Millbrae Pancake House

Breakfast. Well, okay they serve lunch and dinner here too but when I come, I always order from the breakfast menu. It’s called a «pancake house» so I stick with what they are known for. I’ve been coming here off and on for several years now. Here’s what I like:
1. It’s a good value. For less than $ 9, I can get the #1 which is 2 eggs, 2 bacon (or 2 sausage), and pancakes (or toast). Now, the pancakes are quite tasty but I personally think that it’s the whipped butter that makes it so. It is served on the side so it’s up to you if you want to slobber all that goodness on or not but before you decide to skip the butter, let me tell you that it is so good. Not just any butter, whipped butter!!!
2. The strong breakfast options are done well. I can’t really speak to the other parts of the menu because I’ve never ordered them but everything I’ve had on the breakfast menu has been excellent.
3. It’s typical diner type seating and you pay at the counter. It’s old school but works for me. It’s a little dark as they tend to always keep the shades down. All-​in-​all not bad.

Been going to this place for 30 years. Good solid breakfast, nothing super innovative on the menu but you can trust you’ll get a good breakfast. Russell gives great service and is on top of everything

Is it a Millbrae thing or is just me?
I came in with a couple friends around 9am on a Wednesday morning, and the place was almost packed. People of all ages eating here, and it’s a weekday. Don’t people have jobs or school? Anyways, I wasn’t bothered by the number of people because we were seated immediately. Out of our group of three, two of us had never been here before even though we’ve lived in Millbrae for the longest time. The friend, who comes often, advises us not to order just the pancakes because $ 8 isn’t worth; he was right. Aside from the food, service was quick and the place looked well furnished.
All of us ordered the Supreme Omelet.
The Supreme Omelet comes with a side of hash browns and your choice of toast, 2 buttermilk pancakes, or 2 Swedish pancakes. I chose a side of Swedish pancakes with ligonberry butter because other reviews on Unilocal recommended those pancakes. The Swedish pancakes are like ¹⁄₁₀^th the size of the buttermilk pancakes, so good call on my friend to not solely order those pancakes. The ligonberry butter spread with honey gave the pancakes a fruity sweetness to every bite to which I thoroughly enjoyed. The omelet and hashbrown were filling. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big eater of breakfast meals, but I could only eat about half.
Tried this place once, and I still don’t get why it’s so popular. It’s nothing out of the ordinary.

I’d like to say I’ve been coming to Millbrae Pancake House for more than a decade or so? I swear to you– I love this place! I’ve tried so many things on their menu so I should probably write this on my most recent visit!
I’ve been ordering the Veggie Scramble lately which comes with fresh fruit and wheat toast. I get the Veggie Scramble so I can feel better about myself lol. Because I do things like sub the toast for Swedish pancakes instead! To be fair, it was Friday aka Cheat Day & I had to order it so my lad can try it for his first time ever!!! You cannot forget about that house butter that come with it!
To defeat the veggie scramble… we added sausage on the side lol. It wasn’t the best sausages we’ve ever had so I’d probably skip it next time. It wasn’t a big deal but either I got the bottom/​last of the fruit or my serving just wasn’t fresh. Blehhh :/​
The BF ordered the apple crepes and that was like eating a dessert for brekkie! I’d def recommend this place to everyone!

I’ve been coming here for years. Customer service and food always go above and beyond. Especially on a busy Sunday morning, servers never forget about their table!
My top picks:
–Swedish pancakes with lingonberry butter. A bit eggy but still fantastic! Their butter is what sells it. Yum
–California omelette. Everyone’s fave
–The most underrated omelette on the menu, and in fact is my top fave. Florentine omelette! The sour cream is random but actually is a great addition to the omelette. Eat it on your hash browns!
All portions are huge and definitely is worth the money. My go to stop to any brunch place around.
And the chocolate shake… Yaaasss please try.

