---
title: "Breakfast chains in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the breakfast and diner chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among IHOP, First Watch, Waffle House, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, Bob Evans and The Original Pancake House, the breakfast chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-breakfast-chains"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Breakfast chains in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the breakfast and diner chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among IHOP, First Watch, Waffle House, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, Bob Evans and The Original Pancake House, the breakfast chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Breakfast chains
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: IHOP, 27.9%

## Which brand is most popular in search among breakfast chains in the United States?

- In September 2026, IHOP was the most searched among breakfast chains in the United States, with an estimated 4.1M branded searches, 27.9% of all searches for the seven we track.
- First Watch is in 2nd place, 5 percentage points behind at 22.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IHOP’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States increased from 24.4% to 27.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Watch’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States increased from 16.3% to 22.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Waffle House’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States increased from 19.9% to 22.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cracker Barrel’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States decreased from 13.3% to 12.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Denny's’ share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States decreased from 19.9% to 8.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IHOP’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States peaked at 30% in March 2026 and was lowest at 24.4% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Watch’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States peaked at 26.4% in May 2026 and was lowest at 14.8% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Waffle House’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States peaked at 22.8% in September 2026 and was lowest at 18.2% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cracker Barrel’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States peaked at 14.9% in November 2025 and was lowest at 11% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Denny's’ share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States peaked at 20.6% in January 2026 and was lowest at 7.9% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bob Evans’ share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States peaked at 5.4% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.7% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Watch rose from 4th to 2nd among breakfast chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cracker Barrel rose from 5th to 4th among breakfast chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Denny's fell from 2nd to 5th among breakfast chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bob Evans and The Original Pancake House held steady: their share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top breakfast chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions, IHOP, Cracker Barrel and Denny's appeared every time. Cracker Barrel was recommended most often, though no answer put it first. First Watch was second, and IHOP was third.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cracker Barrel | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| First Watch | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| IHOP | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Waffle House | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| The Original Pancake House | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Denny's | 6th | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Bob Evans | 7th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |

## Every AI answer about breakfast chains

- Asked ChatGPT "Which breakfast chain is the best in the US?": 1. First Watch, 2. Waffle House, 3. Cracker Barrel, 4. IHOP, 5. Denny's
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best breakfast restaurant chains in the US?": 1. First Watch, 2. The Original Pancake House, 3. Cracker Barrel, 4. IHOP, 5. Waffle House, 6. Denny's, 7. Bob Evans
- Asked ChatGPT "Which diner chain in the US has the best pancakes?": 1. IHOP, 2. Cracker Barrel, 3. Denny's, 4. The Original Pancake House

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [IHOP vs First Watch: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/first-watch-vs-ihop): 27.9% against 22.8% Share of Search.
- [IHOP vs Waffle House: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/ihop-vs-waffle-house): 27.9% against 22.8% Share of Search.
- [IHOP vs Cracker Barrel: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/cracker-barrel-vs-ihop): 27.9% against 12.5% Share of Search.
- [IHOP vs Denny's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/dennys-us-vs-ihop): 27.9% against 8.3% Share of Search.
- [First Watch vs Waffle House: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/first-watch-vs-waffle-house): 22.8% Share of Search each.
- [First Watch vs Cracker Barrel: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/cracker-barrel-vs-first-watch): 22.8% against 12.5% Share of Search.
- [First Watch vs Denny's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/dennys-us-vs-first-watch): 22.8% against 8.3% Share of Search.
- [Waffle House vs Cracker Barrel: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/cracker-barrel-vs-waffle-house): 22.8% against 12.5% Share of Search.
- [Waffle House vs Denny's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/dennys-us-vs-waffle-house): 22.8% against 8.3% Share of Search.
- [Cracker Barrel vs Denny's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/cracker-barrel-vs-dennys-us): 12.5% against 8.3% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States breakfast chains in September 2026?

