Original Pancake House - Midtown — Restaurant in Charlotte

Visited the Original Pancake House late morning on a weekday. I’m always a bit skeptical walking into a restaurant with dirty, smudged/streaked windows but we decided to give it a try after reading generally positive reviews.

This is not refined or upscale dining by any means. Was that urine I smelled as we sat down in our booth? Gosh…I hope not. Most of the patrons appeared to be dressed “comfortably”. Perhaps a bit too comfortably for public appearance. Sweat pants and pajama bottoms appeared to be the outfit of choice today.

Our server was pleasant and took our order quickly. Coffee was hot, strong, and tasty. My over easy eggs were perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, the accompanying plain pancakes that arrived with them were a bit cold and the soft butter had difficulty melting on them. They were fine tasting and had a nice salty/vanilla flavor. I liked that they were thin and not overly fluffy. They probably would’ve hit the spot had they arrived hot and fresh.

NZ did not like her avocado toast. The toast was barely browned and the tomatoes were a bit bitter. Could’ve been sold as tomato toast since avocado was used somewhat sparingly. Side order of bacon didn’t even pretend to be hot. It was cold and appeared to have been cooked well before we woke earlier that day.

Although the food was acceptable, the interior appeared somewhat dingy and unappealing. The initial odor aforementioned above didn’t seem to dissipate much which leads me to believe someone may have had an “accident” of some sort where we were sitting. 😖

The floors are well worn from years of foot traffic and some of our cups and plates were visibly cracked and/or chipped. The lack of vibrancy or decor was a little off putting. Although this is supposedly a Charlotte institution, the restaurant could certainly use a refresh of some kind. It reminded me of stepping back into the 1970’s…which can be good thing. Or bad, depending on your perspective.

Servers all appeared friendly and in good spirits which is a plus. There is ample parking and egress in and out was a breeze.

After tip, our small breakfasts which included two coffees and one orange juice totaled $47.00.

Would we return? Most likely not due to being skeeved out by less than hygienic conditions...

THEY DROPPED MY FOOD AND TRIED TO SERVE IT ANYWAY!!!! BUYER BEWARE

I have been a customer frequenting this restaurant for over 20 years. Today I had the worst experience ever. The Restaurant must be under new management. I came in and ordered a Western Omelet meal which was $14. After waiting for approximately 20 minutes, the young lady handed me a bag with the omelette and side of pancakes in it, but the bag was tied very tight with a knot at the top. I walked out to my car and immediately checked my food, upon checking I noticed that the omelette was all CRUMBLED IN PIECES as it had been DROPPED then placed into the container. I immediately went back into the facility to show the assistant manager.

The assistant manager walked over to the owner and I overheard him saying that I don’t think we gave it to her like that. I stated yes you did and even the attendees in the front agreed as I had just left out the building. At that time they offered to make it over. I stated that I had to go to work and I had already waited 20 minutes and I could not wait an additional 30 minutes. So I asked for a refund. Upon refunding me, they took out $10 for the side of pancakes that were supposed to come with the omelette. They tried to charge me $10 full price for the side of pancakes, even though they made the mistake and destroyed dropped the omelette. Customer service was very poor. I waited there for 20 minutes wasting my time with no empathy or customer service and NO APOLOGY!!!! I was treated like it was my fault that they messed the omelette up!!! As if I was supposed to accept low quality and DISGUSTING SERVICE.

I have spent thousands of dollars at this restaurant and I am very disappointed on how I was treated as a customer today. I had to call to make a police report just to get my...

Leaving a nearby doctor’s appointment, since my wife & I had not eaten breakfast before leaving home, we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast out. We had a couple of dining options, but opted for the Original Pancake House, which was close-by. Because it was late morning, the parking lot was not packed, which was an encouraging sign for our empty bellies!

We were greeted at the door by Ken, who I assume was the manager or owner. Regardless of his position, Ken instantly made us feel welcome, asking how we were and holding the door for us.

Inside, the restaurant was filled with families, friends, couples, and patrons dining alone. Some appeared to be regulars, while others may have been first-timers like my wife and I.

Sam was our server, and she was efficient and attentive despite having multiple tables. Sam kept our coffee cups filled and checked-in on us a number of times to ensure our meals (and dining experience) were to our satisfaction. We left with the remainder of our breakfasts (lots of food!), to-go cups of coffee, and just a “good feeling” about this place.

Ken set the tone for our dining experience upon our arrival and followed-up with us as we were paying to ensure all was well. As I told him when we were leaving, “Sam was an excellent server, and while this was our first time at the Original Pancake House, it wouldn’t be our last.” Ken shook my hand like he was genuinely glad we had chosen to dine at his restaurant; the kind of send-off that meant so much more than a simple “thank you” and served as a personal invitation to come back again.

If you are looking for a good breakfast, provided by good people, with a side of positive vibes, this Original Pancake House checks all the...