It's an even 20 miles round trip to Pancake Cafe but the food quality, great service and nice atmosphere make the trip worth it. Another excellent breakfast today. For me it was the freshly brewed Kona coffee and fresh strawberry crepes. Three perfectly made crepes with plenty of strawberries in and on the crepes. My wife had the eggs and bacon with hash browns. The thick cut bacon is the best anywhere. I always need to mooch some bacon and hash browns as if I didn't have plenty to eat myself. Michelle as always kept our beverages constantly filled.
Review Source:We ate here this morning and I felt like I should write a review based on our experience. Â The food was actually very good, however the table management was awful. Â We showed up around 9:45 and there were about 4 groups waiting ahead of us. Â We were told the wait would be 5 minutes which seemed about right because there were 4 tables open. Â More and more people arrived over the next few minutes and everyone was forced to wait in a small waiting area behind a velvet rope. Â While, I can understand that they didn't want people in the areas where servers are walking, there is a large area in the front of the restaurant that people could clearly wait without getting in the way. Â Instead people were forced to wait in the exit area, and also outside. Â Not to mention there were several elderly people and families with young children among the people crammed in the waiting area. Â The first recommendation would be to lose the velvet rope, you aren't a VIP nightclub. Â Second, our 5 minute wait turned into a 15 minute wait. Â The 4 original tables stayed open the entire time and there were a total of 6 tables open by the time we were seated. Â After we ordered our breakfast, there were still several people waiting. Â There were 4 booths in the back left corner of the restaurant that stayed open during the entire time of our meal which lasted about 30 minutes. Â It was inexcusable given that there were people waiting for a table the entire time. Â I thought they may be saving tables for regulars at first, but that would be pretty stupid given all of the people that were waiting and that tables were empty for almost 30 minutes. Â One of the booths went to my neighbor after it was empty for over 30 minutes. Â I will have to check with him next time I see him to see if he is a regular, since he got one of the VIP booths that was empty for so long. Â If the owner or manager reads this lose the velvet rope, stop yapping with regulars for 10 minutes while people are waiting for tables, and stop leaving open tables for 15 minutes plus while you have a full waiting area. Â There is no excuse for it.
Review Source:We are locals. We love pc's cafe. We have many places in the area to choose from but always frequent pc's. Their kona coffee is the very best in town, and their egg dishes are yummy. I am very partial to their spinach omelet  with feta cheese. It is great the day I order it and it reheats very nicely for another meal. Another personal favorite are their amazing pumpkin pancakes. We eat there at least once a weekend, and occasionally there may be a menu mistake, but our servers always are glad to correct the error. No place is perfect, but the great food and friendly staff,make this a great place to dine. The manager on duty is always surveying the activity and tries to assure patrons that everything meets their expectations. The owner is gracious as well. When we have time the apple pancake and the Dutch  baby are fabulous. If you are in the area don't miss this place.
Review Source:I've been going to the Pancake Cafe for years now and have been there at least a dozen times, and I always try to snatch up the Groupon when I can. It's never been a terrible experience and I gladly come back as often as I can. It is a bit pricey if you're used to places like Ihop or Denny's, but it's well worth it. The service is always quick and the staff are super nice. Some of these other reviews are absolutely shocking, I don't know of anyone personally who has had a bad experience. It's surprisingly good service and food for a small town and has been a staple breakfast cafe in Lemont for a while now. The crepes and pancakes are super decadent and always fresh. I've chatted with the owner, Paul, a few times before and he's always wanted to make sure that it was a great dining experience. I find it hard to believe that this cafe is capable of anything less than phenomenal service.
Review Source:This wasn't my first time, and I'm not usually one to write about my visit, BUT....
The greeter was friendly and we had a nice server. HOWEVER, when I opened the menu I was reminded why I don't go here! Â The prices are HIGH. Please stop with the comments, it's not Deney's, I KNOW portions are better AND the prices would be too! Â Go anywhere but here. Â All these reviews ring to this theme for a reason!
As I was ordering and had a question about something on the menu she couldn't answer, I asked for the manager...and she wouldn't come to the table!
If you want to pay for small portions at HIGH prices this is your place! and with a busy manager, ha!
