Auburn House Restaurant

Breakfast, lunch & dinner here - not just pancakes.
What a GREAT place!  Can't imagine going to a chain when you could come here instead.  Right downtown, just a mile or two from the interstate.  Plenty of on street parking.  Doesn't get any easier!
Our party of 5 went for breakfast.  MAMMOTH portions!
Fluffy buttermilk pancakes come 3 to a plate, and they are enormous.  Under $8!  Mine had fresh bananas and strawberries on top, with pecans cooked in the pancakes.  
Potatoes...  Ordered mine with onions.  The ENTIRE plate - a dinner plate! - was mounded with sliced fried potatoes made fresh - not frozen!  Enough for 4-6 people.
Grits...  The "cup" portion is a BOWL.  Perfectly cooked, no lumps.
Staff is great.  Steady stream of customers and no problems noted anywhere.
Place is very clean.
I'll be making it a point to come here on every road trip.

The only reason, I went here was that they're a few reviews. But no pictures posted. I know why now, the locals built it up. This is about the only diner in the area. Although there is more completion opening up all the time!

About three years ago, this place went bankrupt, and then was "saved" by a group of locals.

Basically, the food appeared like a 12-year-old beginner cooked it. Overpriced, even for the any location (outside of Indy)? Lastly, the least some of the customers dressed so "casually" it appeared that they walked directly from their houses. Myself I would be embarrassed to do that.

The waitress did seat me, and then give me a menu. When she served me coffee, everything started to go downhill.  It shouldn't taste like water from old city rusted pipes? Or even a flavorless, gas station brew?

The breakfast meal was on about the same level, flavorless and very poorly prepared. The two over easy eggs appeared to have been over cooked in a non-stick frying pan (the reason for there being no butter or oil on them), also they tasted like older near expiration date.  The only two sausages appeared to have been cooked earlier, then re-warmed.  The "potatoes" ??? I do not even know what style they where cooked. Appeared to be older mushy? God knows what, pilled on the stove or pan? Then pushed down with some sort of weighted object while being under cooked?  If they would have gone to Wal-Mart then bought some sort precooked hash browns. They would have had some flavor?
Nether the eggs or hash browns appeared to have butter or oil used when they where cooked!
The biggest sin (in my opinion) was the toast, (I ordered whole wheat). Usually a short order cook will use two strokes with both sides, per piece. He only used one stroke for each piece? No flavor, also not cut in two (a forgivable sin).  The bread lacked the taste of freshness. Was it old, or just air-dried?  There was a plastic container with room for "4 " Four stacks of deferent jelly packets. The only flavor in all "four" was grape? An unforgivable sin, young teenage girls going out to breakfast will often only order toast and coffee. Did the waitress forget these basics?

  The (damage) cost was only $7.49. I do understand the bill. With a larger older building, and high utility costs. Also re-opening costs, after being "rescued" from closing about three years ago.

We went to Aubrun's House of Pancakes & Restaurant on a Saturday around 6pm. There were 4 adults and one (almost) 2 year old in our party. We had heard they had a good Friday night fish fry, but weren't able to make it the day before due to trick or treating priorities. We were able to find easy street parking and once inside were seated immediately. The staff was friendly (and dressed for Halloween!) and service was good (probably 4 stars for that aspect).

Big bonus for me; they are a child friendly place. They even brought out a Halloween book for our daughter to borrow. Honestly, though, she was intrigued by all the kitchy decor that ranged from the model cars and the wooden horse (and all of the Halloween decorations) that she found plenty to keep her waiting patiently. Staff also treated her with respect and were willing to engage her. Didn't seem put off by kids like many places do. (Definite 5 stars for the child-friendly aspect!).

As far as the food goes . . .Auburn's House seems like they're trying to be a jack of all food and master of none. I think they probably should stick with their breakfast items. They had so many options on their menu. Two of us (me included) had their special of the night---the sweet and sour chicken. In my opinion, most Chinese takeout places have better sweet and sour chicken. One person had the spaghetti and meatballs, which was okay. Another had an omelet and that was rated pretty well. The one thing I can say for their food is that they don't skimp on portion sizes. You get a LOT of food. They serve it on large plates, so if you like what you get, then you'll be able to eat it tomorrow for lunch, as well. (I give their food (for dinner) a 2 star.)

We'll have to try again some morning and maybe for a Friday night fish fry. As a place to go out for dinner, though, I'd rather get pizza from Papa John's or eat at Buffalo Wild Wings then go back, I think.