I spent $20 at IHOP, Denny's, and Perkins. One meal blew me away in terms of taste and value.

I compared $20 meals at IHOP, Denny's, and Perkins to find the best value. Amanda Shammas and jetcityimage I dined at IHOP, Denny's, and Perkins with a $20 budget. I ordered similar menu items at each chain — iced coffee and a biscuits-and-gravy meal. Overall, I thought Perkins offered the tastiest food, and I'm pleased with what I got for my money. When the mornings become cooler, I find myself craving warm comfort food. As someone who never skips breakfast, biscuits covered in creamy gravy sounded like an especially satisfying way to start the day. I wondered how this meal would compare at three well-known breakfast chains — and which would give me the most value for my money. So, within the same week, I visited IHOP, Denny's, and Perkins, each with a $20 budget, and ordered similar menu items. Here's how it went. My first stop of the week was at IHOP. Amanda Shammas The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) has over 1,700 restaurants around the world. It's owned by Dine Brands, the parent company of Applebee's. I went to IHOP a lot growing up, and although I hadn't been back in a while, I was excited to see whether the chain still lived up to my memories. I started with my go-to coffee order. Amanda Shammas Caffeine was my first order of business, and I noticed that IHOP had several iced-coffee flavors on its menu. I ordered my go-to, a vanilla iced coffee ($3.29), which arrived filled to the brim. It tasted like something I could make at home by chilling coffee from my Keurig and adding vanilla creamer. It was basic, but I appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet or artificial-tasting. My breakfast came with a generous amount of food. Amanda Shammas The buttermilk biscuit and gravy combo ($14.29) arrived spread across two plates. It included a sliced buttermilk biscuit with a side of gravy, two eggs, two pork-sausage links, two hickory-smoked bacon strips, and hash browns. The bacon strips were generously sized and not overly fatty, although I wish they had been crispier. I ordered my eggs sunny-side up, and they were perfectly cooked. The long, thin sausage links had a classic peppery flavor, which I enjoyed. However, the hash browns were the star of the meal. They had perfectly crispy edges mixed with softer, chewier pieces, and I couldn't get enough of them. Unfortunately, the biscuits and gravy were underwhelming. Amanda Shammas After trying the eggs, breakfast meats, and hash browns, I moved on to the biscuits and gravy, served on a smaller plate. The biscuit was decently sized, lightly toasted, and had a nice buttery flavor. However, the gravy was too thin and watery for my liking. Although it had visible flecks of seasoning, it tasted fairly bland on its own and was easily overpowered by the biscuit's flavor. In total, I spent $17.58 at IHOP, before tax and tip. Next, I made my way to Denny's. Amanda Shammas Denny's is privately owned by TriArtisan Capital Advisors, Treville Capital Group, and Yadav Enterprises, which acquired the chain in January 2026 in a transaction valued at approximately $620 million. Denny's website currently lists 1,231 locations in the US, making it another major name in the family-dining game. Despite being one of the country's most recognizable diner chains, I had never eaten at the restaurant before. So, I was curious to see how my first experience would turn out. I started my meal with a pricy cold brew. Amanda Shammas When I opened the menu, the sweet-cream cold brew immediately caught my attention. It arrived with a small dollop of whipped cream on top, but I noticed the glass wasn't completed full. I wasn't expecting coffee-shop quality from a chain restaurant, but the drink tasted overly sweet and artificial. At $6.29, it was nearly twice the price of IHOP's iced coffee. I understand that cold brew typically costs more, but that's about what I would spend for a handcrafted drink at Starbucks or a specialty café. The portion seemed smaller than the one I got at IHOP. Amanda Shammas I saw online that Denny's offered a specific biscuits-and-gravy meal, but I didn't see it on the menu during my visit. However, my server said I could create a similar one by ordering the build-your-own Slam ($14.77), so I chose components that closely matched my IHOP breakfast. Unlike my meal at IHOP, which required two plates, everything at Denny's fit on one plate. The bacon strips seemed a bit smaller, and although they weren't overly fatty, they weren't particularly crispy either. The sausage links had a sharper, more peppery flavor, but they