Server wasn't really that nice. He never told us his name and had an attitude. Plopped the plates down and got our order wrong. Didn't really check on us only to say thank you when handing us a 40 dollar check. The place was over priced and with bad service on top of that. I won't be coming back unless tricked. Food was good however, only redeeming quality for me.
Review Source:Not a big fan of breakfast food, BUT everything I ate here was actually VERY good! I had strawberry pancakes, sausage patties and a bowl of grits.
However, I will be hesitant to return because of a few things:
a) The place is small and the wait can be quite long. We went on a random Thursday around 11 am and, despite it not being very crowded, we waited 20 minutes for a table...
b) Service....was pretty bad. After waiting, we were not greeted by our server for another 10 minutes...
c) Cleanliness: Our table when we were seated had not been properly washed. I also witnessed loys of crumbs/mess on the floor beneath other tables. They appeared to be using a bissel to try to keep up with the mess, but it was not pleasant to see as a diner.
d)Long Wait for Food AFTER Ordering
Use this information as you will!
BEST PANCAKES EVER!! Â I do not know what they add to their pancake batter, but it works for me! Â Moist and melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
We have been here (Chagrin Blvd. location), several times over the years. Â The owners, Mike and Jane are almost always there, greeting and talking with customers.
best bet is to get there early, before 9am to get a seat without a delay. Â After that time, the crowds arrive...but it is worth the wait!
Kudos to Mike and Jane - lots of hard work, but you two have created a great place.
Kind of interesting how mixed some of the reviews are? For me, this place is always a winner. Great staff and quick service. Sometimes a wait to get in, but their omelettes are great, love the pancakes, and the bacon is among the best I've had anywhere. This place is very kid and large group friendly and the menu has a great variety of offerings. It is not inexpensive, but I've always felt that I got a fair value for my $$.
Only negative is the location, as this section of Chagrin seems to get worse every year. I usually go here first and then across the street to Trader Joes. The reverse route is next to impossible!!
Popular breakfast/brunch spot in the area, and being unimpressed by the nearby Bob Evans and intrigued by the somewhat unique menu, I decided to give this place a shot. There was a 20-25 minute wait on Saturday at 11 AM, which is to be expected. Atmosphere and decor is what you'd expect. Typical hustle and bustle of a busy brunch spot. One thing I thought I was kind of cool was that they had art on display along the walls from local artists that you could purchase if you were so inclined. Service was great. Attentive and very friendly.
Onto the food though, I ordered *deep breath*:
- Biscuits and gravy - Delicious. Gravy was good with huge chunks of breakfast sausage. The two biscuits were nice and buttery but not as flaky and puffy as I had hoped and just a little bit dry. Â My favorite dish out of what I ordered.
- Seafood omelette - This was HUGE. I would guess their omelettes are at least 5 eggs. Inside was crabmeat and shrimp, outside was hollandaise sauce and few leaves of spinach. I could have (and have) made this omelette myself. The sauce was good, and there wasn't enough spinach. Disappointed overall.
- Banana pancakes - Thin and dry, with an almost overpowering banana extract flavor. Very disappointed.
- Dutch Baby - This is what I came here for. They give you a side of lemons, powdered sugar, and whipped butter. USE THE LEMONS. At first I tried a piece without the sides, and it really didn't taste like much of anything. I was expecting crepe/elephant ear, but all I got back was a very mild flavor with a squishy "soggy french toast" like consistency. I squeezed the lemons and lots of powdered sugar, then it started to taste good. Still not enough to warrant the hype IMO. I had to drizzle syrup over it to really enjoy it.
Yes this was all mine. $30 for breakfast. I finished everything except 3 of the 4 banana pancakes. Yes, I'm a pig. Our server commended me and even let the manager know. Friendly staff.
What others in my party ordered:
- Corned Beeef Hash omelette - HUGE. Not enough corned beef, and potato chunks were too big. I could have (and have) made this better at home.
- Pecan pancakes - Decent, nothing special. Not really pecan "infused". Just pancakes with pecans.
Miscellaneous... their orange juice was fresh squeezed and definitely tasted like it. Very good.
I would go back again to try a few other things on the menu, but I doubt I'll be a regular patron. Â First Watch is much closer to me and tastes better.
