watching our expressions as he hoisted the biggest -- and most beautiful -- plate of pancakes ever produced onto the table. (Apparently, the girl across the room had wisely ordered a short stack.) The overabundance of syrupy berries, pancakes, cheesecake filling and whipped cream was epic.

And speaking of epic, expect this IHOP to endure. It has signed yet another 30-year lease.

Weekend on 05/04/2017