By: Zach Maxwell

The Durant community got a shiny new toy the day after Christmas: a sparkling new place to eat.

For those who don’t know yet, a new IHOP opened Dec. 26, 2013 on Westside Drive near University Boulevard.

It is Durant’s first 24-hour sit-down eatery since the inception of the Waffle Shop on West Main Street.

The experience is like night and day – and can be witnessed firsthand night and day as well.

Most of us in the college realm have experienced a meal at IHOP (shoot, there’s one 20 miles down the road in Denison).

But this one is “ours;” it must be seen to be believed and is a sure sign that our fair little Durant is on the grow with its high-rise resort and fancy bypass – and now another neon menu aside the future interstate.

So here’s a first impression of the new Durant IHOP – which, if anyone forgot, stands for International House of Pancakes.

The name alone conjures imagery from over half a century of branding.

The California-based company is known for its endless stacks of pancakes, accompanied by a row of flavored syrups on each table and the copper-colored coffee pot which is either filled or whisked away by servers depending on the customer’s drink of choice.

All can be found at the new local location.

What was surprising on a slow Monday evening approaching midnight was the glowing friendliness of the staff – once you cleared the gateway.

(A chain-smoking cook at the front entrance is never a good first impression.)

A friend and I were greeted with a smile from the hostess and then an even friendlier server who took our drink order in our regular server’s stead.

Then we finally met our “true” server who took our order with patience as we quizzically fumbled over the breakfast and dinner menus.

Indeed, outside of pancakes, an occasional omelet and perhaps a burger, I was pretty clueless about the 21st century improvements made to the IHOP menu.

There are chicken Florentine crepes, a dizzying array of salads, sandwiches, melts and burgers and then the “hearty dinner favorites” such as buttermilk-battered fish and chips.

The go-to stuff includes breakfast combinations starting at $7.29 and going up to $14.99 if you include a T-bone.

There are nine omelets in the $9 range, and of course French toast, waffles and varieties of pancakes which include chocolate chip and New York cheesecake starting at $5.99.

We went wild on the drinks and toned it down (a little) for the meals.

I took a “Splashberry Splasher,” which sounds like a waterpark ride but is actually a colorful and citrusy blend of Sprite, orange juice and whole glazed strawberries tucked into the bottom of the glass.

It’s like dessert in a tumbler and sets the tone that the IHOP customer is about to be pleased if they know what to look for on the menu.

My friend’s French vanilla coffee included a caloric mountain of whipped cream brimming above the rim of the double-wide coffee cup.

As promised, both drinks were “bottomless,” and that included the copious cream and the glazed berries.

For myself, a late night supper of baked potato soup and a chicken bacon griller (it’s a sandwich) with fire-roasted tomato spread hit the spot.

The massive plates are designed for sprawling breakfasts and dinners, and since I chose soup for a side, I had a lot of open space on the oval platter.

But small portions? Not upon further review. The grilled chicken was among the juiciest and remarkably plump I have ever had in a restaurant sandwich.

For my friend: T-bone steak and eggs with seasoned fries and three fluffy pancakes rising above the whole mass on their own plate.

The steak is cooked to order (medium, in his case, and just a hint of pink so hat’s off to the IHOP cook staff), and the fries receive a perfect dusting of spicy red salt.

The server is of course willing to bring as many bottles of condiments as a steak breakfast or a chicken sandwich will require – even with foul-mouthed, inebriated customers barking orders from the next table.

Hey, it’s almost midnight in the big city.

That is part of the IHOP ambience: outside, the hum of trucks on the highway and from a new angle, the lights of the shopping centers, banks and hospital give a big-city feel to the IHOP visitor.

Late night drunks stumbling in simply comes with the territory of urban drama.

Want it more tranquil? Come in on Sunday morning.

Either way, the staff will smile and the food will pile at IHOP, Durant’s newest culinary toy.