IHOP vs Waffle House: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 9, 2026 6 items matched

The short answer

Waffle House is the cheaper of the two. Of the 6 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Waffle House is cheaper on 6 of them, by an average of $1.16 per item.

Typical menu price: IHOP $12.49 · Waffle House $6.55

Matched Items, Side by Side

The same item on both menus, priced against each other. Where names differ, we matched the closest equivalent — IHOP's wording first.

Item	IHOP	Waffle House	Difference
Grilled Chicken Dinner	$15.99	$12.95	$3.04 cheaper at Waffle House
Side of Bacon (4 strips)vs Bacon (3 strips)	$4.79	$3.95	$0.84 cheaper at Waffle House
Hash Brownsvs Hash Browns (regular)	$4.29	$3.75	$0.54 cheaper at Waffle House
Orange Juice	$4.29	$3.45	$0.84 cheaper at Waffle House
Coffee (bottomless)	$3.79	$2.95	$0.84 cheaper at Waffle House
Soft Drink (bottomless)vs Soft Drink	$3.79	$2.95	$0.84 cheaper at Waffle House

IHOP vs Waffle House at a Glance

	IHOP	Waffle House
Typical menu price	$12.49	$6.55
Average menu price	$11.57	$7.46
Cheapest item	Coffee (bottomless) — $3.79	Toast — $2.45
Most expensive item	Sirloin Tips & Eggs — $18.99	T-Bone Steak Dinner — $18.95
Items priced	41	43
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$$	$
Founded	1958	1955
Headquarters	Pasadena, California	Norcross, Georgia
Locations	About 1,650 restaurants in the U.S. and internationally	About 1,900 restaurants, mostly in the South

Which One Should You Order From?

Waffle House has the lower typical menu price of the two — $6.55 against $12.49 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, Waffle House gets you in cheaper at $2.45.

IHOP is strongest on Original Buttermilk Pancakes, Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity, Breakfast Sampler; Waffle House on All-Star Special, Scattered Smothered Covered Hash Browns, Pecan Waffle. Neither chain's app prices match the counter, and both discount heavily through their loyalty programmes, so the deals below usually matter more than the few cents between the two menus.

Deals Worth Knowing at Both

IHOP

All You Can Eat Pancakes returns several times a year and is the best value IHOP ever offers — usually around the price of a full stack.
The 55+ menu is available all day to guests 55 and older and runs roughly $2 to $4 below the standard versions of the same dishes.
Coffee and soft drinks are bottomless, so a single drink charge covers the whole meal.

Waffle House

The All-Star Special at $12.55 includes a waffle, eggs, meat, toast and a side — ordering those items separately costs roughly $5 more.
Coffee is bottomless at about $2.95, which matters on a long stop.
Hash brown toppings are $0.95 each; three of them cost less than the pre-named combinations at some locations, so order by the modifier.

About these prices: menu prices are set by individual franchise owners and change without notice. The figures on this page are researched estimates for 2026 and are provided for reference only. Confirm the current price with the restaurant before ordering. Menu Price Book is not affiliated with this chain.

IHOP vs Waffle House — FAQ

Is IHOP cheaper than Waffle House in 2026?

Waffle House is cheaper on most matched items — 6 of 6. Across the whole menu Waffle House is the lower-priced of the two, at $6.55 for a typical item against $12.49 at IHOP.

What is the price difference between IHOP and Waffle House?

On matched items the average difference is $1.16, or about 36% overall. IHOP averages $11.57 across 41 priced items; Waffle House averages $7.46 across 42.

Which has the cheaper entry price, IHOP or Waffle House?

IHOP starts at $3.79 (Coffee (bottomless)) and Waffle House at $2.45 (Toast).

Are these prices the same at every location?

No. Both chains let franchise owners set prices, so figures move by a dollar or more between markets and run highest at airport, stadium and highway locations. Treat these as the typical U.S. price, not a quote.