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Original Hotcake House

3.6 (661 reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 11:00 pm

Original Hotcake House Photos

Business Info

ORIGINAL HOTCAKE HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Divey
Casual
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Original Hotcake House

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Elisha J.

Are you looking for a Portland institution, with classic greasy spoon diner food? You want to come here! Are you looking for quick service and really nice people? Come here! This place was great, I had loaded hash browns, and they are more like potato peels they were so thick, everything was crispy, the sausage was delicious, the meat was plentiful, and they didn't scrimp on anything, my hash browns lasted 4 meals. More importantly let's talk pancakes, one is enough, it is the size of a platter, and they are so light and fluffy, just wow! Classic diner ambiance, with and old school feel.

Tripadvisor S.

Original Hotcake House -- Blink and You'll Miss It, But Your Stomach Won't You'd walk right past this joint if you weren't looking for it--and you probably wouldn't step inside unless Yelp put it on your radar. That's exactly how I ended up here, killing time between appointments at the nearby VA Medical Center. The drill is simple: read the board, order at the counter, pay up, grab a number, and find a seat. No ceremony, no nonsense. Your food shows up fast. Easy peazzy. I went with the classic combat loadout: two eggs over-medium, bacon, crispy hash browns, and a biscuit with a side of country gravy... HOOAH! Execution? Nailed it. Eggs cooked perfectly, bacon thick and meaty, hash browns plentiful and done right, and a massive biscuit drowning in gravy. Mission accomplished. I left full, satisfied, and oddly respected. Now let's be honest--the place could use a facelift. It looks like it's been through a few campaigns. But clearly, whatever they're doing works. Bonus points: open 24 hours, which already puts them ahead of half the competition. The staff were friendly, efficient, and squared away. And all this for about $20? That's a win in today's battlefield economy. CombatCritic gives Original Hotcake House 8 Bombs Out of 10 More bombs are better - unless you're on the receiving end - HOOAH!

2 eggs, sausage, sourdough toast and potato noodles(well that's what they look like).
Joseph M.

Disclaimer: if you're wondering, what kind of granola bowl options they have, or what's on their heart smart menu, this is not the place for you. However, If you are in the mood for a world-class greasy spoon, well my friend, look no further because you have arrived. The plates come three ways in this diner, big, greasy, and well fried. But the food is outstanding. Wagon wheel size pancakes that are about an inch thick, exceptional ground sausage and worthy sausage links too. Outstanding sourdough bread. So good I'm going back to have it in a sandwich. The grill so hot that your egg comes with a crispy fried edge. I can just feel the age of this diner, and the countless number of blue plate specials and stick to your ribs meals that must've passed through the service window boggles the mind. The guys behind the counter were nice. It's order at the window and they bring it to your table. This is another classic and old piece of Portland that simply should not be missed. Don't read this review and not go there if you think this might be for you, because it is worth the drive.

Sign
Ari F.

We were welcomed into this outdated diner upon entering by the friendly staff. It was pretty quiet we did notice there was no music playing. The food was typical dinner food. I do think that hotcakes were well made. Generous portions. Again service was great but it is pretty outdated. They need something to brighten up the place.

Angelo D.

I'd probably give this a 3.5 because it's a little better than three and not quite a four. This place used to be a 24 Hour Pl. but it has a particular appeal to it because it's classic Portland. It's pretty affordable though it's not super high quality. The staff are always friendly and I enjoy going there for their jukebox and Their breakfast menu.

Inside of the place.
Byron Roy J.

Man! You need to get into this place before 10 AM because the line goes out the door on weekends! Good big ol portions of classic comfort diner food. If you're hungry and looking for a bite, this is a good place! The inside seating is a little on the small side, but hey. It's a classic diner. What do you expect. It's easily accessible by TriMet bus routes 19, 70, and 291 as well as the MAX Orange light rail line. Happy eating! :)

Order Up
Mercedes C.

Sometimes when my husband I travel we end up in spots and I wonder, 'where are we'? Just like this place. Our daughter gave us the 411 and said breakfast slaps and it's cheap. But, she also assured us that this place in the Southeast Portland area isn't sexy or high-end. She was right. Hotcake House screeches outdated Formica counters, wood panels, orangey wood furniture with a whisper of school cafeteria. This could probably be the absolute best place to overhear your fill of local gossip. Since our kid knows the restaurant and menu well, we sat and she ordered up and paid. Server brings your meal over and voila- you're eating. Basic is what you get. Nothing flashy. Don't expect artisanal waffles-but the fresh macerated strawberries, elevated them from 0 to 5 and my daughter's fluffy pancakes kept her satisfied. Service was pleasant and the music was an eclectic mix of R&B and Indie. Restaurants want to add flair to the menu- with micro greens this, aioli that, jalapeño everywhere and maybe some pickling- this is none of that. Fuck the dated look- come here for the breakfast (and lunch items). Hotcake House is consistently busy every time as my daughter told us and we noticed, so it's worth checking out the hype.

