Updating as of May 2026. The prices have increased, and as a customer I can feel the morale decrease of the employees during my visits now. Still a solid breakfast option, and most of the menu is the same. but I just can't rave about it anymore. It's so tough maintaining the regulars, the morale, the rising costs under new management after being a successful breakfast go-to for DECADES. But I wish PC the best. read more

The Pancake Chef - cabin muffin delicious, egg, thick slice ham inside, cheesy overhang. lol - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

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Not the same Pancake Chef I remember. This is under a new Management now. My family and I went there for brunch on 5/10(Sun). We waited 30 minutes to get a table and 10-15 minutes to get a waitress to get our order. The waitress barely stopped by to check up on us or refill our cups with water. I noticed the owner kept cramming people in the restaurant and it was very uncomfortable. Limited space for walking through the restaurant and the owner told my pregnant sister to move when when she was on her way out of the crowded restaurant. It was like walking through Mumbai India! Compared to my visit under original owner, both the food and service was horrible. It's just too bad. We were all excited to come here and my family drove from Tacoma. We will never come back! All the floor staff look either overworked or don't want to be there. read more

On a mission to find silver dollar pancakes, we found this place! House-made corned beef hash to die for , perfectly done eggs & bacon, hash browns exquisitely crisp, fresh-fresh sourdough toast. And my much-anticipated silver dollar pancakes (lots more edge surface) with berry compote! Overall exceptional execution of the classic breakfast staples! Also... Minimal, reasonable wait time on a busy Saturday morning. Surprisingly clean, considering the age of this "greasy spoon" diner. Extremely friendly server Lorraine was helpful - listened to what I was looking for and suggested substitutions that 100% fit the bill. Excellent value for a comparable modest price. Super fresh coffee pot on the table, all the condiments brought without needing to ask, frequent service check-ins during our meal. We wanted for nothing. read more

The Pancake Chef - Daily's bacon 2-egg breakfast, silver-dollar pancakes w/ blueberry-strawberry compote - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

Service was friendly. Ordered the single blueberry, single banana add chocolate chips and a regular stack of potato pancakes. Pancakes were fluffy and had a nice rise. Blueberries were fresh, syrup was warm. Potato pancake was fine but we received a short stack, not the full. Wasn't sure what we were charged since I didn't get a chance to look at the receipt before we paid. Coffee was watered down but fine. read more

The Pancake Chef - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

The Pancake Chef is a gem we didn't know about until just now. How have we missed it?!?! The diner is old but clean and the food was delicious. We had the Buttermilk Pancakes and the Potato Pancakes. Delicious! And the bacon was nice and thunk and the perfect combo of chewy and crisp. We'll definitely be going back. read more

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First time here after seeing it for decades. I'm glad I went! Food took a minute to come out but it had big portion sizes. Very friendly service. The chicken fried steak was pretty good. The steak itself was probably not the best I've ever had but it had the nice crispy exterior. The gravy was the real star though! Hashbrowns were crispy and I asked for scrambled eggs but the gave me an omelet which was fine. Pancakes were also great! I loved the blueberry sauce it came with. Will definitely come back. They have lots of menu items I'd like to try, including the german pancake It just felt so homey and old school here, like you're transported back in time to a simpler place read more

The Pancake Chef - Buen Sabor (Great Flavor) - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

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A wonderful step back in time. I had hoped to visit before they closed last summer, so when they reopened late last year with reviews promising the same cozy breakfast experience, I planned a trek with friends to see for myself. The dining room is spotless. While the decor steps back decades, not a single detail is missed; it's rare to find a place this impeccably clean. The staff is equally impressive--attentive and professional, they handle allergies, modifications, and large crowds with the diplomatic aplomb of a polished foreign service officer. The food was very good--clean, high-quality, and not at all greasy. My only minor disappointment was the cinnamon roll, which was a bit doughy and flat. That aside, if you're passing through SeaTac and need a nearby waypoint, skip 13 Coins and come here instead. read more

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We stopped in for breakfast on our way to Leavenworth after our flight from Honolulu. The Pancake Chef is well known for their all day breakfast and array of delicious pancakes, and crepes. We weren't in thr mood for pancakes so we enjoyed their crab and cheese omelet and biscuits and gravy. Both dishes were great and the food service was prompt. Loved the diner vibe, friendly waitress and delicious food .. I'm a fan! read more

The Pancake Chef - Crab and Cheese Omelet - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

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Old school diner near Sea-Tac. Was seated quickly but waitress was extremely busy and it took awhile to get our actual order in. Service was friendly. Food was solid and portions were large. Plaza in front of restaurant almost scared us off but you have to drive thru their parking lot to get to the actual restaurant. Not many breakfast options around so if you are in the mood for a diner it's fine and better than getting fast food I guess. read more

