The Original Pancake House

I try to stay away from chains when I travel, but we decided to give this place a try after having a bad experience at a local bkfast joint the day before. I must it was pretty tasty, I had the Swedish pancakes served with lingonberries and a side of 2 eggs (extra cost). Although the price was a little over the top for just pancakes, I still enjoyed it.
I recommend this place if you’re craving pancakes, you’ll be sure to find something to your liking… so many choices!

I was so thrilled to see a familiar restaurant I grew up with in Michiganbut this is definitely not the same. My husband usually orders the Belgium waffle with strawberries and ice cream. They don’t offer the scoop of ice cream only strawberries and whipped cream. So he decided to go with the corned beef hash. DO NOT ORDER THIS DISH unless you like dog food. When it was brought out it looked like some kind of dog food put together in a patty with eggs thrown on top. I wanted to send it back but he didn’t want to make a scene. On top of the unattractive appearance, he stated that it wasn’t even seasoned. The home fries were very greasy.
On the positive note, service was very prompt. My omlete was delicious as usual. The prices are reasonable.
Overall this place doesn’t live up to its name which is a shame because people here won’t get to experience the true amazing classic dishes this restaurant is known for.

Nice place, for a breakfast oriented place they could open a little earlier. Service was good. I had a breakfast scramble that came with pancakes. The place was not very busy, on the day I was there. I was tired of the over priced bland hotel breakfast, so it was a nice break from that.

Check out the BACON! Shipped from Minnesota! OMG it is awesome! Super thick and cooked on the grill with a press. Can’t buy it in stores. Pancakes are always yummy! Service is great. I never had to ask for refills.

Great environment, the staff isn’t horrible but not the best. They are super friendly but drinks aren’t refilled quickly or once we had to hunt our waitress down for silverware Lol. I think they just get busy. Their friendliness make up for the mistakes. Food is great!

Great food but wretched management. Long weekend waits are part of the OPH experience however this location does nothing to salve the caffeine needs of eager patrons. Thankfully enough, other locations (not in Austin and with different owners) offer coffee to those waiting. This location not only doesn’t offer complementary coffee they won’t sell you coffee while you wait 30 minutes. Their response to my request was «by the time we could get to it, your table will be ready». A Starbucks is a short walk away.
Also it appears that they replaced the downlights with LED’s but they chose the wrong ones and the place is way too dark. Compare a previous and well lit photo (taken by others) with the current one.

Came to this restaurant and was quoted a wait time of 25 to 30 minutes, got seated 45 minutes later. That should have been a portent of things to come, after our order was taken I tried to catch the waitresses eye for a drink refill and was purposely ignored, I had to obnoxiously hold my glass in the air before I got a refill, when our food came my table mate asked for more butter which never came and while the food was not bad it definitely was not worth the wait. During the meal I asked for another refill of tea and some ketchup which took ten minutes and a couple of additional requests before they came. At the end of my meal I heard the waitress offer another table ketchup and jumped to get it right away. If you do come here expect horrible service with mediocre food. As for me I can pretty much guarantee that I will be spending my money elsewhere. Where my patronage is appreciated.

Went here for breakfast (of course) and it was tasty. The location is a bit hidden so look for the KFC — it’s behind that. I had the apple pancake, but it wasn’t really a pancake — more like an apple pie. Not to say it wasn’t delicious, just not what I was expecting. The staff was friendly and the service quick.

Oh. My. God.
I…this place leaves me speechless.
Service is always spot on. Very attentive. Very friendly. Super helpful. They shine when it comes to service.
Food is outstanding. (I still need to try the Dutch baby!) but the pancakes, waffles, omelets, and scrambles are heaven in your mouth-​holes.
Coffee is awesome here as well. Not too acidic and perfectly hot. Plus your cup NEVER goes empty.
The crowning glory here though… the bacon. Oh man the bacon. Thick sliced and perfectly crispy. I seriously think I could go and just have a plate of bacon and be perfectly happy.
Only complaint is they are pretty small, prices are a tad steep, and the wait can be INSANE! (Especially on Sunday’s). Go during the week for immediate seating and delicious food.