Courtney R.

This definitely gives old school diner dive and I loved it! You place your order at the front and then you help yourself to your coffee or water . Then you seat yourself . The food was good ... the pancakes literally put IHOP to shame ! Everything is priced amazing and huge portion sizes ! Stop by and grab some grub. You won't regret it!

Chicken Strips

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6 days ago

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2 months ago

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13 days ago

Everything is always good! Best hotcakes out there! This is our go to spot now ! If you haven't tried them - ur missing out!

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1 year ago

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6 months ago

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7 months ago

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3 years ago

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3 months ago

Food was great you get a lot for your money it's very small but the service is great!

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3 years ago

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6 months ago

Great food and service! Friendly staff and helpful servers. Thank you for having us! We will be back :)

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1 year ago

Great food - great service - same old cool atmosphere. The service is fantastic. Always a family favorite!

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7 months ago

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2 years ago

French toast with sausage was good. Chorizo and eggs were disappointing because the chorizo was more like a chopped patty.

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The Observatory

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Had an awesome time at The Observatory the other weekend. Unlike a lot of places, they run their…read moreHappy Hour on the weekend, which is what drew my partner and I in. You can absolutely smell the fish and vinegar as soon as you walk through the door, which I think gives the place a very homey pub feel. I ordered a spiked peach Arnold Palmer, which I enjoyed (and it was pleasantly strong) and a glass of the house white, which was good for the price. Our server was very fast and attentive. To eat I got the tomato soup with a grilled cheese, which was absolutely fantastic. The soup was so creamy and flavorful, and I cannot imagine a better meal after spending all day walking outside in the rain. The fries were super crispy and I liked the batter. My partner and I shared some of their breadsticks, which were deliciously baked (fresh!) and came with a super refreshing basil crema and a nice tomato-y dip. Wonderful all. My partner ordered fish and chips, and was surprised to find that it is one large fillet of fish, not multiple pieces like you would typically expect. He said the fish was fine, but a little tough. Overall, a wonderful experience. I definitely hope to return. I highly recommend this place as a refuge during the cold winter months!

You know what I will admit that my ardor for The Observatory has cooled over time. I do still count…read moretheir rosemary pear martini as my favorite cocktail in town - and really their cocktail menu overall is still excellent. But the last few times I've stopped in for a meal, it feels like the food isn't quite as impressive as it used to be. Could be all in my head. Not sure. But it's always a nice spot to hang out and chat with friends, you can get seated quicker if you enter through Over & Out, which basically functions as an extension of the main Observatory, with it's own bar and pool tables.

Photos
Love the decor and ambiance
Love the decor and ambiance
Sesame Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken Wings ($12)
Sesame Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken Wings ($12)
Buffalo chicken salad (instead of a wrap)

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Screen Door Pearl District

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Parking on the street download ParkingKitty and pay through there…read more Came here to meet up with family. This place was packed on a Sunday morning and the inside was beautiful living up to the country vibes of the restaurant. Staff is super friendly and had really good recommendations. What we ordered: Cinnamon rolls(this reminded me of the old-school Entenmann's dessert had like a creamy custard in the inside of it, which was absolutely amazing. Came out nice and warm) Chicken waffles country, fried steak and eggs The country fried steak and eggs was 1 million out of 10 was the thickest piece of country fried steak I've ever had in my life and I'm not a big fan of country fried steak but this was a hit for me. She asked me if I wanted the white gravy or the brown gravy and asked her what was her recommendation. She said try both and I was glad that I listened to her. It was Rich. It was creamy. It was flavorful. Its homemade and it was huge. I would definitely recommend this place. If you wanna have breakfast I'm from California and I wish there were something like this.

Just a wonderful place to have breakfast or lunch. The ambience has southern charm…read more I had the fried oysters. It was easily the best fried oysters I have eaten. Very crispy corn flour based batter with a touch of lemon. The oysters were fresh - not frozen - before frying and serving. The chicken sandwich as tasty as was the coleslaw. Great meal, great place to have a meal.