I was underwhelmed by the pancakes at The Original Pancake House, but I love their bacon, which is cut thicker than usual and cooked so that it has a crispy exterior with still maintaining a very thin layer of a tender interior. Â As for those pancakes, I got the Two By Four because it was one of the few (if not the only) combo on the menu with both eggs and pancakes. Â The four buttermilk pancakes measured about 4 or 5 inches in diameter, weren't at all fluffy, and didn't taste any better than what one could get at Denny's or Bob Evans.
The environment is warm and inviting. Â Service was friendly, though it wasn't very busy when I went in the early afternoon. Â Some of the other patrons were straight out of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ("Grace!? Â She passed away thirty years ago!"). Â Overall, I definitely wouldn't make the trek over to the east side just to have breakfast at The Original Pancake House, nor would I really stop by while I was over there just to have some pancakes. Â That bacon, though, might just merit a second visit.
What was ordered:
Breakfast for two
Ham and cheese omelet - This was an enormous omelet. Meh the omelet itself was okay. Luke warm ham chunks and a mound of cheddar cheese plopped on top - next time I'll order something else. Â I'd give it 2.5 stars for taste and 1 for presentation.
Huevos Rancheros - In the bite that I had, I thought the green chili was surprisingly tasty and the eggs were cooked to order. Â
As for the side of pancakes, they were average. Â I expected a little more from a self titled pancake house. Â The pancakes were a little too firm and lacking some fluff. Â Maybe a large stack would have been fluffier?
Total was about $28 including tax and tip.
_____________
The service was okay and for a Sunday morning and the wait was reasonable. Â (I think about 10 minutes for a table of 2). Â One thing that bothers me about this place is that a cup of coffee is $2.09. Â $2 is steep and then they charge the extra 9 cents to be extra greedy! Â Sure sure, I sound like a miser writing this, but come on Pancake House!!! Â It's criminal to be charging this much for a cup of of coffee to go with breakfast. Â
To sum it up, for your average $10-12 enormous breakfast + $2.09 cup of coffee, The Original Pancake House is an okay/overpriced option. Â Don't go in with high expectations. Â I consider it one step above IHOP. Â 2.5 stars overall, but I'll round up to 3.
There's that one girl. Â I think you'll remember her: Â just a bit heavy on the makeup, hair and clothes a good decade off being current, but boy. Â Ready. Â Always, always ready. Â Some call her "a go-er." Â Just say where and when.
Original Pancake House. Â "A sure thing." Â Hate the setting, Mid-west Strip Mall Contemporary. Â Hate the section of Chagrin Boulevard, where it transitions from two lanes, to one lane turn only, to no lanes that ever move because Eton shoppers are texting their Whole Foods organic mung bean recipes while "driving." Â Hate a bunch of things.
But the food? Â Ah, there's only love for the food. Â Great service, too, almost old-fashioned and familiar. Â First time ever at this place and had three people talk with me like they actually wanted me there and were willing to make sure I would return. Â Busy times will always have a line, because good food and service will out. Â I surveyed three other tables and could only find full satisfaction. Â How very refreshing.
A sure thing. Â A "go-er." Â (And if you see her, let me know. Â I kinda miss old mattress-back.)
Yes I've experienced it better. Compared to the Original Pancake House located in Rockville, Md---this Woodmere location was a disappointment.
I usually get the Apple Waffles--I was very disappointed with the amount and the way the apples were prepared compared to the Rockville location. The orange juice sizes were different and cost more than Rockville.
You would think bc it's a chain --it would be same. NOPE.
Service: ehh it was alright. Kind of slow.
Always good breakfest food here......never disappointed. The staff is nice and I've never had a wait time longer than 5 mins to be seated. I usually go for the pancakes which are excellent but if you order an omelette you get a stack of pancakes with that come with that order. Wish the scrambled eggs were better and larger but overall this is a cool place to eat on a Sat morning when I usually go. Check it out if you are in the area.
Review Source:Pumpkin pancakes: Yes, thank you!
Blueberry delight pancakes: Dessert for breakfast, thank you!
$3.50 for 16 oz. of orange juice? Oh! Fresh from the orange, thank you!
Famous bacon: Well, my manly male counterpart said, "This is the best bacon I have ever had in my life!" I said, "This bacon is like eating salt." So, take your pick.
