The Original Pancake House

Ahhh, have had this place bookmarked forever, and I finally got here to get some pancakes!
Party of 3. No wait at all at 8:30 AM, from the looks of other reviews this place gets pretty crazy on the weekends. I’m an early bird anyway and absolutely hate crowds. Make the effort to get up a little earlier, definitely worth avoiding the mid-​morning mess and hour wait.
The décor is super cute and cozy. I saw the words «old» and «outdated» being thrown around in other reviews. It’s far from outdated. I think the décor is actually quite cozy and it looks as if it’s been put together purposefully. The restaurant was also very clean.
Service was awesome! Everyone was friendly. Waiter was especially sweet.
My party ordered and omelette, French toast, and banana pancakes.
The French toast was amazing. Doesn’t even need syrup, it was eggy, but I surprisingly quite enjoyed it. The pancakes were out of this world! So delicious. Omelette was average, nothing I’d get again to be honest.
However one thing I noticed that didn’t sit well with me, were the prices for the items being offered. $ 6 for a side of sausage??? Who are you kidding? It’s just pricey for what they’re offering. For that reason I probably won’t be back anytime soon. It was still good though, glad I got to finally try it.

Actual rating 3.5
The Original Pancake House is the preferred breakfast restaurant for everyone else in my family for a real sit down breakfast meal. This store is one out of plenty around the US that serves no-​frills breakfast fare that specializes in pancakes. Their menu centers around 15 pancake options with the more savory options on the sides of the menu.
VENUE: This branch is located on Convoy St, a little unusual for a breakfast place as it doesn’t serve anything typically considered Asian food. It’s in the same complex as Izakaya Sakura and Tsuruhashi. Parking in the complex isn’t all that great but that’s just the nature of Convoy St. based businesses in general.
The restaurant is open from 7am, and for an hour after that you’ll be guaranteed immediate seating. From 8am on expect at least a 20 minute wait and from 9am expect at least a 30 minute wait. They don’t take reservations so if you arrive too late expect a long wait… BUT unlike brunch restaurants where people like to take their time eating, people come here to eat breakfast and leave immediately after eating, which translates to quicker wait times.
Obviously as a breakfast place, no alcohol. However the servers are usually quick to serve and will keep your coffee pot filled unless you tell them otherwise. The OJ is freshly squeezed and has a good amount of pulp.
I prefer my breakfast savory-​heavy with light sweet bites so I don’t partake on their pancake menu. My go-​to is an order of their corned beef hash ($ 13.25). It is blended with potatoes and onions and served with 2 eggs any style. The corned beef portion is best served just out of the pan and contains more meat than potatoes. Even with my over-​medium eggs I always feel that I’m missing something, which is a generous serving of potatoes either as home fries or hash. Even with pancakes the dish doesn’t stack up to being complete.
The only pancake that I’ll eat is their German pancake ($ 11.95) or Dutch Baby ($ 10.75). It’s a big and fluffy pancake — the Dutch Baby is good for at least two people. As the family prefers savories we’ll usually get one serving to feed everyone. I like it with a pinch of powdered sugar and their special tropical glaze, which is similar to marmalade. Several bites usually fulfill my need for sweets for breakfast.
My favorite breakfast place is still The Mission but since I can’t get my family to wait longer than 30 minutes for a meal this is where the family usually goes for breakfast. I don’t mind eating here but given a choice I would rather eat elsewhere to go for brunch, which is typically my preference for a weekend morning meal.

I brought my son here today! One word review says it all DISAPPOINTED. I ordered a Dutch baby and it came out as a kitchen reject. Not at all like my previous visits. It came out small greasy and server acted like they always come out this way!
My advice to those thinking about coming here… DON’T! They have lost their way!