Hello Folks...As promised I visited Pancake Cafe for the third time in the last 7 months or so. I went for breakfast with my wife this time around!... I had the $8.90  Two eggs, thick cut bacon( 4 big pieces!! :), hash browns, and toast and black coffee. I must say the 4 pieces of thick cut bacon was nice and flavorful(and there were 4!!); otherwise the two eggs were not jumbo sized, they were 2 over-easy eggs, the the hash browns were standard, along with the toast. The Kona coffee was tasty, not bitter, no heartburn either!...My wife had the $8.90 two eggs with the sausage patties. I told her to order the sausage patties because I reasoned since the bacon was amazing, her meat was probably outstanding also. But when she received her breakfast; two eggs, hash browns,these small-thin (and about 1/4" if that)4" circular sausage patties on this over-sized plate were served...We laughed....So, I was expecting some nice, juicy, thick sausage patties. I tasted them and they were average at best ....Maybe the owner will review and change. I think this would kick it up a notch( Especially for the price; promote the thick cut bacon AND THICK JUICY BREAKFAST SAUSAGE- NO BRAINER)....The waitress was amazing, very attentive for every need!!..Also the front end young lady who seated  & checked us out us was warm and friendly...To sum it all up.... I would recommend for breakfast if spending almost $23.00 plus a $5.00 tip isn't minded for the above detailed breakfast for two...I would definitely go if a Groupon is offered....And also they have some $5.50 specials on the table for Breakfast which is nice!!......I still think the prices are a bit high (PLease Don't Hate because I said this), and that is just my opinion, maybe I visited too many cheap joints growing up, BUT I am recommending because my breakfast was enjoyed, hot, tasty, and the coffee was flowing at a nice rate from the very friendly waitress...I am a fan...and will be back to order the other dishes. I TOLD YOU I WOULD GIVE A VERY HONEST-UNBIASED REVIEW; I ONLY HOPE IT IS READ BY THE OWNER. YOU HAVE A GOOD BUSINESS, BUT COULD MAKE IT GREAT, I THINK IT IS UP TO YOU. Take care
Review Source:Its unfortunate when a local restaurant isn't flexible - I mean if your independently owned then shouldn't you have flexibility in changing out 2 pancakes for 2 plain crepes - with my offer to pay extra for the swap out. Â Â I was told no - the system doesn't allow it. So much for serving the customer.
Review Source:Went here today with my mom and stepdad because my mom had a Groupon for it. Â On the way there, I peeked at the Yelp reviews on my phone and was expecting something horrible walking in, but we were greeted with a smile, led to our tables, were poured coffee and took other orders for drinks within the first few minutes of settling in. Â Our waitress kept refilling the coffee and checking in on us too. Â
I ordered a veggie omelet, my mom ordered the spinach crepes, and my stepdad had the German pancake. Â Our food arrived fairly promptly. Â The omelet was okay. Â Not the best I ever had, just a typical omelet. Â My mom said her crepes were okay too, but the spinach didn't taste fresh, nor did they look fresh to me. Â And the German pancakes weren't bad. Â
Overall it was kind of a lukewarm experience. Â The service was quick and the food wasn't completely horrendous, but it wasn't an out of this world experience either.
Stopped in for breakfast after golf last Friday. I remember it being good, but pricey years ago. Now it's still pricey, but not as good. The menu is rather slim. If you like omlettes or dessert pancakes, this place is for you. If you like a broader selection I suggest you go to Blueberry Hill or a place like that.
Review Source:My mom, sister and I ate at Pc's Pancake Cafe about a week ago and we had such a horrible experience. Â We went there since we had a groupon and was interested in trying their baked dutch peach pancake.
After looking at their menu my sister decided to get the veggie skillet and my mom and I wanted to split a small dutch blueberry pancake and a peach. The server mentioned that they also have a cherry(seasonal) pancake, but the server wasnt sure if the cherries were fresh so we decided not to get it. The server then brought us my sisters skillet and a blueberry and cherry pancake. Telling her that this was wrong and we had asked for peach she was shocked that she had taken the wrong order and apoligized. She offered to make a peach but we were in a hurry and it would have taken 20 minutes for another one to bake so we passed. The cherry pancake was super sweet and both plates looked like our food was just thrown on the plates. Come on, at least make it look appetizing if your going to charge us $9 for it. We had asked for whipped cream to go with our pancakes instead of syrup and she charged $1 for that even after she knew she had messed up!! Throughout all of this my mom and I had empty water glasses and no one even bothered to refill them.
We were very dissapointed so we spoke with the manager at the front who was extremely rude. He said he was going to question her about it and was not smpathic at all like managers should be.
