The Original Pancake House

Great service and great food. Extensive menu. The presentation was excellent. We had an omelette…read morethat was both sweet and savory.

My husband and I were looking for breakfast and we were delightfully surprised by Egg Republic…read more They were still busy after 2pm which we took as a good sign. I ordered the biscuits and gravy. It was in the corner of the menu and I almost missed it. I'm glad that I didn't miss it because this was the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had. The biscuits were soft and pillowy and the gravy was rich. My husband got the creme brule French toast. This was also super delicious and really sweet. I highly recommend Egg Republic!

Inside

See all

Mimosa Flight

Fort Jesse Cafe

4.6(597 reviews)

0.6 mi

Perfectly lovely cafe. Food was amazing! I ordered the Shrimp and grits, and regular hot matcha…read more Bring a sweater if you're sensitive to lots of AC.

You may want to call ahead for reservations as this is a popular spot especially on weekend…read moremornings. Along with the amazing cup of coffee, we had: Eggs Benedict and the Fort Buster . Both were amazing and delivered quickly. Our server was wonderful and even got us fresh, full to go cups of coffee when we left. Very satisfying breakfast!

Restaurant interior

Blackberry Turkey Panini

See all

Seating area

Uncle Tom's Pancake House

3.9(115 reviews)

2.8 mi

We love Uncle Tom's Pancake House! Met a friend for breakfast last week and Uncle Tom's never…read moredisappoints. Vicki was our waitress and made us feel very welcome. Our food came out quickly and was delicious with plentiful portions. I had the classic 2 egg breakfast with hash browns and pancakes and my friend had a vegetable omlette. Delicious! Vicki kept the coffees full and checked us often to make sure we didn't need anything. She had also put some of her art on the specials board to make it more fun! Great homemade food and terrific service as always at Unc Tom's Pancake House! Definitely Recommend! Kate the Artist

The Chilaquiles were not good. Very thin, soggy, and cold…read more The Greek Omelette was fine this time, but next time I'll try something else.

Pork tenderloin sandwich was good but needed a little mustard.

The Chilaquiles were not good. Very thin, soggy, and cold.

See all

The Eggs Benedict was great with homemade Hollandaise sauce and thin sliced Canadian Bacon.

Tony's Diner

4.3(122 reviews)

4.1 mi

Nice home town feel we. Staff were very efficient, friendly, and attentive. The diner has a true…read morediner atmosphere, and is very clean. Food was very good and gave you nice portions sizes ! Will definitely come back.

If you're going on a Sunday, brace for a wait. Ample seating, but clearly the food is worth the…read morewait. The staff was welcoming, friendly, and fast. We got the country-fried steak and corned beef hash, both were delicious. The gravy on the steak was particularly good. Only downside was no half and half for the coffee. Only Coffeemate creamer.

Inside

Biscuits and gravy was a powder pack mix. Bacon was under done.

See all

Indoor dining

Shannon's Five Star

3.8(134 reviews)

3.4 mi

Been here a bunch of times for breakfast lately, I s'pose based on location, familiarity and…read morefrankly the weekend breakfast buffet which includes all the morning staples and offers the most flexibility for a groups - esp large ones which this place handles well. That said, nothing here blows me away taste, or service-wise. I've never had a bad meal or service issue here either. I considered a demerit this time around for the current prices, but frankly it's the same way everywhere, esp for bfast. The biggest downside is probly the ambiance, which is more on the noisy side based on it being a pretty large place these days and still pretty popular. I can't comment on lunch or dinner because we've never tried it, but the place prized brunch spot mostly by folks middle-aged and up (with more families/kids on the weekends) for its all-around consistency.

Diner food. A consistent and dependable restaurant with a wide variety of menu options. I dined in…read morefor lunch with coworkers. The service was good. I ordered a Philly cheesesteak with fries. The Philly cheesesteak was ok. The Philly roll (bread) was not great. The Philly steak was a small portion. The fries were not good. The breakfast options are better than the lunch options.

