Pancakes & waffles

[zabai]

I was a foreign student to the US a few years ago, and will be attending our highschool
reunion next week.....40 yrs reunion seems a few years ago ???
Well..while I was a student then, the only good pancake place I knew was the place called Pancakes House which is now IHOP. The last time I visited LA about ten years ago, also had waffles at Denny's.
I just bumped into this great site a month ago and have been reading so many recommendations.....this is wonderful !!!
Anyway...the many different pancake and waffle places you mentioned, in which way are
they better than IHOP or Denny's?
Thank you.....

[willownt]

We had some international visitors who were absolutely crazy about this diner, I imagine, that served flannel cakes but I can't remember the name of the place. A lot of very old-fashioned "atmosphere" if you know what I mean. It is NOT Musso & Frank's. More fun than Denny's / IHOP, and better batter --> better pancake. Fresh fruit is a plus too.

[Servorg]

How about the approximate location.

[wutzizname]

For great big Belgian style waffle, try the French Crepe Company in the original Farmers Market.

[maxzook]

Can't believe I forgot this place ... they have a branch at Hollywood and Highland as well.

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French Crepe Company
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

French Crepe Company
6333 W 3rd St Ste 318, Los Angeles, CA 90036

[brekkie_fan]

Awesome. My man loves the blueberry waffles there. I like the fact it's a Filipino family serving up crepes. Sweet and ironic.

[Francesca]

Brent's Deli in Northridge for the oatbran pancakes or Campanile on La Brea for the sourdough pancakes.

Both - to die for - delicious.

[WildSwede]

Also, The Grill Cafe (?) in San Pedro has some mean looking waffles (topped with gobs of berries and cream). My friend had their pancakes and really liked them as well.

[Michelle]

I see my favorite hasn't been mentioned yet - LeRoy's in Monrovia. They have the best pancakes and waffles there! They were even on TV awhile back (last year maybe?) as part of some local story on places with the best pancakes.

[maxzook]

Missing links ...

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Julienne
2649 Mission St, San Marino, CA 91108

Du Par's
6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Zeke's Eatin Place
1855 E 4th St, Ontario, CA 91764

Le Pain Quotidien
9630 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA

International House of Pancakes
7006 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

[professor shorthair]

The Griddle Cafe is wonderful. I urge you not to miss it.
Be careful when you order, the portions are large.

[sel]

No s**t! I went for the first time with my lads when they were 5 or 6 and when I ordered M&M Pancakes for one and Chocolate Chip Pancakes for the other, the waiter didn't warn me how gigantic they were! 3 pancakes each order, about the diameter of a dinner plate. They couldn't finish 1 pancake, the rest got dumped! Tasty though!

[yinyangdi]

At The Griddle Cafe you can order (off menu) a side order of (1) pancake rather than the full order of x3 pancakes. The price break is not very big but at least you don't have to dump uneaten portion(s). Or, just ask for a go box before your food comes so you can put aside the pancakes you know cannot be eaten that day for good eats at home later (we always make extra pancakes at home and just, ahem, microwave the next day, or so later...)

[oldusedcop]

How can it be that everyone seems to have missed Zeke's Eatin' Place in Ontario, near the airport?

[ipsedixit]

Lots of great suggestions already, but I think one that has not been brought up is Julienne in San Marino.

www.juliennetogo.com

[sel]

I don't know about their pancakes, now I'll have to try them this week, and the Bittersweet Chocolate Waffles with Honey Vanilla Crème Fraiche, Shaved Chocolate and Berries was kind of SWEET OVERKILL but they do have 3 different kinds of French Toast that are all spectacular especially their Creme Brulee French Toast! So good!!!

[sel]

Well I did my duty and made my way over to Julienne this morning and tried the Whole Grain, Roasted Pecan and Oat Pancakes with Crystallized Ginger Butter and Maple Syrup. Now if you want light and fluffy white flour pancakes, these arn't for you but if whole grain, somewhat heavy but VERY tasty hits the spot then I heartily recommend these.

[ipsedixit]

Plus, because they are whole grain, they're good for you ...

[jencounter]

Is it wrong that I just love the country griddle cakes (the ones with cream of wheat in the batter) at iHop? I can't stomach much else there, but those pancakes really hit the spot. Especially when nursing a hangover.

[bulavinaka]

Anything that helps ease a hangover is worth its weight in gold. I'll have to note that one...

Le Pain Quotidien's Belgian waffle is quite good, albeit on the smallish side for most Americans. Its somewhat irregular shape has pieces of rock sugar inside that make it more of a treat than a hearty breakfast. The berries and powdered sugar are a nice finishing touch that makes it hard to convince most that LPQ is a franchise.

[Woolsey]

I used to love the pancakes at Du-Par's, though reports here are that they're not the same under the new management.

[RobertC]

I have found that Du-Par's pancakes haven't changed...they are as good as always. If you are near Downtown LA, either the Standard Hotel Coffee Shop or Tiara Cafe on 9th have excellent pancakes as well.

[Woolsey]

I thought of mentioning Tiara Café, but I've only had the French toast there so I can't speak on the quality of the pancakes from experience. The French toast was just okay, nothing to write home about, but the vanilla bean (which also comes with the pancakes and waffles) was a nice touch. I wish there had been more of it, actually. Tiara Café also offers my grandmother's favorite: silver dollar pancakes.