We had the Dutch Baby and Swedish pancakes with a side of the thick bacon. The Dutch Baby was so filling I could only eat half during the meal. It pairs well with the lemon and powdered sugar or the syrup. The Swedish pancakes had lingonberries and were very light. Service was great!

so i am/​was a huge fan of this place growing up at the location in Birmingham Michigan however this one is not the same, and it was very disappointing
I get the classic, apple pancake that they are known for and instead of baking it and taing the extra time it was like they just had the apple topping thrown on top
such a bummer
the service was good tho so that’s the only positive

I kept telling myself you have to try this place! Finally got too and am kicking myself for not trying it sooner!
Pancakes are fluffy and delicious.
Bacon is THICK… SERIOUSLY THICK! Lets put it this way I would go back just for the bacon OMG.
Waitress was pleasant. We were seated immediately. Drink brought right out.

Affordable and the best pancakes I’ve ever had. I was expecting this place to be less than exceptional and it is actually really really good. I always get the western scramble with a side of pumpkin pancakes and it never disappoints. This is my go to breakfast place! Sometimes there is a little bit of a wait but it is worth it.

Amazing. As good as or better than IHOP. Felt like more of a homy feeling at this restaurant. I had a meatlover omelet skillet that came with 3 house pancakes on the side. The ultra meat omelet was amazing. My best friend had eggs benedict and his daughter syrawberry crêpe. The crêpe wrap was a little thicker than normal but I guess it is the restaurant’s unique way to present it because it was delicious nonetheles even as I tasted just the wrap itself. Overall the restaurant ambience and the food I tasted for the first time were all amazing. The server was equally amazing herself. Kudos to the ownership.

Well we made another trip back, forgot mention that my wife forgot her left over Bacon, so, we had to go back. First, they seam to have a lot more items on the sit down menu, then the online menu, would be a good idea for an update… maybe build your customer base… Well the Bacon of course was the star of the meal, as always. Wife went with Eggs over hard (Fried), Bacon and Pancakes. I had the Southwestern Skillet. This was big, hot and flavorful, but worth $ 9.75? and with a side of Bacon @$ 4.75…Thats a pricey breakfast. We both went with the basic pancakes as a side and we were really not impressed. I make my fair share of pancakes at home, and these lacked «Fluff» and flavor. Almost seam if they were made ahead of time and kept warm. And the Syrup? or Water… which ever it was, more ended up on the table then on pancakes. I expect quality in my syrup, some color… This was super sweet, with very little maple flavor… HEB brand rates high then this product. Syrup can make or break a pancake. We both made the call, this will be our last trip and we will venture else where for a homemade meal.

Went for breakfast Sunday morning. It was crowded, but there wasn’t a wait for three people. It’s a bustling breakfast place, so try to come early and hungry.
I opted for a simple breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. It tasted great and I had a good 4 links of sausage. The pancakes are super fluffy and come in a stack of three. Plenty of food for one person.
My husband ordered the dutch baby which he could not finish. It’s like a custard pie. At least, that’s the closest resemblance I can identify. Very creamy and rich in the center with powdered sugar and flaky skin. It seems a bit divine to eat it for breakfast. But, we did!
I think the regular breakfast is pretty average, so try the specialties if you want something different. There’s a lot of basics and plenty of meal options, so you will need to come back, bring an army of friends, or eat everything in one sitting!

I know this place exists, I drive by it often, but I never had the excuse to come try it out. Until now, when a friend invited a group of us for a brunch here. Confirmed: I have great friends.
Party of 15-​ish walking in, and I feel that this is server’s nightmare. Although they didn’t have enough room to sit us all together (two rows of tables), they were really professional and efficient about it all. The rest of the service was just as wonderful.
Being my first time here, I felt the need to stick with the basics. Their pancake options are pretty vast and should cater to everyone’s tastes. I got the Two by Four with a combination of the Banana and the Chocolate Chip pancakes instead of the buttermilk pancakes. The pancakes were fluffy and taste pretty good. They may be smaller and thinner than those at other breakfast places (spoiled by Kerbey Lane much?), but their quantity well makes up for it. The Two by Four comes with (duh) four good sized pancakes, and the regular orders come with six.
My girlfriend ordered the Georgia Pecan Pancakes with a side of Home fries. The Pecan Pancakes were pretty good. I liked that the pecans were crushed into smaller bits, so it isn’t so overwhelming. I only thought the Home Fries were okay, but she really likes them.
My take on this is if you want a basic pancake, lean towards Kerbey Lane and Café Java. If you want a specialty pancake with equally unique sides, The Original Pancake House should definitely be on your radar.

