Helga's Pancake House — Restaurant in Queensland

Aggressive manager. Mediocre overpriced food. Dirty.

The owner is so rude and aggressive. My family ordered pancakes and I asked for a smoothie and she abruptly said she was only taking food orders. So I said oh ok then and she then huffed and reluctantly took my drink order.

The young wait staff were really pleasant but the owner needs to take some serious customer care training. The pot of tea tasted stale. I explained this to the manager and instead of apologising she aggressively tried to engage in a debate with me over it. She said maybe we weren’t used to the tea bags so we quickly pointed out to her that it’s the same brand we have drank for years. She then went onto say it’s the same water out of the coffee machine and she’s had no issues so it must be us with the issue! I then said maybe it’s the tap that needs cleaning. She just stood staring at us with a blank expression and then shrugged her walked off. She didn’t ask if I wanted an alternative drink. I can’t believe how unprofessional she was wanting to get into a debate with us over it.

The pancakes were stodgy and flavourless.

The toilets were flithy and no hand soap. There was a massive dead cockroach near the kitchen. Not a good look.

Atmosphere was dull and depressing. Maybe that’s why the cockroach decided to just give up and end it!

Upon paying the manager said there was a surcharge. Something we have never heard of apart from public holidays. I see from a previous review this has caught someone else out at this establishment. We decided to pay cash.

I also see from other reviews that the same thing is said about the manager’s bad attitude. Definitely something she needs to work on improving.

The manager needs to focus more on her own customer service rather than grabbing any extra bit of money.

Avoid this place. There are way better options in Cairns and Kuranda for pancakes with a good atmosphere and...

Right in the heart of Cairns Central Business district, Helgas Pancake House is a must visit. Located opposite Bobzip Korean on the intersection of Spence and Grafton streets it is easily located and the perfect place to stop on the way to the port if your heading off on a day cruise. I just can not get enough of this place when I am staying in Cairns for work. I did not know eggs Benedict on pancakes was a thing before eating here. And I have got to say that I love the food. The only thing better than the food is the service that really is a level above the rest. I have eaten here dozens of times and i have not had a single reason to fault either the food, the service or the presentation of the cafe. Food portions are generous and the price is affordable. With an average wait time of up to 15 mins the service time is prompt. With a relaxed, friendly atmosphere combined with amazing service people on average spend about 45 mins here. The coffee served here is as good as you will find anywhere. Even a seasoned coffee snob like myself rates it highly. I typically will not return to a cafe if it is let down by bad coffee. I am pleased to tell you that this is not the case here. So, stop in, enjoy the food and the company. You will...

I have previously visited Helga's Pancake House with my family and enjoyed both the food and the experience. However, today's visit left me extremely disappointed due to the lack of service, flexibility, and unwillingness to accommodate a simple request.

I asked to have the Canadian breakfast with sausage instead of bacon, a reasonable request given that sausages are available on the menu and are priced the same as other sides. Shockingly, my request was flat-out refused unless I paid extra. This rigid approach was perplexing, especially since there isn't a menu item that combines pancakes, eggs, and sausage, making my request not only logical but simple to fulfill.

The staff's inflexibility and unwillingness to accommodate a patron's basic request were frustrating. As a result, I opted to skip breakfast altogether and just ordered a coffee. Instead of gaining a satisfied customer who would have ordered both coffee and breakfast, they only secured a sale for a coffee. I went elsewhere for my breakfast, where my request was happily accommodated.

Helga's Pancake House needs to reconsider their customer service approach. Today's experience was a stark contrast to my previous visits and has certainly affected my...