The pancake batter here gets help from a sourdough starter grown right in the kitchen. It starts with potatoes, flour, and sugar.
That’s a pretty serious commitment to breakfast.
The menu also brags about real cream, real butter, and real maple syrup. Nothing comes from a mix.
I like how a breakfast spot can treat flour and eggs like they really matter.
This Michigan restaurant has been flipping pancakes on the same east side street since 1962. The same family has kept it going for generations.
I believe that kind of staying power usually means something good is coming out of the kitchen.
Then there’s the apple pancake, baked in the oven and glazed with cinnamon. There’s also a puffy German pancake served with fresh lemon.
A Family Has Been Flipping Pancakes Here Since 1962
Sixty-plus years is a long time to keep the griddle warm. The Original Pancake House in Grosse Pointe Woods opened in 1962, started by Howard and Janet Hamilton.
In 1980, their son Frank and his wife Anneke bought the business. Today it runs as a second- and third-generation family operation, which is rare in the restaurant world.
The bigger story starts even earlier. The Original Pancake House chain began in Portland, Oregon, in 1953.
Founders Les Highet and Erma Hueneke gathered recipes from all over the world.
Some recipes came from famous chefs. Others were home recipes handed down through families, the kind written on old cards with butter stains.
The chain earned early praise too. It won the McCall Citation for Excellence in 1956, and chef James Beard named it one of the top ten restaurants in America.
That’s a lot of credibility for a pancake joint. Here in Michigan, the Grosse Pointe Woods location has also been named Best Breakfast in the Detroit Area many times.
So when you sit down, you’re tasting decades of practice. Not bad for a Tuesday morning plan, right?
The Apple Pancake Deserves Its Own Fan Club
Fresh Granny Smith apples. Pure Sinkiang cinnamon.
Put those together in a hot oven, and you get the dish the menu calls World-Famous.
The Apple Pancake is baked rather than flipped on a griddle. The cinnamon turns into a rich, sugary glaze that coats the top like shiny caramel armor.
Granny Smith apples bring a tart bite. That tartness keeps all that sweetness from tipping into candy territory, which is a smart balancing trick.
Baked dishes take time, so this isn’t a grab-and-go breakfast. Plan to sip some coffee and chat while the oven does its job.
Sharing is a solid strategy here. Order the apple pancake for the table, then get something savory for yourself, like eggs or an omelet.
That way, everyone gets a taste of the sweet showstopper. You also avoid the classic mistake of eating dessert for breakfast and nothing else.
Honestly, though, nobody would blame you. Some mornings call for cinnamon glaze, and The Original Pancake House is ready to answer that call.
Puffy German Pancakes Are Basically Breakfast Theater
Air-filled delight. That’s how the menu describes the Dutch Baby, and the name alone makes you smile.
It’s an oven-baked German pancake served with butter, powdered sugar, and fresh lemon. You squeeze the lemon over the top, and the sugar turns into a tangy, sweet glaze.
Want to go bigger? The Big German is the full-size version, made from an old-world recipe.
The Dutch Baby is its smaller sibling, great for lighter appetites.
The rise is what makes it fun. Oven heat puffs the edges up into golden walls, so it looks nothing like a flat stack of flapjacks.
Here’s a smart move for first-timers. Pair the lemony German pancake with something rich, like the Apple Pancake, and trade bites across the table.
The contrast is the whole point. One is bright and zippy, the other cozy and cinnamon-heavy, and together they cover every craving.
Kids usually love the powdered sugar part. Adults love the lemon part.
Everybody loves the moment it arrives at the table looking ready for a photo shoot.
A Sourdough Secret Hides In Those Pancakes
Mixes are banned here, at least in spirit. Everything at The Original Pancake House gets made from scratch, with no ersatz ingredients allowed.
The ingredient list reads like a baker’s wish list. Think 93 score butter, pure 36 percent whipping cream, fresh grade AA eggs, and hard wheat unbleached flour.
Then comes the star. The kitchen grows its own sourdough yeast from a culture of potatoes, flour, and sugar, and it helps make the pancakes light and fine-textured.
Batters and sauces get made fresh in the restaurant’s own kitchen. Juices are squeezed fresh every day on site, too.
Even the coffee gets special treatment. It’s blended, roasted, and ground to go with the meal, so it isn’t an afterthought.
Why does this matter to you? Fresh basics usually mean cleaner flavors, and you can taste real butter and real cream in a way that’s hard to fake.
The menu also offers real maple syrup. Pour a little, taste, then pour a little more.
Science requires careful testing, after all.