[Emme]

Don't know where you'll be, but def second THE GRIDDLE CAFE.

The FOUR SEASONS has great lemon ricotta pancakes.

BARNEY GREENGRASS' apple pancakes

NEWSROOM CAFE for a variety of great cakes esp bluecorn

QUALITY

WHO's ON THIRD - fluffy buttermilk

DOUGHBOYS

TOAST

SQAURE ONE

26 BEACH

3 SQUARE CAFE for apple pancakes

BLUJAM CAFE

DINAH's for the apple or german pancake

PANN's

THE COFFEE COMPANY for great waffles

A VOTRE SANTE or SANTE LA BREA for grainier, healthier cakes/waffles

KATE MANTILINI has great albeit pricey cakes

BAKE'n'BROIL for blackberry pancakes

LARKIN's

PANTRY CAFE

If you're in the valley...

MORE THAN WAFFLES

NAT's EARLY BITE for waffles w/ fresh fruit

JUMPIN JAVA

[brekkie_fan]

OMG Emme, you are my new go-to person for brekkie. Thank you.

[goodhealthgourmet]

emme always has the best detailed lists!

one addition...i'm surprised she left out our mutually beloved HUGO'S. they do a healthier/grainier version as well as a couple of more decadent flavors [pumpkin, strawberry chai spice]. or if you decide to try something a little different, their 'oatmeal frittata' rocks.

[Emme]

how could i leave off hugo's?? guess that's because i go there to order egg white omelettes... gosh i miss the ability to eat that stuff regularly.

[maxzook]

Yeah, this is totally a fantasy list for me, too ...

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Hugo's Restaurant
12851 Riverside Dr, North Hollywood, CA 91607

[maxzook]

In addition to the aforementioned John O'Groats, home of the best buckwheat cakes I have ever had anywhere, my favorite waffle/pancake purveyor is the awesome Griddle Cafe on Sunset near Fairfax.

Pancakes and waffles in a stunning array of varieties, French press coffee, huge portions ... and lines down the street esp. on weekends.

Also check this thread:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/433116

Linking ,,,

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Pann's Restaurant & Coffee Shop
6710 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045

John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Original Pancake House
1756 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Griddle Cafe
7916 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Roscoe's House of Chicken N Waffles
830 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104

[Professor Salt]

Just a bit south of LAX is Redondo Beach, where you'll find an outpost of Original Pancake House. They have several styles of pancakes, including an eggy-custardy oven baked pancake called a Dutch Baby. It's enormous size helps to keep the inside moist and somewhat loose. It's big enough to share, and it does take a bit longer for the kitchen to cook than a "normal" pancake.

I'm also partial to the Apple Pancake, baked with apple slices, brown sugar and cinnamon. If you search for "Original Pancake House" on the L.A. board, you'll find many of us here extolling our favorites at OPH. There are several franchises in the L.A. / Orange County area, and sadly, there is some inconsistency in the quality of food across those stores.

Original Pancake House
1756 South Pacific Coast Hwy.
Redondo Beach, California 90277
310-543-9875
http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/

An "only in L.A." place is Pann's Restaurant, a diner that's celebrating its 50th anniversary. Unlike faux-`50's themed American restaurants, this is the real thing in an original Googie-styled building that might remind you of the held-up diner in Pulp Fiction. (Pulp Fiction was filmed in the now-demolished Hawthorne Grill, which was owned by the same family that runs Pann's).

Pann's makes a Belgian waffle w/ fried chicken wings. It's an odd Los Angeles soul food combo more famously served at Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles, but I like both the waffles and chicken better at Pann's.

Pann's Restaurant
6710 La Tijera Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
[phone]
http://www.panns.com/

Roscoe's is still way better than IHOP or Denny's, and Roscoe's has several locations from Long Beach to Hollywood to Pasadena.
http://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/

[sel]

I tried the OPH in Redondo Bch. a few years ago and it was very tasty!

I have driven past Pann's my whole life and only been there twice in the past few month's for dinner. If the great dinners I've had are any indication of the quality of their waffles etc. I'd say go for it!

Roscoe's only once for the famous Chicken & Waffles, I've had better Fried Chicken and I've had better Waffles but combined at Roscoe's it was pretty good!

[mstinawu]

My boyfriend and I live near there so we stop by all the time. We love this place. Fluffiest, yummiest pancakes you've ever had!

[Mel Gee]

Over the course of a year, I go to all of the Southern California OPHs at least once, some of them a lot more than once, and, fortunately, haven't seen much food inconsistency. (I.e., in my usual orders: strawberry crepes, 49'er flapjacks, Swedish pancakes, Georgia pecan pancakes, and fluffy omelets -- one of the few places where an "omelet" isn't cooked to death on both sides before filling and folding.) But the coffee can vary widely, to the point that I order hot tea for breakfast at the branches in Anaheim and Yorba Linda. (I just hope that any children reading this board don't see that. ;-)

[sel]

There are lots of places with pancakes and waffles that most would agree are better than the 2 places that you mentioned. Do you know where you will be in L.A. which in terms of this board is a pretty big area? For starters though my favorite in W.L.A. for various pancakes is John O'Groats. I can't think of any place in L.A. that has great waffles, sorry!

John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064-2320
310 204 0692