were also so greasy that I couldn't finish both. My sunny-side-up eggs, on the other hand, were cooked perfectly and had nicely crisped edges. Once again, the hash browns were my favorite part of the plate, with a nice crisp on the top and bottom. The gravy was thick, but in my opinion, it still lacked flavor. Amanda Shammas These biscuits were on the smaller and fluffier side, with no visible toast marks. The inside had a soft, almost cake-like texture and a classic savory biscuit flavor. The gravy was served on top and was noticeably thicker than what I received at IHOP, with a slight buttery taste. However, it was very pale, with no visible flecks of seasoning. Despite its thicker consistency, I still found the flavor underwhelming. In total, I spent $21.06 at Denny's before tax and tip, which was slightly over the $20 budget I set for myself. Lastly, I tried my luck at Perkins Restaurant and Bakery. Amanda Shammas Perkins Restaurant and Bakery is owned by Ascent Hospitality Management and has 222 locations in the US, making it the smallest of the three chains I visited. I vaguely remember visiting Perkins as a child, and although its food didn't ring a bell, its cozy, homey atmosphere definitely did. I was served a large amount of iced coffee, but it tasted watered down. Amanda Shammas When I asked about iced coffee, my server explained that the restaurant could pour its hot coffee over ice and serve it with creamer. To keep things consistent, I decided to go for it. The coffee arrived in a large metal cup with lots of ice, along with a separate glass of ice and a bowl of different creamers. There was certainly plenty of it, but after I poured myself a glass and added French-vanilla creamer, it tasted much too watery for me. At $3.50, though, it was reasonably priced, and I wasn't expecting the same quality I'd receive from a specialty coffee shop. The hash browns weren't great, but the overall portion felt like a good value. Amanda Shammas Perkins' country-sausage biscuit breakfast ($14.79) included two sausage biscuits topped with creamy gravy and American cheese, two eggs, two bacon strips, and a choice of hash browns or breakfast potatoes. Like the meal at Denny's, it was served on one plate. I thought the bacon strips were a decent size and had a warm, smoky flavor, though they still weren't as crispy as I would have liked. But once again, my sunny-side-up eggs were perfect. The hash browns, on the other hand, had a few crispy pieces, but most weren't as golden or as toasted as the ones I received at the other restaurants. The portion was generous, but the taste was a bit underwhelming and could have used more salt. The sausage biscuits really won me over. Amanda Shammas What set this meal apart was the way Perkins served its biscuits and gravy. Instead of placing sausage links on the side as the other chains had, each of the two biscuits was split and filled with a sausage patty, creating two small breakfast sandwiches. They were then covered in gravy and finished with American cheese, which I thought was a nice touch. These "sandwiches" made the meal feel more substantial and filling than the other breakfasts I had tried. Plus, the sausage patties were rich and flavorful without tasting overly greasy, and the biscuits were large, soft, and moist inside. The gravy had a smooth consistency and visible flecks of seasoning, along with a peppery kick that paired well with the sausage. In total, I spent $18.29 at Perkins, before tax and tip. Overall, I thought the meal from Perkins offered a great value — and it's the only one I would order again. Amanda Shammas and jetcityimage Before tax and tip, I spent $17.58 at IHOP, $21.06 at Denny's, and $18.29 at Perkins. The meal from IHOP was the cheapest and included a generous amount of food across two plates. It also had my favorite hash browns and iced coffee of the three. However, because the gravy was watery and bland, I wouldn't order this specific meal again. For only $0.71 more, Perkins gave me a similarly generous breakfast that felt even more filling because of the sausage-biscuit sandwiches. The thicker, seasoned gravy also made its version of the main dish my favorite. Denny's, meanwhile, was underwhelming — and the most expensive stop. Its $6.29 cold brew significantly increased my total, and I didn't think it was worth the price. Ultimately, Perkins offered the best combination of taste, portion size, and price. If I were craving this meal again, it would be my easy choice. Business Insider reached out to IHOP, Denny's, and Perkins for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider

Read it at Business Insider ↗

← Front page