Clark's Pancake Chef has been a Wonderful place since 1959. The service is amazing, food, delicious and most importantly the people who have been working here for decades. We will miss them! Loren did say they may a buyer so look for future buyers. Thank you for all the years in this building of a great place read more

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Food- 3 stars : eggs were fine, toast was too hard Service - 3 stars: she put my silverware right on top of a moving ant., Service was mediocre. She seemed nice though Ambiance - 4 stars: it's an older facility, gives you a nostalgic feeling, although it wasn't very comfy sitting on the seats with cracks on it. Personally, I would not go back. read more

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Sandy is our waitress. She is very sweet and friendly. Apparently her Boy-friend and my other half share the same preference in corn beef hash. LOL She has made some awesome recommendations and she has come to check on us several times. The restaurant is very clean. I have a feeling that they do a lot of business because the hotels nearest airport or just next-door. Inside is very quaint. It is cozy and comfy. Prices are more than reasonable. And portions are very large. I ordered a French toast breakfast and the waitress was so kind as to bring me maple syrup as well as cranberry syrup and Marion berry syrup. Those are 2 things that you don't usually see. And also, aside from the usual Smuckers blackberry, orange and strawberry gems. They also have one that is a raspberry freezer jam. I am liking all these extra options. The French toast was delicious. It was crispy and light, fluffy too. The Marion berry syrup was the one that really hit the spot for me. The cranberry was a nice touch. I actually think I would have liked it if it were a little more tart , but still, there was nothing wrong with it. It was delicious. I didn't even bother with the maple syrup. I can only assume that was good as well. I didn't ask if it was locally sourced or anything, but if they had given me that little bit of detail, that might've changed things. My eggs were cooked to perfection. They were soft and fluffy. I gobbled those up right away. I like that they did not add any salt to them. Coffee is brought to you in a carafe. You can refill your cup as much as you like. They do offer fresh squeeze orange juice. And the special for today was a fresh strawberry crêpe. I did take note of the sign on the door. From August 31 until September 2, they will be closed. They will be open for business as usual on September 3, 2025. It's nice to see that they are giving their employees a break for Labor Day. read more

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A SeaTac Institution is Back! Same Great Food and Heartwarming Service. ​I finally made it back to The Pancake Chef for breakfast! After hearing that the long-time owner, Loren, was retiring and the business was up for sale, I was thrilled to see it reopened under new ownership. While I missed seeing Loren in the kitchen, I want to sincerely thank him for his years of hard work and dedication to the community. ​A huge shoutout to Barbara, our server who has been here since 1980. She is as efficient and wonderful as ever--truly the heart of the place. ​Our Top Recommendation: The Senior Plate (for ages 55+): ​Drinks: It comes with complimentary coffee--which is smooth and served in a pot (plenty for 2-3 refills each)--plus a choice of juice. You must try the fresh-squeezed orange juice; it's delicious! ​The Meal: One egg (cooked to your liking), your choice of bacon or sausage, and your pick of either 5 mini butter pancakes or 3 blueberry pancakes. ​Even with the new ownership, the quality of food and service remains top-notch. It was a 100% satisfying experience that left us feeling very happy. So glad to have this gem back! read more

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Can't wait to return to try the German Pancake! Pancake Chef is a great old school diner to visit if you're on the way to the airport. Menu has plenty of options. Service was friendly and laid back. We really enjoyed the old school feel and look of the diner which made us feel comfortable and cozy when dining in. I ordered the French toast with hot chocolate and both my drink and meal satisfied me and was tasty. My man ordered an omelette and asked for a side of avocado but sadly they gave him bad and brown avocado so he couldn't eat it. At the end of the meal the waitress asked us how everything was so he mentioned he was disappointed about the avocado. The waitress took it off the bill which was kind and the right thing to do in my opinion since he couldn't even eat it. We still enjoyed the rest of our meal but if we return we'll skip the avocado or make sure it's good to eat and say something sooner if it's not. Next time I return to The Pancake Chef I'm really interested in trying the German pancake as our first visit we were on a time crunch going to the airport. German pancakes do take 15-20 minutes so you wait a little longer on your meal when ordering this item. Restaurant is clean and bathrooms are clean but one odd thing in the women's bathroom was I saw an ant crawling on the toilet seat. When finished with your meal you do take your check to the front register and pay. At the register they even sell merch if you're a Pancake Chef lover and supporter. I really liked the pink Pancake Chef hat, it looks so cute! Solid diner to visit if you're on the way to the airport. Plenty of free parking and plenty of options on the menu to order :) read more

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Good food, good service, reasonable prices but nothing stands out. We had breakfast here. I had the Mexican Omlette which was quite good. My wife orderd eggs and hash. The has mybe homemade but it's potroast hash not corned beef hash and was so cooked and mashed it was practibally pate instead of chunky hash. Overall just ok. read more

We'll be back when visiting from California and telling others stop by after an early flight in. Right when you step inside it just feels like grandma's house, warm and cozy. The customer service was good and the food was good. read more

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If you're looking for a retro atmosphere and great food - The Chef is your place. Close to the SEA-TAC. read more

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Barbara was great! Very professional and top notch waitress. Food was great! Close to the Airport!

