Pancake Pantry

03/19/08

Avoid Kathy as your Server, Awful Service, Low Health Scores 72

by TRenee at Citysearch

First of all I'm a burger expert. They have the best burgers in Nashville. The servers are usually extremely busy. The wait is long for refills. I went Monday and they were out of buttermilk pancakes. The pancake pantry without pancakes. lol. Great thing I go for the burgers. Today, took the cake and I can't see myself going back in the near future. The server Kathy cooked my burger well and I wanted it medium. She spent a large portion of the time on smoke breaks. She told me I would have to pay for two burgers if she corrected the problem. She later decide she did not want to serve me and told me "no" when asked for refills. The acting manager stated that I was the 2nd one to make a complaint against her today. He did not charge for the 2nd burger and also gave me a discount and apologized stating that she was probably having a bad day. I've also noticed that the health food score is consistently low and the parking is not very accommodating for its patrons. Overall, if you have the patience of Job it is not that bad. Everyone has the occasional bad day.

• Pros: Hamburgers!!!!!!
• Cons: Service, Parking, Lines

03/18/08

A Staple to Nashville Tourist but Good After a Late Night for the Locals

by thenashvillian at Citysearch

I am a Nashvillin who lives close to The Pancake Pantry and I eat here SOMETIMES. The parking in the Village is a pain but there is plenty of parking behind the Belcourt Theater across the street. The line does get long on weekends early in the morning, so come early or dressed accordingly. The service has always been a mix, much like in other restaurants. It can get a little pricey but again, this is Hillsboro Village in Nashville, so don't expect discount food. The atmosphere is noisy and it does bother me when people are standing outside looking in at you to hurry up. But the food is good in my opinion and you should be full when you leave unless you are on a 2000+/day calorie diet. I have never had a bad experience here nor have I had a memorable one. It is one of those places to check off if you are new or a tourist to Nashvegas but not somewhere we locals eat religiously. My one concern, which has been addressed in previous post, is their consistently low health score. Year after year they cannot achieve above a 70 which is well below failing in the health inspector business. Overall, I give The Pancake Pantry a 3 star because it is not bad enough for a lower score but not unique enough for a 4 or 5.

• Pros: Good Food, Good Experience
• Cons: Over Rated, Consistantly Poor Health Score

03/04/08

Best Pancakes Around

by ztalady at Citysearch

Every time I have been to Pancake Pantry, I have never been disappointed. In my opinion, they have some of the best pancakes around town and the wait is definitely worth it.

• Pros: Great Pancakes
• Cons: Need more options for the omelettes ($1.25 per add on is a little pricey for me)

03/01/08

I had a great time!

by adsfan at Citysearch

I've read most of the reviews here about the PP, and I have to say that my experience was great. The wait was only 5 minutes on a late Saturday morning, the staff was friendly, and the pancakes were the best I've had. Someone please tell me where I can buy a bottle of that cinnamon syrup... it was so good!

• Pros: Pancakes, syrup, sausages... everything!
• Cons: Parking

12/23/07

Overpriced, Underfed

by creede at Citysearch

OVERPRICED, POOR SERVICE and LONG WAITS. Yes I had read the reviews but it sounded like it was worth the wait....What we found was much worse. You are herded around by the doors like cattle at a auction. People are constantly "scolded" for not remaining in a single line and standing right where you have been told to stand. I will agree the food wasn't bad but certainly not worth the prices. Four small pancakes $9.00, a meal for four will set you back $50 easy. We had to ask our server for refills on coffee and water several time before she could remember to come back with the drinks. Eating at the Pancake Pantry is like eating in a military dining hall. March in, sit down, shut up, empty your wallet and get out.

12/06/07

Great place for breakfast

by stampitsteve at Citysearch

After reading other reveiws I had to try PP while my son and I came to a Titans game. We arrived around 8:00am on Sunday, no problem parking. When we walked up to the front door I saw a cart with coffee and water outside so I knew the reveiws I read were correct when they said there may be a line outside the door. There were plenty of staff working and the service was quick and quite pleasant. I alway ask for a recommendation at new places that I go to and was directed to the sweet potatoe pancakes. Now I don't eat sweat potatoes, never had. So I order the house skillet and sweet potatoe pancakes on the side. WOW were they good with the cinnimon cream. I was stuffed, great value as well. I am glad they aren't anywhere near where I live. When we left there were probably 20 people outside. DO NOT let that discurage you. The service was fast, friendly and the restaurant holds a lot of people.

