Pancake circus is by far one of my favorite places to go for a great breakfast meal, all the staff are exceptionally nice, and the food is delicious. I eat here every chance I get. read more

Has a real old feeling to it. I mean even the waitress is old sku here loved her. But it took a long time for us to get our food. I guess that's what I get for ordering fried chicken at breakfast time. The good was good . read more

Pancake Circus - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

Wow, this one was teetering towards a "one star" but at least I didn't get food poisoning . . . Anyway, I decided to hit up the ole circ du pancake with a buddy of mine the other day. I ordered eggs benedict and he had some sort of sausage wrapped with pancake hybrid. The eggs benedict was slathered in some sort of sauce that reminds me of melted carmex chapstick with mustard flavoring. Definitely not a very good hollandaise facsimile. Luckily, the ham was actually cooked and the egg was prepared pretty well. However, just like prom night, there were simply too many expectations and this breakfast fell flat. Oh, and the hash browns were barely cooked and tasted like the freezer they lived in for months prior to serving. I'm not sure how my friend liked his breakfast because I had to keep my focus on fighting my gag reflex as I delved into my "eggs benedict." Needless to say I didn't finish. I wish I could recommend pancake circus to people because the interior is hilarious and not in a fun way. However, between the "service" and the food quality I can only give it two stars. read more

Pancake Circus - Poor sad clown - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

Super rude service today. Super disappointed. Argumentative, interrupting owner. I've been coming here since 1996 and will not return.

Went after not being here for so long. Was happy that I was able to eat in for breakfast. Food was taking a while to get to us which is understandable given all the to go orders. Being that I had so much time I was able to notice the "safety" measures that were being taken. The waitresses are constantly touching the face/masks and go to touching food or other surfaces and then the masks are being worn incorrectly either not covering their nose or their face at all. No one is wearing gloves and are constantly touching food and delivering to customers with no hand wash in between and the menus are being wiped down with a rag that has just been sitting on the counter for who knows how long. I will definitely not be back and the food was not that good anyways. read more

Breakfast has come a long way since I reviewed last...I'm sorry CC...some other spots in sacramento have given you a run for your money. ;( All in all...the pancakes are still decent...but I've had quite a few better ones in sacramento. read more

Pancake Circus - Country potatoes? Not a fan.. Plus hunts and not heins ketchup? Double negative! :/ - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

Food good service lack luster Old school spot ... Great for good food at reasonable price read more

This is my first time coming here and came in not knowing what to expect. Order a circus special with bacon. I asked the waitress if they had Turkey bacon and she said "no" but they do have Turkey sausage which she does not recommend. I do appreciate honesty from people like that. Anyways, plates came out and the bacon was over cooked and soggy. Seems like the grill was on to high or has hotspots. Hash browns were super dry and barely cooked. Eggs were straight out the carton and greasy. Waitress was nice enough to take off the charge of the bacon because she seen I was dissatisfied. Waitress really sweet, food quality not that great. Will not be going back nor recommending to friends or family. read more

Great place for family. Customer service and the amazing, the food taste like mom's kitchen. Best place for breakfast. read more

Pancake Circus - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

I may not like clowns but I do love this place. This has always been a Sacramento mainstay. I've driven by it my whole life but had never visited until this morning. I recently met one of the managers, Terri, and she said we had to try it. Honestly, it is perfect for exactly what it is. A come-as-you-are casual classic pancake house where the food is reliable, affordable and comforting and the service is outstanding. They treat you kindly here no matter who you are and all are welcome. I had the steak & eggs with pancakes. The steak was tasty, the pancakes were fluffy and the coffee was good. Our server and as well our new friend Terri were kind, attentive and everything came out timely and with a smile. We're already planning our next visit. Expect clowns and a dated feel (which I personally appreciate) and get some good affordable eats that Sacramentans can rely on. read more

Pancake Circus - Even the receipt has a little clown on it. Lol - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Pancake Circus is my favorite Sacramento breakfast spot. (Suck it Tower cafe!) I always end up ordering the French toast. It's always perfectly toasted with the egg batter around the edges. It pairs nicely with the clown art decor and hot coffee. Service has always been excellent. :) read more

Pancake Circus - Cute front entrance. - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Lovely spot with perfectly good diner food and great ambiance, servers are very respectful.