Hands down my favorite breakfast place in San Diego. As long as you love the classic American breakfast you used to eat at grandmas house you will love this place. The décor even reminds you of grandma! Bacon and eggs, crepes, every pancake and waffle you’ve ever heard of and MONSTER omelets. The service isn’t very hands on or that exceptional in general but honestly, it’s breakfast so you won’t mind as long as they keep your coffee full (which they do).
The only thing that takes me elsewhere for breakfast is that ohop isn’t farm to table or even organic. I would LOVE to see them give us a pasture raised egg option (I’d be happy to pay more!) and organic veggies/​raw cheeses and humanely raised meats. I mean it IS San Diego after all.

Came here with some co workers last week. This was my 1^st time here. Once I walked in, I was a little taken back. I though I was on the set of Django or something.hehe.
The décor is very outdated, I mean really outdated. I can go on and on about the décor but that’s not what we’re here for right?
I just ordered eggs and ham (which came with pancakes). The ham and eggs tasted just like huevos y jamon nothing special, but the pancakes were very very good.
My friends had the apple pancake and the Dutch Baby pancake. Of course I had to have a taste and I must say that apple pancake was so good. I will definitely order it the next time. Keep in mind both pancakes were huge. I did like to Dutch Baby, I just didn’t care for the lemon and powered sugar that came with it.

Pretty average diner feel until we got our food. Blown away with the quality of pancakes & other food here. German Pancake was unbelievable! The Swedish Pancake was killer as well. Great service, family friendly, & somewhat timely.
If you’re looking for a good family breakfast spot, get over there.

This place was just a-​ok for me. Went on Mother’s Day close to opening time and it was really packed. The line was crazy for those waiting to be seated as well. I ordered the Irish omelette which consists of egg of course, Swiss cheese or cheddar cheese or both if you prefer, and corned beef hash. I don’t remember if there were any potatoes or onions in the omelette but I didn’t taste any. The omelette is baked with the layer of cheese on top. It was pretty good but did not have that wow that’s interesting factor. It took at least 30 minutes to get our food. I don’t know if it’s because my omelette was baked or if it was really packed but we were bored waiting for our entrees. The menu has a lot of interesting pancakes but I usually go for something savory for breakfast. I’d only recommend this place if there was no other brunch spot that was close or opened that early in the morning.

My coffee cup is never empty at the Original Pancake House, and they have real cream for your coffee. Recently I tried their gluten free pancakes with pecans added, and they are tasty. They can’t compete with the huge baked German pancake, but since I’m gluten intolerant now, I can’t eat the German pancake any more.
I enjoy their house made corned beef hash, topped with 2 eggs over easy or over medium. I love how the egg yolk runs into the hash. The hash has a good texture, with a pleasant crispiness on the top, and a tenderness on the inside.
The thick bacon is delicious, and it’s hard to escape from the Original Pancake House without eating at least 2 slices of bacon.
The staff always takes good care of us when we eat at The Original Pancake House in Kearny Mesa area. Definitely recommended. Check their hours as they close at 3:00pm.

Come to The Original Pancake House for your breakfast needs!
I heard about this place from Unilocal!I had it bookmarked for some time now. I came here with a friend on Saturday not knowing what to expect.
First of all, the service was perfect!!! WOW! It really bumped up my opinion from 4 to 5 stars! The servers were so nice and attentive! They refilled our water 6 times without being asked! They kept checking to make sure we were okay and if we needed anything else! Good job management for training your servers well! I’m impressed!
Food:
German Pancake ~$ 12.50 OMFG WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I EAT!!! It’s SO HUGE! It’s a hat! I’ve never seen anything so BIG! My plate overfloweth LOL Seriously don’t come here to try the regular pancakes because you can get that anywhere. Try the German pancake because it’s UNIQUE! I even shared some with my friend and we couldn’t finish! It’s perfect for a photo op too!
TIP: We came here around 1:30pm (I know, super late) but there was no wait!
Overall a very pleasant experience! Will definitely come back and recommend to a friend! A great place to go instead of always going to boring a$$ Denny’s or IHOP.