I haven’t been here in a while. and by while I mean I came here once, when I was like in the 8^th grade so to say that I have any existing impression of this place would be a huge understatement. I was excited to finally go check it out again when my family told me they were down to grab brunch somewhere.
Came here on a weekend and the place was packed, so I was elated when we got there and were seated immediately upon arrival. Perused our menus for maybe 5 – 10 minutes or so before settling on our order which consisted of some chicken and waffles, a corned beef benedict, a California omelette, and an order of Swedish pancakes. You can only imagine our surprise when our food came out some 5 – 10 minutes later. Talk about quick service, right? The food was reasonably priced and delicious, which makes it a winner in my book. Also for a place that specializes in pancakes, their chicken and waffles were pretty darn good too. We were in and out of there in just about an hour AND I had enough to bring home. It was awesome… even if I was so out of it after that I forgot said to-​go box on the table –_​_​–

Ehhh I think I set myself up for disaster when I didn’t order their more popular items… but here we go.
Came here Saturday afternoon for brunch with a friend. Figured there would be a long wait for a table but to our surprise, there was a table available after waiting only 5 mins… sweet!
Parking — not bad. They have their own parking lot but be careful when exiting because it’s a one way lot.
Service — they’re great! Always checked on us and made sure we were doing alright.
Food —
1. #2 pancake special — it was alright. I can’t say much about it since it was such a basic dish… The buttermilk pancakes were fluffy, to say the least. Hash browns could’ve been crispier and scrambled eggs were average.
2. Hash Benedict — pretty good! Very flavorful and not overwhelming.
3. Apple juice — good… nothing special.
I’m glad I got to try this place out but I’m not in a hurry to come back and try their other dishes.

The Millbrae Pancake House is one of those types of places that becomes a landmark and consistent go-​to eatery… especially for the locals… which the place was packed with.
It’s got a well established feel… with one of those wait staffs that are older than the 20-​somethings that work at most places. I would bet it’s because the staff can probably actually earn a living working as waiters working here… especially judging from the amount of business they must do. It also means the wait staff is very efficient and while polite… not necessarily engaging. These people are working hard. Which is meant in no way as a detraction from the place… just that I don’t see starting conversations with most of them… until you’ve probably hit that «regular» status from having been going there every week for years.
So…as our Hostess took us to a table… we passed a prep station which literally had a giant salad bowl full of softened butter which was being put into tiny scoop sized ramekins… and judging from the small mountain of these stacked up… they were expecting a LOT of business… it reminded me of being at a Ski Lodge… or Amusement park cafeteria… where thousands would be coming through and the staff was constantly prepping food to expediently serve the masses coming through. I mention this… because it adds to how quick and efficient this place is.
Now most places… when you are sat down, you’ll have your server greet you after you’ve been there several minutes… and take drink orders. This didn’t happen here… our server was almost upon us as the hostess was only a couple of steps away from the table. Did I mention these guys are efficient?
So…our «server» takes our drink order and within less then a minute a busser brought our drinks. (This is not a complaint… but did I mention these guys are efficient?)
So, the drinks had barely hit the table… when the waiter returned asking if we knew what we wanted to eat. Fortunately, judging from the slightly annoyed and suspicious look barely concealed on his face, (again, not a complaint… but as I believe this to be a locals place… most people know the expectations and don’t dilly-​dally around like a tourist might… this place does a brisk business and no time to waste. Again… efficiency!) Anyway, it was a good thing we knew what we wanted… because as soon as we ordered… his face relaxed and he whisked off yet again in a flash.
Now having ordered Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs… I’m used to this taking a few minutes longer than most menu items and was prepared to settle in for a modest wait. Especially since the entire place was full, including the lobby. I began getting my hot tea all set to the way I like it… and looked around at the place… and saw another party leaving their table. They barely cleared the seats… and I noticed that their plates were cleared before they’d even gotten up. They were mere feet away and the table was now being cleaned… and before these folks reached the cashier… the table had been reset and the hostess was leading another group there. Did I mention these guys are efficient?
Long story short… in half the time at even the quickest of places… our food arrived. I can’t rave about it… it wasn’t spectacular… it was plain and simply decent. Nothing to complain about, eggs cooked correctly, the chicken fried steak delicious, again, albeit not spectacular. My daughters pancakes were typical. So for two hungry people craving breakfast… this was a lightening quick place to satisfy our hunger.
Anyway, much like the previously mentioned table… our plates were cleared almost as quickly as the last bites of food were hoisted to our mouths… but never in an impolite manner… just…expedient. Before we were on our last bites… our check arrived… and again, not presented in a pushy, «get out of here» manner… simply expedient. Did I mention these guys are efficient?
So…if you’re looking for something along the lines of a Coco’s or Denny’s…or a slight step above or below… depending on your tastesbuds… this is an OK place.

I Unilocaled this place when dropping off my brother at SFO. The line was crazy but the wait wasn’t too bad on a Sunday morning.
I ordered the Blueberry Waffles. I was surprised how fresh everything tasted. The blueberries were packed on there. My kids enjoyed their breakfast with fresh strawberries and blueberries as well. The wifey would’ve tried something else next time, but she ordered something you can get anywhere.
The price was fairly priced. It was rainy on the day we want and there’s not a whole lot of places to wait inside. Also, the parking is smaller so we parked two blocks down. All in all, I’d comeback for some good breakfast next time I’m in Millbrae.

