IHOP Corporation

Your Fast-Food Lent Options Are Bountiful

The Lent season gives rise to a great St. Louis tradition, the Fish Fry. But local church parishes aren't the only folks in on the fish. At least since 1962, when McDonald's debuted the Filet-O-Fish, fast-food restaurants have offered Lent-friendly options for patrons. Gut Check figured we'd run do ... More >>

Observe National Pancake Day Today at These 7 St. Louis Restaurants

Today, Tuesday, February 5, is National Pancake Day -- and no, it's not a fake holiday engineered by IHOP, though it does market the hell out of its celebratory free pancakes special. Nope, gulping down pancakes in February has much older roots. Next Tuesday, February 12, marks Shrove Tuesday, a med ... More >>

21 Holiday Food and Restaurant Specials, Deals and Freebies

For Gut Check there's no better way to say "Season's Eatings" than with restaurant specials and deals. Much is made about overeating and weight gain during the holiday season, but really you'd be a fool not to eat free food when it's shoveled at you in the form of restaurant gift cards, BOGO special ... More >>

On a stretch of road famous for fine international cuisine, Famous Szechuan Pavilion is a hidden gem

Dear Next IHOP Tenant: Prepare for Pancake Jokes

The IHOP at 6301 Chippewa Street in south city closed quietly last month on June 24, ending the don't-call-it International House of Pancake's five-decade run in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood. No word on what business might next occupy the space.

Tidbits from Fuzzy's Taco Shop, IHOP

​- Gut Check first learned in November that the Fort Worth, Texas-based chain Fuzzy's Taco Shop would open its first area location at 8073 Watson Road in Webster Groves. The restaurant opened its doors officially this past weekend. Its regular hours are from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Wedne ... More >>

King of Curmudgeon

Gut Check Jr. Samples IHOP's Scary Face Pancake

Yesterday Gut Check told you that IHOP restaurants will be giving away free Scary Face Pancakes for dinner tonight. Since the pancake is on the menu throughout October, last night Gut Check Jr. gave it a try. Scary doesn't even begin to describe it. Robin WheelerIHOP's Scary Face Pancake.​ ... More >>

Top Five Fast Food Joints Besides Del Taco to Enjoy While Drunk

Laura MillerSo long, after-bar hangout.​A community of St. Louis drinkers was surely surprised when news broke that plans might be in the works to demolish an after-bar staple, the midtown Del Taco (212 South Grand Boulevard; 314-534-1424). Gut Check reported yesterday that developer Rick Yack ... More >>

Introducing IHOP At Home: Because 24-Hour IHOPs Simply Aren't Convenient Enough

Image via​The next time you're wandering through the frozen-food section at your nearest Wal-Mart, keep an eye open for a newcomer to the already-crammed breakfast section. Tucked in next to the Pillsbury Toaster Strudel and the Hot Pockets, IHOP will be stocking its new IHOP At Home line of b ... More >>

Battle Restaurant Brawl Locales: IHOP vs. McDonald's

What the hell is wrong with people these days? Stories of violence and fights in restaurants have splattered the news like so many teeth being knocked out of some dude who was just waiting for his hot syrup. Last Friday a New York City security guard was stabbed when he tried to stop a fight at a ... More >>

IHOP Gives Away Free Pancakes to Benefit Children's Hospitals

Katie MoultonErika Hebron, Miss Missouri 2010, makes it snappy with the griddle cakes at IHOP bright and early this a.m.​Shrove Tuesday isn't for another week, but today's National Pancake Day! Until 10 p.m., IHOP is giving away free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes to help raise awareness ... More >>

School Nutrition Bill Gets Post-Election Boost

Post-election, the outlook for the stalled school nutrition bill was pretty bleak. But it's looking better, thanks to Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts opting to back the bill. According to the Associated Press, the upcoming changes in the House of Represe ... More >>

A humble Olive strip mall gets yet another culinary treasure

Dress Like Processed Food for Halloween and Get a Chipotle Burrito for $2

We at Gut Check International Headquarters are all in favor of Halloween, provided the candy isn't lame. So when we heard that Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering $2 burritos to patrons who arrive dressed as a processed-food item, well, we headed straight for the wardrobe department. Then we realize ... More >>

IHOP Sues a Kansas City Church Over Same Acronym

IHOP sues IHOP. The Kansas City Star explains that the International House of Pancakes is suing Kansas City's International House of Prayer, a mission that uses the same acronym. Although the mission's been open for a decade, the pancake giant just filed the suit as the mission has grown to include ... More >>

Day 31: Food, Glorious Food!