• Pros: great food, fast service
• Cons: parking could be an issue when they are busy

11/04/07

Are you kiddin' me?

by odrestauranthopper at Citysearch

You probably thought by the title that this would be a negative blurb about the Pancake Pantry however looking at the recommendation of five stars, you guessed it, I love this place! The "Are you kiddin' me?" title is for those people who gave this restaurant a bad review. One star? What is that all about? Okay, so the line is long...the only reason you don't notice it at Cracker Barrel is they have the gift shop (where you can spend more of your money) and the rockers out front, but I've been in line at Cracker Barrel for an hour too. You wait, you relax, you enjoy...the Pancake Pantry could put chairs out front I suppose, but the line moves quickly so it would be like playing musical chairs. And the staff...Pancake Pantry's staff treated me and my guest as if we were the only ones there...just like they treated everyone else. You don't receive that kind of service at Cracker Barrel, Denney's or the IHOP. Yes, you do have to ask for half-and-half, but it's not any different anywhere else..except the Sunset Grill-they bring it out as a luxury too! Yes, the parking is pitiful, but where do you know of in a university/downtown setting that the parking is not limited? Drive around a couple times, you'll find parking. The food, well, in my opinion, the pancakes, bacon and eggs are superb at the Pancake Pantry. The Sweet Potato Pancakes are phenomenal! OMGosh! They melt in your mouth. I'm sure that the negative comments were on an off day...but generally that's not the case. I've been to Cracker Barrel on way too many occasions when it was an off day. One time when we went to CB, we couldn't cut the pancakes even with a knife. You won't find that at the Pancake Pantry. The whole thought of the Pancake Pantry far outweighs going anywhere else in Nashville. Everything about it speaks, "Yes, I HAVE to go there." In fact, we're going there this morning, and yes it is the weekend." I wouldn't take my son to CB for his birthday...only the Pancake Pantry will do.

• Pros: Pancakes, Pancakes and did I mention pancakes?
• Cons: Parking.

10/22/07

Sorry ... grossly over-rated.

by nfl5151 at Citysearch

I'm sorry ... I have stood in line multiple times only to ask myself 'why?' after the food is eaten and the huge bill arrives. It truly is over-rated and a shame that it receives the loyalty that it does ... perhaps we need to understand really good pancakes. Typical breakfast for 5 with nothing special will run up to $75 with the tip. I must say that Loveless Cafe is much better for ambiance and taste. While Cracker Barrel has better pancakes and an all around better breakfast and hospitality. Best pancakes ever? Cindy B's in Aladdin, WY - population 15. We ride our Harley's out there whenever we visit the Black Hills. I would love something a little closer ... any recommendations?

• Pros: Not many.
• Cons: Over-rated & over-priced and you have to wait in a line to learn this.

10/12/07

Nothing great about the Pancake Pantry

by sedens at Citysearch

I used to live in Nashville and have been to the Pancake Pantry many times. First tip: avoid the weekends unless you want to wait in line for an hour. The food is ok, nothing great. I always feel as though I'm being rushed by the staff and the staring eyes of the people in line who want your table. One word that does not describe Pancake Pantry is "relaxing".

The lure of the Pancake Pantry is that it used to be the place to see country stars when they were taking a break from recording on music row. Not so anymore. Now it's just a hangout for tourists and Vandy kids.

It's not so bad on a weekday morning; about like any other busy diner. The pancakes are decent, but honestly, I usually only go if I'm with someone else who wants to go there.

I don't live in Nashville anymore, and I really don't miss the Pancake Pantry.

10/06/07

Quantity but not quality

by mpfc at Citysearch

The pancakes were on the industrial leather side. There was little evidence that these were ever flavorful and delicate. They were serviceable and tasted and felt like they could be swapped for foam rubber if you were in need. The ubiquity of syrupy canned fruity sugary possibilities makes this place most likely to put someone into a diabetic coma before noon. However, if one were in the mood for a good serving of fat, flour and sugar, this is your place. Start your coronary off with a smile.

• Pros: large plates of food that will definitely fill you up
• Cons: The pancakes were not tender but leathery, too much sugar with the fruit, not real maple syrup