Ye Olde Pancake House — Restaurant in Eugene

Ye Olde Pancake House: A Mixed Bag with Promising Potential

Ye Olde Pancake House has always piqued my curiosity, with its consistently packed parking lot whenever I drive by. On my first visit, I decided to go all-in for the full experience, bringing along my fiance, my teenage son, adult daughter.

Upon arrival, we were seated immediately by our waiter, who promptly took our drink orders. He gave us ample time to peruse the menu before returning to take our food orders and deliver our beverages. It was at this point that a red flag appeared: he immediately began apologizing, stating that due to the kitchen being rushed and busy, the food might not be prepared well or as ordered. I'll admit, this should have been my first clue.

Credit where credit is due: the pancakes, the restaurant's namesake, ordered by my son and daughter, were reportedly perfect, though my son never received his syrup. So, for the "Pancake House" part of the name, they delivered. Unfortunately, the rest of our meal was largely a swing and a miss.

My biscuits and gravy were lackluster. They contained barely any sausage and were significantly under-seasoned, though the biscuits themselves were hearty. The "over easy" eggs that accompanied them, however, had disappointingly runny whites.

A consistent issue across our table was the hash browns. My son, daughter, and fiancé all requested extra crispy hash browns, but all arrived soft and barely crispy. My fiancé's eggs Benedict also missed the mark, featuring over-easy eggs instead of the expected poached.

I understand that a restaurant can get busy, but being busy is no excuse for serving food that isn't prepared properly. To have the waiter pre-emptively admit that our orders wouldn't be up to par, even as we placed them, was certainly a point of concern. While some customers might be irritated by a longer wait for properly prepared food, many, like myself, would prefer quality over speed.

Despite the significant missteps with our breakfast, there were definite positives. For how busy it was, the restaurant was remarkably clean. The staff were attentive, and a particularly bright spot was when one of your staff members noticed my US Navy hat and genuinely thanked me for my service. That small gesture was a welcome ray of light, especially considering how often such things go unnoticed these days. At the risk of sounding like a total Eeyore,Thanks for noticing.

We plan to return to Ye Olde Pancake House in the future to give it another shot, hoping for a less busy period and that our orders will be handled with...

The first time I visited this place, it was packed. Mostly with seniors, but still, absolutely full of customers. This if course led me to believe that the food here must be amazing, after all, why else would they have such great turnout on a Wednesday afternoon?

Despite the strange sign depicting what I can only assume is a sweaty Ron Jeremy lusting after pancakes, or perhaps because of it, Ye Olde Pancake House (cringe) has stuck in my head as a restaurant I've always been curious to experience.

My curiosity (and the lack of any new bistros in the Eugene area since 2015) prompted a venture into that strange unknown, the unfamiliar wafting of Ben Gay and Windsong being an apparently insufficient deterrent. The staff were very friendly, seating us immediately despite what appeared to be a hearty throng of patrons already dining.

The patrons themselves were less welcoming, firing the usual dirty looks and uncomfortable stares at the weird tattooed goths intruding in their starch-themed Americana sanctuary. The seats were unusually accommodating, I am not a small man and a booth that fits me comfortably is rare. The food was delivered quickly.

The food itself was...adequate. Not bad, but nothing special. The price was a little high for the quality, but such are the times. My steak was cooked nicely, the eggs were not overdone. But the pancakes, the things that the restaurant is literally named for, were so basic I half expected them to come with a jumper and a pumpkin spice latte. Nothing special or interesting, these flappiest of jacks were the same bland syrup sponges I have had in every Denny's and Shari's I've ever drunkenly bumbled into at 3am.

TL;DR: It's a perfectly okay bite to eat, but if you are going to name yourself after a particular food, you should probably bring something unique or interesting to the table when that food is ordered, otherwise you will be known solely and permanently as the sweaty Ron...

This has been a family favorite for years. The staff knows us and remembers our "usuals". Until recently, I would give it 5 stars consistently. Mostly on the merits of staff and a few of their dishes that we always order. Recently, the quality of the food has slipped. One of our favorite things was the apricot syrup option. It has always been delicious. Our last visit, we were presented with a barely orange, clear liquid with no flavor. I asked about it and was told that's just what's being offered now. The staff knows customers don't like it, yet my impression was that they didn't feel heard when presenting customer comments/complaints to ownership/management. I wish that wasn't the first thing I noticed. The amount of filing in omelets has decreased noticeably. AND, about a year ago, they changed hash browns to ones that can't get crispy at all anymore. I was consoled by being able to get a pancake with my favorite syrup, but now I can't get that either. I sure understand the increased costs of goods for businesses and trying to keep margins so they can pay employees and also keep an income. I would honestly rather pay a little more for my breakfast. Something to ponder. With love from one of your...