We have had better service at IHOP... Yes, we went on Mother's Day and knew it would be busy. Yes, there was a large number of staff supporting the increased volume of people. Unfortunately they did a poor job, at least for us.
My wife specifically requested breakfast at Famous Toastery even when the kids and I offered to make breakfast at home. We had great experiences at the other locations, especially in Concord. Since we live only five minutes from the Ballentyne location we made plans for Sunday breakfast. There was a short wait at 9:00 which is to be expected. We were seated at a table which may have been either too small for a party of four or had too many things left on it from previous guests.
We had to stack things ourselves just to have room for the basics. I am not sure why creamer, ketchup, and a whole variety of jellies had to remain on the table. The bread basket and empty smaller plates were not removed until we were half done with our meal.
The two things that just left a bad taste in my mouth was the fact that they did not even come by to refill our coffee until we were about to walk out and the way they brought the check. The Server who brought the food just tossed the ticket at the table as he walked away. It just felt tacky and impersonal, like "hurry up and get out".
While I understand it is crowded and people may feel rushed, they should also remember there was a reason people wanted to go there for their Mother's Day breakfast. In this case the food was ok, nothing special, but the service really sunk the experience. It is unfortunate as we eat at Hawethornes often and live so close but it will be awhile before we give this place another shot.