You hear the name Pancake Circus and maybe you are thinking of a fun, brightly-colored, family-friendly restaurant filled with the laughter and happy shrieks of children, the clank of plates and forks, and the scent of fluffy buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup wafting your way from the kitchen. Yeah...don't count on it. The best way I can describe this place is sad and tired. You're expecting Bart Simpson and you get Abe instead. It all just seems sort of dingy and deflated. The 50s-style pictures of circus animals that cover the windows aren't just there to look retro. That appears to be the last time they updated this place, and the decades of fry grease have settled just about everywhere. Looking around you'd think you had a grey veil over your eyes or something - everything is sort of washed out and seems somehow deflated. It definitely gives off much more of a truck-stop diner vibe than anything. As for the pancakes, eh...they're pancakes. Greasy ones. Really, you might as well go to Denny's. At least they have some light in there, and you go in expecting mediocrity, so there's no disappointment. read more

What it lacks in appearances, it more than makes up for in griddle skills. That's right. GRIDDLE SKILLS. This place has 'em. Pancakes of any kind here are your best bet. If you prefer more crunch, waffles are great too. Whatever your griddle passions are, just be sure you can handle a mountain of fried dough with a generous helping of whip cream and whatever else you desire on your griddle goodies. Sit at the bar for quick, attentive service. Sit, and possibly wait, for a booth if you prefer a more intimate breakfast. This place will soothe your heart and ease your mind, but your cardiologist will hate you. read more

Dude, this place is SOOOO not closed. They close at 3 PM on weekdays. I think they did change owners. Do NOT, I repeat, NOT go there for lunch or dinner, and especially do not order the tuna sandwich as it's awful. This place is called PANCAKE circus for a reason. It's not called Tuna Circus. I found out the hard way. Okay. Pancake Circus. Banana pancakes. It's Where the Pancakes have a Circus. That is all you need to know about it. Go for the experience. If you go on Saturday morning, the wait will be long, but the beekkeeping place around the corner will be open. Buzz Buzz.... read more

As others have mentioned, this place is like stepping into a Tarantino movie. If you order anything other than pancakes then you should be hit over the head with a tack hammer because you are an idiot. Portions are massive and you are guaranteed not to get anything productive done upon leaving this restaurant. This was a new experience for me --- fried cake with syrup -- as a breakfast item no less. My Sacramento friends (I'm from SF) informed me that these round, fluffy objects are commonly known an "Panned Cakes" or pancakes for short. Being from SF, I'm not familiar with this food as all trans fats (and foods that sound like trans fats) have been banished. In fact, any foods that might be remotely enjoyable at a reasonable price have been outlawed by the SF city council in favor of organic, free range, fair trade, zero emission foods. God how I have such a man crush on Mayor Gavin --- he is truly the Dear Leader!!!!!!!!!!! It really felt nice to "slum it" in Sacramento (if only for an hour). I've told all of my friends in SF about this experience and we're going to carpool in our Prius' and Insight's next week for a little side trip on our way up to our upscale villas in Tahoe. read more

Funny hours; funny waitress; funny prices; ironically not-so-funny clowns (everywhere). You can make this breakfast at home. But maybe you can't. If you are slightly bothered by clowns or old people you will walk out with a full-blown fear of at least one of these demographics. Twenty bucks for a breakfast for two served by a sassy, but very entertaining waitress that circles your mug like a hawk to make sure your bottomless hot chocolate stays that way. read more

What the hell happened to my beloved Cirque du Crepe?!? Sure, they still know how to turn out a mighty nice flapjack, but on my last visit almost every other thing we ordered was unfathomably subpar, bordering on inedible. And I'm not talking hard to cook stuff here. It's not like we ordered souffles and coq au vin. They served a "cheese omelet" that looked more like a handful of broken fried eggs (not scrambled or anything, just whites with broken yolks in the center) wrapped around a fistful of unmelted shredded cheddar straight from the Sysco Mylar pouch. And the sausages were limp and gummy. And honestly, gummy is not a quality I look for in my bangers. For shame, Pancake Circus, for shame. Kitsch will only get you so far. read more

