(NEXSTAR) — At a time when eating out is costing more, some restaurant chains are turning to value menu options to draw customers in. The latest to join the trend may have you reaching for the maple syrup.
IHOP unveiled its value menu, with offerings costing $6 at participating U.S. restaurants. At some locations, the four meals on the menu will be $7. In a Monday press release, the company said its first-ever value menu will be available every day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
“We know our guests are more value conscious than ever, so the launch of IHOP’s Value Menu is a direct response to what they want — delicious food, variety, abundance, and affordability without compromise, seven days a week,” IHOP President Lawrence Kim said in the release, describing this as “just the beginning of a new chapter where we bring fresh energy and continue to delight our guests with the comfort and joy they’ve come to expect from IHOP.”
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The menu, found here, includes four breakfast meals, according to IHOP:
Breakfast Faves Combo: Two buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, and a choice of two strips of bacon or pork sausage links
Ham & Cheese Omelette: An omelette with ham and a jack, cheddar, and white cheese sauce, served with two buttermilk pancakes.
French Toast Faves Combo: A slice of IHOP’s Thick ‘N Fluffy French Toast, two eggs, and your choice of two bacon strips or pork sausage links.
House Scramble: Scrambled eggs with chopped bacon and jack and cheddar cheese, served with hash browns.
According to IHOP, the value menu will be available for a limited time at participating U.S. restaurants.
An online review by Nexstar found that at restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, the value menu items were listed at $6. Meanwhile, at least one location in San Francisco, New York City, and Portland, Oregon, value menu items were $7. You can check the prices of your IHOP location’s menu online.
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Regardless of the cost, the meals are among the cheapest options at IHOP, unless you’re ordering off the kids’ menu.
Dine Brands, the parent company of IHOP (as well as Applebee’s and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop), reported in early August that year-over-year sales at the breakfast chain declined by more than 2% in the second quarter of 2025. In a statement, Dine Brands CEO John Peyton said in part, “IHOP saw growth fueled by its refreshed brand positioning and value strategy.”
Meanwhile, eating out as a whole has gotten more expensive. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released earlier this month, shows that in August, the cost of food away from home was up nearly 4% year-over-year. The month-to-month increase was much slighter, coming in at less than half a percent.
Other fast food chains have been turning to discounted menu items as of late. Most recently, McDonald’s began offering Extra Value Meals, with offerings costing 15% less than ordering each of the included items individually.
Within the last year, Domino’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Taco Bell have also offered lower-priced menu items.
Overall U.S. fast food customer traffic fell nearly 1% in the second quarter, according to Revenue Management Solutions, a consulting company. The company said price increases were sharply lower than previous quarters, suggesting that chains are already offering more deals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
