The Original Pancake House
Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Short Stack
Challah French Toast
Baked Apple Pancake
Technically a chain, with origins in Portland OR and the famous Walker Bros location in Wilmette IL, it was only when Groupon offered a discount that I realized Las Vegas even had an Original Pancake House and although I guess it could be said that the $8 discount was the impetus for my visit, in reality it was fond childhood memories that drew me through the doors. Located on Fort Apache, and thus less than ten minutes from my door, it was after another long morning run that I arrived at the sizeable storefront and although the clock had just ticked past 7:15am I entered the restaurant to find the place already lively, a quartet of tables already seated while two couples before me checked in with a friendly hostess soon leading them to their seats. Eventually finding my place at a booth best suited for four it was mere seconds before my server stopped by and with my order pre-decided based on past experience a simple request that plates arrive in two courses was granted, the long cooking time of the later assuring a fifteen minute delay between rounds. Sipping on water as the restaurant continued to fill it would not be long before first plates arrived and although the restaurant’s eponymous buttermilk batter was fluffy as ever beneath a mountain of whipped cream it was the house-baked challah that truly impressed, the exterior rendered crispy while the center was soaked in sweet custard playing counterpoint the rich egginess of soft bread. Admittedly a substantial start, and nearly enough to use up my gift certificate, there was simply no way I was leaving Original Pancake House without ordering one of their signatures and this time opting for the Baked Apple Pancake over the Dutch Baby I’ll simply say that one cannot go wrong with either, the piping hot pile of thinly sliced Granny Smith’s teaming with cinnamon and sugar atop a buttery golden base proving as much a ‘pie’ as it does a pancake, but absolutely delicious regardless of what it is called.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: Individually owned and operated but similar in menu from coast-to-coast there is simply ‘something’ about Original Pancake House that makes me smile – the service ever pleasant, the space always bustling, and the apple pancake always served so hot that you *know* the first bite is likely to end in a blistered mouth. Obviously a bit more expensive than IHOP or Denny’s but also using superior ingredients including 93-score butter, pure whipping cream, and free-range eggs it’s good to know that every once in a while you can indeed find a taste of ‘home,’ even a thousand or more miles away.
RECOMMENDED: Baked Apple Pancake, Challah French Toast
AVOID: The coffee is pretty bad and the provided ‘pancake syrup’ is a far cry from the real deal.
TIP: Previously one of two Original Pancake House locations in Las Vegas the manager told me that the Fort Apache location has become far busier since the Charleston store burned down, a small line already forming when I exited the restaurant at 8:05 and 30+ minute waits nearly guaranteed for those arriving after nine o’clock.
NOTE: Pure Maple Syrup for the French Toast and Break-Up Potion from Dude, Sweet Chocolate in Dallas for the Pancakes was brought from home.
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