Food was great and all but they have a janky looking winnie the pooh looking bear I wasn't really fond of

Pancake Circus isn't a place you visit for the food. It is about the ambience, which is something like a cross between a Tom Waits fever-dream, and a senior-home casino trip gone wrong. It's unintentionally ironic, and a wee bit creepy. But, simultaneously, it's sentimental and authentic in the best possible ways. The waitresses call the regulars by name, and know their orders by heart. It's a trip, that's for sure. read more

My college roommate, who lives in the East Bay, knows this place by name... by some solid praise heaped on it by previous sacramento dwellers. So when she finally came and visited, this was the one place she wanted to make sure we hit on our culinary tour of sacramento. When I first wandered into this clown infested diner, I was pretty sure she had the name wrong. NO WAY this place is memorable in any other way than the clowns. It's kinda old and in some ways, really creepy. Plus the service was crappy. A waitress lead us to our table, put down menus and then sauntered off to clean off some other tables. But I will say this about the place, my friend and I were able to order one item off their regular menu for about $8 and share it between the two of us with some food left over. Super economical which appeals to the Asian in me. The food wasn't great but it was solid. And eventually I got used to the large portrait of a tearful, homicidal look clown that was in my direct line of vision. read more

Pancake Circus may be the hardest place in Sacramento to review for me. I've driven past it a hundred times and have always thought "I really need to go there". It's been there forever and is a nostalgic throwback with it's landmark vintage sign. Well, I finally went a couple of weeks ago and experienced Pancake Circus in all it's creepy clown and sticky glory. I can't say the food was all that spectacular and the service could be classified as inattentive at best, or even downright rude. I ordered pancakes (it's PANCAKE Circus, after all!) with some scrambled eggs and bacon. Nothing was bad, but nothing really stood out as being anything all that great either. I can't say I minded the old interior. You kind of know from the outside of the place that it's going to be a dive and a little run down. Sticky tables, salt and pepper shakers, and menus, along with dirty silverware is just plain unsanitary though. There's a difference between being a dive and being dirty. Would I go back? Maybe, maybe not. Am I glad I went? Yeah. Was I disappointed? You betcha. Because it's such an icon, check it out if you haven't. It should be on every Sacramentan's bucket list. read more

Good: location and wait staff Bad: very low food quality, the ingredients were so low, they are below IHOP and below Denny's. Ugly : its ugly, dated, and worn. Like embarrassingly so, like I am in America or a 3rd world country? Oh, and breakfast for 2 was $26 for some pancaked and scrambled eggs. So not bargain cheap. But we do get some good laughs out of it, and months later I am sharing this review. read more

I haven't been to Pancake Circus since my field trip here in the fourth grade. I don't know how we were able to have a field trip here in the first place, but anyway, on to the review. I visited Pancake Circus on a Saturday morning, at about 8:15 a.m. The restaurant already had about 10 tables full. We were quickly seated and given menus. The menus are pretty simple, consisting of what you'd expect from an old-fashioned, breakfast diner. I had a Denver omelette ($7.50). It wasn't much of an omelette, it was more of a scramble. It's not very "pretty," but the taste is decent. As a side, I could have had toast and potatoes, but I chose pancakes instead. For a place called Pancake Circus, I wasn't really impressed with the pancakes. They were dry and didn't have any flavor. They tasted like flour and water and the top/bottom surfaces peeled apart when I tried to eat them. My boyfriend had the Belgian Waffle ($7.25) combination with added strawberry and whipped cream topping (+$extra?). The waffle was very average and covered in very sweet strawberries/syrup. The combination comes with two sausage and one egg also. Everything tasted very average, and I feel that the breakfast I make at home is better. Overall, the price is fair, but the food is just so mediocre. The decor is interesting, because clowns and cartoons cover the walls of this 1960s-ish building. The servers speak in a very casual tone, which is fine, and it's a very "homey" feeling. The place was primarily filled with senior citizens; this seems like a place where old friends may gather and talk for hours. It's okay, but I think there are many other, better breakfast options in Sacramento. read more

