No, IHOP Isn't Selling $130 Dubai Chocolate Pancakes

IHOP has provided patrons with a simple, affordable breakfast spot for generations. True to its name, the International House of Pancakes offers a wide selection of the namesake plate, with all sorts of savory and sweet pancake options. One new addition to the lineup is raising controversy on TikTok for its $130 price tag — but does it actually cost that much?

In short, no. According to a press release, IHOP debuted its Dubai Chocolate Pancakes with an August 4 promotional giveaway in select restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles, and Austin. The first 25 customers at these stores received a free plate of what IHOP called its Luxe Dubai Chocolate Pancakes. These came topped with handmade Madagascar vanilla whipped cream, an entire Dubai chocolate bar, and two different forms of edible gold.

IHOP does estimate the value of these Luxe pancakes at over $100, but they existed only for this promotion — they're not on the menu. Instead, the IHOP menu features Original Dubai Chocolate Pancakes topped with roasted kataifi (a shredded phyllo dough), hazelnut spread, and chocolate curls, plus pistachio cream and crushed pistachios. If you go to IHOP for Dubai Chocolate Pancakes now, this significantly pared-down version is what you'll find. Fortunately, this dish is only $13, not $130.

IHOP used to be a beloved restaurant chain favored by many American families, but the fast-breakfast market has expanded in recent decades. Faced with competition from moderately nicer chains, IHOP (and its sibling restaurant, Applebee's) are weathering business problems like lower sales and net losses from stores. In February 2025, the company even laid off 9% of its corporate staff.

It's likely that IHOP is offering these unusual pancakes to jump on the viral Dubai Chocolate bar trend, which started with a Dubai-based chocolatier's unusually delicious confection. The original bar, Fix Dessert Chocolatier's Can't Get Knafeh of It, is made of milk chocolate and features colorful swirls of pistachio, tahini paste, and knafeh, a syrupy Middle Eastern dessert made with kataifi and cheese.

Only time will tell how the Original Dubai Chocolate Pancakes stack up against IHOP's other offerings. In our ultimate ranking of IHOP pancakes, Oreo Cheesecake came out on top, suggesting the chain's good fortune with dessert flavors. But unlike the varieties we examined, the Original Dubai Chocolate Pancakes are available for a limited time only — and the fancier Luxe version is already gone.