I compared pancakes at Cracker Barrel and IHOP, and the better chain was cheaper with better toppings

I've been a fan of Cracker Barrel for a little while so I was excited to try more of the restaurant's breakfast items.

Cracker Barrel is known for its Southern-country theme, an aesthetic that's pretty obvious once you see the rocking chairs on the front porch of each restaurant.

The Tennessee-based chain has about 660 locations across the US.

The interior of the restaurant sticks to the Southern-country theme as well, with walls decorated with farming tools, instruments, road signs, and vintage-looking photographs.

The tables were mostly empty when I got there. Right off the bat, I thought the service was exceptional. I was seated right away and our server was very helpful.

Most of the pancakes at Cracker Barrel can be ordered as a side or as a main dish along with eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage.

I ordered Momma's pancake breakfast, a side of blueberry pancakes, and the stuffed-cheesecake pancake breakfast.

In total, the meal cost about $30.

I've had the buttermilk pancake breakfast before, and it was just as delicious as I remembered. The perfectly sweet, buttery pancakes were cooked perfectly and even had a crisp outer layer.

I could've eaten them plain but tried them with the maple syrup that came with the breakfast. The syrup added just a touch of sweetness without overpowering the flavor of the pancakes themselves.

The buttermilk pancake breakfast comes with two eggs and a side of bacon or sausage. At $11, I felt the value was exceptional.

At $5.20, the blueberry pancakes were a little pricier than the $2 buttermilk side but I thought the fresh pop of fruit was worth it.

The overall taste and texture of the blueberry pancakes were similar to that of the buttermilk version, as they had just the right amount of sweetness and buttery flavor. But the blueberries in the batter added a burst of fresh-fruit flavor to every bite.

The pancakes were served with a small jar of blueberry syrup, which I thought was the perfect addition.

If I was judging the presentation alone, the stuffed-cheesecake pancakes, which came on an adorable plate with blue detailing, were a delight. But the flavor also blew me away.

Two pancakes were folded over a thick, oozing cream-cheese-based filling. The pancakes were topped with whipped cream and strawberries and were served with a tiny bowl of strawberry syrup on the side.

Each bite tasted like a buttery pancake and melted cheesecake. The slightly savory flavor of the pancake combined with the creamy sweetness of the cheesecake filling was the perfect balance. These pancakes were also incredibly filling.

It was my favorite out of all of the pancakes that I ordered at Cracker Barrel, though its richness makes me think I probably wouldn't order it outside of special occasions.

The stuffed-cheesecake pancakes came with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage for $12.50.

It had been a few years since I'd been to IHOP but I was excited to go back.

IHOP specializes in American breakfast foods but is most widely known for its variety of pancakes. The family-friendly chain has over 1,600 locations across the US.

This IHOP was tucked into the corner of a shopping center with a flower bed out front and a cute outdoor seating area.

I would've loved to sit outside but this area wasn't open. Instead, I sat at an open booth by a window.

IHOP had wooden tables and '70s-style lighting fixtures, which gave the place an old-timey pancake-house feel.

Unlike at Cracker Barrel, I was able to order just pancakes at IHOP.

I got a short stack of the original buttermilk pancakes, double-blueberry pancakes, and the New York cheesecake pancakes.

All together, the pancakes cost about $35.

I was excited about the short stack of three thick and fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Unfortunately, I thought they were plain and didn't have a lot of flavor.

They came with a small dollop of butter on top but it was enough to cover only two pancakes.

The syrup tasted pretty standard. It was thin and sweet and I needed quite a bit to add flavor to each bite of pancake. After a few bites, I was ready to move on to the double-blueberry stack.

But, at $9, I thought the short stack was a decent deal.

Next, I tried a stack of three double-blueberry pancakes, which came with a pile of blueberries and whipped cream on top. They looked appealing so I was hoping the fruit would add some flavor.

Unfortunately, the double-blueberry version was also a miss for me. The blueberries tasted a little hard and I didn't think they were super flavorful. I prefer when blueberries are much sweeter with a fresher taste.

I also expected there to be more blueberries. They were in the batter, but they were spread out quite a bit and I didn't get one in every bite.

At $12.30, I didn't think the double-blueberry pancakes were worth it.

Finally, I was ready to dig into the New York cheesecake pancakes. I got a stack of four pancakes with whole glazed strawberries and a giant serving of whipped cream on top.

The menu said the pancakes would have actual "cheesecake bites" so I was hopeful that the pancakes would be as delicious as they looked.

Of the three pancakes types of pancakes I tried at IHOP, I liked the cheesecake version the most. The cheesecake chunks added a rich flavor to each bite and provided some sweetness to the otherwise bland pancakes.

However, the glazed strawberries were another miss, as I thought they were bitter and mushy. I ended up scraping them off and focusing on the cheesecake pancakes.

The New York cheesecake pancakes were $12.70, which felt a bit expensive to me.

Both restaurants were solid, but I'd say Cracker Barrel's pancakes were the clear winner.

I loved how much flavor the Cracker Barrel pancakes had on their own. IHOP's pancakes fell flat for me because I felt they needed syrup or jam for flavor. I also thought the fruit that came with Cracker Barrel's pancakes seemed higher quality.

As far as value goes, Cracker Barrel definitely had the better deal. The pancakes were cheaper at Cracker Barrel, and the buttermilk and stuffed-cheesecake versions came with a full breakfast.

Next time I'm craving pancakes, I'm heading to Cracker Barrel.