So I came here because the Seattle foodie was there and I saw that you had Dutch babies. I've actually been there twice in the last two weeks I live in Renton so it's 20 minute drive to get there. The place is super clean. The waitresses are horrible non-friendly nonverbal they never smiles. (the two times I've been there.) The food is great. The parking lot down below is nasty as hell. read more

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2nd visit. 1st was in 2024 before the change of owners. Restaurant was featured in a segment of King 5 evening so we decided to try it again and we were not disappointed. at about 9:30AM on a Sunday morning we were seated immediately at a table for 4. The person who seated us brought 2 glasses of water to the table as we were seated. Immediately, we were asked if we wanted coffee and 2 cups and a generous carafe arrived. We later found out that coffee was on the house for seniors. Our order was taken quickly from an extensive menu. I ordered the German Pancake because I did not know what it was and my wife got the pancake sandwich which is 3 pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs on top. 3 kinds of syrup and 4 containers of butter arrived quickly. The German pancake takes extra time but the wait was not long. Both were delicious. Service was fast and efficient. We live in Des Moines and we drive past several breakfast place to get here but it is worth the extra miles. We will be back. The restaurant sits above a small trashy strip shopping center. if you are headed north, you need to turn left at the light and left again into the parking lot of the stores. Drive across the parking lot and make a right turn up the hill to the Pancake Chef and turn right into their parking lot. read more

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My boyfriend and I met had our first date at The Pancake Chef just over five years ago. It was a five then, and it's a five now, but it's the best dive ever. Get the German pancake with lemon curd, and be sure to order it before your butt hits the seat, as it takes about a half hour to bake. Other winners include the corned beef hash, the spinach omelette, and the apple fritters. The only thing that sucks is the toast, which is always delivered lukewarm with unmelted butter on top. Barb and Sandy are amazing servers. read more

The Pancake Chef - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

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Food - 2 stars you can definitely get omelettes somewhere else & it would definitely be better. Also got the biscuits & gravy. No idea how you mess up biscuits & gravy. Food was very bland Service - 4 stars our server was really nice & was on top of everything. Ambiance - 3 stars it is an older building so it was expected. Seats weren't terrible but you can tell they were old. read more

I've been going to Pancake Chef for years. I am so happy they reopened. Nothing has changed. They continue to provide the best service and the food is fantastic. I was there today and had a German pancake. So tasty! read more

I received some of the worst service I have ever had. The place was very busy so we were trying to be patient, but after being seated we waited 25 minutes for a server to even come say hello. At that point we were ready to order, so she took our orders. We then sat there for another 20 minutes before we had to flag down a different waitress and ask for our drinks. We saw our food sitting in the kitchen window for about 10 minutes before it was brought to us, and a lot of the food was cold by the time we got it. Terrible experience, would never go back. read more

I haven't been to Pancake Chef ever since pandemic. We used to frequent Pancake chef going on 20 years. Still that old school cafe feel, been around since the 50s. You can see the retired Boeing engineers hanging out together having breakfast. Barb has been our amazing waitress for the past 20 years. I was surprised she was still working there. Great place to stop either before your flight or even after if you have an early flight back home. I've never had their lunches, but I love their breakfast. Not easy to find a good breakfast spot anymore. My fave is the German pancake, and a side of corn beef hash. Their corn beef has you can tell is made from scratch. Other places I've had it at tasted more like canned corn beef hash. The German pancake takes a little longer than normal to make but it's worth it. I love the lemon syrup they include with the rest of the fixins. We will defining be coming back again when we are in the area. read more

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Open again!!! Pancake Chef has reopened with much of the staff and the same menu. Solid breakfast/lunch menu.