It doesn't cost me anything to give it a 3; I throw 4 ninja stars just because you have to appreciate how genuinely dorky this place is. I love how the waitresses are afraid of the owner (a man of Indian subcontinent origin, which I reckon makes this place even more humorously ironic then correlating clowns with breakfast). I was having a good morning so I asked our server to sit with us; she declined because the owner was there and would be cross if he saw her sitting. The food's really nothing special. It's homecooked breakfast without the Saturday morning cartoons. What I love, again, is the dorkiness. There are portraits of clowns (whom are probably dead by now) on the walls, carousels, clown car paraphenalia, and mounted circus pieces about. You get the sense that you're in the last diner that is actually privately owned and still running. it's the type of place where you wouldn't look up if someone screamed out "there's a trapeze artist flying across the room!"....unless said artist was a monkey wearing a fez. You should go here if you appreciate dorky ironicism and have a childhood fear of clowns you want to reconcile over a plate of pancakes and waffles. 9am-3pm daily.. read more

So, if you are under 40, you have no idea what this place is about. If you are over 40, you probably have no idea what YELP is, so good luck even reading this. Now, to the point. This place is OLD SCHOOL coffee shop. From the waffles to the coffee cups. If you want to eat food like we did in the 60's and 70's, this is the place. No foofie stuff. Just stick to you ribs, tastes like it is supposed to stuff. The gravy is a little bland, and that costs them a start. Other than that, everything is 100% authentic 1974 truck stop. Never change. read more

If I could rate it a ZERO, I definitely would. We walked in there today after many years of wanting to try it out. Not going to talk about the decor or all that but rather the food and service. It was pretty busy and we were able to be seated fairly quickly. Thankfully there was a table that opened up. We were brought menus and we didnt get a waitress to come over and ask for our drink order until 10 minutes later. My boyfriend asked her a question about the strawberry french toast to ask if it came with eggs and bacon. Their menu was CONFUSING!! She suggested the No. 4 since it had french toast and eggs and bacon. When she was done answering the question, I told her I wanted the No. 4...She began putting in the order on her ipad and then my boyfriend ordered his meal and our drinks. She then asked me if we wanted extra plates to share and we got a little confused and said no. Now this is what completely confuses me...she came back 15-20 minutes later with only my boyfriends food, said "enjoy" and then LEFT! We were both confused as we looked at eachother and wondered where MY food was. We waited a while thinking she was going to bring it but she never did. He tried so many times to get her attention when she was walking near us. He called out to her and was even waiving hus hands. It wasn't until he got so pissed off, he stopped eating his omelette and threw the fork down on his plate that she actually came back to check up on us. She asked if everything was ok and my bf asked "where's her food?". She just looked at me and asked what i ordered. I told her and she IMMEDIATELY got defensive. She said "thats why i asked if you wanted extra plates to share. I didnt hear you say your order so I thought you guys were sharing." She didnt say it in a nice way either. She was RUDE! Let me refresh in the beginning. I ORDERED my meal FIRST, and made EYE CONTACT WITH HER WHILE SHE PUT MY ORDER IN THE SYSTEM and she comes up with this stupid excuse of "i didnt hear you"??????? I'm sorry but if you DIDN'T "hear me" you could've just said "sorry I didnt hear you can you repeat that?" Or something like that but no you had to be rude. This is the lady with the red hair. She brought my food out 10 minutes later and my god...it was DISGUSTING! The only reason I ate most of it was because I was starving. I just couldnt finish it because I was on the verge of throwing up. Sausage was ok. My scrambled eggs were rubbery!! It looked like they poured it in the pan, and let it cook fully then took it out and cut it into pieces. Look at how FLAT they are! My french toast was covered in egg waaay to much egg! It was disgusting and I was struggling to chew and swallow it. My boyfriends pancakes were really chewy and his omelette has the same issues as my eggs. The service was downright horrible! They were taking so long to even come and get our beverage order and ALL the employees looked like they didnt want to be there at all. We got no apology for her messing up my order and she was rude! We will NEVER be coming back here again. It was one of the WORST EXPERIENCES I have had at a restaurant. read more

Pancake Circus - Breakfast No. 4 - French Toast - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place blows. The pancakes were subpar. The coffee was horrible. The place was disgustingly sticky.

