At 2:30 a.m. we finished off our tour with a quick stop at the popular breakfast food destination, IHOP. We were seated almost immediately, which we found out was a result of being one of two groups there. Because of this, we mainly ate our food in awkward silence.

We also felt a little unwelcome since we were seated in a corner booth despite the availability of many other tables throughout the restaurant. Our waitress was kind, polite and checked on us frequently. However, she gave off the understandable impression that she would rather be anywhere else. Given all of these factors, we weren’t expecting much from the food.

We were surprised to find that it was just as good as it would have been during the day. Despite having eaten at two other restaurants before this, the pancakes, sausage and eggs were still appealing and looked appetizing. The pancakes were moist and fluffy, which combined with syrup, made for a perfect last meal. With all of these factors taken into consideration, we decided IHOP earned a three.

We began our food tour with the lively and classic Midwestern food chain, Steak ‘n Shake. Walking in around 12:40 a.m. on a Thursday night, we were expecting to enjoy a quiet and quick meal. Instead, the restaurant was upbeat and busy from the start, and because of this, we waited awhile to be seated when we first arrived and waited even longer to have our orders put in.

This was annoying, but with this big of a crowd late at night, it was understandable. As the meal went on, we were even more satisfied because of the waiter and the service. Overall, our waiter was energetic and funny and gave us the best service that he could have in the midst of all of the other tables he had to serve.

Our food was pretty good, but it was not as fresh as we would have liked it to be. The burgers were fine, but the fries seemed like they had been sitting on the warmer for a while and were therefore a little soggy, which was disappointing. Although, the shakes were as fantastic as blended ice cream can possibly be.

Our energy was faltering as we walked into Denny’s at 1:40 a.m., but the atmosphere of the restaurant quickly perked us up. Music quietly played in the background and a variety of people occupied the booths. Our waitress was a sweet lady who was quick with our food and kindly chatted with us on occasion, but seemed annoyed at having a table consisting of just four teenagers to deal with.

Although she consistently checked on us to make sure we were doing OK, it didn’t seem genuine at times. When our french toast arrived, the first thing we noticed was the presentation of it. It was aesthetically pleasing and delivered with a cute syrup dispenser. The taste of it was just as great. There was just the right amount of sweetness to it because of the combination of powdered sugar and syrup on top. Because of all of these factors, this adorable diner received a score of four.