It's okay. Don't be mislead. Unless you crave an apple or Dutch pancake, there is nothing special about the Original Pancake House.
We went on a Saturday in season and had to wait a little while. Not horribly long. The whole joint was crawling with the elderly and  the out of towner crowd.
There are a host of things I did not experience that lots of other Yelpers did.
1) Fresh squeezed OJ: Didn't taste special or fresh. Tasted like a million OJs I have had before.
2) Bad service: Our waitress was sweet and attentive. The kitchen however is slow and sucky. Our toast came last (after we had basically finished eating) and it was....not toast. It was bread.
3) Amazing Bacon: Absolutely not. I take my bacon seriously and this was NOT amazing bacon at all.
My french toast was good. Hubby had eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns which is not too exciting or worth mentioning in a review. Save your patience. Save your time. There are lots of other better...and cheaper local breakfast joints in the neighborhood.
We went 3 mornings in a row so I guess we liked it! I had stuffed french toast twice. The second time better than the first because it came to the table hotter than the first time. It was really good - the filling was a farmer's cheese and cream cheese. Also had sourdough pancakes, and my a baked omelette, which is a great idea. Much firmer and less runny. Brought a box back to the hotel with leftovers which we ate for lunch. Great value, packed every day, really friendly waiters. I had enough to last me until another trip in a year!
Review Source:Overall, I was not impressed with this restaurant. I definitely liked the apple pancake, but as far as everything went, I did not enjoy it. The huge omelettes were not tasty, and the "stuffed" french toast was just 2 pieces of french toast with s sour cream mix between them, they were more like a bad french toast sandwich.
The service was not very good either, but the 2 star rating is solely based on the quality of the food. The portion were big, but I was looking for a tasty breakfast, not just quanity over quality.
I absolutely love this place. I discovered it in Minneapolis last November while away for work and was thrilled to see they had it in Ft. Lauderdale as well. Their baked omelettes are amazing!! I'd love to get their recipe. Out of 4 days in Ft. Lauderdale we ate there 2 days.
Huge bonus are the pack of ducks in the parking lot that just follow you around. Love it!
Ambiance: 4 stars
Food: 4.5 stars
Service: 4 stars
Okay, I know this is yet another franchise restaurant that can be found in SoCal, but I tried it first here. It is pretty easy to get to and there parking is not bad. The servers are all really nice (Southern hospitality, perhaps). The wait can be a bit brutal when the restaurant smells good, but the service is not lagging.
Food: Best crepes ever!!!!! I had the chocolate chip & strawberry crepe, and it was sooooo amazing. Also, the corned beef hash is SO GOOD, and it's fresh and seasoned well. The hash brown was also the best hash brown I have ever had. It was hard to finish all that food though!
Staring at the vast array of breakfast goodness on the menu, I decided to pay homage to my ancestors and order the Swedish pancakes. The trio were flat and floppy - drooping over the side of the plate a little - and served with a side dish of Lingonberries. And they were delicious enough to please the all-powerful Odin, himself. Â
My lil sis (in the sorority sense) ordered the Americanized version and only made it through about half her meal. Now, there's no rule saying you have to order pancakes at the Original Pancake House, but it is your best bet. You will definitely fill up that belly for a decent price.
The coffee cups are bottomless, but the water glasses are not. Our server asked my lil if she wanted a refill nearly a dozen times, but never seemed to notice my empty water glass. Oh well, maybe he was hydrophobic.
Over and over again, I have enjoyed breaking my fast at the Original Pancake House. Consistently friendly service and tasty food wins me over, along with their freshly squeezed orange juice and frequently refilled coffee cups. I've been here several times over the past three years. Â On my most recent, a friend opted for Huevos Rancheros that made my mouth water .. I couldn't resist sticking my fork in it. Â French toast satisfied my a.m. sweet tooth, and the scrambled eggs were, well, scrambled eggs and my protein of choice. Â This menu was so enchanting that I couldn't stop reading it: half a page dedicated to crepes, omelettes, and other temptations that I will have to go back and try on another day. My server was patient as we, well I, needed just a few more minutes to decide among so many great combinations. Easy access, plentiful parking, and a sunny window seats makes me Yelp! You'll be glad you came.