Waffle - average

See all

Entrance

IHOP

2.4(56 reviews)

1.5 mi

Didn't have bread for burgers..Wasn't too good, Took more than an hour to get food. It was pretty…read moreempty, and there were crumbs already on seats, not cleaned

Very good management…read more Very unfriendly waitress acted like she didn't want to seat me since I was there alone, and I was not one of her regulars (as she put it). She actually did not seat me and instead seated two parties who had come in after me. Nice waitress appeared and treated me fairly. Manager appeared and recognized the problem, took care of it immediately. Waitresses should never judge their customers. Even when I dine alone, I always tip more than 20% and notice that it's more than what a lot of couples and families leave on the table. Just sayin'

See all

Garden of Paradise

3.9(130 reviews)

1.4 mi

I came to town to visit my dad, Jackie Mo, along with Ryan Mo, and the rest of the family. While…read moreI've been here on vacation, I've eaten at Garden of Paradise a couple of times, and it's been excellent every visit. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and our waitress, Abby, was awesome. She provided great service and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was fresh, delicious, and consistently good. I'll definitely be coming back the next time I'm in town. Thank you to Abby and the entire team at Garden Paradise for another great dining experience!

The Country Fried Steak was pretty good standard issue fare…read more The pancakes were average. Next time I'll try the French Toast or Waffle. As always the biscuits and gravy were great. My wife got it as a combo. The bacon needs to be ordered well done or else it comes out fairly raw. The sausage was decent. The coffee is weak.

Inside

Garden of Paradise - Greek Skillet came with nearly no Gyro meat, so I ordered an extra side of Gyro Meat. Lacked seasoning. Nice Tzatsiki sauce though.

Greek Skillet came with nearly no Gyro meat, so I ordered an extra side of Gyro Meat. Lacked seasoning. Nice Tzatsiki sauce though.

See all

Bar

Epiphany Farms Restaurant

4.5(517 reviews)

2.9 mi

•$$$

Good selection of food on the menu for something different to suit your taste. Check out the menu…read morein advance. The service is adequate to excellent depending on your waiter or waitress. The atmosphere is pleasant. Well lighted. You must climb steps to get to the second floor which makes it hard for the disabled. Other than that fine.

Our late night visit to Epiphany Farms/Anju was exceptional! A huge drink menu welcome us and we…read morehad the Beyond jalapeño cornbread for a starter, which proved to be quite yummy and not hot at all. We decided to go with the rustic pizzas that were delicious and unusual: harmony, Korean, chicken and loaded supreme. The crust tasted like it was from a woodfired oven and the Korean chicken pizza was so unusual and tasty with kimchi and pickled shiitake. The fresh from the forest mushroom side dish they gave us a special treat to us was quite a delicacy. Even the farm to table items they have for sale when you walk in to take home are a treat, Especially the homemade marshmallows! Ended with dessert of a fresh orange olive oil cake with just tremendous flavor and blood orange on the side and orange marmalade on the cake. It served exquisitely with a side of homemade ice cream that was to die for. We can't wait to come back! Our waitress, Lupe, treated us like family and was incredibly personal and warm. Put this on your must visit List.

Farm Restaurant

See all

Epiphany Farm Restaurant

Times Past Inn

4.2(63 reviews)

1.5 mi

We had a large party of 12 for Breakfast and they were very accommodating. When we all had placed…read moreour orders, the food came out in good time, the food was hot fresh made and fabulous. The service was great and the manager was very nice. A good place if you are in the area for a meal. It is a very popular place for the locals, so a lot of talking going on but it is a place to connect with loved ones.

Delicious! Known for breakfast but the dinner options are great as well! Always consistentread more

See more unrecommended reviews

Inside bar area

Breakfast burrito with chorizo

See all

Indoor dining

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

63 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Andie L.

8 years ago

First visit with my family of five on Saturday morning 8:30 AM. Got in immediately. Service was excellent, with friendly, happy people. Happy people= service with a smile. Coffee was a dark roast served with heavy cream. As expected at a pancake house, there were many varieties of pancakes offered. Most of the entrées were served with a side of three buttermilk pancakes which we subbed for strawberry pancakes for an additional $1.50. The strawberry pancakes came topped with fresh sliced strawberries, fresh whipped cream and strawberry syrup. Previously, our favorite breakfast restaurant was Bob Evans and there is a noticeable difference in quality of food. Freshly beaten eggs for scrambled eggs, fresh OJ with pulp, sausage patties didn't have any gristle which is indicative of lesser quality meats. Meal of 3 sausage patties and eggs came with 3 pancakes. Instead of ordering off the kids menu, we ordered one entrée to split and that was a better idea. I ordered a Denver omelette which appeared to have at least five eggs. The omelette was scrambled with the ingredients with a center of oozing cheddar cheese. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was fully cooked through the center which from experience, is difficult to do with a thick omelette. The higher prices are commensurate with the quality of ingredients used. read more

Gina Michelle H.

