Clearly, I’m on a breakfast kick.
Last week, I visited Cracker Barrel and IHOP to compare signature breakfasts for Business Insider. I concluded that both offered value, but in terms of taste, IHOP won most categories. That said, there was only one item per chain that I’d actually go back for.
I was content with my findings — until I read comments from BI readers singing Denny’s praises, some of whom wanted to know my thoughts on the breakfast chain.
Honestly, I’d never been. And I was going to find out.
Denny’s has been around for decades. This past year, it made headlines for going private and appointing a new CEO.
Denny’s is a California-founded chain known for its classic American diner experience, select 24-hour locations, and all-day breakfast menu, specifically its trademarked Slam meals.
What started as a single doughnut shop in 1953 is now a massive operation with over 1,450 locations worldwide.
In late 2025, Denny’s Corporation agreed to be acquired in a $620 million deal that took the company private in early 2026. The deal included both Denny’s and Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, the smaller chain Denny’s acquired in 2022.
The company had been publicly traded for decades, and the shift followed struggles to boost sales and plans for widespread store closures.
A few months later, in April, Denny’s appointed Christopher Bode, the chain’s former president and COO, as president and CEO.
He stepped in to lead the brand’s so-called transformation with “Project Grand Slam,” a 24-month turnaround plan focused on pillars like remodels and culinary innovation.
“With Project Grand Slam, we aren’t just changing the menu,” Bode said in a press release. “We are changing our trajectory.”
Time will tell if the rebranding project is, well, a grand slam. But in the meantime, I wanted to see if a chain I’d driven by a thousand times was actually worth a stop — especially when options like IHOP and Cracker Barrel are also on the table.
The Denny’s I visited had subtle diner vibes.
When I hear “diner,” I usually think of checkered floors, chrome finishes, bright-red accents, and vinyl booths.
Denny’s had the old-school booths, but instead of tile, metal, and red, it had cherry-wood-looking floors and burgundy accents. Some elements, like the neon signs, still felt distinctly retro.
To me, it felt diner-adjacent, bridging retro and modern elements.
The decor didn’t scream “diner” to me, but the menu sure did.
Opening my menu, I found an impressive lineup of pancakes, crepes, skillets, omelets, and the chain’s iconic Grand Slam breakfast platters.
I felt Denny’s breakfast section had more variety than Cracker Barrel’s, which leans Southern and is missing some classics, but a little less than IHOP’s, which has an especially impressive array of sweet options.
The chain also offered plenty of comfort meals like fried chicken, pot-roast sandwiches, and spaghetti and meatballs. However, I was here for breakfast.
I ordered coffee and a build-your-own Grand Slam.
To best match my orders at Cracker Barrel and IHOP, I built my own Grand Slam for $11.99.
It came with four items of my choosing, plus up to two additional items for a charge, ranging from $1.29 to $2.29 for more premium options.
I picked bacon strips, sausage links, scrambled eggs, and buttermilk pancakes, all served in pairs. I added grilled ham, a premium side, for an extra $2.29.
With my $3.29 coffee, the order came to $17.57.
Coffee started my meal off right.
I felt Cracker Barrel’s coffee leaned weak and IHOP’s basic, so I didn’t anticipate much from Denny’s.
Yet, it surprised me with a bold profile and a smooth, non-acidic finish. I appreciated the flavorful taste — and the bottomless refills.
Denny’s pancakes really put the “cake” in pancakes.
The first thing I noticed about Denny’s pancakes: They appeared even thicker than IHOP’s (and therefore Cracker Barrel’s, which were quite thin). Cutting in, they also seemed fluffier.
Denny’s pancakes had a spongy-turned-pillowy bite that melted in my mouth, almost like actual cake. They even smelled like a birthday cake.
The buttermilk and vanilla flavors came through, and with understated sweetness, the texture shone. Denny’s pancakes were easily the highlight of the meal, and given their volume, they certainly felt satisfying.
My scrambled eggs looked like an omelet.
Dense and firm, Denny’s scrambled eggs lacked the soft, airy texture that typically defines the preparation. They made me wonder if my server accidentally brought out an omelet.
However, the eggs themselves were seasoned well, and the portion felt colossal compared to what I got at IHOP and Cracker Barrel. It seemed like way more than two eggs.
For crispy bacon, I’d go to Denny’s.
Neither Cracker Barrel nor IHOP struck my fancy for crispy bacon. I finally found it at Denny’s.
“Light” and “bacon” are rarely in the same sentence, but Denny’s wispy strips delivered. Although thin, the middle remained tender and the edges had a pleasant crunch. It wasn’t too salty, either.
The sausage links packed more flavor than value.
Breakfast sausage can disappear in the background, but Denny’s links had an earthy, pine-like taste — what I imagined was sage.
Flavorful, yes, but the links looked like roughly half the size of IHOP’s. Even though I enjoyed these flavors, I missed the larger-size links.
They seemed to contain about as much meat as the disappointing mini sausage patty I’d gotten with my breakfast combo at Cracker Barrel.
People who enjoy sweet ham would probably like Denny’s.
With hints of sweetness, smoke, and barbecue spice, Denny’s grilled ham slice had a unique profile. Sweetness took center stage, as though the slice had been dipped in maple syrup. Even though I prefer savory ham, I could appreciate the distinctive flavor.
I also found it more tender than Cracker Barrel’s and more memorable than IHOP’s.
The substantial weight made it worth an extra charge, though $2.29 felt a little high for one piece of meat.
Realizing I could get one more add-on with my meal, I tried the hash browns.
My Denny’s experience wouldn’t be complete without hash browns, and since they were considered my second add-on, they cost me only $1.29.
With six approvals in the taste department, I assumed Denny’s hash browns would follow suit. I stood corrected.
Comparatively, Cracker Barrel’s hash-brown casserole blew me away — so much so that I would go back for that side alone. IHOP’s hash browns were just OK.
Denny’s were stringy, greasy, and firm, to the point I wondered if they were undercooked. The heaping portion was generous, but I could barely eat two bites. I may have just gotten a bad batch.
Ultimately, Denny’s had the best chain breakfast so far — especially when it comes to pancakes.
With hash browns, my order totaled $18.86 before tax and tip. The same seven items cost $16.88 at Cracker Barrel and $18.58 at IHOP, so Denny’s came out pricier than both.
All three chains felt like a solid value for the amount of food I got, but in my opinion, Denny’s provided the biggest bang for my buck.
With relatively similar prices, value comes down to taste, variety, and portion size.
Taste is subjective, of course, but for this particular meal, Denny’s did it for me. All but one item was yummy enough to order again, something I couldn’t say the same about either of the other chains.
I also appreciated the build-your-own Grand Slam’s customizability. I had 13 items to choose from, including egg whites, turkey bacon, buttermilk biscuits, and seasonal fruit — many of which I’d be interested in trying next time.
Above all else, aside from Denny’s sausages, everything else seemed either equal or larger in size than what I got at Cracker Barrel and IHOP.
In my comparison of Cracker Barrel and IHOP, I noted that I’d only go back for hash-brown casserole and pancakes, respectively. I stand by Cracker Barrel for crispy spuds, but for pancakes, there’s a new winner in my book.
I’d choose Denny’s fluffy flapjacks any day of the week.
Denny’s declined to comment.
Read my full IHOP and Cracker Barrel comparison here — and let me know which chain’s breakfast I should try next.
Read the original article on Business Insider
The post I visited Denny’s for the first time after trying Cracker Barrel and IHOP. One chain had the best breakfast — and value. appeared first on Business Insider.