Review Source:This is my FAVORITE breakfast restaurant. They have the best BACON in town by far! Its thick and you can tell they don't cheap out on purchasing it because its true quality bacon. They also have GREAT PANCAKES!  I'm a regular here for breakfast. I've been coming here for a good 3 years and not once has my food been bad. The  manager is really nice and good at what he does.  He always greets us when we come and makes us feel welcome.  On the weekends you can be guaranteed a wait. But its well worth it. Plus I don't mind a place with a wait because then you know it has good food. Well if you want consistent good food and service check it out!
Review Source:Make your own pancakes by choosing 2 mix-ins?!?!
The request of Chocolate Chips and Bacon got a weird look from the waiter, but they were incrediby delcious!
Other Positives:
1. Parking is plentiful
2. The restaurant is clean
3. The staff is friendly
4. Service was very fast.
Recommendation: Chocolate Chip and Bacon Pancakes and a coffee.
We ate here at noon on April 20. The restaurant was not full, and the service was very good and friendly. The food was excellent.
The apple pancake is a calorie overload, we think it is good for a once a year experience. Regular egg dishes are worth coming for without regard to the apple pancake.
The apple pancake is a caramelized, sugary mound of cinnamon (a special grade of Saigon cinnamon) and apples, with the pancake almost custard-like. If the calorie overload is not sufficient, you can request whipped cream (made fresh)
To the reviewers who think that there was some sort of surprise because the apple pancake takes 30 minutes to prepare -- two things: (1) that's the time it takes to cook; and (2) the 30 minute time period is fully disclosed on the menu. The other option, pre-making the pancake to have them on hand (followed by the pancake house in Orange County, California) is not even close to being as good as the apple pancake made to order. Our waitress asked us when we sat down if we would be ordering it, and it made the preparation as quick as possible.
The eggs and sausage, which the waitress recommended ordering as sides, were cooked perfectly as ordered. Sausage had good flavor. The eggs and ingredients in the breakfast dishes are all high quality and are far above Denny's or IHOP.
You can see the reason why there have been complaints about service since the waitresses are not in zones, and take tables as patrons come in. If you do not wait to be seated (or if the hostess disappears from the front), you might not be noticed/assigned by a waitress. The restaurant might consider zones to improve the service.
Fresh orange juice was freshly squeezed (you can see the machine) and was very good.
One question about the pricing was that a "bottle" of real maple syrup was $2.19!?!?
The non-substitution policy is also disclosed on the menu, and is not an "attitude" of the staff. The dishes are specially priced for seniors and substitutions are not allowed.
I had breakfast here twice while I was in Ft. Lauderdale. Â The service isn't great, but it gets the job done, the food was very good, probably the best pancakes we've ever had. Â The noise was a little loud for a breakfast place, but it does stay pretty busy in the late mornings, so it's understandable. Â Wish they had one in Tallahassee.
Review Source:In love this place with all my heart!! I dont care what anyone says!! Every time I miss Michigan I eat here! I just wish they had the junior plate on this menu- it consists of 2 pancakes, 2 pieces of bacon, and 2 eggs- but of course this is Florida and you can't create a dish!! I love when the old gay guy with the bad tupee waits on me- everything is sooo drama for him- he makes me laugh!!!
Review Source:This will be an easy review....
First off, Â this location's workers have always gave me good service.
The food is good it doesnt come too greasy.
Its clean in there. it doesnt smell, good lighting.
The music is fun to listen too.. .. causal enviroment and its close to my home. I will be returning!
**THE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE CREPE THING IS A GREATTT DESSERT!
OMG! I LOVE THIS PLACE!! I was totally surprised because this place is a chain like IHOP, but don't let my statement fool you. This place is nothing like IHOP. Their french toast and pancakes with fresh strawberries are just awesome. You have to try this place for breakfast, it's really yummy.
Review Source:I've been here before a few years back, before Yelp! was born. We, the same group, came here again. One of us had craving for pancakes.