Gone to the pancake circus twice, first time was decent food, good place to take a toddler since it's big and already noisy. Went there today for brunch and literally every thing was undercooked, turkey sausage was raw in the center, pancakes were doughy, and somehow the crapes were sour (I'm assuming they used spoiled milk in them). Unfortunately my 2 year old nephew ate one of the raw sausages before anyone noticed that the second one was raw. Hoping no one gets food poisoning read more

More like 2.5 stars, I ordered the biscuits and gravy meal with scrambled eggs and turkey sausage, a kids cheeseburger with fries, and a chocolate milkshake. After a 15% tip my total was about $30. Yet the food was super basic... I was hoping for the hearty gravy that has meat in it but nope, it was basic gravy like the powdered kind you can make at home. Same with the biscuit, nothing special about it. It satisfied our hunger right then and there since we were starving but if I'm going to spend this much I'd rather go to Brookfield's. This is Denny's quality food but overpriced. Good for the moment but I wouldn't go out of my way to order from here again. read more

This place is stuck in time, for sure. I come here maybe every 5-7yrs, just for the experience and to show the kids the kitsch 60's decor. It is fascinating to see how many people eat here. Very diverse for ages 50 and up. If you come, stick with the pancakes and waffles. You can even get creative with your your pancakes - chocolate chips, bananas, strawberries, lemon etc.Their bacon is delicious. Eggs benedict was a little to artificially yellow looking. Crab cakes Benedict comes from frozen crab cakes. I'd stay away from both. Other than that, the staff are very friendly. read more

Pancake Circus - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

[BLUF: Tastiest, plain crepes around.] A real diamond in the goat's butt that is Broadway in Sacramento (which is a goat's butt unto itself). I love this place! (Full disclosure: nobody else I know gets quite this feeling.) On a retro binge? Need an emergency dose of the past? Inside, it's 1974 -- the height of the ennui brought on by the Arab Oil Embargo. The utter despair on the street outside adds marvelously to the ambience. The décor inside remains unchanged (as it ever should), right down to the pull-down, tinted roller shades over the windows. Breakfast is their forte, with a crowd of regulars often found chatting and eating; the long-time staff knows them all by name. I prefer the crepes -- which are eggier and more limp than traditional French crepes -- and their sweet uniqueness ties them with a place in Tahoe as my favorites anywhere, to date (and I've traveled a LOT). Other breakfast items have all stacked up to satisfaction, including portion size and freshness of the OJ. The cooking staff simply does not screw up or slouch. The waiting staff peaks at legendary (but dips to meh, down the experience gradient, when management has to cover -- oddly enough). The Great Reset's shenanigans hit them pretty hard, but they seem still standing sturdily, without the kinds of personnel failures that other places display. Downside: they don't open 'til 7 now, and close sometime after lunch. They serve quickly when not crowded, but otherwise this isn't a place for a demanding schedule. What it is, is the perfect place for a pilgrimage back to the keep-on-truckin' era. Have a nice day! :) read more

Nice, traditional style diner breakfast food. No frills, just the basics (hash browns, pancakes, waffels) and that's just fine with me. The interior is clean and awesomely 1960's retro (it's not for everyone). Both the owner and waitress were super friendly and attentive. Would return again. read more

This is a divey place. It's old inside, outdated, and looks like it's falling apart. But I still love it. It's from my childhood and the pancakes are consistent as hell. I usually get eggs and bacon which can vary from slightly over cooked or a little weird and the bacon can be underdone and chewy. But the pancakes are always good and I love the fruit stuff and the whipped cream. It's not gourmet fine dining but it's good diner food. read more

Pancake Circus - Sometimes you just want the classics. It was good, sugary, and cheap. And I loved it for that. - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

Been here twice now since I have lived in Sacramento. The first time, which was a few years ago, was not all that memorable. However, decided to give this place another shot this morning, and I am happy to report it has improved quite a bit. It was pretty busy in there and we were seated right away. I will say, the service we received this morning was a breath of fresh air considering most places are struggling to keep employees these days, but the service was great and everyone was extremely attentive. I ordered biscuits and gravy with bacon. I am always very hesitant in ordering bacon places and feel it's my true test for places since I like my bacon extra crispy. When I have told other places this, I still get pretty limp bacon that is anything but crispy. So I was extremely happy when my bacon came out perfectly cooked. AND(!!!) their bacon is not extremely salty like most other places I have gone to for breakfast. The biscuits and gravy were really good, much better than I remember from my first experience here. In all, I would come back again. read more

