My family of 4 went to IHOP for the first time and our $70 breakfast at the chain was better than mom-and-pop restaurants in our area

My family recently tried IHOP for the first time.Terri Peters

• Recently, my family of four ate breakfast at IHOP in Florida for the first time.
• Our meal, which included coffee, soft drinks, and four breakfast entreés, cost about $70.

My family loves heading out on a weekend morning to have breakfast.

Since we rarely eat at chain restaurants, it's most common for us to grab a booth at a diner or mom-and-pop restaurant and enjoy a meal together, but recently, we decided to visit IHOP for the first time.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a chain restaurant breakfast, but since we've had some pretty delicious chain dinners everywhere from Outback Steakhouse to Bahama Breeze recently, we figured breakfast at IHOP was worth a shot.