I don’t often eat pancakes, but when I do, I prefer them stuffed with blueberries. And doused with maple syrup.

In the first Friday Food Fight to feature pancakes, I wanted to see if I could tell much difference between versions: (1) mass market pancakes at a breakfast-all-day chain that was named after our food in question (IHOP). (2) artisan (my word) pancakes at a small local restaurant with exactly one type on the regular menu: blueberry (City’s Bistro in St. Pete).

I get a hankering for pancakes about twice a year. What’s it like to eat them twice in two days? Let’s find out.

IHOP

Fun facts: International House of Pancakes first opened in California in 1958. When do you think the company officially changed its name to IHOP? (Pause for you to answer). 1973. I thought it was much later. And I bet you did too.

Okay, moving on. We arrived at the IHOP in Pinellas Park at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the setting sun offering a glimpse of pink behind the building. Inside, the colorful decor was tempered by warm lighting, which made the nearly empty place kind of homey as we relaxed in our booth. Light pop music on the dining-room sound system tangled with the speed-metal emanating from the kitchen. Neither was loud enough to be much of a distraction, but I’ve heard better mashups.

I ordered a Double Blueberry Pancake Combo ($11.79), a short stack with two poached eggs and two strips of bacon. Bonnie ordered a short stack of regular pancakes ($6.59).

Appearance

Blueberries inside and blueberries piled on top, with a mound of whipped cream over that. Add in maple syrup and my sugar high (and ensuing crash) awaited.

Taste and Texture

Solid. That’s the best way to describe these pancakes. They were not too fluffy, had some heft. As you’d expect, they tasted strongly of our chosen fruit. The portion — including the eggs and bacon, but especially the pancakes — was just the right size. I finished the entire meal.

We drove home to a large full moon sitting low in the sky. I was full, too — but not stuffed.

CITY’S BISTRO

City’s Bistro is tucked into the south end of a strip center at 4th Street and 35th Avenue North. The place gets stellar reviews for service, and that was certainly on display Wednesday at 10:40 a.m., 20 minutes before pancake cutoff. Our server, Kate, was all smiles and cordiality. She set down a plate containing four little blueberry muffins. A blueberry amuse-bouche. I saved them for later so I wouldn’t be over-blueberried.

Value cleanliness in you eateries? While we waited, I saw Kate vigorously spray down and clean off a table and seats at a booth — then sweep up around it.

The smallish rectangular space let in plenty of natural light. We sat at a two-top and I ordered Wild Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes ($12.50) and chose a sausage patty over bacon.

Appearance

I admired the homemade appearance of this tri-stack. The pancakes were big, but not ridiculously so. The syrup came in a small container. I asked for another.

Taste and Texture

Here was the test: Could I enjoy pancakes 15 hours after I’d just eaten them?

I did. The cake itself had a slightly rustic texture and taste, but the X factor was the blueberries. Sourced from Michigan, they were plump and popped with natural flavor, adding moments of delight. The fruit was concentrated in the middle, so if I wanted to taste more pancake, I ate toward the outer edges.

About halfway through, I hit the pancake wall. No sense bringing the leftovers home, although I did box up the mini-muffins for later.

At some point years ago, I went on a bad run with sausage patties and switched to links, but this patty (by Boar’s Head) was thin and perfectly cooked. Bonnie ate half.

And the Winner of the Battle of the Blueberry Pancakes Is …

City’s Bistro.

An easy call — but not meant to disparage IHOP. That place served me worthy pancakes, to go along with worthy eggs and bacon. IHOP was up against a small restaurant that scratch-makes its pancakes and goes the extra mile with ingredients.

Going in, I wanted to find out if there would be a notable difference. And there was.

I liked the vibe at City’s Bistro. The place really has its game together. It’s close to home, so I’ll probably go back. But no pancakes. I’m good on pancakes until, oh, mid-2026.