I normally don't write reviews but I have to say this is the worst most horrific food experience ive had from a delivery service. First off I placed my order at 9:30am through Grubhub and it took almost two hours for it to arrive. When it arrived it was completely cold the potatoes were old and just thrown together with literally no seasoning or effort what so ever the toast was cold and soggy. I had to remake the food to even make it edible. If I could give negative stars I would!! read more

I have always been curious about this place, so I tried it today. This place was very interesting if you have a love for clowns like most people do this place is for you. Food was okay nothing over the top or special and that fits this place great. Its worth stopping by with someone that has a fear of clowns for the clown face pancake. read more

Absolutely love this place, have been eating for years since I was a child! Awesome food ,support small business in this time!

Most disrespectful waitress I have Ever encountered. Heard this place was notorious for this kind of fraudulent behavior, but I heeded their warnings and thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. As you can imagine by my distraught, I am disdainful and will never recommend a soul, let alone myself, to go in there again. read more

Pancake circus definitely sounds like an interesting diner and had to come and check it out. Located in downtown right off of the X st exit and Broadway. Kinda sketchy looking outside with homeless folk and a few drug deals, but don't let it intimidate you. Amidst walking in, there are many vintagely ancient clown items topped with a few Centimeters of dust that add to the mystique of the diner. Went to the bar counter and sat down with a fully laminated menu. Was graciously greeted by a woman whom I'm sure has worked there since the place opened. The menu is filled with all types of delicious sounding items. Especially crepes and the fruit topped Belgian waffles. They do have giant pancakes, I beg of you to not order the 10 pancakes for $7 unless you plan on sharing with a tribe of people. I ordered my fave breakfast item, which is the eggs Benedict($11) The hollandaise sauce was great! Creamy, thick, and right texture over perfectly poached eggs. I did order a side salad vs hashbrowns since I'm already overloading on calories. The side salad, not worth $3.75. Just iceberg lettuce, carrots, and beets(yuck). The ranch dressing mayo to buttermilk ratio was off, so it was way to mayo-ey for me. My hubs ordered the country fried steak with hashbrowns, pancakes, eggs and an orange juice ($16) and seemed to love it. The place overall is a bit rundown in areas, prices are a tad high, but the food was good enough for being hangry after a gym sesh. read more

Were my expectations high? Not really. C'mon, it's called "Pancake Circus." My meal came with eggs, hash browns, sausages and two pancakes for $7.50. BF got a somewhat similar meal but with toast and bacon. I ordered coffee, he ordered OJ. The pancakes were the one thing I hoped would impress. Note that I'm a use-sauce-sparingly type of gal (with the exception of that tater tot dipping sauce from Krush Burger... holy mother). I like the actual food to be the main attraction. Unfortunately, my fork could not cut through their pancake until it was moistened by syrup, and even then it didn't dazzle me. I read all the excitement over the other pancake options, but now I know it's just a giant meh-pancake with fireworks. Whipped cream and strawberries can make lots of things taste phenomenal, y'know. Our tab with tip totaled to about $28. Say whaaaat? I have no clue how that meal cost us so much. Maybe they charged us for refills. That kinda' money - even less - can get much better food elsewhere. Service was friendly, decor, not so much. I dig that it feels like you're in a time warp, but there really is more to a circus than clowns. They share their love for them mercilessly. I'm not one of *those* with a supposed clown phobia, but there is no better word to describe the decor but with "creepy." Okay, "disturbing" makes the cut, too. I also discovered that the windows are covered by plastic, not foil like I thought. As bummed out as we were about our meal, we had a sense of fulfillment in finally putting our curiosities to rest. Who cares what any of these "bad" reviews say, right? If you haven't tried it, YOUR curiosity will still reel you in at least the once. read more