I would advise you, if it’s your first time visiting, to steer clear of the breakfast staples and shoot straight for the specialties. The Dutch Baby and the Danish Kijafa Cherry Crepes are the stars of this show. The Dutch Baby is a giant popover with powdered sugar and lemon juice. The crepes are the best I’ve ever had – but they’re definitely on the eggy side, not the fluffy side.
I wasn’t that hungry on my last visit, though, and thought I could get away with a couple of sides.
When I ordered a side of lingonberries, I thought I’d be getting a side of fresh fruit. It was listed with the «sides,» after all, which included «fresh fruit.» What I got was a dish of lingonberry preserves, and since I wasn’t going to put it on top of my biscuits and gravy, nor was I going to spoon a dishful of preserves into my mouth by itself, that particular dish went untouched.
The biscuits and gravy should have gone untouched, too. How does a breakfast place mess up biscuits and gravy? I have to chuckle when I hear people call Austin «the South.» If this were true, TOPH couldn’t get away with serving something that tastes three days old and burned, drowned in weak, watery gravy.
Bacon, however, is something that should be more than an afterthought on Southern AND Texan breakfast tables. And the bacon we got was overcooked, rock-​hard and salty. What the hell, guys?
But people don’t come here for biscuits and bacon, I guess. Cherry crepes, y’all. Two can split one order and you’ll both leave full.

Not the same as I cry while eating…
I am a huge fan of the Original Pancake house, I have been in several states and usually they kill it!
However I feel like they have two franchises a D league and the Pro’s. The last one I went too in Plano (see review) was the Shit!!! Fresh cream, Pure maple syrup grade A/​B, whip cream, coffee, meats etc. It was like a foodies dream.
Well not the case here. Sorry fellow Unilocalers I should have trusted your reviews and kept it moving. This one has a Denny’s kinda vibe. Waiters are flustered with only 5 tables full in the house and I sat for 10 min waiting for them to decide who’s table I belong too.
My waitress apologized and was nice but it set the tone for a sad experience.
Food
Bacon Pancakes-​Good not great. They were missing the high quality ingredients that the Dallas Franchise offers. The butter wasn’t the real deal neither was the syrup.
Eggs-​Good for eggs and cooked right.
All in all this place is good for no expectations and a diner vibe, but for the insatiable palate of us foodies you will be sad and confused.

OPH is one of my favorite places to go for breakfast in Dallas so I was anxious to check out the Austin location. I always order their strawberry waffle topped with fresh sliced strawberries, real whipped cream, and a special strawberry syrup. In Dallas they serve them thin which I love, but the ones here are more like the typical Belgian waffle, though still delicious.
Their coffee is strong and served with real cream. None of those fake room temperature creamers here! I had a coupon for a complimentary birthday entrée but the manager wouldn’t honor it here since it was sent to me from the DFW location. Just a heads up before you try using any offers here that weren’t sent from their management. I doubt this location sends out many because the waitress started to tell me no before she even read it, which in the fine print said nothing about only being redeemed in DFW. It is what it is.
My husband normally gets the Migas but didn’t see it on their menu so he got the Western skillet instead with a side of hash browns and a short stack of bacon pancakes. It wasn’t until after we placed our order that we noticed they do in fact have Migas here, but it was hidden on a plastic specials menu behind the condiments on our table. We both still enjoyed our food so it wasn’t a deal breaker.
The earlier you can get here the better, especially on weekends when the breakfast rush hits. Our server was sweet but a little slow because she had so many different tables to look over. I wonder if they weren’t short staffed this morning.
You can’t go wrong with any of the pancakes here and the slabs of bacon don’t hurt either. Seriously, they are epic. The crepes are good as well and if patience is a virtue you possess you one day must try the Dutch baby. It takes a little time for the kitchen to prepare but it’s worth the wait. It’s delicious.