Pick A Pancake Stack And Prepare For A Tough Decision
Decision paralysis is real at this menu. The pancake section alone could keep you busy for a dozen visits.
Start with the 49’er Flapjacks. These are three large, thin, California-style pancakes with a chewy texture, a fun change from thick, fluffy stacks.
Blueberry fans get berries baked inside, plus powdered sugar and blueberry syrup. Chocolate chip pancakes come with chips inside and out, topped with real whipped cream.
Pecan Pancakes use Georgia pecans baked right in. Buckwheat Pancakes are described as yeasty and old-fashioned, a nice pick for anyone who likes deeper flavor.
Classic buttermilk pancakes are on the list too. Sometimes simple wins, especially with real butter melting across the top.
Then there’s Pigs in a Blanket, with link sausages rolled up in buttermilk pancakes and dusted with powdered sugar. It’s sweet and salty in one neat bundle.
Potato Pancakes round things out for savory lovers. My advice?
Bring friends, order different stacks, and pass plates around like a breakfast buffet you designed yourself.
Crepes And Waffles Steal The Spotlight Too
Pancakes get top billing, but the supporting cast is no joke. Crepes and waffles here could headline their own show.
Fresh Strawberry Crepes use strawberries when they’re in season. They come topped with strawberry syrup, powdered sugar, and real whipped cream.
The Cherry Kijafa Crepes feature Montmorency cherries, the tart kind Michigan knows well. They get finished with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Waffle lovers have plenty of options. Apple Waffles have apples baked inside, cinnamon sugar, and homemade apple syrup on the side.
The Bacon Waffle bakes chopped bacon right into the batter. That’s a genius move for anyone who can’t choose between sweet and savory.
You’ll also find Blueberry, Pecan, and Golden Waffles. The Fresh Strawberry Waffle comes loaded with juicy berries and fresh whipped cream.
Crepes feel delicate and a little fancy. Waffles feel sturdy and crispy around the edges.
Order one of each, and you’ve basically toured two breakfast traditions before noon.
Omelets Whipped Like A Malt Are Not Your Average Eggs
Whipped, just like a malt. That’s how these omelets are described, and the result is fluffy and enormous, almost like a meringue.
The kitchen sautés vegetables separately before folding them in. Each omelet gets folded by hand, which shows real care for something many places rush.
The Fresh Vegetarian Omelette packs broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and aged cheddar. The Santa Fe Garden brings onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers, plus jalapeño cheese.
Mushroom fans get a homemade mushroom sauce on top of their omelet. Cozy and rich is the vibe.
Want more savory options? The homemade corned beef hash blends kosher corned beef, potatoes, onions, and cream.
Eggs Michael is another fun pick. It stacks an English muffin, sausage patties, poached eggs, and homemade mushroom sauce, served with potato pancakes.
Spinach or Canadian bacon versions exist too. So if a sweet tooth isn’t your thing, The Original Pancake House still has your back with plates that skip the syrup entirely.
French Toast Gets A Crunchy Makeover
Corn flakes on French toast? That combo sounds like a kid invented it, and somehow it works brilliantly on paper.
The menu offers Corn Flake Crusted French Toast for anyone who loves crunch. Almond Crusted French Toast brings a nutty twist with a bit more elegance.
Golden French Toast is the classic. It cooks in a special batter and gets a dusting of powdered sugar.
Sourdough French Toast is the fourth choice. Since sourdough is a big deal in this kitchen, that one feels like a natural fit.
Meat sides make the plate complete. You can add bacon, sausage links or patties, turkey links, ham, or Canadian bacon.
A smart order is crunchy French toast with a side of bacon. You get sweet, salty, crispy, and soft all on one fork.
Picky eaters at your table? French toast is often the safe bet that still feels special.
Nobody leaves grumpy after a plate dusted in powdered sugar.
Plan Your Morning Around These Easy Visit Tips
Early birds win the pancake game. The restaurant opens at 7 AM and closes at 4 PM, every single day of the week.
That makes it easy to plan around school schedules, errands, or a lazy Sunday. Just remember that dinner isn’t part of the plan here.
You’ll find The Original Pancake House at 20273 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236. It sits on Detroit’s east side, an easy target for a Michigan breakfast road trip.
Parking is available for customers. The dining room has air conditioning and restrooms, and credit cards are accepted.
Short on time? Carry-out is offered too, so you can grab a stack and head home in your pajamas if that’s your style.
Gift cards are available as well. They make a sweet present for anyone who already loves breakfast, which is basically everyone.
One last tip: give baked specialties like the apple pancake extra time. Good things come from that oven, and patience gets rewarded with cinnamon glaze.