If Dr. Seuss had eaten pancakes at Pancake Circus, this is what he would have said. I do not like pancakes from Pancake Circus. I would not eat them here or there. I would not like them anywhere. I would not eat them if I was dared. I would not eat them if I was impaired. I do not like them on a plate. I do not like them on a date. read more

Five stars for the unaltered, dingy, 60s decor. Five stars for the diverse Circus crowd. Five stars for that old lady in the rainbow-colored blouse, pouring coffee and water, who looks like she once partied with Andy Warhol. Five stars for the disturbing array of clown art, straight out of your childhood nightmares. Two stars for the food. I didn't have pancakes--maybe that's where the Circus's genius is found--but the eggs, potatoes and sausage links and the chicken fried steak were no better than average. There are places in town that'll blow your socks off for the same price. Bottom line: Go to Pancake Circus and take some Instagram pics(no filter necessary!) Eat elsewhere. read more

Read some of the dismissive 2-star reviews of Pancake Circus. I go to Pancake Circus so I don't have be around those people. Service is friendly and attentive, food's good, coffee's hot. If you require "more" than that, I encourage you not to crash this party. read more

Oh man, do they ever take the "Circus" part of this place to the stratosphere. I know just about every other crazy-ass aspect of the decor has been touched on in other reviews, but did anyone see the painting of the clown on the wall holding the child abuse pamphlet and crying?? That gets the blue ribbon in the WTF department. I would gladly offer up my firstborn for that horrendous monstrosity. Anyhow, the people I normally bring to Pancake Circus can usually be broken down into two categories: 1. People/bands from out of town that I want to show the child abuse clown to 2. People I've drunkenly slept with that I have no intention of ever speaking to again Since PC is roughly a block and a half from my house, it's ideal to walk to after a night of booze-soaked debauchery. It's unintentional crapness is usually enough to impress any kitsch-hungry out-of-towner and always makes me proud of my wonky little city. As far as the food goes, stick with breakfast items. It's called Pancake Circus, not Tuna Melt Circus or Meatloaf Circus, and there's good reason for that. I prefer the Spanish Omlette with Sour Cream, and a side of pancakes. The waffles are excellent as well, and the prices are fair for what you get. Now if we can just get all the waitresses to change their names to "Flo" and "Marge"... read more

I'm a little stressed out because the quality of the other reviews of the Pancake Circus is amazing. I highly suggest you read most of the other reviews; they're very entertaining. I humbly submit my own. I guess I should start out with the hostess. She reminded me a little bit of Cloris Leachman, except that instead of being born in 1920 like Ms. Leachman, she was probably born in 1820. And it looks like she spent most of the 1940s as a POW and most of the 1980s in a tanning booth, because she got a whole lotta sun in her life at some point. She also looks like she's STILL pissed about smoking being banned from restaurants. If she were nicer she would have called me "hon" and offered me coffee; instead, she asked what my friends wanted to drink, walked off, then turned around and yelled "what do you want" to me, as if I should have known that she wanted me to yell my drink order to her as she walked off. The server was a different, yet still venerable woman, who took our order. I was with two friends. One, we'll call her "Jane," ordered the tuna melt. The other, we'll call her "Jean," tried to get the waitress to make her something healthy, like a grilled chicken sandwich with a small green salad on the side. I sensed danger when I realized how much trouble the waitress was having with my picky friend, and decided that "Pancake Circus" meant "please order pancakes because they're easy to make and it's all we know how to do here." After all, the menu does say in large letters "BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY." I ordered Breakfast #11. Since it was St. Patrick's day, the pancakes were green and came covered with whipped cream and green sprinkles. Awesome! The rest of the breakfast was just fine, standard bacon and eggs and sausage. My silly friends who ordered lunch got what they deserved for not being observant. They failed to miss the subtle clues from the menu, the waitress's attitude, and the general prevalence of customers around us eating breakfast at 1:30 pm; it wasn't a coincidence that they hadn't ordered lunch. I mean, come on, what are the chances that 75 sacramentoans simultaneously woke up really late and wanted to go get breakfast and just happened to go to the Pancake Circus? Get a clue people, order breakfast here. Nothing else. read more