I love this place! Food is yummy and the staff is very nice. The decor is creepy and hilarious, but what would expect when it has circus in the restaurant name! Got a referral from a fellow yelper. So glad I tried it out! Definitely going back for all my pancake needs. read more

Pancake Circus is a classic greasy spoon diner, complete with clowns? Ok, well the odd decor is a review within itself, but on to the food... I came here for breakfast the morning after my birthday, which I think in turn tells you I was hungover. That said, I needed something hearty to soak up the liquor, so I ordered a cheesy, meaty omelette. When the menu said I got to pick a side, I was expecting my choices to include toast or potatoes or something, but much to my delight I was able to choose pancakes!! My food came and the omelette was big, but the pancakes were HUGE! Bigger than my head, I kid you not. Pancakes were very good...buttery and light. Omelette was tasty too, but the pancakes hit the spot. What this place lacks in ambiance and class, it makes up in portions and price =) read more

If you've ever wanted to play "Let's pretend we're at a truck stop in Bakersfield in the early 70's" and get a decent sodium and starch-rich meal in the process, then go eat at Pancake Circus. Yes, the food is worth eating besides how bizzarely not-of-this-era-barely-of-this-planet of an atmosphere it has. I'd eat there more often if they'd revert to being open more often. ::Edit. I am not changing my overall perception of the place, but I've been there twice in the past two weeks, and man, the food is just good. The more fresh reminder of how wacky it is helped me remember how much I love it on all levels. I'm trying not to turn W.H. Taft, so it might be a while before I go back, but man...I can hardly wait to. I originally gave it three stars, and a very positive three stars, but who am I kidding? YUM!:: read more

This place is SUCH a trainwreck. In a good way. The decor hasn't changed in decades. Same bad color scheme, same creepy circus decor, same tables. Probably same waitress, a skinny elderly woman who'd call you "hon" in a sec. What a great place. It just feels like stepping into a movie set. Pancakes are: you guessed it, the specialty, and taste YUMMY. Much better than going to Lyons or Dennys or IHOP. The rest of the food is typcially greasy breakfast fare, nothing fancy, nothing special, but fills that void when its what you want. This place is probably the cheapest place to get breakfast in midtown, but due to the lack of variety (no feta-spinach omlettes/crepes here) and the lack of fancy decor, its generally unpacked. read more

I came home last night and Nick told me he was watching Intervention on A&E and to guess where the guy was smoking crack.. ..in the PANCAKE CIRCUS parking lot. Yeeeeaaah. I'm not suprised. It's old and it's a dump but I like it. I think pancakes comes with practically everything. The servers are constant with their coffee, they have these miniature water cups.. generic ketchup.. CA Lottery sheets on the tables.. It's a real shit hole so if your food makes it off your plate and lands onto the table or even your seat.. just let it go, man. read more

I wouldn't even give them ONE star but i have to in order to write a review. We walked in and the wait staff was very friendly.. the only problem is the FOOD! it is horrific. Chicken Fried steaks: *obviously frozen and then fried. *gravy was "the consistency of a loogie" and was over salty and peppered *pancakes tasted like they were out of the box and card board-ish Corned beef hash: *Potatoes tasted like they had been frost bitten and then boiled then fried.. YOU CAN TASTE every single one of those steps..i put one in my mouth and spit it out immediately... HOW THE HELL DO YOU MESS UP POTATOES??????? *the corned beef hash was decent... tasted like the canned stuff .. but eh. whatever it was edible.. * the FRUIT was absolutely disgusting. HOW DO YOU MESS UP FRUIT!!? It tasted frozen and frost bitten and bitter... it was just cantaloupe and pineapple?!? how did that happen.??? I'm so confused.. for $10 you couldn't have gotten fresh fruit or food?? Sacramento is ridiculously close to fresh agriculture!!!! At no point did anyone ask how the food was.. i think they know how nasty their food is.. but they keep serving it anyway. Down the road is TOWER CAFE... We left our food on the table and went here instead.. read more

