The Original Pancake House

The TOPH really is the best midtown breakfast joint in town. I totally get why breakfast places do not do reservations; however, the No Wait app sure allows one to have the peace of mind in knowing how long they will be waiting before they arrive to eat.
I have long chided that breakfast establishments do not appropriately address diners love of biscuits and gravy, which is at the top of my list of things to eat, as it is often put on a side dish list when it really is not a side dish in my opinion, but the focal point of a meal.
The TOPH does not take this attitude towards my beloved biscuits and gravy. They had a dish built around it. Along with cheesy biscuits and gravy, one received hash browns and 2 eggs. The omelettes look delicious from what I saw. The bacon was also delicious. There are a ton of pancakes on the menu that I would like to try on future trips here. This place is a step above First Watch.

The 3 of us called in for the no wait program, said they were not busy. We said you WILL be busy in 45 minutes. Still no good. So we show up and explain and they say to us that we should call every 2 minutes until their place is full and then the No Wait program begins.
Got there and explained the flaw with your program. The manager, Heather, who was as sweet as they come, told us that it is not a great program and that we need to call often in the future when we come back. So no resolution…
Anyhow, we ate, loved the food and case closed.
Other than this, we would give it 5 stars. So if you read this to this point, then go anyway and put up with a less than perfect thing.

Food was really good; service ok. Wife ordered the garden Benedict but got regular. They did fix it. Had to ask for orange juice and water twice. Hot sauce three times. They brought out a free German pancake which was good.

Got done with work super early and headed to the airport back to Chicago, flight was delayed so decided to come here for brunch. Amazing choice, coffee was better than most pancake houses. Best bacon I’ve ever had. I wasn’t sure if «the works» would be filling enough butt was more than enough. Bravo!

Forgot to take picture before I dove right into the food. I had ham and cheese omelet and buttermilk pancakes. I was surprised to be offered a choice of cheeses! That was great. I went with cheddar. Pancakes were phenomenal and the baked omelet was huge. I have half to eat later.
Orange juice is freshly squeezed. Service was fine. Atmosphere is fine. They do have tv’s and the bar is so cute. I want to eat breakfast at the bar next time.

Great food. Nice atmosphere. Pancakes were a bit small but besides that the food was lovely.

I really do like this restaurant. The pancakes are definitely awesome! I got the pumpkin pancakes today. The best pumpkin pancakes I have ever had. I want to try the Dutch apple thing, but it is huge and would probably take me a week to eat it. I really really liked the hash browns. You get a nice amount and they were cook just right.
I took the Pops today. He got the biscuits and gravy. He like them but he said they were not as good as he has had in the past at other places. I told him that it was called Original PANCAKE House. Yes, we are a family of smart***‘s!
I wish that they had a location closer to me here in Belleville. They are kind of pricey depending on what you order, but I would still go.

It’s only breakfast but they have a dynamic atmosphere and routinely surpass the competition in Clayton. Fresh and clean. I don’t eat eggs or pancakes but if you do, they are great.

Random Sunday morning off calls for a brunch date and hubby had been wanting to try this place so on our way we went.
They do not take reservations so once there you’ll give them your information and they’ll text you when your table is ready. You can also download the No Wait app which allows you to see where your place in the wait is. Our wait was about 30 min and people just kept coming and coming so we were happy to have arrived when we did.
We were seated in the main dining room and instantly asked if we wanted coffee and waters. After looking over the huge menus, I decided to go with their cheddar biscuits & gravy, complete with scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. Hubby ordered the spinach omelet that came with a stack of 3 pancakes. Talk about a lot of food! We ate as much as we could and filled our tummies up!
The wait staff was attentive yet quick to get you out to get the next customers in. The prices are somewhat high but you are getting a good amount of food. I’m sure we’ll be back to try it again!

I’m not a pancake person but I must admit their pancakes are delicious. It’s got the right amount of sweet and saltiness. I also ordered a spinach omelettes. It was humongous. It will without a doubt last me 3 satisfying meals. I did switch up the cheese from feta to pepper jack, but to my disappointment they had overdosed on cheese and I can’t really taste the ingredients besides melted pepper jack cheese which was oozing out from my omelette the whole time. I guess some people prefer that but that’s just too much cheese for me
Anyhow, I’ll still come back for other dishes!