Short and sweet, the food was not worth the price, service was absolutly horrible, and we will never go there again.
I had the Living Social deal to this place, and after reading all the reviews of this place I was terrified to try it. Â I'm glad we went though- it was much better than I expected.
Short summary- service was polite, fast, and efficient. Â We were seated immediately, our waitress had coffee right out (it's Kona blend and really good!), and had our orders taken quickly.
My kids both had pancakes and bacon, I opted for a greek omelette- feta cheese, portabello mushroom, and red pepper. Â I agree with some of the other reviews that the food is a tad bit on the bland side- they could use a little salt and pepper in that kitchen. Â My kids loved their food though, and we all had grapefruit juice that tasted like it was from concentrate. Â Overall food was decent, it wasn't amazing or avant-garde, but I think it was fair and reasonably priced.
Overall- I think this place is pretty good. Â Hopefully the owner read the horrible reviews and made some changes. Â I'd definitely come here again- it was $26 for 3 of us to eat, and that's really not that expensive. Â The service was good, and the food adequate. Â Is this a breakfast destination? Â No. Â But if I were hungry for breakfast while in Lemont I'd definitely go back.
I recently moved into the area from downtown Chicago, so I was looking for a great breakfast spot. Â This place is terrible. Â The service is terrible....you have to wait at least 20-25 minutes for someone to even come to your table. Â The staff is so slow. Â And the food is gross....it is pointless to even spend money here. Â Take the drive and go to Jam and Jelly in Darien (on Lemont Rd) or Juice O in Willowbrook. Â The waiters and waitresses at both of these places are fast and efficient and the menu selection is fantastic....and the food is great. Â Do not waste your time at Pancake Cafe...you will be disappointed....THIS IS THE WORST BREAKFAST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO.
Review Source:***UPDATE***
Sooooo....
Paul C reached out to me and apologized for the terrible experience and has promised to deliver a better product......or not.
He has decided to question my manhood and threaten me with the POLICE!
Here is his message and my response....ENJOY!
_____________________________
David G or whomever,
As the owner of Pancake Cafe I was embarassed to read the childish and immature review written. It is something I would expect from a uneducated person. The harsh language used, are you trying to show your manhood or is it to overcompensate for it.
If we made that large of a mistake at our restaurant you should have been man enough to advise a manager or owner and not hide behind a poorly written review. I have reported it to yelp and to the local police agency.
____________
David G.
One hour ago
-----------------------
Are you serious?
Who is being childish now. Maybe instead of wasting the time of the Police you should try to do a better job of being a restaurateur.
If anyone should have called the Police it is me. We all left your place feeling robbed that we actually paid for such a terrible meal and experience.
I am man enough to advise a manager but to be quite honest I doubt it would make a difference. It was that bad. And your manager didn't have a fucking clue...
If you cannot handle an honest look at your business from the eyes of a paying customer then maybe you should consider a new line of work. Or you can keep on keepin on and just go out of business the old fashioned way.
Yes, I am a highly educated person, & yes, I am smart enough to never eat at your establishment ever again as well.
I love the fact that you accuse me of hiding behind a poorly written review, yet you send me a message challenging my manhood, by implying that I am not man enough to speak my mind?
If I didn't know better I would think you were trying to threaten me.
Well I accept your challenge!
I would gladly say any and ALL these comments to your face. I will literally print them out, come to your "restaurant" if you can call it that and read this to you - face to face.
You see, the freedom of speech is a great thing. I have the right to speak my mind and you have the right to serve very bad food and get mad when you called out on it.
Get a life. Loser
Since moving to Lemont 2 months ago my husband and I have had breakfast here twice, today possibly being the last. Â As one reviewer said so succinctly said, you want breakfast to be better than you can make yourself at home. Â The first time we went it was mid-morning and the place was fairly empty. Granted this place is in a strip mall tucked in the corner, but if the were any good it wouldn't matter. Â Today being a Sunday it was more crowded, but still plenty of empty booths and tables
I am not much of a pancake person so I have gotten egg dishes both times we were there. Â Most noticeable is the overall lack of any kind of seasonings and the fact that they have some of the worst hash browns ever. Soggy and not crisp, and like their omelets, devoid of any seasonings. Maybe they are playing to the lowest common denominator and putting out bland food so nothing gets sent back. Â Either way, would be hard presses to go back. Â For the record, my husband was not impressed either. Â
We were left with the question "Is there anywhere in Lemont to get a good breakfast"?