It's not busy on a Thursday noon. There was no lunch crowd. The service was slow; and minimal.
The staff had attitude. "We don't substitute." Did she have to say that with an attitude? Really?
The menu was extensive... Not! Kind of boring. The apple thing sounded interesting but it took 30 min to prepare.
I had my Gram Slam... aka the Skillet here, without the cheese. Finally the food arrived. Did I ask for infant size? $8 for this, really? Without the cheeses covering the rustic and sweet potatoes, it looked pathetic.
Well only my host enjoyed his food. And I mesmerized on the spot the good foods I have had at IHOP, Waffle House, and various mom & pa restaurants.. with friendly service, good breakfast choices, normal portion, free substitutes, and decent price.
It's original alright... one of a kind suckie place. I will have better pancakes at McDonald down the street.
So diners, what more can I add to perk your appetite here?
The Original Pancake House we have in Birmingham, Michigan is FANTASTIC, but Ft. Lauderdale's needs some help.
Every spring break, since as long as I can remember, my family and I stop by the pancake house on the way to our hotel from the airport.
Usually the service and food at the Pancake house is delicious, consistent, and HOT, but this year it was very disappointing.
Our food came cold, even the eggs, and the Dutch apple pancake came flat and nuke-warm. In addition our server was very confused and didn't seem to know the menu, options on the menu, or how to put our orders into the computer. I really hope they get back on track and don't ruin the reputation of a great franchise.
I love the food at this place. They make eggs perfect. French toast is bangin. The Dutch Baby thing is pretty decent, and the fresh orange juice is amazing. The service is always good in terms of the waiters. But...
My only problem with this place is the horrible wait. No matter when I go with friends anytime between 11a - 3p on a wknd, there is always a crazy wait for food. I mean it can take about 20 mins to be seated, then once seated and you place your order it is ALWAYS (I've been going for a year now) a good 45min wait for your food to be cooked and brought to your table. So even though I do love everything else about this place for breakfast, I have to take off a star for it always being a huge wait for our food. I mean it's eggs, bacon and home fries, people.
Oh and that reminds me, the last time I came here and got my breakfast with home fries they might have given me 10-15 cubes of potatoes tops. I never seen such little amount of home fries ever from anywhere.
I can literally order the same exact meal at Lester's Diner and be in and out of Lester's by the time I get my food at OHOP. And yes, they make breakfast pretty damn perfect too. And I can be there right after church hour, when it's a mad house in there, and it's never 10-15 mins tops to be seated, and same for food to get to you.
Breakfast is good at OHOP, but no breakfast is worth that long of a wait. So I'm starting to get a little disappointed in this place, cause I hate waiting :-(
Went here with the family. This place gets very busy, but we only had to wait about ten minutes to be seated which wasn't a huge deal. I had the brown sugar banana french toast which was good. I also had coffee which was good. My wife had the steak and eggs over easy. Her food was bland the eggs nor the steak had any seasoning. Our son had the pancakes which he loved because he is a pancake fanatic. Our waitress was very nice and attentive. Overall just average nothing to write home about. Cracker Barrel is still number one for fast food breakfast.
Review Source:Is there a pancake house on the planet that doesn't make me feel like I swallowed a Buick? Â Ok ok, it's my own fault - I can't control myself when served a giant pile of pancakes.
Enormous menu, with lots of ... well... pancakes. Â Every fruit/nut/flavor pancake combination you could think of, with some extra-creative concoctions thrown in for good measure.
Not bad, but I've definitely had better.
The Original Pancake House is comparable to IHOP. Now that I think about it... I've had better breakfasts at IHOP, and IHOP is probably a little cheaper.
My Vegetable Omelette was dry and flaky on the outside? How can you get eggs to be flaky? Home Fries were burnt; French Toast was okay, but I've made better french toast at home. Coffee was good, but the waitress would disappear for long periods of time... leaving my cup un-refilled.
We tried the Dutch baby and it was really good. It is a cross between a soufflé and crepe that is dusted with butter and powdered sugar. We also had the pumpkin pancakes which were huge (6 pancakes) and also good.