- Estimated monthly branded searches for First Watch in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.7M to 3.4M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Denny's in the United States fell 63.6% over 12 measured months, from 3.4M to 1.2M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Cracker Barrel in the United States fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.2M to 1.8M in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Bob Evans in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 823K to 673K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for The Original Pancake House in the United States fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 165K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | IHOP | 27.9% | 4.1M | 0.0% | IHOP |
| 2 | First Watch | 22.8% | 3.4M | 0.0% | First Watch |
| 3 | Waffle House | 22.8% | 3.4M | 0.0% | Waffle House |
| 4 | Cracker Barrel | 12.5% | 1.8M | 0.0% | Cracker Barrel |
| 5 | Denny's | 8.3% | 1.2M | 0.0% | Denny's |
| 6 | Bob Evans | 4.6% | 673K | 0.0% | Bob Evans |
| 7 | The Original Pancake House | 1.1% | 165K | -17.9% | The Original Pancake House |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | IHOP | 4.1M | 24.4% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Denny's | 3.4M | 19.9% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 19.9% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | First Watch | 2.7M | 16.3% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Cracker Barrel | 2.2M | 13.3% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Bob Evans | 823K | 4.9% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.2% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | IHOP | 5M | 27.1% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Denny's | 3.4M | 18.2% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 18.2% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Cracker Barrel | 2.7M | 14.9% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | First Watch | 2.7M | 14.9% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Bob Evans | 1M | 5.4% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | The Original Pancake House | 246K | 1.3% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | IHOP | 5M | 27% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Waffle House | 4.1M | 22.1% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Denny's | 3.4M | 18.1% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | First Watch | 2.7M | 14.8% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Cracker Barrel | 2.2M | 12.1% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Bob Evans | 823K | 4.5% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | The Original Pancake House | 246K | 1.3% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 25.2% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Denny's | 3.4M | 20.6% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 20.6% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | First Watch | 2.7M | 16.9% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 11.3% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.1% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.2% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 27.5% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Denny's | 2.7M | 18.4% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | First Watch | 2.7M | 18.4% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Waffle House | 2.7M | 18.4% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 12.3% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Bob Evans | 550K | 3.7% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.3% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | IHOP | 5M | 30% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | First Watch | 3.4M | 20.1% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 20.1% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Denny's | 2.2M | 13.5% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 11% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.2% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 27.8% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | First Watch | 3.4M | 22.8% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 22.8% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Denny's | 1.2M | 8.3% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.6% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.4% | 7 |
| May 2026 | First Watch | 4.1M | 26.4% | 1 |
| May 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 26.4% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 21.6% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 11.8% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Denny's | 1.2M | 7.9% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.3% | 6 |
| May 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 246K | 1.6% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 27.8% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | First Watch | 3.4M | 22.8% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 22.8% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Denny's | 1.2M | 8.3% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.6% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.4% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 27.8% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | First Watch | 3.4M | 22.8% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 22.8% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Denny's | 1.2M | 8.3% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.6% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.4% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 27.8% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | First Watch | 3.4M | 22.8% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 22.8% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 12.4% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Denny's | 1.2M | 8.3% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.6% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 201K | 1.4% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | IHOP | 4.1M | 27.9% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | First Watch | 3.4M | 22.8% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Waffle House | 3.4M | 22.8% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Cracker Barrel | 1.8M | 12.5% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Denny's | 1.2M | 8.3% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Bob Evans | 673K | 4.6% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | The Original Pancake House | 165K | 1.1% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Bob Evans**: Measured on the search term “bob evans”.
- **Cracker Barrel**: Measured on the search term “cracker barrel”.
- **Denny's**: Measured on the search term “denny's”.
- **First Watch**: Measured on the search term “first watch”.
- **IHOP**: Measured on the search term “ihop”.
- **The Original Pancake House**: Measured on the search term “original pancake house”.
- **Waffle House**: Measured on the search term “waffle house”.

- [Bob Evans](/demand/us/brands/bob-evans)
- [Cracker Barrel](/demand/us/brands/cracker-barrel)
- [Denny's](/demand/us/brands/dennys-us)
- [First Watch](/demand/us/brands/first-watch)
- [IHOP](/demand/us/brands/ihop)
- [The Original Pancake House](/demand/us/brands/original-pancake-house)
- [Waffle House](/demand/us/brands/waffle-house)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among breakfast chains in the United States?

In September 2026, IHOP was the most searched among breakfast chains in the United States, with an estimated 4.1M branded searches, 27.9% of all searches for the seven we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Breakfast chains in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-breakfast-chains

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-breakfast-chains. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.