Lol! 
I love pancakes. I haven't tried making from scratch like forever. If I ever get off my lazy a$$ I'll head over to the store and pick up the stuff I need and try that Ihop copycat recipe.
Thanks for sharing! 
I started watching some YT videos on "The Chemistry of Pancakes." I was shocked at how many there are! A bunch are kid's/school videos for chemistry demonstrations and projects.
Based on those recipes, I may be experimenting with the IHOP copy-cat ingredients.
I will definitely be using less sugar, probably starting out around 3 Tbsp versus 1/4 cup.
I may also mess around with how much baking soda to use. Might cut that in half and maybe add a smaller portion of baking powder to compensate.
One recipe uses a dash of Vanilla extract. That's included in one chemistry video recipe.
There's always a 1 vs. 2 egg difference from all the pancake recipes I've used. With 1 1/4 cup of flour and milk, I would have used 2 eggs. I'm probably going to reduce those to 1 Cup each so the rest of the ingredients have more prominence in the final result. I may also try just decreasing the flour and keeping the milk at over 1 Cup, if not the full 1 1/4 Cup. The batter before came out amazingly thick. I prefer it just little less thick.
As for the process, every other video says to mix the ingredients until combined, but to not "over mix." Leave lumps but make sure there are no pockets of uncombined flour in the batter. Then use the batter about 2 minutes after mixing. That's so the chemical reactions between the acids and bases are still going on.
That's the opposite of the copy-cat recipe. That one says to mix the batter until silky smooth (no lumps) and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour. The recipes are overwhelmingly in favor of not over-mixing and using after a few minutes -- not 1 hour later. Consensus, or science? Hmm....
Another detail one video recommended was to leave the ingredients out until they are room temp before mixing. I find that kind of odd. I've experimented leaving a steak out to warm up to room temp, and that required a 1 inch ribeye to sit out for over 3 hours. Not a realistic requirement. The melted butter, however, should be allowed to cool off before using.
As with most YT recipes, everybody has a different one. It's going to take a few batches to get the best combo, I think. But the copy-cat recipe is a good place to start.
BTW, if you are curious about the homemade buttermilk, take a cup of whole or 2% skim milk (whole is better) and add one tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, lime juice or lemon juice. Let that sit out for 10 minutes, and you should see the milk start to thicken up just like buttermilk.
If you have some cultured buttermilk and want to make more, pour 1/2 cup of the cultured buttermilk into the bottom of a lidded container that'll hold 6 cups. A standard Mason jar will do, or use any non-reactive container with a lid. Pour in 1 quart of milk (whole, 2% or 1%). Stir to combine the milk and buttermilk thoroughly. Place the lid on your container. Leave it out on the counter at ambient room temperature. After 12 to 24 hours, the mixture will thicken. The longer you leave it out, the thicker and tangier the buttermilk will be. You can then store the buttermilk in the fridge for up to a month.
Buttermilk Substitutes:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/help-around-the-kitchen/buttermilk-substitute