I'm shocked that people find this place expensive. It's not Denny's, it's a local diner. Get over it. Many breakfast items are under $10 so I'm confused as to why the price is being thrown around as a complaint in reviews. Moving on...
I'll sum up my breakfast here in one sentence; it smells better than it tastes. Nothing was terrible but nothing was great either. I love cooking at home and breakfast is the easiest thing to make. Give me 30 minutes and I'll whip up great tasting pancakes from scratch and have cleaned up afterwards. Done. So I need a restaurant's breakfast to be better than at home for me to appreciate dining out. The problem with this restaurant was execution.
A delicious smelling item was walked past us smelling of cinnamon and sugar. Apple pie being my weakness, I had to ask what that was. I settled on the apple pancake. What I received was a crusty mess of something that appeared to have been baked in the oven to caramalize the sugar on top. Unfortunately, it didn't taste like a pancake and didn't taste of apples. It was simply a crunchy grease bomb that tasted like not much at all. I was disappointed. I was hoping for one or two light but beautifully risen pancakes with an apple filling cooked separately that was poured over the top. I know, I'm picky.
The service was friendly and I really have no complaints other than taste. PC's seemed to have a nice little crowd for a Saturday morning but a few changes would help the lines form out the door.
Had breakfast with a friend at PC's Pancake Cafe for the first time and it was OK. The service was good with just a few lags here and there. The food was average, though portions were generous. I ordered a ham and cheddar cheese omelet and received a ham and American cheese one instead. I didn't send it back (don't want to waste food) but I wasn't surprised by the error because it seemed to fit with the overall OK-ness of the place.
I agree with a number of the reviewers who say the prices are high for the quality. I've had much better food and service elsewhere for the same prices or less.
I won't return unless my friend wants to go back there; he seemed to enjoy it and it's a central location for us.
This has become a favorite go-to place in town for tasty breakfasts or brunches. Â They've been relatively busy each time I've been in, but not so busy that the owner, Paul, doesn't have time to chat during the visit. I wish they were open for dinner as well, but not everyone is into pancakes at that time of night I suppose :-)
Review Source:I was looking for a change and changed direction and turned south on Lemont Road after looking up places for breakfast. So on Saturday 10-30-10 at 10AM, I decided to give PCs Pancake Cafe in Lemont a try.
It was my first & last trip. Â
Carlos was quick with the coffee, but slow with the cream. Â By the time I added cream the coffee was merely warm. It was the last time I saw the coffee pot, even though I asked for a second cup, twice.
Okay, now, instead of coffee, which seems to be MIA, I asked for water, twice. Though, I finally did get a glass of water about half way into my meal.
After looking over a promising menu, I ordered the Homemade Corned Beef Hash & Eggs with Pancakes.
The egg pan was maybe too hot. The over-easy eggs arrived browned on the edges with the whites still quite runny. Â
But I eat raw eggs anyway (I know...). Â So no big turn off for me. Maybe you might not care for it, though.
The Hash appeared to have been processed through a mixer/grinder of some sort, having a texture closer to a pate or paste/spread. Â The taste of the Hash, I couldn't quite pin down seasoning wise. Â IMHO, it was not what I'd hoped for (shrugs). Â
The seasoned hash brown potatoes could have been 'browned' a bit more, but were fairly tasty, onions (yum) and all.
The pancakes were good, after picking off a fleck of onion obviously carried over from the grill and the potatoes.
But take if from a guy, or not, who is from out of town and has had breakfast out in the Darien/Lemont area every weekend since March, I know I won't be going back to PCs Pancake Café any time soon.
All in all, for $ 11.61 plus tip (yep, Carlos probably could have used the generous 25%, regardless), I've had better breakfasts.
When I read the previous reviews I was a bit hesitant, but we'd already made plans to meet up with my Aunt Mary and cousins. Â After hanging around for a good hour post-meal, I wondered if those folks who'd written such scathingly negative reviews either had an axe to grind, or just had one isolated, poor experience.
The food was all well-prepared, portions sufficient (let's face, it, obesity is a problem in this country), and priced fairly. Â It's 2010, people, and it costs a lot to bring fresh ingredients to the table in a creative and well-prepared way. Â I had the chorizo skillet breakfast (split it wit someone -- there was plenty for two!), and others had spinach omelets, multi-grain waffles with fresh berries, etc. Â No one was unhappy in the least. Â Â Service was attentive without being over-bearing. Â Not sure we'll be back (I live in Ravenswood), but please don't let those two- and three-year old reviews scare you off, especially if you live locally. Â Nice job Paul.