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Inside
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Deep-Fried Okra
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Javelina

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Dishes made with native ingredients? Yes please! Indigenous owned and operated business with dishes…read moreinspired by indigenous recipes? Yes please! An entire multi-page menu of herbal teas that includes historical information about how the different ingredients had been used by indigenous populations? Yes please! After wanting to visit Javelina for a long time I finally got the opportunity to a couple weeks ago. SO GOOD! I got the bison chili, some fry bread (of course! ), the three sisters salad, and some tea. The chili was SUPERB, and the fry bread was the perfect dipping accompaniment to it. The three sisters salad had such a good flavor balance, with the squash giving a perfect hint of sweetness against the other ingredients. I love herbal teas (my mom grew her own herbs and would make all different ones for us growing up), so it was such a delight to see the huge variety of in-house-made herbal teas available. I forget the name of the one I ended up picking (I think it was something like three tribes). It was great and exactly what I was looking for). The ambience in the restaurant has a lovely simplicity that feels like it suits it perfectly. I can't wait to come back and try their brunch some time. Oh, and before I forget, the service was on-point. Everyone being lovely and accommodating.

Javelina is a really special place offering fine-dining style Native American/Indigenous food…read more They have a huge tea selection and give you a welcome cup on seating. The menu is refined and has a few options using more unique meat choices like Bison and Elk. I really liked the Bison Chili. The Fry Bread taco (with Bison) is a nice intro to Native food. Although there is barely any Bison on it. Portion sizes are a bit all over the place. Some items are regular sized some are on the smaller side. Service is good. Overall a great unique experience.

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Interior
Interior
Maple Roasted Duck "XatXat"
Maple Roasted Duck "XatXat"
Interior

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Interior
Jojo

Jojo

4.3
(331 reviews)
2.4 mi
•$$

Would definitely rate this a strong 3.5/5 if that was possible!…read more The jojos were the star of the show for me (go figure) personally -- and the ranch was the star of the jojo show. I had a Spicy Vegetarian Burger and it was pretty good, next time I would probably try the Classic version. The pickles and sauce were good and the impossible patty was great. My sister thought her classic burger was solid, but she would have liked a little more sauce. Keep in mind that she likes a lottt of sauce. The bun was a little too big for her burger patty too, but overall it was tasty and all the flavors complemented each other. Ambiance-wise there was nice decor and plenty of seating options! The blinds kept out a lot of natural light but we were able to lift them a bit so it wasn't a problem! You clear your own plates and order when you arrive after you have looked over the menu so service doesn't feel super applicable but everyone was friendly and welcoming.

Was interested to try this place out as it had a pretty large menu of vegan substitutions for…read moretraditional fried classics While obviously, I think I prefer fried chicken to fried tofu, I do have to say I was quite impressed here I got the Mr. Onion Fried Tofu Sandwich, and our table also ordered Jojos (potato wedges) Starting off with the wedges, I quite liked these. While they weren't as crispy as I would've wanted - I would say while some parts were, most of it was on the softer side - I did think that they were seasoned excellently. They also paired quite well with the mayo-based sauces we received. Moving onto the burger, I really enjoyed this. When I've had tofu on a burger in the past - it's usually been in smaller pieces - so getting such a massive piece that sticks out on either end of the burger was really nice. In addition, the breading was good - while not super-present. I quite liked the fact that it was very lightly breaded - meaning the huge patty was like 95% tofu - leaving the tofu to stand on its own as the majority of the bite. The buns were alright - I'm not big into vegan buns - but I didn't mind these The mustard sauce was also pretty good I will say, although I did order the Mr. Onion burger so I should've known what I was getting myself into, but there were just way too many onions on this burger. It was to the point where they absolutely dominated the taste of my first bite. I had to remove a lot of them from the bottom of the burger to actually make this edible. For the price, it is a bit expensive - but it's also quite filling so I didn't mind it. I also have to mention - because my burger was late, as a gift they brought out a full set of pastries/cookies in a box. This was incredibly surprising and something I've never seen another restaurant do. Major props for that

Photos
Interior
Interior
Vampires hate her chicken sandwich (comes with a stick of gum)
Vampires hate her chicken sandwich (comes with a stick of gum)
Onions Fried Tofu sandwich! On gluten free bun. Yum!

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Onions Fried Tofu sandwich! On gluten free bun. Yum!

Original Hotcake House - diners - Updated June 2026

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