I was going to try and re-write Britney's song here, you know, the "Just like a circus" one, but I researched the lyrics and found them to be so incredibly stupid that I thought it would be unfair to associate our Sacramento institution with it. They've got clowns, yes. And buckwheat blueberry pancakes. My friend ordered the omelet and it look very sad and ashamed next to the giant fluffy hot cake stack smothered in blueberry compote. Our waitress was nice and elderly. We're still not sure what Winnie the Pooh has to do with circuses, but he was there too. read more

Everytime I eat here, I feel like I am sitting in the diner from Pulp Fiction. It doesnt necessarily look the way that place did, but you feel ilke someone is going to run in and rob the place. Its just the lonely, cold energy that is surrounding the place. Well, look at the clients and the location. But..... The food is really good. And so are the prices. They have corned beef hash and eggs for like $7., Vs. the whopping $13 at Lucky or Cornerstone. F- that! And, PC has my favorite for thing to eat for breakfast, french dip sandwich. Mmmm, my favorite hangover food. With a salad and ranch. Again, only like $6.95. I have been hearing from fellow yelpers that "If I saw the cooks out back, I probably would not eat there." SO I will make it a point to never look out back ;) This place is comsistently mediocre. And I always know what to expect. read more

Very old diner with a trigger warning for those suffering from coulrophobia. For those that can handle life without curling into the fetal position mumbling "can't sleep...clowns will eat me" check this place out. Affordable breakfast and hearty lunch options, this little gem. Typical diner offerings; pancakes, biscuits and gravy, chicken fried steak, etc. Most menu items are full of wonderful delicious fat and will clog your precious arteries. I say "bring it!". Lunch/early dinner options include pot roast, the standard turkey dinner, and meatloaf. Everything that your momma makes on a Sunday. The veggie side is lacking, but yummy mashed potatoes and dinner roll. I'm a carb girl, what can I say? Service is good, ladies who've probably been there place opened, career waitresses who have honed their craft for decades and won't take shit from no one. These are seriously some of the best, they're fast and really, they take no shit unlike chain restaurant goons. It's kinda dingy, but still feels clean enough to eat there. It closes at 3, which is perfect for its blue haired crowd. read more

EVENT: Breakfast with the extended family SERVICE: super fast service! I loved my server - she's so sweet! And always ladies first ;) WHAT WE GOT: (1) Pancakes: two pancakes... they are super MASSIVE!!!! Top with butter... and my favorite jam! (2) Belgian waffles: 4 stars!! Fluffy and massive! (3) Steak and eggs: this came in a massive plate! Steak was well-prepares, medium-rare (perfect!!!) My eggs, sunny side up! Tons of wheat toast and country style hash browns.. mmmm!!! 5 stars!!! **OVERALL: cheap and delish! They made my steak and eggs perfect! read more

What can you say about Pancake Circus that isn't a back-handed compliment surrounded by criticisms? Here's the thing...Yes, the place lacks apparent spring cleaning attempts (do not look up at the light fixures) and yes, the decor hasn't been touched since it opened (minus the table advertising that presumably needed to be changed every so often to remain current), but the Circus is the equilivant to a cult classic...if you're "in" and get it, you get it...if not, then it will never resonate. We have been going for 15 years (and just today, in fact) and I need to also point out these facts...the staff almost NEVER changes! Now before you consider that a negative, think about it. This is an unquestionably dive-y location and yet they've had the same BUSBOY for that long. That tells me that it must be a good place to work, they (hopefully) value their employees, and the regulars must be good tippers. So let's start with the premise the food is made with love. Lol. The food will not knock your socks off, but it is solid. My favorites have been the spanish omlett (add avo and chorizo...you'll taste it all day) and the blueberry/banana pancakes. As a non-maple syrup fan, I loved the pecan syrup, but just found out today they discontinued serving it and I'm seriously bummed. But I digress. The only downside to the omletts are that I'm pretty sure they use american cheese in them. I don't like that, but I can work with it. The other breakfast items (eggs, meats, potatoes) are all basic but good. I have to say that I love their coffee. Again, I don't know why, but it always is a multi cup morning when I go. Kids love the hot chocolate with the MOUNDS of whipped cream (which is great whipped cream too). The place is always hopping on a weekend but they move people pretty quickly through (without feeling rushed). The wait staff is usually very attentive (lots of coffee refils w/o asking), friendly and efficient. The parking lot can be crowded, but never haven't gotten a place. So if you want a breakfast that is solid and provides an experience too, then I think you'll enjoy. But DO NOT look up at the light fixtures. read more

