IHOP - Pancake Batter in the Omelets

[CarolM]

The April 20, 2007 issue of LIFE magazine features an article about IHOP.  In the section about the amount of eggs served at the Anaheim location on the average Sunday, it states:

"458 dozen eggs ... get scrambled, fried and whipped into omelets, which are made extra-fluffy with a splash of pancake batter."

I have sent an email to IHOP, asking if this is true.  I haven't received a response yet, but I wanted to let you all know.  It seems we may have to ask about the omelet preparation, at this and perhaps other restaurants.  This issue has never occured to me before.

[the sensible celiac]

Wow!  I would have never thought to ask about batter being used in an omelette, it's no wonder you were surprised.  Well spotted, Carol.

Since I eat a vegan GF diet it would not affect me personally, but most people with celiac disease are not vegetarian or vegan, so this is a real issue.

Thanks for posting this warning.  I hope they will reply to you.

[CarolM]

Here is the reply from IHOP:

• Thank you for taking the time to contact IHOP with your inquiry. Due to the general nature of the items served in our restaurant, most of our meals do contain gluten in them. However we have instilled a new IHOP for Me menu that offers several more healthful choices, including fruit plates and other choices that may fit your needs. 
  
  Please also be aware that our omelettes do contain a small amount of pancake batter in them in order to attain a texture that the majority of our guests enjoy. While this is addressed in our menu, it is often overlooked. As well, any of our omelettes can be made without the batter by simply requesting with your server that it be left out.
  
  Unfortunately, due to the fact that our IHOP restaurants are franchised locations and menu items and ingredients are supplied by many different local area vendors, I am unable to provide you with any specific details regarding gluten levels in our products. It would be best to speak to a manager at the location that you plan on visiting; they are often able to provide ingredient information from the packaging labels of many of their products.
  
  Thank you again for contacting IHOP and I hope that I have been of some assistance to you with this matter.
   
  Sincerely,
  Teara Pendleton
  Guest Services Representative
  IHOP Restaurant Support Center

[the sensible celiac]

<sour_grapes>
When I lived in Worcester Massachusetts there was an IHOP in nearby Shrewsbury.  About once a year the local board of health would shut them down after one or more customers suffered food poisoning.  We used to call it the International House of Ptomaine.
</sour_grapes>

Thanks CarolM for following through on this.  Even if I thought there were menu items I could eat at IHOP, I'd be very reluctant to eat at a place that mostly grills wheat products.  I would go for the fruit plate, I suppose.

On a vaguely related note, I get fairly good results making waffles at home using one of those electric waffle irons and GF pancake mix.  Most recently I've used Orgran Apple & Cinnamon Gluten Free Pancake Mix.  I like the crispness of GF waffles.

Whenever I do eat breakfast at an American diner type of place, I'll usually have hash browns with fruit.

[katzefrau]

I noticed that on an IHOP menu and my thought was: why aren't there regulations about restaurants declaring allergens?  It's probably somewhat arbitrary that they declare that on the menu.  I don't imagine they had celiac disease in mind.  I managed to get an omelet without pancake batter, but IHOP isn't the most celiac-friendly place.

I love to eat out, but if the answer to "is there flour in this" is "I don't think so," that might as well be a yes.  Often servers don't know what's in a restaurant's food, and don't know what to ask the cook.  Or they don't want to disclose all their ingredients for fear someone will steal the recipe.  I really think there should be an exhaustive ingredient list available for reference at all restaurants incase someone really needs to know.  Access to information about the food you're eating (whether packaged or prepared) is really important.

I hear there are completely GF restaurants opening now (in New York at least) but so far nothing in L.A., and the vegan place I like that has GF pancakes is a little inconsistent with labeling things on the menu.  But I'm sure all this will get better. Celiac awareness is happening.

[CarolM]

I agree that a restaurant should be able to provide an ingredient list.  I'm very suspicious of any restaurant that can't list the ingredients in its food or state definitively how it's prepared.  I mean, what the heck is going on back there in the kitchen?!  I think it's a result of chain restaurants using mainly prepared food and not having many, if any, actual chefs in the kitchen.  A lot of chains seem to simply reconstitute and reheat.  A proper chef can always prepare a meal according to dietary restrictions.

I've become very untrusting over the years, so I wouldn't order any omelet from IHOP.  My thought is, are they using the same bowl to beat my eggs that they would otherwise use for the eggs plus batter?  I'm guessing the answer may very well be "Yes!"  I haven't been to an IHOP for many years.  The last time I ate there they served me avocado slices that were inedible - brown spots and stringy.  Disgusting.  When I pointed it out to the server, she just shrugged.  Later she told me the manager didn't care, either.

[katzefrau]

good point .. the kitchen staff at IHOP probably doesn't actually contain anything close to a chef ..

I'm kind of a rookie (just over 1 yr off gluten) and still loathe to admit I just can't safely eat out, with a few exceptions.  Do I really need IHOP??  Does anyone really need IHOP??

I keep telling myself, and everyone who'll listen, that now I'm going to learn how to bake .. yada yada ..
waiting for the urge to overtake me.  But as long as there's mailorder, I'm feeling no passion yet!

k