So after a long absence, we returned here to find a sadly changed restaurant. A few years back, under prior management, this was a hopping little breakfast place. Now, just a local diner, barely a step above your average truck-stop greasy spoon.
  The food, in general, is canned, not fresh. A mushroom omlete with canned mushrooms for $8 is simply ridiculous. There is no variety of syrups and sauces you'd normally expect to find at a pancake restaurant,  just "maple" flavored. The coffee was generic, unflavorful, and weak. The bacon overcooked. The kids French Toast was an uninspired piece of egg coated bread on a plate. All in all, a shadow of its former existence.
  If the place stopped using jarred and canned shortcuts and went back to fresh ingredients, dropped the weird lunch menu items that don't mesh with a breakfast place, and made an effort to serve outstanding food; I'd love an opportunity to try them again.
A cup of coffee that is only fairly good should absolutely not be the best part of the meal. Â My daughter and I were looking around for a nice place to have breakfast and saw PC's Pancake Cafe. Â It looked really cute so we decided to give it a go thinking that it can't be too bad. Â We walked in, and were greeted with good smells, inviting decor, and a friendly hostess standing at the front. Â We were guided to our seat, got some fairly good coffee and placed our order from a friendly waitress. Â So far, so good. Â Had we stopped there, I probably would give given the place four stars.
Due to our budget, we decide to order the value meals, which are fairly inexpensive, and some extra hashbrowns. Â Unfortunately, not only was our "value" meal overpriced for the quality, but it wasn't hot and the pancakes were just like those little round frozen ones you get for kids, only a little bigger. Â From a place called "Pancake Cafe" you would think that their pancakes would be fresh and fluffy instead of flat and spongy. Â They seemed like they were taken straight from the freezer to the microwave. Â The bacon was disgustingly salty and $2.50 is way too much for a regular cup of coffee. Â Over $22 for two value meals, two sides, two cups of coffee, and tip is way overpriced at this place. Â PC's Pancake Cafe is a disappointment, not the worst you can have but I will not go there again. Â There are many other places to get a much better breakfast.
The first time I ate here, it was during a huge fight with my then-boyfriend. We were both a little hungover from a wedding the night before (me a bit more of the two of us) and we went, not speaking, for breakfast. Food was good--great pancakes, huge portions--but it was a little pricey. Happily, I dumped the boyfriend, landed myself an amazing husband, 2.5 kids, the whole bag--and ate there again. Same review: food was good--great pancakes, huge portions, but it was a little pricey. Definitely higher caliber than, say, an IHOP or anything along those lines--I mean, you *really* taste the difference. But if you're on an IHOP budget, you might want to pass this one by and settle for food of slightly less quality but more wallet friendly. If you hungry, anticipate at least a three pound weight gain. But it will be goooooood. :)
Review Source:Consistently good food, good location.
When I go out to Lemont to visit my parents my mother and I will frequently have breakfast/lunch at the Pancake Cafe. Â Initially I thought it was expensive, but I thinking eating out as often as I do in the city cured me of that as I now find it reasonable.
I have had the chicken pasta, various omelets, a burger, a chicken sandwich, and the vegetarian sandwich, each of which was very fresh and tasty. Â I am impressed by the high quality ingredients and find the menu to be original for the area - not much like it in Lemont.
I think it is a great place although I won't go too far out of my way to visit it.
Went here at 9 in the morning on Fathers Day, 2007. Â No wait for a table! Â Downhill from there. Â I ordered a mushroom and spinach omelette, rye toast, and hash browns, and coffee to drink. Â My boys had french toast sticks, and my wife ordered the chipotle omelette (southwestern omelette). Â My toast and hashbrowns arrived cold (the butter didn't melt on the toast-even though the waitress said that she saw them pull it (the hashbrowns) out of the oven...BS!), and my omelette had no spinach in it. Â I asked for the order to be fixed, then spent the next 10 minutes staring at the messed up/cold order, since the waitress said that she was unable to take it back every time she passed by the table! Â The toast would have been bearable to eat cold, aside from the fact that it tasted like the rye bread that they toasted had been left out overnight! Â This place has been sold recently and has gone downhill fast. Â The service was adequate, but the food was horrendous! Â I won't be returning unless I asleep when the decision is made!
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