Breakfast for five on Sat morning at 8:45 (get there before 9:15 — there was a line out the door when we left). Place was clean, fun atmosphere, light and colorful. Etch-​a-​sketch pads avail for kids of all ages waiting in line.
Seated immediately, lots of choices on the menu — we were served a free Dutch pancake (one of their signature dishes) to sample — plenty of slices for everyone. Instructions to lather on the butter, lemon juice and then dust with powdered sugar. I have never seen a restaurant attempt to serve these — this was quite yummy.
Highlights were the thick-​sliced bacon, light and fluffy pumpkin pancakes, eggs Benedict and server who did a great job working to get everyone «upgraded» with exactly what they wanted. Bottomless coffee (unremarkable) and pulpy (yay) grapefruit juice.
Go here if you have a hankering for pancakes!

This is a little complicated, because I had brunch here today in a group of about 15 people. Everyone was talking and laughing so much it was difficult to chat with folks about what they ate and how they liked it, but I CAN say everything I saw looked delicious!
I ordered the Swedish pancakes with a side of hash browns. The potatoes were very nicely seasoned. The pancakes were huge, bigger than the oval plate they were served on. They were very tender in the middle and a little crusty on the edges… perfect. Very nicely done, and I had a Swedish grandmother who used to make them for me. I have her recipe and make them myself now and again. I’ll have to try to match the epic size next time!
As I said, we were a large group, and seated in a separate room right off the entrance. Good thing, because this was a loud group. Our server was an absolute champ! She handled us very well without problems. Several other servers helped her bring out the food… it came out at different times, which was fine for us because we were chatting and generally having a great time. We never felt rushed, and our checks were delivered without comment. The checks were interesting… there were three suggested tipping percentages listed under the total… I went with 20%, because I know how much chaos a large group can cause. I made sure to compliment our server both to her directly and to the greeter.
My only quibble, and the thing that knocked off the fourth star, is the pricing. It’s spendy for a breakfast. I admit I’ve mostly been eating out for lunch, but the pancakes, hash browns and a cup of coffee that was refilled once, with tax & tip came to $ 22.00. That seems expensive to me, and I’ll be looking at other breakfast places’ prices in the future.
Overall it was a great time, and I’d like to go back some time with just a couple of friends to try some of the other menu items, in the main room.

No, it’s not IHOP. Think nicer facilities, better food and way more expensive.
I went here, not by choice, with a large group of friends. We had 11 or 12 of us on a Saturday around 10:30 and had about a 30 – 45 minute wait. The staff is friendly and the place is fine, but there are so many better breakfast options in the area. I mean, they have great staff and standard food but it’s pretty expensive for what you eat. My girlfriend and my meal combined was around $ 30? That’s just coffee, pancakes, & a tip.
It’s a little overpriced but still has fine food. I’d rather just spend less if I’m getting pancakes/​diner food.

So we made our way here on a Saturday morning because Southwest Diner was closed. I have heard goo things about it and people always say that the pancakes are amazing!
The wait looked horrendous but it was actually not bad at all and we were seated within 15 min instead of 45. The exterior is deseving because the inside looks so much bigger then what the outside conveys. It also has a very lodge like vibe. The tables are big and the staff was very welcoming.
So why give it 3 stars??? Well this is what got me… My husband ordered the egg white omelet and when it came out it was drowning in liquid. I could not tell if it was the butter that it was fried in or if the egg whites did not cook all the way and it was their juices, regardless it should not have been served in a puddle of liquid. The Buttermilk pancakes were very delicious and you can taste the hint of buttermilk in them.
I had the eggs and hash browns meals. The hash browns were very good but the eggs were just fine and very boring and not as fluffy as I have had them from other breakfast establishments. Another thing that bothered me is that the coffee was almost $ 3 dollars. Plain black coffee people, not something fancy with extra whipped cream. I thought it was very overpriced.
I will give this place another try and order something else off the menu because the vibe is warm and welcoming but I did wish the food reflected that feeling.