We went on a Sunday. The manager was really nice and let us choose a table for our 5 person party. We waited 20+ minutes to order and watched the waitress take orders from people that had been seated after us. Once she took our order we waited another 30 minutes for our food. The plates that came out were just gross. The omelettes were small and nasty looking. We added avocado to the omelette. Didn't come. The pancakes were rubbery. The banana pancakes were just pancakes with a few slices of banana on top.... The potatoes were not seasoned at all. Ridiculously gnarly. She brought our bill almost immediately after we got our food (wow thanks). She had charged us for the avocado we didn't get and apparently the slices of banana Were $2. Place smelled like old feet. read more

Food was disgusting. Waitress was terrible, she didn't even bring syrup with an order of pancakes. Even the water tasted gross, and there was a fingernail in my glass. Never going there again. Thank god I had a groupon deal so i didnt waste as much money as I could have. read more

Pancake Circus - Terrible place. I could've microwaved better bacon. What kind of cook expects me to eat this garbage? - Diners Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place has it all: tasty, fattening food, heaping portions for not that much money, servers who are with-it and have no-nonsense attitude, and a quirky atmosphere. There is nothing bad you can say about Pancake Circus... unless of course you're counting carbs or opposed to tacky brown, yellow and orange circus decorations adorning the walls. read more

I tried this place over the weekend and was not very impressed at all. I am from the south and love my breakfast. If any of you are from the south or been there, you might have heard of Waffle House. It is a great place to go after a long night out on the town and actually have good breakfast. This place seemed to be a step up from waffle house, but the food was not nearly as good. If you are going to try to pull the cheesy circus theme off, they could do much better. My 9 month old son wasn't even impressed with the "circus theme." From the minute we walked in there was no kind of organization. We waited patiently for someone to greet us and other people jumped to the podium and signed themselves in on the sheet before us. I think the owner walked up and asked us if we wanted coffee. She could try to be a bit nicer. She just walked up and said "coffee" before she even got to us. I was like, are you talking to us? Being the southern boy that I am, I had to try the Biscuits and Gravy, my favorite. All I have to say about that is...if you like biscuits and gravy, don't get them at Pancake Circus. If you like Pancake Circus Biscuit and Gravy, then you don't know what you're missing out on when you taste the real good ones. Denny's even has better Biscuits and Gravy!!!! The best thing about this place was the pancakes and even they were just ok. The bacon was that thin, fake tasting crap. Wendy's fast food even has better bacon than this place! Don't even get me started on the eggs! I just felt dirty by being at Pancake Circus... read more

We decided to go here one morning when Denny's was way too packed. And it turned out to be a great decision. The first thing you have to mention with Pancake circus is the atmosphere. Its nuts. Right as you enter there is a huge portrait of a clown whose crying while reading a book entitled "coping with child abuse"! That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. The odd thing is these pictures of suicidal and psychotic clowns were incorporated into a circus decor that otherwise seemed to be genuinely directed towards children. Circus animals looking all smily and stuff. Odd. The food was decent all around but their signature item, the pancakes, were really quite good. I'm not going to say they're the best I've ever had, but I can't specifically think of any in recent memory that were better. And the waitress was helpful. The prices were also really reasonable for what you're getting. Overall, if you're in the mood for pancakes for cheap and you can deal with decor that could possibly induce psychosis, this is a great place to go! read more

I ate here when I first moved to Sac. I was looking for a new greasy spoon for breakfast, and thought I would give this place a shot. As far as I could tell I was the only guy in the place that was not morbidly obese. Although I didn't order any, the pancakes and waffles came out looking more like birthday cakes. They were covered in whip cream, sugar coated fruit and some kind of high fructose corn syrup sauce. Definitely not the kind of thing you want to eat before noon unless you are looking for a surefire way to kick start your diabetes. My bacon and eggs were pretty unremarkable. read more