7 years ago

Every Sunday morning you will find me in a booth with family and our favorite server Paul. Everyone is so friendly, they make you feel like their family. The food is AMAZING. Between the 4 of us I think we have tried just about everything on the menu. Javent found a thing yet they we dont like. They are very accommodating with any requests you make. The fact that all the little things are big things to them like the heavy cream, whipped butter, fresh squeezed juices and homemade jams YUMMY. I never thought about trying crepes and Paul talked me into trying them...I even got to mix the different ones up so I could try them all. And now I am hooked. The omelets are so fluffy and you get your money worth. I always hear people say it is expensive. Yes it might seem like that but you know what ? You definately get your moneys worth and if you walk away hungry...that is your own fault. The fact that they are always so busy is a great sign !!! And worth the wait !!! read more

Brian S.

6 years ago

My girlfriend and I Dinned in for brunch. Ordered the Santa Fe scramble, farmhouse scramble, 2 coffees, 1 orange juice. We agreed that the scrambles were both super bland a bit messy. The salsa didn't help nor did the Tabasco and Cholula. I had about half the meal. Stomach was very uneasy afterwards, and multiple bad times on the toilet later on. We were charged ~$40 with tip for two scramblers, two coffees, and one orange juice (scrambles do come with a side: hash browns or pancakes or toast). I have been here before and ordered other items. I feel that they are overpriced. Coffee and orange juice were amazing but not enough to make up for the main course. Lastly, I have never had problems with the service. They are a really good team. Something seems to be going wrong in the kitchen or the prices on the menu. I am likely not coming back unless the food gets better or the prices go down. read more

Kaz B.

1 year ago

Overall service was nice 9/10, server was responsive and cherry. Ordered the featured "apple pancake" and was expecting the namesake. However what I received was more along the lines of cobbled together Apple frittata. There was no semblance of cake and instead more closely resembled unseasoned scrambled eggs with a Ludacris amount apple slices. overall score for the dish 1/10 brilliant idea at face value, just overthought and underperformed. My suggestion, either embrace the traditional pancake idea and Brunois the apples after rapid balance for tender mouth feel, or fully embrace the enormous Cast iron pancake idea but use a more butter cake adjacent batter and cook low and slow. Refire hot and quick during service for crisp exterior and soft fluffy interior. read more

Brandy B.

306

2 years ago

I had a wonderful experience at The Original Pancake House! Our server, Jessica A. A, was absolutely excellent. She was very sweet, attentive, and made sure our needs were met throughout our meal. The service was top-notch - fast, but not rushed, so we felt like everything was done to perfection. The atmosphere was casually modern and a bit noisy, but that didn't detract from our experience. And the food? Absolutely divine! The Dutch Baby is an absolute MUST TRY - it's a game-changer! And if you're a bacon lover like me, you'll be thrilled to know they serve the best thick-cut, smoky bacon that's cooked to perfection. I would highly recommend The Original Pancake House, and specifically ask for Jessica - she's a rockstar! Solid 5 out of 5 stars from me! read more

Jeff N.

Elite 23

1123

797

3 years ago

In Normal, Illinois, where pancakes delight, The Original Pancake House, a culinary height. Greeted by the manager with a welcoming grace, A five-star entrance, setting the pace. Madeline, our server, in a bustling scene, Efficient and friendly, like a breakfast dream. Hash browns, oh, a masterpiece on the plate, Thick, golden, and flavorful - a morning's fate. Bacon, a star in its own savory show, Deliciously thick, a breakfast hero. Pancakes that dance on taste buds with glee, A symphony of flavors, a brunch jubilee. Half omelettes, a choice so wise, Options aplenty, to our breakfast surprise. In the heart of Normal, where satisfaction stands, The Original Pancake House, in culinary hands. read more

David B.

8 years ago

A few of my friends and I went to the pancake house. I would have to say its one of the best places by far to get breakfast! The food is wonderful with so many diverse options to choose from. I personally would recommend the blueberry pancakes. Along with some amazing food the service was excellent. Everyone there always has a smile on there face and takes of you very well. One of few the people who helped serve my table was actually the manger of the restaurant Hector Castro and he was one of the most friendly people Ive ever met defiantly made me experience at the pancake house that much better! Would definitely recommend this place to anyone! read more

Indy B.

