IHOP vs Waffle House:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, IHOP had more branded searches than Waffle House among breakfast chains in the United States. IHOP had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Waffle House had 3.4 million. IHOP made up 27.9% of all breakfast chain searches we track, and Waffle House accounted for 22.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about breakfast chains, IHOP appeared in all three answers and Waffle House in two. IHOP was mentioned before Waffle House in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
IHOP, about 22% more searches than Waffle House
Who does AI mention more?
IHOP, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
IHOP, named ahead of Waffle House in 2 of 3 answers
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Top breakfast chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, IHOP appeared in all three answers. Waffle House was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. IHOP was listed before Waffle House in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Cracker Barrel1st
First Watch2nd- IHOP3rd
Waffle House4th- The Original Pancake House5th
Denny's6th
Bob Evans7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- IHOP3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Cracker Barrel3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Denny's3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- First Watch2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Waffle House2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- The Original Pancake House2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Bob Evans1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about breakfast chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which breakfast chain is the best in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best breakfast restaurant chains in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which diner chain in the US has the best pancakes?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“breakfast places”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best breakfast”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is IHOP or Waffle House more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for IHOP and Waffle House by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven breakfast chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for IHOP, Waffle House. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | IHOP | First Watch | Waffle House | Cracker Barrel | Denny's | Bob Evans | The Original Pancake House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.4% | 16.3% | 19.9% | 13.3% | 19.9% | 4.9% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.1% | 14.9% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 18.2% | 5.4% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 27% | 14.8% | 22.1% | 12.1% | 18.1% | 4.5% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 25.2% | 16.9% | 20.6% | 11.3% | 20.6% | 4.1% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 27.5% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 12.3% | 18.4% | 3.7% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 30% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 11% | 13.5% | 4% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 26.4% | 26.4% | 21.6% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 1.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 27.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 27.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.9% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 12.5% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1.1% |
How has the IHOP and Waffle House comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- IHOP was ahead of Waffle House in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IHOP’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States moved from 24.4% to 27.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Waffle House’s share of searches among breakfast chains in the United States moved from 19.9% to 22.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 3.4M.
How did search popularity change for United States breakfast chains in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither IHOP nor Waffle House moved beyond provider rounding among breakfast chains in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using IHOP’s and Waffle House’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
IHOP
1 branded search term
- ihop
Waffle House
1 branded search term
- waffle house
Other head-to-heads among breakfast chains
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