Bakersfield.com

Let's face it, it's hard being a college student.  Money is tight, and the food most often consumed costs less than a dollar.  Top Ramen, Hot Pockets, Mac and Cheese, it's costly spending money to eat out every night, or even once a week.

I walked into the IHOP [International House of Pancakes] accompainied by my boyfriend. We visited the IHOP in Rosedale located by the Target shopping center.  Parking is reasonable and spacious and plenty of room to park.

We weren't too hungry, and I've always been more of a Dennys person mostly because they’re great prices and their 24 hour diner hours, but I decided to give IHOP a chance. 
    My boyfriend and I walked in and were greeted by a young girl wearing a black, glittery, halloween t-shirt with a glowing pumpkin.  Not too uniform, but still, the tackiness was quite festive.  We were seated right away and had a choice between a booth or table.  We were seated in the booth conviently next to the bathroom.  I ventured through part of the kitchen to reach the bathroom.  I noticed the bathroom floors were a bit dirty, but everything was stocked and the counters and toilets were clean.  I washed my hands, then went back to my booth.
    At this time, it's about 8:30pm and the place looks deserted.  A couple sits near the corner laughing, and a small child accompained by their father sits right behind us.  The child was obnoxious to say the least.  Every other word out of his mouth that interrupted my conversation started with a "BRRRAPPP" or a "VRRROOOMM" and ended in a horrifying crash sound.  He rolled his toy monster truck all over the backside of my booth, and would occasionally stare at my hair(which is known to scare small children).  I know this isn't the restaurants fault, but it did effect most of my meal time.
    IHOP of course is known for their pancakes and different flavored syrups.  Three out of four syrups were on the table.  I wasn't sure which one was missing, but from what I could tell, they all looked the same dark color and I figured if I wanted to try the syrup, I'd just ask.
    IHOP like Dennys, serves breakfast all day, along with lunch and dinner specials.  From fruit crepes to T-Bone steaks, IHOP pretty much had a variety for any particular craving.
    My boyfriend started off with a garden salad with blue cheese dressing.  When his salad arrived, it looked just like the picture!  The blue cheese was a tad bit runny, but was the best blue cheese dressing I have ever tasted.  The salad was pretty well proportioned and included heaps of cold lettuce, tomato slices, onions and croutons.
    When it came time to order, I decided on the Chicken Fajita Omelette, and my date felt a craving for a T-Bone Steak.  Sadly, they were out of T-Bone, so my boyfriend settled with the Sirloin.
    The wait for our food took about fourty-five minutes.  You can look at this situation in two ways. One way to think, is it's just the right amount of time if you are relaxing and enjoying your meal and visiting with your family.  However, if one was in a hurry, and was on a tight schedule, the waiting time could be frustrating.  And considering there were only four other people in the dining room, the wait was a bit much.
    The Chicken Fajita Omelette finally arrived. I was salivating at the mouth.  I'm pretty sure the waitress saw the drool dripping down my chin.  She sat the plate in front of me, and I immediately felt satisfied.  The Omelette was HUGE, too much food for me.  The eggs were fluffy and light. On the inside, melted cheddar cheese, bell peppers, onions, and  wonderfully seasoned grilled chicken neatly compiled together.  In addition to the omelette, three buttermilk pancakes the size of my face lay on a second plate.  Once again, way too much food for me.
    My boyfriend's food came seconds later, and by the look on his face, I could tell he wasn't going to be disappointed.  The plate was literally full of food.  You could not see one bit of white porcelin from the plate.  A generous sized piece of tender medium-rare steak was piled high with grilled onions and mushrooms. A side of cooked carrots, so perfect, he described them as "soft and sweet" and of course he added, "just like you!" Awe!  A huge mound of fries accompanied the massive amount of food.  My boyfriend wanted to try the buttermilk battered shrimp, so in addition to his steak meal, ordered a side of shrimp.  The shrimp was interesting.  I had never tasted anything like it!  It had a lime tangy flavor to it, and was surprisingly good!  His meal also came with bread, which was toasted and was loaded with a thick  layer of butter and garlic spread.
    After picking at each other's food, we decided it was time to recieve the bill.  The waitress , who was sweet cleared off our table, and kept refilling our drinks so we could sip on them until our food was settled and we were ready to leave.  She dropped off the bill  and we looked in amazement.  Both of us ate a huge meal for under $25.00. The bill was a whopping $23.88 including the $2.99 for a side of Buttermilk shrimp.
    We both requested boxes, and put away our uneaten food.  We paid, and the kind hostess thanked us, and wished us a great night. I took a mint, and a toothpick, and left IHOP feeling full and satisfied.  I most definitely recommend going to the IHOP on Rosedale Hwy. You won't be disappointed.