MIllbrae Pancake House Keeping Residents Full

I've been eating at the Millbrae Pancake House since I was a kid. And since then I've laid waste to countless stacks of pancakes and omelets at this restaurant. Any Millbrae resident will tell you that if you want breakfast than this is the place to get it. This is entirely evident by the huge crowds this pancake house draws every morning whether it be weekend or weekday.

The actual menu wouldn't surprise anyone, they offer all the typical breakfast items including waffles, crepes, omelets, etc, but the portions are sure to keep you full for the rest of the day. Unlike most breakfast places, this pancake house gives you freshly made hash browns and pancakes with every omelet ordered. This is a monstrous amount of food, and for quite a cheap price. For $9 I got much more than I could eat.

For breakfast, I ordered a spinach and bacon omelet topped with sour cream. The omelet itself was a generous portion, but they gave me an ice cream scoop of sour cream on top of my omelet. Thankfully, it's positioned in such a way that you can remove it without compromising your entire meal. The omelet was cooked exactly right and there was a proportionate amount of bacon and spinach.

The pancakes are probably the trademark of this restaurant. I've tried countless times to recreate the pancakes served at The Millbrae Pancake House, but to no avail. Their pancakes are moist, fluffy, and cooked all the way through. Most of the pancakes I've ever had in my lifetime are usually way too dry or not cooked fully. The pancakes served would fair just fine without syrup or butter, but luckily they offer various kinds of syrups for the adventurous types. The pancakes were probably the best part of the meal, and I advise anyone who eats there for the first time to order a full stack of pancakes.

However, the service was subpar. The waitresses and waiters always seem stretched to their limit while the busboys are the ones who bring you water if you want it. When I ordered a glass of orange juice I didn't get it until partway into my meal, and I had to ask several times for it. But this can be forgiven because during almost any time during the day, they serve your food in 10 minutes or less. So this place is great if you don't have a whole lot of time but still want a quality meal.

The atmosphere is also nothing to write home about. It's a typical pancake house in that respect. The restaurant is always loud even if it isn't busy, and the ornaments strewn about the restaurant are tacky. They also sell beanie babies and other trinkets of the like at the register, which always struck me as odd and out of place.

They serve breakfast all day for those who are daring enough to eat waffles for dinner. The lunch I had, a regular cheeseburger and fries, was nothing special. It didn't jump out at me as the tastiest burger or the greatest fries. It was very average, but this is to be expected if you order a hamburger at a restaurant clearly labeled "pancake" house.

Another thing to note is the sense of community this pancake house has. It's been around since 1959, and if you go their enough they waiters and waitresses start to recognize you, which is a nice touch. You'll also start to notice all the same Millbrae residents dining here. Many clubs and committees based in Millbrae eat here after their respective meetings. This restaurant really gives you the sense that you are in fact a Millbrae resident.

Despite some flaws, this place is fantastic. Its price along with the food really speak for the restaurant itself.

Millbrae Pancake House

1301 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA 94030-1410
(650) 589-2080