IHOP

Maplewood Mall area

His thoughts:

Things went fine until we got our food. Her crepe was fine, and she had to force herself to stop eating it so she wouldn't get too full.

I got an old staple: eggs, hashbrowns, ham, bacon, sausage and cakes, side of toast. Sausage, ham (on one side) and bacon were all over cooked (blackened or charred for now good reason) but still quite edible. Hashbrowns were fine. I can't speak for the eggs since I didn't eat them until they were good and cold.

The reason? My toast had cream cheese on it (besides the butter). After our waitress decided to check back to on us, I asked her for some fresh toast because of the cheese.

I got a prompt replacement, which of course also had cream cheese on it.l I know this because in both cases, I decided to taste this odd 'gunk' on my toast and it was unmistakably cheese of the cream type (which I do like, just not on toast). I made mention of this again when our waitress came back to ask if we wanted anything else. After saying no, and her taking away the second toast, she came back with the bill and then told us that it wasn't cheese but old butter and it gets that way when its too old, but its fine.

Well.

I've never seen or heard of butter spontaneously turning into cheese, nor has Maryanne. We have both however heard of cross-contamination resulting in using the same utensils in multiple food items during preparation (such as the same knife in the butter and cream cheese).

So, either our waitress was lying to cover the truth (which seems apparent) or the cooks are not keeping things properly clean and separated during food prep (which also seems apparent). I'm thinking a health inspection is in order for this location especially since cross-contamination of foods is something that cooks and line workers are trained to avoid.

That being said, I'm not eating here for awhile. I'm giving this place a C for food taste, and I'd like to give an F for everything else but I'd think they'll clean up their act so I'll make it a D.

I mean, really, who in their right-mind is going to go out and tell a customer that they were just served old food?

Seriously?