The Swedish crepes with lingonberry butter are delicious! If you’re having a bad morning it’s a wonderful place to go.
The bacon omelette is pretty tasty as well and the hash browns are cooked perfectly with just the right amount of crispiness.
Free parking lot too :)

All right. With the heaps of reviews, I will keep this simple and as helpful as I can!
— Pancakes are so good! Same with their waffles — I love how they’re thinner and not too bulky. They serve large portions here. Service is quick for as busy as they get. We bought silver dollar pancakes for my son. Those aren’t silver dollars. They are mini plates of pancakes on top of larger plates…
— Swedish Pancakes with the lingonberry butter is SO good. I sometimes ask for two sides of butter (so what if I dip everything I eat in lingonberry butter?) Even though they serve only two pancakes, I find them quite filling. But for most palates, I think it would be safe to order some sides.
— PARKING. UHG. It sucks! Give yourself 10 – 15 minutes just to find parking. The lot is almost always full and it’s a total cluster f&*(
— It always seems busy! We came here around 8AM and it was still hopping. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to come around 11−1PM.
— Décor is so old school, but for some reason it reminds me of sitting in some old German lodge, which is cool with me.

Just another a breakfast diner.
Nothing fancy. Service is nice. Had an older grandma type server with a Southern twang.
Price is right, food is plenty (you order an omelette, you get hashbrowns AND biscuits and gravy).
But still, it’s middle of the road. Don’t expect SF brunchy hipster food. Think IHOP.

Meh… It was ok… but nothing special. Just your classics and cooked in your classic way. Maybe being vegetarian it wasnt the best place. Also the added bacon bits to my veggie omelet didnt help!
But given the high reviews maybe Ill try again… Maybe…

Quick Review: that mom and pop hometown feel, super fast service, big portions. Don’t be afraid of the 20 – 30 minute, they usually just say that but it’s around 15 minutes. Once you are seated it literally takes 5 minutes to get your food after you order.
Food ordered: Supreme Omelet (salsa on side) + Original Pancakes (under $ 10) /​Hot Chocolate ($ 2.50)
Ambiance: Classic 1950s diner
Customer Service: A few of the servers have been working there for 30+ years and everyone has been amazing!
I have been coming here since I was a kid. I went to St Dunstan right across the street and would come here after church on Sunday with the fam or we would take field trips here with my class (weird I know but awesome). My favorite thing to get as a kid was the hot chocolate with the mountain tall whip cream. Nothing has changed, they still pile on the whip cream and I LOVE it. My bf loves this place and ever since I took him 3 years ago, it’s pretty much our go to Sunday breakfast spot. Though he eats a lot we can share an omelet and both of us are full as it also comes with pancakes. I personally prefer the Swedish pancakes, my absolute favorite! The ligenberry (?) butter is so good. Even if you don’t like Swedish pancakes I would get them on the regular pancakes, it’s that good. Way better that way.
You definitely have to come here!

Millbrae Pancake House is one of those restaurants that everyone talks about that you have to try. Theres nothing sweeter than ordering breakfast at any time of the day. They have so much to choose from on their menu. Everything looks so good that deciding what you want becomes quite difficult. The portions are big and they will leave your tummy happy. I wish I had more than one stomach or a bigger one so I can try at least 4 or 5 different platters in one sitting. We go t lucky it wasn’t busy during lunch. The staff was nice and attentive.
It get really busy from the few reviews that I read. I have yet to experience that. You can park in the parking lot or the street. I can’t wait to come back!

Still love this place!
4 years ago I came to the States for the very first time. This was one of my first ever places I ate at. And I fell totally in love with it! I remember laughing at how American it all was and it is! Old school pancake house/​diner. Where you’re coffee will never be empty.
Their pancakes are the best! And such great value for money. For around $ 10 you’ll get:
— Eggs (like 2 – 3 depending if you get scrambled or not)
— Some kind of meat (Chicken fried steak, hot links, bacon, sausages of your choice).
— Hashbrown (thats HALF THE PLATE!!)
— And pancakes
Its so much food that they give it to you in 2 plates!
This place gets busssssssy! Particularly on weekends. But don’t let the lines discourage you. They are super efficient and they go fast! You might be 40 away inline, but really thats like a 10−15min wait. Trust me its fast!
The only downer about this place is parking. Parking is horrible. Particularly on weekends. I recommend getting in early, before 10:30 to avoid the lines if possible.
This place remains one of the top places on my list and I don’t think it will ever fall off.