An old fashioned breakfast diner with a retro atmosphere. Our server Lyn has a pleasant attitude that made dining enjoyable. read more

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Have you ever eaten at the pancake chef? Pro tip: don't! Pretty bamboozled at my experience here and should've turned around and walked out the door the second I stepped inside. Immediately when walking in, I got a deafening glare from the woman who turned out to be our waitress. Lovely start! Seated at a broken table in between the orange juicer and kitchen, we were asked "you know what you want or should I come back?"... keep in mind we had JUST sat down and tried fixing the broken table on our own while she walked by multiple times watching us attempt to fix it with no help, so obviously had no time to browse the menu. At the end of the day, I wanted eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. What breakfast spot doesn't have this combo? Answer: the pancake chef! Saw "2 eggs" in the meat section. I asked what the 2 eggs came with, she looked at me like I was dumb. She said "hashbrowns, toast, or pancakes". I mistakenly took that as hashbrowns, and toast or pancakes. Negative. It was hashbrowns and toast, OR pancakes. Settled for 2 eggs with pancakes because I didn't know - then questioned the 2 eggs and pancakes for $15.... So I verified. I had to order a side of hash browns in addition. Still no meat but $20 down the drain for a bunch of carbs. After ordering pancakes, the waitress placed a few open syrup bottles on the table with no context and walked away. Open bottles seem pretty nasty considering I could spit in this bottle and they could give it to the next table. Who knows what the previous table could've done/put in these bottles. Literally as I'm writing this review, the waitress takes our half eaten plates (not done eating!) without saying ANYTHING. Just -swoop-. I almost thought it was part of that trend on TikTok where waitresses take plates that are clearly being eaten as a joke (but it wasn't a joke). Wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend. Overpriced, underwhelming food, and clearly under satisfied employees leading to under satisfied customers. read more

The Pancake Chef - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

we were happily greeted upon arrival and food came out fast! our waiter was happy to help and the space was clean.

Food was good, used to be my breakfast spot. Not no more. Sad. The vibe changed. Service was slow, but ok didnt get everything we odered. The only saving grace is the cooks. Good food. ​ read more

The Pancake Chef - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

Classic breakfast place, I ordered French toast. It was big thick slices and not dry. I like the biue berry syrup mixed with original. My friends like their orders of regular pancakes and omelette. The inside looked classic and pretty of tables. Even with the shorted of workers, our server was good. She was friendly. You go paid at the counter. There are packing in front and additional on the side. read more

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I've been in this place a couple times have had good and bad experiences but today I have to say was the best by far. They were extremely busy, but it was such a great experience. Didn't have to wait long .brought in my daughter and Son. Everything was lovely. Cynthia was our waitress. I've had her once before very professional and on point. read more

Free coffee for seniors and a great German pancake. Nostalgic diner atmosphere. We need more places like this in Seattle. read more

The Pancake Chef - Free coffee 55+ - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

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Former owner retired and it got purchased by someone else. Although they're keeping most of the menu relatively the same and they've added a couple of good things, it's heartbreaking that the quality of service and food has gone drastically downhill. The only person working there that's decent someone that's been there for years. Need to try to hire back some of the former staff especially the servers because the new service they have hired are horrible. They don't listen, they get the orders wrong, etc. read more

I've been here too many times not to rate this five stars. The nightmare burger is legendary.

Pancake Chef is a Pacific Northwest gem and a beloved historic neighborhood institution that is, thankfully, still in existence and is being kept well-maintained, which includes its gorgeous neon sign. Many of these standalone long-time establishments are being torn down year after year and replaced with soulless multi-story buildings. I see the purpose and need for multi-story buildings and creating more dense housing. However, places like the Pancake Chef brings much-needed community, history, and heart to neighborhoods. Our waitress is celebrating her 44th year working at Pancake Chef! To me, that says a lot about a business and loyalty. If you are looking for a traditional breakfast place with great retro ambiance and delicious food, plus friendly service, eat here and do your part in helping to preserve this exceptional local small business. read more

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This is such a lovely spot. It's clean, has fast service, and a robust menu. Note: they are currently serving a limited menu but hopefully they'll get back to their full menu soon. They recommended the German pancake but alas, I have one stomach and it really wanted the pancake sandwich. It was exactly as described: pancakes, egg (as you like it - aka Sunnyside or you're wrong :)), and bacon (or links). They offer 3 jams/syrups: maple, pineapple, marionberry. I got the pancake sandwich and got to try all the syrups on it. Maple was my favorite but then when mixed with the marionberry, it was even better! They are clearly a favorite breakfast place for the locals, the servers often knew customers by name and spoke to them like old friends. It was heartwarming. I'd go back to work through the menu. read more

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The food was good, I do suggest they add more coffee grounds in the pots, its pretty dang weak. What got to me were the sugar ants on the table. After the 4th ant, I had to move to a different table. They need to get an exterminator to help solve the problem. But the food was good & the staff very nice & helpful. read more

Always friendly service,fast and five star. We have been going to this restaurant For years & years Jim & Esther read more

The Pancake Chef - Fresh strawberry creps - American Near Me - SeaTac, Washington

It is a classic breakfast and lunch place. Built in 1959.. it looks it. Definitely a recommended place. I had buckwheat pancakes and bacon. Perfect! read more