Fresh, homemade whipped cream? Yes, thank you!
Eggs were also fluffy and just the right amount of moist (I didn't need to add ketchup, which is unusual for me). Sausage also nummy.
I just can't wait to take visitors here again so I can try another pancake variety :)
P.S. There is also charming original artwork on the walls, most of it for sale.
Yes, it's a chain!
I was surprised when I heard about this place. People were raving to me- original pancake house is awesome! So off I went on my birthday with my parents....the moment I woke up.
It looked so unfamiliar to me...until I walked in and looked at the menu. Wait a second, I told my parents, I've had that dutch apple baby before!!! They just looked at me with a look that said- yes, Rachael, you probably have.
A few years ago, a few friends and I made a road trip to Chicago...and happened to stop by this amazing breakfast place in the Chicago suburbs. I asked- and yep, this place is indeed a chain! I ordered my long lost missed dutch apple pancake right away. My parents got something else. I don't remember- I was too overly happy that I got to eat that big bad pancake.
Imagine an egg tart.... in gigantic form with apples. That's pretty much it. I messed up ordering, (I think I said dutch and not dutch apple?) so it came out wrong..and the waitress wasn't too happy with me wanting my dutch apple. She was actually pretty rude about it....but whatevers... I really wanted it. It wasn't the same as I remember tho- when I had it before, it was crunchy on top...this was more of a soggy apple mess..but still, it was GOOD.
I thought the coffee was different.... definitely wasn't your diner type of coffee- a better blend. Overall, this is a solid chain to go to- when you want your pancakes.
I'm generally only in Cleveland about 4 weeks out of the year: two weeks for winter break and two weeks for summer break. However, the past three trips I've made, I have found the time to go to The Original Pancake House.
There seems to be a bit of a wait if you decide to go during a morning on the weekend. It isn't too terrible though, and definitely worth it!
Thankfully I don't live closer, or I would eat here for breakfast all the time and gain 50 lbs. The Pancakes are pretty good, not gonna lie. But the omelets are also amazing, not to mention huge! The last two times I went here I ordered the mexican omelet. T'was good. I had to bring some of it home in a doggie bag.
The service was alright. Nothing amazing. I would definitely check it out.
We weren't the last customers of the day and they already ran out of bananas and bacon? We got half a banana order and no bacon :-(
On the plus side, the whipped cream for the banana was sweet and light. Â Yummy.
Wifey ordered the dutch baby, which came out 15 minutes sooner than the rest of our food. I'm not sure if that is customary, but usually all our entrees are brought out to everyone at the same time. She didn't care much that her pancake had burned sides and a butter pool, but it tasted pretty good to me.
My brother's cheesy omelet was definitely a wonderment of constipation. He stopped eating his pancakes because he found a curly hair in the stack. I'm not sure, but my sister said that her turkey sausages tasted like beef. Nephew was supposed to have a scrambled egg with his waffle, but sadly, it never arrived.
My eggs were prepared properly as were the sausage links and potatoes, but I was a bit disappointed that the potatoes were soggy and bland, as if they were prepared hours ago or came from the frozen food section. I just prefer crispier taters with some seasoning. I want flava - it's a restaurant, not a retirement home.
Drinks were refilled at a good pace and I think that our server did the very best she could despite the circumstances. She did explain our situation to the manager (without any prompting from us), who came by the table to adjust the bill and apologize for the inconveniences.
The cashier/hostess area was vacant for about five minutes while a line formed behind me before the store manager walked over to ring up my bill.
I couldn't help but smile while leaving because the waitress seemed happy about the tip I left on her table. Â I believe in maintaining good karma from the foodie gods.
Keep it simple here. Â I know there's about 20 varieties of pancakes and omelets but, in my experience, your typical pancakes, bacon and eggs is the way to go. Â
The pancakes are hot, fluffy, and have a certain sweetness to them that almost renders syrup unnecessary...almost. Â The bacon is thick cut and served up crispy, just how I like 'em. Â The eggs are, well, eggs and there's really not much to say about that. Â
My only complaint is that the service here is iffy at times, and it often takes a while to get seated despite numerous empty tables. Â If they could fix that aspect, I'd be giving out 5 stars without a doubt.
