★★★★ (4 Stars)

IHOP Cafe - Downtown

IHOP Cafe just opened at the Vistana today.  I visited expecting them to not be fully prepared as the Grand Opening isn’t until next week, but I am pleased to say they seemed to have everything down perfectly.

IHOP Cafe is more a coffee shop than an IHOP restaurant.  It has a coffee shop feel and they provide free Wi-Fi.  IHOP Cafe has a truncated food menu perfect for this coffee shop concept.  The menu includes mini pancakes with or without toppings, omelets, wraps, mini melts (slider type burgers), and salads.

The coffees and drinks include brewed coffee, espressos, iced coffee, blended coffee and tea.  They also compliment their drink menu with milkshakes and 4 smoothies.

The pancakes were really good; just as you would expect from an IHOP.  I ordered a mocha espresso and I’d say that could use a little work as their competitor’s have a lighter, sweeter, more full flavor.

Overall I’ll probably make this a regular stop especially when I need a coffee kick before heading into work.

IHOP Cafe Pancakes

★★ (2 Stars)

Not very impressed…

First, their website must be out of date because I ordered the Mediterranean Tea Smoked Chicken and the menu at their business doesn’t list the same ingredients as it does on their website.  The salad on the website sounds a lot more in depth and actually worth the $12.99 I was charged.

When I received the salad I noticed it was lacking a few ingredients listed on the menu.  It was mainly only field greens, a tiny bit of feta, and a chicken breast that tasted like it was put on a George Foreman Grill.  It was nothing special and paying $18, after beverage, tax, and tip, I felt ripped off.

I’ll try them again later for a sandwich.  Those looked decent.

★★★★ (4 Stars)

Hip & trendy are two words that come to mind when I’ve visited Sip Espresso and Sandwich Bar on Houston and St. Mary’s.

I had been to Sip once previously and enjoyed an iced mocha.   Today, I decided to try a panini and salad after having drooled while looking through their window, yesterday, as I strolled past to a sub-par deli.

The service was quick.  They had a bunch of people constructing 11 varieties of paninis.  The lunch special was $7.50 and came with a panini, salad and an iced tea.  At first I thought the price was a little high for a sandwich, but when the food came, I realized it was well worth it.  The bread quickly stood out as I took the first bite; very fresh.  Come to think of it, everything was really fresh and tasty.

Why not 5 stars?  Well, reflecting on the time I went for an iced coffee, I remember that the coffee was excellent, but the service was extremely slow.  It must have been because they had only a couple of people working after the lunch rush.  I’m not sure if their customer service dwindles after lunch or if it was just one bad experience.

I would definitely recommend this place to others.  They’re quick at lunch time and have a good selection of panini sandwiches that seem a bit more healthy than other places.