8 years ago

UHHHHHMMMM, Can we talk about Hector for a second!?! This man goes above and beyond!!! We mentioned it was our anniversary he surpised us with a little fruit whipped cream dessert it was sooooo Good!! He told us thank you for sharing our day with him!! We have been to many house of pancakes from west coast to central parts of america and this panacake house of bloomington Illinois is THE BEST BY FAR!!! We love the staff they are so friendly and so well mannered!! This place is so CLEAN oh my goodness these workers mean business! I feel welcomed when i come in! You should come here bring friend family you will fall in love with this place! read more

Megan D.

7 years ago

Not only was the food delicious but the service couldn't be beat. We were visiting from out of town with 3 young kids who had already had a weekend full of wedding festivities. He got us seated right away even though it was a busy Sunday morning and had a small order of pancakes to our table within minutes to keep the kids occupied until meals arrived. He even told the kids that being kind and polite does pay off. :) Our waitress was just as pleasant and attentive. Hope to be back next time we're in town! Highly recommend the pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, mixed fruit, and coffee! read more

Kim W.

7 years ago

We visiting The Original Pancake House yesterday Sunday for second time.A.Fantastic food! Best ever.My western omelette was really good and huge!.Our pancakes were delicious and really fresh. Great coffee.When we walked in the atmosphere felt friendly , every single host and waiter is smiling and it looks they love their having fun.Overall is a great staff.The manager use always different hats and made our visit feel more than nice. Is really hard find places with an excellent customer service and big time quality food .Pancake House is now our official breakfast club. read more

Roger N Marcy M.

7 years ago

This place is absolutely the most wonderful place to go for breakfast!! The staff is wonderful!! We are always greeted from the managers. The food is the best we have ever had!! Its so great we go every single sunday. Where can you go to get great service, great food and feel like your family?The original house of pancakes!! Five stars everytime we go!! Cinnamon roll pancakes, fresh sausage, fresh squeezed orange juice, the list goes on.... if you havent tried it then you are missing out. read more

Jason H.

9 years ago

Fantastic food! Bonnie was super attentive and Hector is the most caring manager I have ever met. This is not your typical pancake house. The tables look like reclaimed wood and the decode is industrial but warm. Everything was homemade. The gravy, the biscuits, the butter, and even the maple syrup are all made in house! I half expected to see a cow and chicken out back! Gives this place a try ASAP. You will not be disappointed! read more

Tammy H.

7 years ago

I just want every one to know that the ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE is a wonderful place to eat The food is great, The services is great , and The Manager Luke he is wonderful ( my husband is disabled and he had gotten a wheelchair and it was taller then his original one and the table was to short and Manager Luke went far and beyond to fix it for him he did a great job too we all ate and thanked him and had a wonderful time there read more

Chris S.

8 years ago

My husband and I have been to many original panacake houses. We have been to 2 In Chicago area. We have been to 3 in Texas. The best pancake house is panacake house in Bloomington IL. We love the friendly staff they make us feel like we are at home. The menu is by far the best menu and it has so many more options than the other pancake houses we have visited. We love the original panacake houses of BLOOOMINGTON ILLINIOS! read more

Dan S.

7 years ago

OPH has gluten friendly pancakes that are wonderful! The combination of the mildly spicy breakfast sausage, GF pancakes and maple syrup is amazing! There is usually a short wait, so use the Yelp app to be waitlisted. Very friendly and attentive staff. Only wish they had evening hours as I want a quality breakfast for dinner place as the other options are no where close as good. read more

Aaron T.

4 years ago

This is the best breakfast place in town. Consistent and high quality. I really want to point out that with the Covid lockdowns this was the only place in town that took care of their customers and staff by providing open doors that was predictable. Prior to Covid I'd say that ft Jesse cafe was our number one, but the OP has really taken over in our minds! read more

Gavin L.

7 years ago

Great Food! Great Location! Great People! All the staff is friendly and greeted us with a smile from the moment we walked in until the moment that we left. The manager Hector even swung by to check in to make everything was going well even though it was the busiest time of the day for sure. By far the best breakfast place in Bloomington-Normal. read more

Marco M.

7 years ago

First time and honestly, best restaurant ever! Great customer service! Food was brought out in an instant and it did not disappoint! Very nice place! Well-managed and organized. Hector, in specific, was very nice, always checked in to see if everything was alright, made me feel at home, and overall, made the whole experience better. read more

John P.