Horrible. Unless you have some sort of nostalgic, sentimental reason for coming here, there are so many other better places to eat breakfast in Sacramento. The prices used to be very good and you could eat breakfast for a bargain. Now the prices are just as high as a place of much higher quality and better taste. Do yourself a favor and step up the quality and experience of your breakfast. Also, FYI do not use their parking lot after closed or the owner/manager will call the tow company. Once I a late breakfast there and walked to a few places nearby. When I came back, there was a tow truck trying to tow my car!! -- Even though I had eaten there, the owner was very rude and didn't care. Cheers. read more

Eating at Pancake Circus is approximately 90% about the atmosphere and 10% about fluffy, head-sized pancakes. If you like the sort of place where the stench of decades of soaked-in stale coffee punches you in the face as soon as you walk in, you'll love Pancake Circus. If you're into being called "hon" by a waitress who, when she delivers your food, would absolutely have a cigarette hanging from her lip if the law still allowed it, Pancake Circus will be your jam. If you enjoy restaurants that look like they were designed by a committee featuring a purveyor of bootleg Disney merchandise, a representative of the California Lottery and John Wayne Gacy, Pancake Circus will make you cry tears of joy. So, obviously, it's not for everyone, but on the rare occasions when I feel like stepping back in time and, later in the afternoon, slipping into a hash brown coma, Pancake Circus is definitely for me. read more

Don't go to this place if you are on a hefty acid trip, but do go here if you want to FEEL like you're on one. The clown at the front happily holding a "Please Wait to be Seated" sign is possibly the most awesome thing at any diner I've seen while simultaniously reminding me of a prop from horror movie, that scene in "It" when he's in the gutter, and the time I took shrooms and hung out in the boyfriend's younger sister's bedroom for eight hours. Besides the clown which greets you, walking into Pancake Circus is like walking into a diner built in the 80's by foreigners trying to give it a kitchy, American flare. I imagine them walking through the scraps left by a traveling carnival and pointing at anything with a clown on it, "I'll take it!" The place is covered with clown memorabilia, photos of clowns, aluminum clown men, balloons, anything remotely clown-esque is hung up on the wall and starring at your while you eat your eggs. As if the clown greeter wasn't enough, the hostess is a tight lipped old woman with wirey, gray hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her job is to seat you promptly, not to waste her time or yours with stupid pleasantries. She'll slam down saucers and menus and move on to the next group of assholes waiting for a seat. Sitting down and starring at the poorly xeroxed picture of a clown being lifted by balloons on the front of the menu is when you first look up... and around... and really realize where you are. For some reason I ordered a burger and salad and listened to the two old dudes across from our table rather ironically discussing dropping LSD a few years back. The burger was entirely "meh" and the salad came in an over filled bowl with a sort of sour layer of Ranch. I blame myself for choosing a burger and a salad at a place like this. My fellow diners where, however, pleased with their meals which included a steak sandwich and an order of corn beef and hash. The toast had warm butter and our glasses were always filled. There is nothing amazing about the food, there is nothing notable about the simple breakfasts or the indestructible plastic cups or the strong coffee. It's diner food with friendly diner servers and an angry diner hostess. What IS notable and amazing about this KOOKY Pancake Circus diner is the oddness you feel when sitting in the middle of room covered with clowns. What's especially amazing is how each table conversation seems like a scene out of a movie and the amount of people gobbling up their eggs without noticing the ridiculousness of the ambiance. I will certainly be back and I hope to be on drugs when I return. read more

Our server made a mistake on our bill (in her favor), threw my straw at me (I had to ask for one thanks), she just wan't very nice! Its the weekend (Sunday morning)....i'm normally in a good mood, this lady made me feel bad about coming in the place... the pancakes were normal, i could have made them at home and the waffles were dry. prices werent as low as i would have though, since the place hasnt been updated since 1981. read more

Nostalgia served with a smile and the best damn breakfast in Sacramento. It hasn't changed in 50 years because it's hard to improve on perfection. I recommend the Circus Big Top, a hearty well-rounded breakfast. read more

Pancake Circus - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all