WOWOWOOWOWOW!!! The Dutch Baby is the only baby I want up in this stomach! That says a lot coming from me since I am a regular at The Planned Parenthood on First Ave.
I have had this gem bookmarked forever, but avoided it because the lines are psycho on the weekend. I got to experience The Original Pancake House without the wait since I went on a weekday at 11 am and COT DAYUM, this lil mama was impressed. I promise you that taking a sick day from work to eat here is a foodie’s mouth fantasy. The bacon was crisp to perfection and the pancakes were moist as hell. The Dutch Baby is a only a memory now that I often day dream of and wish to recreate.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend the Dutch Baby!

First time here, it’s a weekday (Tuesday) around 1:30pm so it was not packed at all. Very nice atmosphere and interior design. We got the Dutch pancake, Mediterranean omelette with added chicken and banana pancakes which we all delicious.
it’s in a busy shopping plaza so parking could be difficult but I most definitely recommend, way better than ihop or Denny’s.

I got the corned beef hash with potato pancakes. I wasn’t a fan of the taste of the potato pancakes. There was something about the texture and the fact that the middle of the pancake tasted raw. The corn beef hash was alright. I felt like it was missing something. I wish I just had a simple breakfast.
If there ever is a next time, I’ll just get hashbrowns and scrambled eggs.

Some things are meant to be kept secret, but sharing is caring!
I have been looking for a legit pancake spot for a while, and of course thanks to my fellow Unilocalers I found this place!
We came here twice and the longest I have ever waited was 30min even when the estimated time is longer. The last 2 times we visited we also got the same server, her name is Thao! If you’re reading this, you are the best server I could ever ask for!
Parking can most definitely be difficult especially for brunch!
I have tried the Dutch Baby, and the Irish Omelette! Def. A must try! I think my favorite part is the orange juice since it is hand squeezed and you can taste the freshness of the Valencia orange!
I got a taste sample from husband’s banana pecan pancakes, which by the way is just as delicious!
The Omelette I believe are the best to order because you get 3 stack pancake with your choice of omelette! The wait on our food didn’t take long either.
Most def. Will come back to try the rest of the menu!

Great food. Line is always out the door. For valentines brunch we only waited 20 min. Not bad. We got a LOT of food. The atmosphere is a cute homey feel like you’re at gramas house. Parking COULD be a nightmare during peak hours. We went in Sunday morning and it was almost full. When we left the line was out the door and people were hanging out in the parking lot! Crazy! Pancakes are legit, as expected. It is a pancake house after all. Oh the potato pancakes are the best! And eat it with the sour cream. Also they have this orange jam with zest in it. AMAZE.

Food:
1) Swedish pancakes: it’s a very thin crêpe like pancake. It’s so thin that you feel like you are eating paper, but the taste was pretty good.
2) side of corned beef hash: pretty disappointing. I wasn’t a fan. There was more potato than beef and the whole dish was pretty flavorless.
Ambiance:
Very noisy, busy, kids running around everywhere since it’s very family friendly, and cozy feeling. Even with all the kids, it didn’t feel too chaotic. The staff was very nice and the food came out pretty fast, despite it being very busy. The whole place was decorated in this old fashion, family friendly type vibe. Very cute.
Service:
The servers were all very nice, friendly and attentive to our needs.
Price:
My only criticism is that it is pretty pricey for the food. Most of the menu is pancakes, so if you order pancakes, and then want to order some sides, it can ring up to over $ 20. The corned beef hash was around $ 8, I think, which was pretty ridiculous for the small amount of food you get and how tasteless it was.
Overall:
I think the pancakes were spot on, the ambiance and service is great, but the organization of the menu and the price of everything needs to be improved. If you are going to be family friendly, you should have a more family friendly budgeted menu. And if you are going to charge so much for sides, at least make them taste good or have larger portions. I don’t think I’ll be coming back.

So thankful my love shared this place with me. It has become one of my favorite breakfast spots.
German Pancakes are delicious & so filling. A fun breakfast experience for two.
Blueberry crepes are to die for — YUMMINESS
Great food & service.

