Original Pancake House - South Park — Restaurant in Charlotte

My family and I love the original pancake house. Today we visited the South Park Charlotte location we have been in love with their pancakes for years. They were some of the best in the breakfast business. We’ve visited the Alpharetta location, Columbia location, and both locations in Charlotte before. We have not been here in a while due to living further away. Today our waitresses were very friendly and informed us of many of the changes as we began to order. Apparently there is new management or ownership and I’m not sure if that is nationwide or just the two locations in Charlotte. Unfortunately, we left very disappointed. The pancakes don’t taste the same. They were thinner, crispy with no fluff to them. They no longer had the original pancake house unique taste. The potatoes had changed to hashbrowns with no flavor. You now have to pay for every additional ingredient when before the potatoes were cooked with onions and peppers. They literally put a skinny worm like sliver of whip cream on the two hot chocolates we ordered just to charge us 2 dollars for a small bowl of whip cream when we requested more. It feels criminal when quality isn’t up to par on the original item and then you charge more to add what’s already missing. You could not even see the whip cream. My mom’s order was the last straw for me. I never get omelettes at this restaurant but today my mom ordered an omelette. It was explained to us after mom expressed she didn’t like it that their omelettes are French style. The manager pointed out it says French style on the menu and it has been that way for years. But my mom ordered a omelette, not looking at the menu and asked if it was possible to do an egg white omelette the waitress says yes and explain how to add accoutrements to it, but did not point out it wasn’t a traditional omelette. She did not like the dish and didn’t even eat it and they refuse to take it off the ticket. Everyone on the staff was pleasant but I could tell the manager was ready to be unyielding. I understand having to keep the rules across the board but their new policy to not take things off the ticket does not include replacing an item a guest doesn’t like. It was explained that if they fixed it correctly and as the menu states they would not take it off the menu. I don’t see the problem with that policy, but if you visually see the person hasn’t eaten the dish it is customer service to offer something in the place of it. I do understand a business is trying to stay afloat while everything is increasing in price, but these practices lacks serving your customers well. All the changes brought the quality down with no care for customer. We will never be back to this restaurant we still tipped well. We were pleasant, but expressed our feedback but to nickel and dime the customers on each item and then have no flexibility when there was a lack of communication on an item, and even if there wasn’t a lack of communication if a person does not eat the item there should be something done. It is up to the business to decide but something should be done. We understand people, abuse policies and abuse grace, but we should not head in a direction where there is no room for customer service I hope not all the locations are like this. I will not be back to either Charlotte location, but I will ask more questions at the next original pancake house if we decide to try a different location or just choose a new breakfast place. This is truly...

Today, on April 18, 2025, I visited The Orginal House of Pancakes-South Park Charlotte, NC, at 930am. Upon arrival, they told us it would be a 30-minute wait. Even though it was 1.5hr wait, we decided dine-in anyway because our party of 6 included 3 toddlers.

Breakfast was really slow, and that was OK until it wasn't. Our server brought the food out as it was ready, which was fine except that one of the kids' meals was last after a bit of a time gap. We began to eat and ask the server about the rest of the food, and he said it wasn't ready.

After a while, we noticed he never came back. At that point, we asked another server for the check. I asked her, "What happened? Did he go home?" She stated "Yes he quit!" Like walked off the job in the middle of a shift. After several more minutes, someone brought us the bill. But the bill was incorrect.

I told my family to go load the kids in the car, and I'll square away the bill. As they were getting up, two more severs came to the table trying to help us (all of a sudden, everyone had time to help us). I then asked to speak to a manager.

I waited for the manager-John. I told John I understand today had been a rough one and that I had been there since 930am, and it was now 1230pm. I asked him to remove the 2 items (french toast and hashbrowns) we did not receive and an omelet that wasn't edible because it was supposed to have no cheese.  I asked him to remove those items so I could pay and leave immediately (keep in mind I had 3 toddlers).

John then said, "I don't understand! Why didn't you just ask for what you were missing? So someone didn't eat? We don't remove items from the bill."

I was shocked at his rude demeanor and response. I stated to John, "We have 3 toddlers, we've been here since 930am, we did ask, and at that point, we decided to share food."

John them repeated his response. I asked him, "Are you telling me you want to pay for items I did not receive and eat? John stated that he wouldn't remove the items off the bill, I needed to pay, and if I didn't, "your dining and dashing."

The conversation was in front of the entire restaurant. I told him, "I will happily pay for the items I actually received and ate.  I told him "So your refusing payment? Remove those items, and I'll pay." He said "No!" So I then said,"I'm leaving." John then said,"Then you dinning and dashing, now leave and never come back."

I left only to return with my husband to get all the store information, server name, and info that I could and let him know I will be taking this up the ladder.

The fact that he tried to embarrass me infront of the entire restaurant, he's actual a "manager", my waiter walked off the job in the middle of the shift and I was there from 930pm o 1230pm is INSANE.

I will never visit this establishment again, and I will be sharing this information.

And to answer your question, YES! I am an African American woman. Was this about race? I'm not sure, but I can bet the outcome would've been different if I weren't.  In today's climate, The Orginal House of Pancakes-South Park Charlotte, NC, fits right into the stereotypical discrimination.

Thanks, John, for the below average...

First time visiting, myself and my daughter's came in to have breakfast. I ordered the strawberry waffle combo with sausage and un fortunately hash browns not breakfast potatoes that the menu says. Had to pay for onions, ok no problem. 1 daughter ordered strawberry pancakes combo with bacon hash browns. Other daughter ordered the strawberry waffle combo with bacon eggs and a side of hash browns with cheese, her plate was fine. Here is where the problem comes. When the food arrived my food didn't come at the same time. As the food came to the table my order didnt come together. Daughter that ordered pancakes didnt have hash browns. I only got my waffle no toppings as I sat the restaurant was very cold which means waiting now I have cold food. Finally get my sides and the hash browns for my self and my daughter looked like burnt crispy onions literally hard with a tiny bit of noticeable potato on top. I immediately said these are burnt and hard. Server replies we like to cook them crispy. There is a difference, ours definitely didn't come from the same batch as my daughter's across the table. She said I will get more. Still with a partial breakfast we wait my daughter tried her pancakes and they tasted like yeast bread. She didn't like then nor did I so we asked for a strawberry waffle instead. Sure let me get that off Isabella went. Finally back bringing my onions for my potatoes by this time my waffle was ice cold. She says I will get another my apologies you can work on that one while i get a freah one and goes again. No I don't want to eat cold food in shifts I want it all together I'm thinking. Then we finally get hash browns that were much better but tasteless. She returns with my waffle but everything else is cold i just settled. She tells my daughter waffle coming in 30 sec more like almost 10 min by that time we were over it and said just pack the waffle to go because she had already ate her bacon and potatoes and was simply discouraged by this point. When she gave us the check it was $76 for breakfast no drinks we generally drink lots of water and was told there was no adjustments going to be made. I felt robbed even if food is cold or burnt U PAY FOR IT with addition to the items remade! Hell if I knew that I would have kept my other waffle for later. Just beware know what your getting because it doesn't matter to them if it's their fault your going to pay for it. As for our server Isabella she was kind and friendly I would love to give her 5 stats but I give one because she could have informed me of the rules and not just removing things from the table besides the inedible potatoes before informing i was paying for it again for it to go to the trash. I will never go again. Terrible policy. They rob their customers!!!!!!! Eat here at your own risk like it or not cold or hot u pay for it. Never heard of such a thing that should...