The Original Pancake House on West Lane Avenue has earned a loyal Upper Arlington following by treating breakfast as an event, not just a hurried stop before the day begins. 🥞
From old-school pancake traditions to hearty egg plates and craveable specialties, the restaurant gives regulars plenty of reasons to return.
Its familiar comfort, broad menu, and morning-friendly schedule make it a natural gathering place for pancake people, brunch fans, and families alike. ☕
How The Original Pancake House won locals’ hearts
The story begins with time-tested Original Pancake House recipes, first developed by Les and Ron Highet in the 1950s and carried into the Central Ohio location when it opened in 2017.
That connection to a long-running breakfast tradition gives diners more than a meal; it gives them a recognizable ritual built around pancakes, eggs, waffles, crepes, and coffee. 🥞
The Upper Arlington restaurant succeeds because it offers the sort of breakfast menu that can satisfy a table with wildly different cravings without turning the decision into a family debate.
Someone in the mood for classic pancakes can go sweet, while another diner can choose poached eggs, crab, salmon, avocado toast, hash browns, or a loaded scrambler.
That range is a major part of the appeal: the menu moves easily from familiar comfort food to brunch-style specialties, so repeat visitors can keep finding a new reason to order. 🍳
The pancake selection helps anchor the restaurant’s reputation, with choices including banana, pecan, carrot cake, Swedish, butterscotch, strawberry, blueberry, pumpkin, and chocolate chip pancakes.
The Swedish Pancakes bring a particularly memorable twist, pairing thin, lacy pancakes with imported lingonberry sauce from Sweden.
The restaurant also turns the dependable breakfast plate into a bigger occasion through “Works” combinations that bring pancakes, French toast, waffles, or crepes together with eggs, bacon, and hash browns.
For diners who want a savory brunch rather than a syrup-centered morning, Eggs Benedict, Crab Benedict, Eggs Royale, Huevos Rancheros, and the Southern Scrambler create plenty of compelling alternatives.
A visitor who wants something more contemporary can order Ellen’s Avocado Toast, built with poached eggs, toasted ciabatta, avocado spread, paprika, and shredded hash browns.
The availability of a gluten-friendly menu broadens the welcome for guests looking for breakfast options beyond the standard diner lineup.
Local reviews featured by the restaurant praise the gluten-free selection, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, ingredients, speed, and service, revealing why many diners turn a first visit into a repeat habit.
The dining room also accommodates more than casual weekday breakfast, offering private-party bookings for morning gatherings and lunch celebrations.
In the end, locals appear to love this place because it makes the simple promise of breakfast feel generous: there is heritage in the recipes, variety on the table, and enough familiar favorites to make “the usual” a very tempting idea.
Food Highlights
- Carrot Cake Pancakes: Six walnut-filled pancakes paired with cream cheese icing bring dessert-like fun to breakfast, ideal for anyone who believes mornings deserve a little extra sweetness. 🥕
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The Works: Three buttermilk pancakes arrive with two eggs prepared any style, two bacon strips, and hash brown potatoes for a complete, classic breakfast plate. 🥞
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Swedish Pancakes: These authentic, lacy pancakes come with whipped butter and imported lingonberry sauce, making them a must-try for diners ready to trade ordinary syrup for something distinctly different. 🇸🇪
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Ellen’s Avocado Toast: Two poached eggs rest on toasted ciabatta with avocado spread and paprika, while shredded hash browns make the plate feel substantial rather than snack-sized. 🥑
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Huevos Rancheros: Tostada shells, pinto beans, avocado, scrambled eggs, Monterey Jack cheese, mole sauce, and pico de gallo create a colorful savory option for a brunch change-up. 🌶️
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Crab Benedict: Jumbo lump crabmeat, the restaurant’s signature English muffin, buttery hollandaise, and shredded hash browns turn a familiar Benedict format into a more indulgent choice. 🦀
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Southern Scrambler: Country scrambled eggs mingle with sausage, home fries, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, Swiss, cheddar, and pancakes for a hearty plate with serious comfort-food energy. 🍳
Atmosphere
The restaurant presents itself as a familiar, easy-to-settle-into breakfast destination, a fitting mood for lingering over coffee and a towering plate of pancakes. ☕
Its menu makes the experience approachable for solo early birds, weekend family outings, and friends catching up over brunch.
Morning is clearly the main event here, with weekday hours beginning at 7 AM and extended service until 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.
The option to reserve the space for private parties adds another layer of community appeal beyond the everyday breakfast rush.
Bottom Line
Visit for heritage pancake recipes, a huge sweet-and-savory breakfast selection, notable specialties like Crab Benedict and Swedish Pancakes, gluten-friendly choices, and generous weekend morning hours. 🥞
It is an Upper Arlington breakfast stop built for both dependable favorites and delicious detours.
Address: 1633 W Lane Ave, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
📞 (614) 695-6810
🕔 Open Mon–Fri, 7 AM–2:30 PM | Sat–Sun, 7 AM–3 PM