Service was good. The server didn't realize that this was our first time at the restaurant so we didn't eat the Dutch baby "properly" (we didn't squeeze on the lemon and put on whipped cream from the pancakes instead of the butter) but we enjoyed eating it the wrong way anyway.
I came here with some friends around noontime on a Friday -- the first thing we noticed was disorganization around the host stand. No host, no list, lots of families waiting and looking confused. Â The food took forever which I guess is understandable because they were busy, but when it came out our orders were way off so we sent them back (yay for spit!). Â
When the bill came, I found out that I got charged $2.35 for...guess. Â You'll never guess. Â WHIPPED CREAM. Â I got one spoonful of whipped cream on my pancakes and apparently they hid the rest of the can from me. $2.35. $2.35!
There are random upcharges, some listed on the menu, some that are not. Â Whipped cream was one of the things not listed on the menu as a charge. I asked the waitress about it and she shrugged it off and ignored us the rest of the time. Â What's funny is, she never mentioned any of the charges when she made the suggestions for us to add these things to our meals (biotch). Â We finally got a hold of a manager (the service button is a load of bull), but he was completely unhelpful and unapologetic.
...$2.35!
You want breakfast? Â You come here! Â Pancakes cooked perfectly.
Belgian waffles, crisp. Â Now - the french toast - OMG! Huge, crisp egg wash fry all over - you get three gi-normous pieces...I've never seen people get 'to go' boxes for breakfast...until I saw the french toast!
The other bonus - home made corned beef hash can't be beat outside of a New York deli. Â
Service is friendly and efficient...coffee is refilled quick and constant. Â Orange juice is fresh squeezed ...and on weekend mornings, there will be a short wait - just get here before 10am - or wait 20 minutes during the rush. Â It's big, so the tables turn pretty quickly.
My buddies and I were in Fort Lauderdale to see some spring training games and needed some breakfast before the game.
We decided to try the Original Pancake House because it looked like a great old fashioned place for an awesome breakfast. We were right.
I ordered the Irish omelet, one word, phenomenal. Full of corned beef hash and potatoes, I loved it. Â It was also huge, I skipped lunch because the calories were probably a days worth.
The service was fantastic and the Diet Coke was refilled whenever I was empty.
My friends also loved their meals, crepes and pancakes.
If I may steal a line from Louise, this is definitely "a solid American breakfast joint." The food is always right on and their juices are freshly pressed. The service, likewise, is consistently attentive and I've never had to wait for the check.
I come here on the weekends occasionally when I just want a regular breakfast without all the hype. Watch out for the Sunday church crowd starting around 10 on the weekends; you'll definitely have to wait at least twenty minutes. If you can make it till 2, the place is virtually empty.
Great place to satisfy a group of mixed palettes. :)
Solid American breakfast joint. Appears that it caters to the senior citizen crowd. Attentive service as the restaurant was only 20% full. Sis R and I split the dutch baby which we found light and moist. M had the Apple Pancake and it was huge. Kind of like a savory apple pie and not overly sweet. Bro R had the Original Skillet. Also huge--- a skillet of seasoned potatoes, cheese, eggs, tomato, and bell pepper. He enjoyed it, but it needed sausage or bacon to make it complete.
Review Source:I eat here every 2 or 3 weeks or so when I have the time in the morning. It's a variety of good food, but the service is variable.
I rarely order their specialty of pancakes, opting for one of the egg dishes or potato pancakes (which are delicious!). Beware that if you order a specialty omelet whose name escapes me (Irish something?) the thing is GINORMOUS! I think it had corned beef hash in it, but whatever it was I could barely make my way through half of it.
The fresh-squeezed orange juice comes out of one of those machines that takes whole oranges, splits them, then squeezes them in plain view, and the taste reflects it. You can't do better at home.
As to the service, the manager always recognizes us with a warm greeting, but the wait staff sometimes just forgets to bring part of the order or takes forever to find our table even to bring water initially. This goes for both newbies and veteran servers, so it must be systemic to this restaurant.
Anyway, the good outweighs the bad enough that this is on my frequent-eater list of restaurants.
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