7 years ago

My FAVORITE place for breakfast in town for sure. I am a breakfast lover and these guys do it RIGHT! Very good size portions and enjoyable staff. The wait seems to go quicker than what it may look. We go at least once per month and have never had a bad meal. BEST BACON IN THE MIDWEST! read more

Monica S.

7 years ago

This is our favorite breakfast place!! The staff is so friendly, accommodating & really make you feel welcome. The food is delicious (I always get some version of pancakes & then also bacon...they have nicely sliced, thicker pieces cooked to a great texture) Highly recommend! read more

The Original Pancake House - pancakes - Updated September 2026

Browse Nearby

BEST of Normal, Illinois Restaurants near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Coffee near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Breakfast near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Parking near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Things to Do near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Desserts near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Brunch near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Lunch near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Thrift Stores near The Original Pancake House

BEST of Normal, Illinois Shopping near The Original Pancake House

Best of Normal

Things to do in Normal

Browse Brands

Brands by name

Browse Articles

Articles by date

People who viewed The Original Pancake House also viewed

Fort Jesse Cafe

4.6

(597 reviews)

Perfectly lovely cafe. Food was amazing! I ordered the Shrimp and grits, and regular hot matcha…read more Bring a sweater if you're sensitive to lots of AC.

Egg Republic

4.4

(151 reviews)

Great service and great food. Extensive menu. The presentation was excellent. We had an omelette…read morethat was both sweet and savory.

Sunny Side Street

4.8

(6 reviews)

Absolutely excellent prices, service and food, I love this place been here several times with my…read moredaughter. I hope they stick around because they are a unique spot for this town.

The food was excellent and the folks are very friendly. Our…read morenew go to breakfast place.

Jack's Cafe

4.5

(52 reviews)

Extremely clean restaurant. & Bathroom. From Breakfast…read moremeals to dinner you can't go wrong. Meals always at the correct temperature for what you ordered. All the greeters & waitresses are extremely observant to your needs. ENJOY

We were passing through on the interstate and stopped here. Great decision! The food was all great…read more My husband got the southwest wrap and raved about it. My daughter got the farmhouse burger, loved it. My son got the buffalo chicken sandwich; also loved it. I got the French dip and everything was so good about it! The kids weren't too happy with getting soup instead of fries but it all worked out since the portions were so huge. Service was friendly, quick, and genuine. We liked the small town vibes! Blessings to our waitress who was getting her first grandbaby today!

Tony's Diner

4.3

(122 reviews)

Woody's Family Restaurant

3.3

(16 reviews)

I have been there for breakfast and lunch. The food is outstanding either time. You get a lot of…read morefood! I do take home and it's good then too! My favorite is the hamburger! Don't get me wrong the breakfast is wonderful, just too much food for this old gal! You get fries with the burger and if you ask for them to be crispy that's the way they come out! I go as often as I can! They make homemade desserts too. I've been good, I am diabetic so I have forced myself not to indulge, but they sure look yummy! In a case when you enter so you can see them! It's not easy to keep from ordering them! A must go to.

Well, the biscuits and gravy still have no flavor. I decided to also order some eggs and hash…read morebrowns this time around....hash browns were crispy on the outside and tasteless mush in the middle. The waitress was very nice and attentive.

Eddy's Kitchen

4.9

(15 reviews)

Quaint location! Not too far out of BloNo!…read more This was our first time. The food was good. Definitely good sized portions. The owner served us. She is good conversation. Even though she was busy, she was available. If that makes sense.

Great food and really nice owner / operators . Seating is very limited and it tends to be warmer…read morethan my comfort level. Service is great if you get a table and the food has great variety and taste. It is small which is is part the attraction but also limits ability to enjoy and it tends to be noisy again because of the size and it's popularity with locals.

Java Café

4.7

(51 reviews)

Great menu! Was trying to decide what to eat because it all looked good. Ended up getting a basic…read morebreakfast and a banana split yogurt for my husband that was so delicious. The bacon is amazing. The potatoes were so delicious and the bread that came with the meal was great too. If I lived closer, I would be there more often.

The drinks were amazing, and the atmosphere was cute and cozy. The person working at the counter…read morewas very nice! I would like to visit again as soon as possible!

Jack's Restaurant

4.4

(185 reviews)