Hell yeah! For a Bay Area local who's accustomed to all kinds of great breakfast spots, this is one that lives up to the name. It's not the best food you'll ever eat, but it made me smile a mile wide. The service is quick, efficient, ready to make a joke, and give out advice. My coffee cup never went empty, and the food arrived seemingly minutes after we ordered it. The place looks like it hasn't been redone in forty years, and hopefully it won't get redone for another forty. It goes beyond camp, and taps a spot in my brain that makes me desperately want to be a kid again. Kudos to all the other reviewers. Your wit and enthusiasm inspired me to go, and I'm glad I did. read more

It seems like a nice old fashion local restaurant. The place was crowded for breakfast on Sunday. We ordered coffee and water. The coffee was weak and acidic tasting which is a BAD sign for a breakfast house. The service was not good and SLOW. The food was terrible. I ordered Belgium Waffles and it was HARD and DRY and I had to dunk it into my coffee in order to eat it. The Pancake was over cooked and also HARD and Dry. On another plate in our party the egg whites where hanging off the side of the plate and touched the table when the waitress put it down. The rest rooms were dirty and I don't know why people would go there???? DO NOT eat there. Breakfast is pretty hard to ruin but they did it and I would NEVER go back. This is the classic example of you get what you pay for but the prices were NOT bargain prices. read more

Today I tried Pancake Circus for the first time! Wow!!! Why didn't I try this place sooner? We were seated within about 5 minutes While we waited, we checked out their specials! All looked good and most were under $10, with a few around $12 or $15 but seemed more than worth it for sirloin or T-bone steak. I started my meal with hot chocolate and my companion had coffee. The hot chocolate had a nice tall stack of whipped cream! Yum-me! Beware-the cream top on mine was literally keeping the hot chocolate in the mug. As soon as i dove into it, the hot chocolate started spilling out! Although a little messy, it was fun licking the side of it! Ok, now to the meal itself. I ordered the plain belgian waffle with powdered sugar with a side of scrambled eggs. My companion ordered one of their specials, Pumpkin Pancakes with sausage and scrambled eggs... The waffle was crispy with the simple flavor i prefer and a lovely dusting of powdered sugar. The waitress had brought out a little cup of melted butter for the waffle which at first seemed like a rip off...However I ended up appreciating it as I wouldn't have wanted to wait for the usual butter blob to melt before I could've properly started devouring my waffle! My companion dove into his pancakes as soon as the plate hit the table...And I was lucky enough to get to try a bite. Very good!!! A little wet, almost like it wasn't fully cooked... The rest of our meal was what you would expect anywhere else they serve breakfast. The ambience was pleasant, lots of folks, lots of chatter, but nothing too loud... The clown decor wasn't as creepy as other reviews mentioned...It was more kitsch? Pancake Circus is a winner.... read more

We've driven by the Pancake Circus many times and commented that we'd like to try it someday. Early one Saturday morning we did! This is a place for regular folk; we saw no hipsters or digerati. Instead, we saw families getting a good breakfast before a road trip, building contractors starting their day off right, parents and their kids, and regulars who didn't need to see the menu. The staff was friendly and efficient. Our waitress called us "honey" but in a real nice way, neither condescending nor indifferent. The decor is straight out of the 1970s: wood paneling and Naugahyde booths, punctuated by circus-themed decor. There is a counter for those who like that part of diner culture. We sat at a table in the back. The mugs are classic brown pottery, and you have to remember to flip yours over from its little paper doily if you want coffee, which is a little watery as some other reviews have said but no more than other diners. The plates were a little unusual; genuine white Corelle Ware just like at grandma's house. The pancakes are large, hot, and buttery. These are not the wee little haute cuisine pancakes, no no -- they are big, fat American flapjacks, thank you, and they come with syrup that's been heated just right. The eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast are merely the supporting actors; the pancakes are the stars of this show. We read the paper to each other, drank coffee (which was refilled promptly after each time it dipped below the level of the top of the handle), and stuffed ourselves with pancake-y goodness while we eavesdropped on the other guests. It was a great breakfast experience! read more

What is it? Had the hamburger for lunch. The meat patty was dry and flavorless; it was obviously from a frozen meat patty package. Shoulda gone to McDonald's for a beef hamburger. The question is "What kind of meat was it?". read more