One of the best breakfast places in St Louis. Get the apple pancakes or a jumbo omelet. Can’t beat the thick cut bacon and fresh squeezed orange juice

Cons: Weekends are crazy, expect to WAIT 30 – 60 minutes for a table.
Pros: Friendly service and tasty food.
Details: We waited 45 minutes for a table but received friendly service. For 2 pancake breakfasts with coffees, we spent nearly $ 30. So it’s a tad pricey for breakfast.

My wife and I were thrilled to discover an Original Pancake House location in Saint Louis, which is one of our favorite Chicago brunch spots.
Mary ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and french toast. I ordered the Irish Eggs Benedict with a side of bacon. The Irish Eggs Benedict has poached eggs, corn beef hash, and hollandaise sauce. So I need to know where Original Pancake House buys its bacon, because that was some of the best bacon I’ve ever had.
Everything was delicious and our waitress was attentive, cheerful, and helpful. I know this is a chain, but its one of the best breakfast spots, and I’m just glad I can find it in so many cities.

I’ll admit it. I rarely eat at chain restaurants. There’s an Original Pancake House where I grew up, and I used to always go here after big races to pack on the calories that I just depleted. This restaurant is consistent and reliable. There’s plenty of parking, and it’s cozy inside.
It’s certainly family friendly and affordable. The portions are huge-it’s the American way, right?
I had the french crepes– 3 crepes, approx 12″ diameter, filled with strawberries and served with both maple and strawberry syrup. Yes, I got crepes at a pancake place. hush.
My friend got the canadian bacon, eggs, and pancakes.
I think you know exactly what you’re getting at this restaurant. Fortunately, during the week, it’s not super crowded and you can be seated immediately. They didn’t have a hostess up front, so I wasn’t quite sure what was going on for a bit, but the servers are very friendly.
I don’t know if I’d come back with so many other options, but it’s certainly an easy option to visit.

I hate to wait 40 minutes for breakfast. But I did, because…
*people I respect like this place,
*Therese H. and Emily H. enjoy a fun b’fast,
*there was a coffee bar by the entrance to give me a little pre-​breakfast caffeine,
*the weather was nice enough to wait outside,
*I could see my wait time on the «No Wait» app, which allowed me to track my progress to a table.
I still have my receipt, so I can tell you:
*Therese H. had Pecan Pancakes, gluten-​free ($ 1 upcharge), blueberries ($ 1.95 more), and a side of sausage links.
*Emily H. had the Bacon «Works» (Two eggs, two strips of bacon, hash browns, & three buttermilk pancakes).
*I had the Crab Cake Benedict (see my photo), suggested by Steven B.‘s review, and excellent.
Joey W. was a hardworking server — thanks! The coffee was acceptable, w/​cream and a choice of sweeteners, pretty much a bottomless cup for $ 2.75.
We had a very good meal and a good time. A four-​star rating is surprisingly good because I really, really, really don’t like to wait for breakfast.

Flapjacks abound!
I was in the mood for some breakfast, and I’ve been meaning to check out The Original Pancake House. How could a man so fond of pancakes have not tried the «Original» pancake? Enough time had passed. It was time to try this place out.
Before hitting this place, it had not occurred to me that this restaurant was actually a chain. However, it doesn’t give off that vibe at all. You get a sense of family and community when you eat here. It’s definitely not like eating at IHOP or Denny’s.
I was flying solo, so I decided to sit at the breakfast bar. My server, Sofia, was incredibly busy, but she handled the patrons quite well and even took a few moments to walk me through the menu. I had no sense just how dynamic their selection was, but after a few answered questions, I knew what to do.
I went all out! I started with a simple eggs and sausage meal and coffee. Meals tend to be in the eight to ten dollar range, which isn’t bad when considering the location. I wanted to try the bacon, so I got a side order. And I tried their freshly squeezed orange juice!
It might be hard to comprehend, but as far as breakfast meat, I’m a sausage fan all the way. Bacon is good on sammies and mixed in with things. The OPH bacon rocks! It’s just the right amount of flimsy and crispy, and very fresh. In fact, everything was fresh and tasty. The coffee was solid, and the orange was delicious!
Chain or not, the Ladue location has it going on. Great service and food! I would definitely come back.