Next Adventure!

Ladies and gentlemen of the 2 guys eat blog universe; an obscure vision has now become clear on the horizon. That's right, the next restaurant we will journey to has a suspiciously awesome meal awaiting us. This news is so fresh, not even Mike knows yet. So here it is...

The Olive Garden in the Mercer Mall at Princeton. I heard from an extremely reliable source that they offer UNLIMITED pasta dishes for only $8.95. That means Mike and I are free to explore various pastas and sauces to make extreme combination's, all of which will be reviewed for your eyes to see and your taste buds to crave! This meal also includes UNLIMITED bread sticks and salad! So friends, it will absolutely be a face fucking!

Look for our review of the Olive Garden at some point in the next 72 hours. Until then remember, you gotta eat!

-Will

Adventure #1 - IHOP - Franklin Park, NJ 08823

Unfortunately, our spacecraft was going to cost $15,000,000 to ship to our address, so we are taking donations to help us start our quest. But before that can begin, we will be putting our palettes to the test by traveling to more local restaurants. First on the menu...IHOP!

Mikes Thoughts- When we arrived at the IHOP, there were a lot of people inside. For a table of two we were placed on the wait for about 15 minutes. After our table was ready we were immediately seated at a nice table for two. The first thing I noticed was how clean the place was, cleanliness was definitely a priority at the restaurant. We were then greeted by our server who immediately took our drink orders. When she came back she asked if we were ready but we needed a little time to think of what we wanted. When we were finally ready I decided to get the Passion Fruit Hawaiian Pancakes with the Breakfast Sampler which comes with two eggs, two pieces of ham, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, and hash browns for $8.95. The wait time for the food was quicker than expected for how busy it was in there. About five minutes later the food came out. At the time the food came out we decided to order the mozzarella sticks too since they looked scrumdiddlyumptious on the menu.
Food - I would give the main course an 8 out of 10. The pancakes were a little dry but still tasty. The eggs I ordered over easy and came out pretty well. The rest of the meal was better than expected with the sausage being nice and satisfying and the bacon cooked almost to perfection. While I would recommend the pancakes, they were a little dry but was fixed by the syrup that they put on top. When the mozzarella Sticks came out, they were large and tasty. They had some kind of spice that i can't recall of the top of my head, but it complimented them pretty well.
Cleanliness - I would rate the cleanliness of the restaurant a solid 9 out of 10. Every time that a group would leave, the bus boys / waiters would come by and make sure the tables were cleaned right away for the next customer.
Timing - I would rate the timing of our meal at a 7 out of 10. While it was busy in there when Will asked for a refill, it took almost seven minutes to get one and he had to ask the server again for one. other than that, the timing was pretty good.
Atmosphere - I would rate the atmosphere of the restaurant at a 9 out of 10. It is the atmosphere you would expect at an IHOP. Pretty big dining area, well lit, with a family friendly staff and seating areas.
Final Thoughts - I would rate my experience at the IHOP as an 8 out of 10. Everything was enjoyable in the restaurant, our server and staff were friendly, and the timings were almost on par. All in all, I would reccomend this restaurant to anyone looking for a quick Breakfast / Lunch / or Dinner as all three are served all day. But be careful what time you go as you might encounter long wait times to be seated as it is in a popular area between South Brunswick and New Brunswick.

Mikes Scores

Food                8/10
Cleanliness        9/10
Timing             7/10
Atmosphere      9/10
Final Rating       8/10


Wills Scoop- As Mike stated, there was a brief 15 minute wait. Surprising to me because I thought we had avoided the breakfast crowd by going in the early afternoon, but apparently IHOP does steady business for brunch as well. Upon entry into the spacious dining area, I also took notice of the superbly spotless atmosphere. I was initially torn between getting a breakfast sampler or the new Hawaiian style pancakes, which was on a separate menu and featured a variety of styles. When the waitress brought us the Hawaiian pancake menu Mike spotted that you can order any of the styles with the breakfast sampler which gave me an instaboner! I decided to get the same breakfast sampler as Mike, also with the strawberry passion fruit pancakes. The only difference on our plates was in the eggs, as I ordered mine scrambled with cheddar cheese.
Food - I immediately dove into the eggs knowing they get cold fast, plus they looked good as hell. Before even realizing what was happening, the eggs and trio of meat were gone, and my gosh was it ever so delicious! I finished what was left of my hash browns before switching plates to try the tasty looking pancakes. The taste in my opinion was phenomenal. Unlike Mike, I saw no problem with any dryness in the pancakes, and the taste was only complimented by the beautiful presentation. The passion fruit was made into a cream cheese like paste that was reminiscent to big mac sauce...meaning this pancake would suck without it, as a big mac without its sauce would! Topped with strawberries, whipped cream and syrups it was an architectural Picasso of foods. The monster mozza sticks that ended the meal were nothing short of exceptional. This is the way all mozzarella sticks should taste. Overall, I would rate the main course a 9 out of 10, with the sausage and bacon lacking something in my opinion.
Cleanliness - In my opinion, one of the cleanest franchise restaurants I have had the privilege of dining in. The floors were dazzling, even considering the traffic of busy servers and diners tracking all over it. The tables were cleaned to perfection as soon as customers were leaving. I even noticed a waitress taking the low syrups into the back to refill them for the next family coming in. The entire staff also looked hygienically appealing. Considering the diner type atmosphere, I would rate the cleanliness of the building an astounding 10 out of 10.
Timing - With a 15 minute wait for a table and about a 5 minute wait for food, the wait times were very close to what I expected. I did not however expect to wait longer for a soda refill than I did for my entree. I also did not expect to have to ask twice. Taking the amount of business at the time into account, it is definitely forgivable. Our waitress was not only very friendly and helpful, but also quick to tend to all of our needs and extremely apologetic about forgetting my drink. I would rate the timing a 7.5 out of 10.
Atmosphere - Although the restaurant was immaculate inside and out, the dining atmosphere was nothing extraordinary in my opinion. With a decently sized dining area and a family atmosphere, it was also not anything I would have negative words about. It was very typical, safe, and neat. For this reason I would rate the atmosphere a 7 out of 10.
Final Scoop - From watching a middle aged woman take 5 minutes to exit her parking space that we were waiting for, until the final belch on the car ride home, I think Mike and I can agree it was a rewarding experience that was was well worth the trip and the bill. Because for me, eating out is about more than just the food, but the experience you have. This IHOP was great at what it does, which is serve great eats at a fair price. For $18 a piece, and the sin of gluttony committed, leaving IHOP with the itis was not a surprise. I would give my overall experience an 8.5 out of 10.

Wills Scores


Food                  9/10
Cleanliness        10/10
Timing             7.5/10
Atmosphere         7/10
Final Rating       8.5/10