There are a few reasons to love OHOP. First of all it is clean. Hello? Is this too much to ask of a breakfast place? Second of all it has Wifi, this is mandatory in 2010. Third of all the coffee is the perfect temperature, reasonably decent and served frequently.
But we go there for the food right? The pancakes are very respectable for a pancake house, carnivores love the bacon, and I love the potatoes. They are the real deal. Delicious sauteed potatoes with onions and spices. Not pedestrian hash browns or glorified french fries. Real, delicious potatoes. When I am not in diet mode, I get a double order.
I don't really understand the omelettes, they are baked not fried. They are dutch or something. Then again, why do people order eggs at a pancake house? Management is very nice, they run a tight ship. The staff seems to stay there, I like that.
These days, I am getting their oatmeal. It is less fattening then their house made granola which is surprisingly delicious. If you are going on a weekend get their before 9:30 am or be patient as you sit in line...
This place is just ok for breakfast. Â The food is mostly mediocre and the service is so-so. Â The entire reason to go here for breakfast is if you have a business meeting. Â It's like the restaurant was setup for breakfast meetings to happen. Â Also, if you are a coffee lover, your glass will never go empty. Â If you like anything other than coffee, good luck getting a second look from anybody.
Review Source:I'm sad that someone else got to say it before me... someone who has stolen my name, by the way... but...
Bacon Pancakes FTW.
If I had a dollar for how many times this "conversation" has happened...
"So get this... there's bacon IN the pancakes. Â Perfectly sized chunks of thick cut bacon. Â IN the pancakes. Â Like, mixed into the batter and... oh, you get it? Â Oh. You looked confused. Â Sorry, your confused face is almost the same as your impressed face. Â Yeah, you can eat the whole breakfast, pancakes and bacon, and never set your fork down. Â It's completely outrageous."
I've seen these 80-pound omelets whiz by my head on a server's platter and I remain wholly unimpressed. Â Anywhere else, I'd be scheming to get someone else's omelet. Â "Hey, guy, you drive a silver Audi, right? Â It's being jacked... oh, excuse me, miss, I think that's my omelet." Â But at OPH? Â Whatever. Â Omelet Schmomelet.
Five very perfectly sized pancakes (at OPH, there is no "my pancake is bigger than your pancake" bravado because they win on taste), arranged nicely on a plate, and syrup. Â What else do you need?
Coffee. Â Some of the best around. Â Why not? Â I mean, you're already getting a little glimpse into heaven as you eat bites of pancake WITH BACON IN IT... why not reach out and touch Jesus' robe real quick? Â Can't hurt. Â
In the fall, order the pumpkin pancakes (which are dusted in powdered sugar... and garnished with whipped cream... nice touch!), but make sure to convince someone you're with to get the bacon ones because you'll need a little taste to stop the shaking.
Pretty good Breakfast. Â Staff was ok. Â I was seated quickly. Â A large variety of pancakes, waffles, and omelets. Â The pancake orders are huge. Â I happen to have the bacon waffle. Â O so a waffle with some bacon. NOOO. A waffle with bacon INSIDE.
I would say the elements here combine for an above average breakfast. a 3.5, but well, as you can see I am incapable of 3.5.
Dutch baby was delicious. Probably worth a trip for that. Corn beef hash was good, but somehow the table next to us gets a whole heaping pile of the stuff while ours was tiny. A little overpriced for what they gave us, maybe the table next to us would have felt better with their huge pile of hash. Based on the food alone, though, I might return.
BUT... the service was a joke. Our waitress didn't give us silverware. She seemed annoyed at having to bring us stuff. She was mostly gone (not be found when we needed our check), but when she was around she made strange and awkward small talk all while doing a poor job of pretending to care. Ugh, fire that lady!
On another note, what kind of breakfast place won't cook eggs to order? They only serve scrambled.
I know people who absolutely love this place and will stand in line for an hour to eat here. So i did. Are we this desperate to find good food in Cleveland that we will pay these prices to eat mediocre breakfast? There are so many better places to eat than this. I tried it twice just to be certain that it wasn't just a hiccup ... I left both times with the same thought, "That was totally not worth it."
The place is very clean. Its located in Woodmere which is very close to Beachwood and Pepperpike so that means you be surrounded by the most cold and unfriendly people. In fact, i am pretty sure i heard a woman order a slice gluten free wheat toast and a water as her breakfast. The staff here is nice, but slow. I forgive then because you couldn't pay me a kings ransom to serve these people.