Unilocal for breakfast places around the hospital and this place had great reviews. As we walked in we were quickly greeted and offered coffee!
We order pancakes, crepes, eggs, and waffles. Overall our experienced was pleasant and food was pretty good.

When I proposed this place for breakfast a bunch of my friends immediately jumped to join. Heard lots of good things about it for a while now, but this was my first time. Came on a Saturday around 11:00 and the wait was about 45 mins. The menu is rather extensive, but I went for the famous apple pancake. It came as a single HUGE pancake with lots of apples and oh so delicious caramelized sugar which added a nice crunch. The pancake itself tastes rather custardly, which my bf enjoyed. I would definitely recommend sharing this.
The bf got eggs michael so we’d have something savory to share. It was kind of like an eggs benedict, but with sausage patty instead of canadian bacon, and mushroom sherry sauce instead hollandaise. It also came with potato pancakes which was served with apple sauce and sour cream. I enjoyed it, but felt like the mushroom sauce tastes a little bit sour/​vinegary. Probably wouldn’t order that particular dish again, but I’m excited to go back here to try other stuff. One of my friends got the mushroom omelette and it looked really good.

This might sound strange to some people but The Original Pancake House is my favorite breakfast spot. Reason being that its probably the only place that i really enjoy the pancakes. I’ve been to all the places where they say the pancakes are supposed to be good, or the ones that are fancy, with cornflakes, macadamia nuts, lemon ricotta, red velvet, or something that sounds all jazzy and special, they just don’t do it for me.
Sometimes plain and simple is best, the (buttermilk) pancakes at TOPH are just that, a plain simple pancake done to perfection. Light, airy, fluffy, and moist, it is honestly the only place i’ll order pancakes.
This morning i ordered the Irish omelet (corned beef, onions, and potatoes) it said it was oven baked, which to me meant that it’s a frittata. When it arrived, it was huge! Easy enough to feed 2 people since it also comes with a stack of their awesome pancakes! The omelet was tasty and very soft, fluffy, and moist inside, the gooey cheese ran out when i cut it open. There was so much food that i even took half of the omelet home and had it for lunch the next day!
I like their coffee here too, it has a very low acidity and smooth taste to it, and they constantly come around to refill your cup. Thats why The Original Pancake house is my favorite, Good coffee, great omelets, the best pancakes around and as always great service. I feel like there’s nothing that they don’t do exceptionally well.

I’m not much of a breakfast person. I’m also not a big fan of chains. But something about The Original Pancake House has me hooked.
Let’s start with something simple: Water. How annoying is it when a restaurant gives you a tiny glass of water and never comes back to refill it? I was afraid of this upon initially sitting down as their glasses look like they were made for toy dolls. However, every second I went to pick up my glass it was full. I looked around and I realized that’s like three people’s jobs. They just walk around with a pitcher and pour more into your glass, no matter how little you’ve drank since they walked by 30 seconds ago. It almost gets borderline annoying they refill it that often. But I will gladly take it!
Now the food. On the menu they talk about using only the highest quality butter and a special kind of batter that is made on site. I had my doubts. Wrong again. The pancakes were amazing! And I don’t even like pancakes. They’re the perfect size, are cooked just right and the flavor is rich. You can tell the quality of ingredients on first bite. If you like chocolate, I recommend getting the banana pecan and adding chocolate chips. It made the little kid in me happy without being overly sweet. A side order of eggs gave me a little more protein and tasted pretty heavenly as they use butter when they cook them. I’ll be honest, I’ve never cooked eggs with butter and don’t plan on doing it anytime soon, but dang they sure were tasty.
Yes the wait on weekends is long and it’s not the fanciest of places, but The Original Pancake House sure has their food and service down. It’s become a staple to visit when my dad’s in town or whenever I get the hankering for some carbs carbs carbs! Pancake fan or not– Try it, you won’t be disappointed.