I tried McDonald's $7 and IHOP's $21 breakfast platter. The fast-food chain impressed me, but its pancakes didn't compare.
I decided to compare breakfast foods from McDonald's and IHOP.Joe Opaleski
- I ordered breakfast at McDonald's and IHOP to see which restaurant offered the tastiest food.
- For $7, McDonald's offered a great biscuit, sausage, and hash brown, but its pancakes fell short.
- IHOP's $21 meal had standard sausage and eggs, but its delicious pancakes won me over.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I wanted to see whether the varying prices at different popular chains made a difference.
I decided to compare breakfast foods from fast-food chain McDonald's and restaurant chain IHOP to see which restaurant had a better meal.
Here's how they stacked up.
I started at McDonald’s and ordered a Big Breakfast with Hotcakes.
I got a good amount of breakfast food from McDonald's for only $7.Joe Opaleski
For $7, McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hotcakes came with scrambled eggs, a hash brown, a biscuit, a sausage patty, and hotcakes (pancakes).
The meal was delivered to my table in under two minutes, which was convenient.
McDonald's hash brown was the star of the meal.
I loved McDonald's breakfast hash brown.Joe Opaleski
I think the McDonald's hash-brown patty tasted a bit crispier and greasier than the chain's french fries, which I loved.
The crunch was grand and the taste was amazing.
My scrambled eggs were just OK.
I wasn't overly impressed with McDonald's scrambled eggs.Joe Opaleski
My scrambled eggs came plain, but McDonald's supplied salt and pepper packets.
The eggs also had a good consistency, and the portion size was larger than I predicted.
The only downsides were that they were a bit cold by the time they got to me, and I think they would've tasted better with cheese.
McDonald's sausage patty was delicious.
McDonald's sausage patty was packed with flavor.Joe Opaleski
I couldn't ask for a tastier sausage patty. Its grease seemed to soak into other foods on my platter, but I didn't mind because it added flavor.
If you're going to McDonald's for breakfast, I'd recommend the sausage over the bacon or Canadian bacon.
I used the biscuit to make a breakfast sandwich.
McDonald's biscuits were dense and good for a sandwich. Joe Opaleski
McDonald's breakfast sides nearly resembled a deconstructed breakfast sandwich, so I made my own with the biscuit, eggs, and sausage patty.
The biscuit's dense and buttery texture held up well as the foundation for my impromptu sandwich.
The pancakes didn't really impress me.
I didn't like the texture of McDonald's pancakes.Joe Opaleski
I like fluffy pancakes, and McDonald's seemed a bit chewy to me, so I wasn't that big of a fan.
In the future, I'd avoid adding these to my breakfast order at the chain.
Next I went to IHOP and ordered a similar meal.
I ordered a meal from IHOP that was the most similar to the one from McDonald's.Joe Opaleski
IHOP's Quick 2-Egg Breakfast was the most comparable platter to my meal at McDonald's.
For $14, the platter came with two eggs of any style, two pieces of sausage or bacon, hash browns, and two pieces of toast cut in halves.
I added a short stack of three pancakes, which brought my total to $21 before the tip.
The food took about 20 minutes to arrive, but I expected this at a more sit-down restaurant.
IHOP's hash browns were crispy and flavorful.
I was pleasantly surprised by IHOP's hash browns. Joe Opaleski
Unlike McDonald's oval-shaped hash-brown patty, IHOP's potatoes were thinly chopped.
On the first bite, they were extra crispy on top and had a great flavor.
The scrambled eggs were cooked more than I like.
I wasn't a fan of the scrambled eggs from IHOP. Joe Opaleski
My eggs looked and tasted overcooked, compared to what I usually like. They also would've benefitted from more salt.
I'd probably load up on different condiments if ordered IHOP's scrambled eggs again.
IHOP's sausage links were standard.
Nothing stood out to me about IHOP's sausage links.Joe Opaleski
IHOP offered sausage links instead of patties.
They had a traditional flavor, but they didn't really stand out to me.
I liked the toast, but I would've preferred a breakfast sandwich.
I would've enjoyed a breakfast sandwich more than individual sides.Joe Opaleski
I successfully used IHOP's toast to soak up the grease from the sausage. But outside of that, I didn't find the side dish all that exciting.
I expected nothing but the best from IHOP's pancakes.
I had high hopes for IHOP's pancakes, and they didn't disappoint. Joe Opalieski
IHOP's pancakes lived up to my expectations — namely because they were much fluffier than McDonald's.
I found myself halfway through the short stack before I even started on the rest of the platter, so the chain definitely won in this department.
IHOP's delicious pancakes sealed my decision.
McDonald's breakfast was quick and cheap, but IHOP won the battle.Joe Opaleski
Although McDonald's Big Breakfast included an amazing hash-brown patty, IHOP's pancakes won me over.
Other menu items were pretty comparable at the two chains. But McDonald's pancakes didn't have the fluffy consistency that I like.
Even though McDonald's platter was cheaper and quicker, IHOP's breakfast was better.