The food wasn't terrible. Parking was great. My wallet is certainly lighter. But i live in Northeastern Ohio on a Northeastern Ohio budget... Â In the end, its a pancake not steak. I recommend skipping it and going to First Watch, same wait.. Much better food.
Don't judge a book by it's cover.
The Original Pancake House flanks the end of a strip mall and sounds like a chain. While that may be the case, it just doesn't feel like a chain for some reason. Inside it is cozy, cheerful and clean. It's always packed with locals and the service has always been great.
The menu is extensive and portions are huge. I've been here multiple times and each time I go, I try and order something new. Everything on the menu looks amazing and I haven't been let down yet.
It doesn't look like much from the street (it is in a strip mall across from Eton) but once you step into the dining room, it feels boutiquey. The walls are covered by colorful original, interesting paintings. The dining room is sunny and airy.
The orange juice is freshly squeezed and just like I remember from Greece.
I indulged in the meat lovers. I asked my dining partner not to judge me.
They make gluten free pancakes if you ask.
When reading the reviews (albeit all 9 of em), I figure'd we couldn't go wrong, especially after my father recommended we hustle over to eat'n park for breakfast in Eastlake near his machine shop.
I now know that this place is no less a chain than eat'n park and frankly, wish I would have listened to my father (a recurring theme throughout life eh?)
I walked in, they had two hostesses on duty, it appeared as they had one busser and a handful of servers. Â We sat after wandering their entrance area not seeing anyone, encountering the hostess on our way to a table, she seated us and provided menus. Â My dad and I just wanted a good omelette. Â Our server was nice, and enjoyed pouring our coffee from varying heights above the cup, and god bless her not a drop splashed onto my white shirt. Â The coffee wasn't nearly as respectable as their "fair trade organic" whatever seal of green approval stuff made me think. Â I ordered a mexican omelette and added sausage (they didn't have chorizo :-( not cool), my father had the same, less the meat. Â It comes with three pancakes, no browns (yeah, no potatoes and it still cost $9!) Â Long story short, it took nearly 30 minutes to get our food, when we did, we saw these three inch high round monstrosities of egg and filling and cheese. Â I didn't know where to start! Â I ate my pancakes. Â They were delicious. Â It was obvious to me that the cooks they had had no business cooking breakfasts. Â The omelettes aren't folded, and had obviously stuck to the pan as they were a crumbly, mangled mess of overcooked eggs and filling. Â They weren't bad tasting, but texture has a lot to do with a great omelette, and this place seemed to forget to read that chapter.
I finished my water and gave up on trying to drink the coffee, my father had emptied both of his beverages having only had a few bites of our meal. Â A tall man (who I suspect was the "manager") stopped by and said "Enjoy guys, everything looks good!" Â I chuckled in disbelief and sorrow as it obviously didn't look good, and the manager never really asked us what we thought, that's just a little bit of BS. Â Anyway, our drinks needed filled when he stopped by, and obviously he didn't even know what to look for at a table when checking on them, as he should have had that server out within seconds with refills, instead we had our breakfast lube-free only getting refills once we were finished.
We won't return, I'd much rather have had breakfast at the aforementioned Eat'n park, at least they have smiley faced cookies.
I'm rating this on my most recent visit, in the past i would have given it a 5 though. Â I ordered the veggie omelet with bacon pancakes, strange I know but the omelet sounded good and I wanted to try the idea of the bacon pancakes. Â But anyway, back to my breakfast. The omelet was huge as they always are here, and very tasty no complaints there. Â The pancakes were slightly better than ok. Â i just felt knowing what else I've had here that they weren't up to par for what I expect. Â In the past I had the Dutch Baby which is excellent, its been too long since I've had it to write a review on that though. Â But my recommendation is to come hungry and order and omelet as they have a very nice selection, then since the omelet comes with pancakes sub the pancakes of your choice for the regular ones that come along and then you are able to try both the omelet and the pancakes.
Review Source:During a trip to Cleveland, a colleague INSISTED that we make time for breakfast here before an 7.30AM meeting -- so my mindset going in was "this better be WAY better than my hotel's free breakfast." Turns out getting there stupid early helps beat the crowds that people have mentioned.