Millbrae Pancake House screams old fashion breakfast/​brunch diner! I came here with friends on a Sunday morning and they were extremely busy! Luckily the wait wasn’t too bad! It only took about 15 minutes for our party of four to be seated! They have a vast selection of breakfast/​brunch entrees and according to our cute waitress, everything is delicious! This was a bit overwhelming since I could not decide on what I wanted. I ordered the California Omelet sans bacon (Trying to be healthy where I can be!), which came with a generous portion of hash browns and two Swedish pancakes w/​lingonberry butter. Oh my Lanta, those Swedish pancakes are AMAZING. They look sort of funny, like cheese, but damn they are OUT OF THIS WORLD. If I could recommend one thing, it’s get anything that comes with Swedish pancakes! They are simply divine!

I’ve been here twice now and each time I have left very full and happy. The first time I came, I had an omelet and shared a plate of swedish pancakes with my boyfriend, Pat. We came with his parents, straight off the plane from Tokyo. After sitting cramped in a small economy chair, eating plane food, it was a wonderful welcome back to the U.S.
The second time I came, it was for brunch with Pat again. This time instead of getting something savory, I caved and got a apple waffle and a side of bacon, while Pat got the California omelet. After seeing waitresses walk by with waffles and pancakes DROWNING in whipped cream, I asked for only a little. I’m sad to say I was a little disappointed. My waffle was thin and the plate itself was mostly whipped cream and overly sweet apples (though this is just my opinion). I mean it was still delicious. Just I expected more waffle. The waffle seemed more like a side portion of the dish, not the main. Their swedish pancakes however are perfectly delicious. The omelet on the other hand was AMAZING. I loved it so much I kept stealing bites from Pat. The bacon was good too, but then again I’m a #bacon5ever kind of girl so as long as there’s bacon I’m going to be happy.
Service was really good, until it came time to pay the check. I think we hit just before the rush hour so by the time we were ready to head out, people were lining up. Our waitress was very attentive and super nice, but once they handed us the check we were kind of forgotten. The problem was we got the check and were waiting about 20 minutes before deciding to pay in cash instead of card. Though as we were heading out, I realized people were paying at the cash register, so maybe we were just being clueless? In that case, I have no qualms about the service and apologize for my silliness.
This place has become one of my favorite places to go for breakfast in the San Mateo area and I definitely recommend it. Just go before 10 AM to beat the weekend morning rush :)

I had the strawberry waffle and veggie scramble that comes with whole wheat toast and a bowl of fruit. The veggie scramble was disappointing. While the veggies were good, the onions were way undercooked and overpowered the entire dish. I had to separate the onions from the rest of the scramble in order to semi-​enjoy it. The bowl of fruit was also a downer for me. It was filled with only melons and cantaloupe and one lonely cube of pineapple. More variety in the fruit bowl would be great… even if they could just throw in 2 or 3 more cubes of pineapple!
The strawberry waffle was really good. It was crispy and topped with a ton of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It made a nice breakfast dessert and helped get rid of the onion taste from my veggie scramble.
I liked the coffee service. There was a guy constantly coming around to refill coffee cups.

I’ve gone here with family, friends, and two ex boyfriends (lol f! ck em yolo). And after a relationship has ended, usually places that bring back pain to you or whatever you choose to not go to. But nope, not MILLBRAE PANCAKE HOUSE!
Millbrae pancake house never fails to remind me why I hate driving… parking is hard to find here sometimes. But sometimes you will also get lucky. Yet the corn beef hash, pancakes, sausage, swedish pancakes always keeps me coming back.
You know how I told you guys about pain? Yeah my pain from memories go away when I come here because simply it’s too delicious to care about ex’s that serve no value that can’t cook me breakfast anyway… LOL. Not bringing any future boyfriends here anymore. They just end up bringing the next girl here… boy bye!
SO DELICIOUS.

Wirklich eine Top-​Adresse für richtig gute Pencakes und Omletts. Wir waren jetzt schon öfters hier und lieben diesen Platz. Das Essen schmeckt sehr gut und die Portionen sind wirklich riesig.
Leider gibt es keine Plätze draußen. Das gibt einen Punkt abzug.
Preislich ist es auch ganz gut. Normale amerikanische Preise eben. :-)