Pancake Circus — Restaurant in Sacramento

Don't let the kitschy exterior fool you. This is not a nostalgic step back in time. My friend and I came here to try the breakfast because, dude, it has Circus in the name. Yeah, well, it is definitely a circus on the inside but a circus of DEPRESSING PEOPLE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK, grimy surfaces, and the food that could trigger a prison riot if it was served to an inmate popualtion. We were seated at a table that had not even been wiped down and goddamnit, there goes egg yolk on the sleeve of my freshly cleaned hoodie. The menu was grossly overpriced and looking around at the other plates of food we saw wasted money in our future. We promptly got up, excused ourselves and walked past row after row of gloomy patrons sipping coffe and poking at underdone eggs and burnt breakfast meat. The patrons there all looked like they belonged on a police lineup and my hand shot into my pocket to keep a tight grip on my wallet out of primal instinct. Stepping back outside the air quality changed 200% for the better. Don't go to the Circus, you're only going to get clowned for your...

I visited when the atmosphere was small and quiet. After living in Sacramento for decades and passing by this place, 2023 is the first time I've ever eaten here. Service is good. The restaurant is clean. I like their pancakes. Fluffy. Large. Satisfying. Tasty. I've had a burger and fries. They were all right. I was disappointed in the lemonade. It's just regular lemonade with added fruit. I expected the ice cream to be more than a scoop for the price and taste amazing, but it's better to go a few blocks to the parlor for that experience. On my last trip, I tried wings and waffles. The waffle was good, but the wings were fried a little too hard to fully enjoy them. I don't know what the excitement is for this combination yet, but I didn't find it here. I may try something else, but it seems that my best bet is to stick with what the restaurant is named for,...

I was very happy with my experience at Pancake Circus. Even though they were very busy, I was seated right away and my food came out quickly. I ordered coffee, chicken fried steak, eggs and pancakes. Everything was excellent. The setting is that of an old school diner. I very much enjoyed the blast from the past feeling. Both servers were personality plus. You could tell that they have long standing relationships with many of their customers. They knew them by name as they walked in the door. I even got to have a nice conversation with Nick, one of the owners. Nick is a class act. He's a nice young man who truly values people. I was impressed that he assisted his employees with all of the day to day duties which ensured the smooth, efficient operation of his restaurant. I'm looking forward to coming back with my...