And it was definitely good (definitely better than IHOP), with some intense pancake and omelette options. I can see this being a good once in a while celebratory weekend brunch place, but if it's a choice of waking up at 5.30AM, or if  you're just not into 1000 calorie breakfasts, stick to the free hotel buffet for a weekday.
A truly great breakfast. Â The Dutch Baby (a huge eggy pancake cooked in a Dutch oven) was great, hot chocolate was extremely sweet but that fit well, one friend was floored by the bacon pancakes, although another thought the waffles were underwhelming.
The line is super-long, though. Â Deservedly so, although I wish they had those remote-control things that ring when your table is ready. Â That would make it easier to wait in the bookstore across the street.
Also wish they were open late. Â I'd ditch IHOP in a heartbeat.
according to yelp, 5 stars = "woohoo! as good as it gets!"
i am going to add: "woohoo! as good as it gets - IN CLEVELAND!"
so yes, i give the original pancake house 5 stars because it takes a small chain to provide my favorite meal of the day to people in this midwest town.
but i must say, the menu makes me go crazy because they make every single kind of pancake you can think of! and i just want to get them all!
it also doesn't hurt that this restaurant is across the street from anthropologie. *wink*
The atmosphere is nothing special, but the food easily wins me over every time.  Their Apple Pancake may very well be the Eighth Wonder of the World.  To quote the website, it's "a single large pancake smothered with sautéed apples and cinnamon sugar baked to perfection."  That about sums it up, with an emphasis on "perfection." Â
The omelets are excellent too, but I wish they came with hash browns instead of 3 pancakes. Â A side dish is wholly unnecessary when you've got a 6-egg omelet to deal with -- can we say heart attack on a plate? - but for the sake of variety I do like a little something on the side, and hash browns seem like a much better pairing than pancakes. Â And their hash browns are delicious.
I had to deduct one star for the lack of ambiance combined with the noise coming from the open kitchen, which can be annoying, but the food is well worth it.
This place is the bomb...by the locals, for the locals.
As noted, it will be packed to the gills on weekends. Line is out the door and around the corner. Since I worked odd hours when I lived in the area I would only really come by during the week, as you could roll right in and get a seat (but it would still be busy...just not overflowing). Everyone, from the host to the bussers, are extremely friendly. The place just oozes a "family" vibe, and for a breakfast place, that is what you want.
The food is fantastic, too...especially the Dutch-inspired options. They offer a wide variety of pancake choices, with more toppings/fillings (is it considered a 'filling'? I don't know what else to call it) than you could try in a year. Buckwheat, baby! But, if you just want the ol' bacon and eggs, those are done very well too. The bacon in particular is way above average.
Its not cheap, but all things considered the prices are more than fair. If you are in the area you need to stop by.
Dutch baby! Dutch baby! Dutch baby! Apple pancake! Apple pancake! Apple pancake! The church of pancakes. The pinnacle. The Aristotelian pancake ideal. So good, and so crowded, all the time, because it's so good. Great with kids. It's a just a *tad* too expensive, but I don't care, because it's so good.
Review Source:This place has simply amazing pancakes. On weekends there is often an hour's wait, but trust me, it's worth it. Although these pancakes are not cheap if you are looking for an upscale breakfast spot this may be just right.
Flavors range from traditional berry to bananas foster pancakes, toasted coconut, potato pancakes, sourdough, pineapple, swedish pancakes and more. They even have specialty pancakes, like the dutch baby that is oven baked and served with lemon and whipped butter, and an oven baked apple pancake that is fit for dessert.
I can't remember the last time I went anywhere else for breakfast and took home leftovers but here I always leave stuffed. The long wait on weekends (I'm told there is no wait during the week but I can never make it then because they have limited hours). It pays to be hungry. Once you get a table, the servers are friendly, fast and keep the coffee refills coming. There is also a large selection of breakfast meats, crepes and omelettes.
One warning, don't leave and go across to the B&N if you are waiting, if you don't hear them call your name you will lose your place in line.
Located in a little strip mall across from Eton place, it doesn't look like anything special and you could drive by a dozen times without stopping. But you'll be glad you did, this is probably one of the best kept secrets on the East Side.