Okay I don't understand why we go here. Nor do I understand why it's so amazing...but it just IS! Any place themed after a circus and has fake winnie-the-pooh wooden cutouts on the wall is awesome in my book. Don't go here expecting class though. Seriously this place is ridiculous. We went there, there was sausage on the floor, stuff on our table and yes! believe it or not, when our waitress served our food her finger was smack dab in the middle of my pat of butter. oh and she dropped syrup on the floor. and yes, it's sort of a sacramento staple. i sorta wish someone would come in and give it a little love (ie: rennovation money). but the pancakes are good and well, the place is a circus. in theory, i want to give it 4 stars, but really, i just can't let myself do it. read more

Not a place to eat at if you're scared of clowns.. Prices are decent tho.. odd way that i ended up here. i was hanging out with an old coworker early sunday morning, and we were originally going to hit up crepeville, but they did cash only.. so, i jumped on yelp to look for a breakfast place, and badaboom badabing, here we are.. i'd heard about this place before, and figured, why the hell not? definately had a "circus circus" feel to it (old school diner feel and they even had KENO!!) the coworker and i both ordered the chocolate pancakes (which were the special for $7?) it came with 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, and your choice of bacon or sausage. we also had coffee (which was bottomless).. the pancakes were delicious. alas, i didnt take a good look at the menu, since we had already decided that we wanted the chocolate pancakes (it was on the specials board in the waiting room) would def try this again if im in the area. read more

I am a huge fan of breakfast food and diners, so Pancake Circus and I were just meant to be. The diner is as All-American as it gets. Along with the circus-themed decor, the staff is super friendly, the chef is hilarious, coffee is constant, and the food is decent. Being a veggie I recommend the veggie omlette, the pancakes (it is called pancake circus after all), and the hash browns. Keep in mind it can get a little busy on weekends, but the wait isn't too long. Also their hours are 6am-3pm daily so keep that in mind as well. Another great benefit, they sell lotto tickets! Who knows? You could get a tasty meal and hit it big all in one spot. The place is just feels like home and I'm glad I found it. read more

My husband tried to get me to eat here 3 years ago, but when we walked in it got eerily quiet and it creeper me out, so we left. Then, we decided to try it last week. Creepy. Filthy. Long wait, terrible service. Flavorless food. Pancakes were not great. Everything was greasy or sticky. I will never go back. read more

DAMN! I was looking forward to trying out this place-the googie architecture alone had been beckoning me for ages. The creepy clowns & circus motifs were great, but the food was just greasy institutional grade slop. Even the pancakes (for ****'s sake-who screws up a PANCAKE) were pretty sorry. Don't even get me started on the filthy carpet. I just hope I don't get hepatitis... read more

Love these guys, i always come in and get great service, whether I'm choosing the daily specials or just getting a Denver omelette, my coffee is refillled quick and I'm good. read more

Review #300... drum roll please....... Yes, this even surprised my internal panel of judges, but what the heck... Pancake Circus is it! I'm another one that has past by this place for years and years, always a bit skeptical when passing by the run down 1960's look of the place in a dicey part of Broadway. But my pancake craving took the best of me on this Saturday morning, with the logic... if its been here year after year, how bad can it be? So, first thing... why 5 stars? -- Food: Welp, its not nearly the best breakfast I've ever had, but the pancakes were just what I was craving this morning, and the bacon was some of the best I've ever had anywhere. -- Decor: was funky, cool and exciting. If this were 1965, it would be the classic everywhere theme. If it were 1995, it would be creepy. But today, its got that retro-hipster cool, but there's not a hipster around for miles. -- Ambiance: The place was crowded, and you can tell that its completely a locals joint. Families, neighbors talking loudly about current events, people looking for that bland-but-solid-Americana weekend breakfast fix. --Price & Value: Typical for what we got. No complaints, and no one leaves hungry. --Wait Staff & Owner: Perfect, classic and real deal. They hustle, they have diner character, they are fast & efficient, they know customer service but deliver it as real hard working people. Met the owner at the register... and the conversation was the perfect ending to this experience. So, if I add everything up, I'd give it a solid 4 star, but there's something I liked about this place that awards a bonus star... 5 stars! We'll be back... read more