Editor's note: Aspiring photojournalist and Gut Check contributor Kholood Eid is chronicling her Ramadan fast in diary form. Click for all Ramadan Diary entries. Kholood Eid​This past Friday marked the first of two things: the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, the three-day holiday that follows Ramad ... More >>

America's Fifteen Favorite Casual-Dining Chain Restaurants

Image via​You know what Gut Check loves more than anything else?Chain restaurants.OK, that's a blatant lie. But Americans do love chain restaurants, otherwise the damn things wouldn't sprout in every shopping mall, strip mall and big-box-store parking lot like mushrooms after a hard spring rain.In ... More >>

The Morning Brew: 4.8

The government thinks the FDA needs to step up food inspections. Despite a rash of recalls in the past six years, the FDA has inspected less than half of the organizations it regulates with the number dropping annually. The food safety legislation currently in Congress would provide more resources ... More >>

Celebrate National Pancake Day With Free Pancakes at IHOP

Image via​Today is National Pancake Day. (Yesterday, by the way, was National Margarita Day. Or, as I call it, Monday.) IHOP is celebrating by offering diners one (1) free short stack of pancakes from now until 10 p.m. tonight. The restaurant does ask that you make a donation to the Children's Mir ... More >>

Guess Where I'm Drinking This Margarita [Updated -- Already -- with Answer!]

As I mentioned in today's post about National Pancake Day at IHOP, yesterday was, in fact, National Margarita Day. I couldn't let the holiday pass without partaking in a (belated) celebration of some sort, even if I had to sit alone at the bar like the functioning alcoholic I am*, watching Rome Is B ... More >>

Five Good Restaurants in Old Fast-Food Buildings

View Larger MapAs I posted a few days ago, a new Vietnamese restaurant is opening at 3737 South Grand Boulevard, inside a former McDonald's. I'll admit that whenever I see a locally owned business taking over a chain restaurant's location, I smile. After the jump, in no particular order, five of my ... More >>

Unreal searches in vain for salvation and gets sucked into writing about the new Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Missouri

Unreal Gets Saved on the Dancefloor

flickr.com/photos/dee_lightful​Unreal doesn't consider ourself a likely candidate for salvation, but we happened to hear Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" on the radio the other day and decided that if it ever does happen, it will be on a dance floor. Of course, our Patti-inspired vision involves v ... More >>

Will Ian flip for the Original Pancake House?

The Morning Brew: Monday, 10/1

Small Plates: Monday, 7/16

Snakes in the Office

Copperheads invade a local real-estate company, but former employees say the biggest snake of them all is their ex-boss.

Open Season

You don’t need a single reason to recall your alderman, especially in north St. Louis

Life After Death Row

From maximum security in Potosi to a bungalow in Maplewood: The odyssey of Rabbit, a.k.a. Robert Driscoll

Low Tide

Watercolors Café is far from being a masterpiece

You Want Fries with That?

Unreal finally finds happiness with that elusive combination of beer, prophylaxes and popcorn shrimp; plus, Whitey Herzog in a Misfits T-shirt!

Taking Office

Bingenheimer and Hickenlooper discuss their rockin' doc, Mayor of the Sunset Strip

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Week of January 28, 2004

Metal Alchemy

Alex Skolnick changes thrash to jazz

That's a Winner

Culinary star David Slay teams up with baseball great Ozzie Smith to produce a terrific dining experience

Old Saying

The well-loved Tachibana is beginning to look the part

It's Their Thing

Despite changing fashions and lineup upheavals, the Isley Brothers are still going strong, some 45 years after forming

Best Sushi

Nobu's Japanese Restaurant

French Toast

International House of Pancakes

STAR TREK

Our reviewer and her intrepid pals navigate Vietnam Star's gargantuan menu