5 Restaurant Chains With the Best Pancake Platters, According to Diners
Sure, you can order a side of pancakes if you just want a little taste of heaven. However, if you have the “go big, or go home” mentality about the pillowy, sweet breakfast treat, you should order a platter. There are a handful of breakfast chains that specialize in heaping servings of pancakes. Where can you enjoy the biggest and most delicious pancake breakfasts? Here are 5 restaurant chains with the best pancake platters, according to diners.
IHOP
IHOP, AKA International House of Pancakes, is the global destination for pancakes, from its soft and fluffy OG buttermilk pancake to endless flavor combos like cupcakes, strawberry bananas, and New York cheesecake. And, there are several platter options to enjoy them with. One Redditor calls them “fluffy and spongey, flavorful,” while another hails them for consistency. “They’re thick but they’re good. And they taste the same at every restaurant, instead of it varying like a Cracker Barrel or Denny’s.”
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel’s buttermilk pancakes come stacked, served with warm syrup and real butter, and can be ordered as part of many platters on the menu. “I’ve never had a homemade pancake come close to the cracker barrel ones,” one Redditor writes. “One of the best pancakes ever,” agrees another. “Fluffy and buttery,” a third adds. A fourth adds they “are fluffy/thick in the middle and crispy on the edges, unlike any other pancake I’ve ever had. Their maple syrup beats everything else out there since it’s not too boring like the usual syrups and not deadly sweet like ihops syrups.”
First Watch
First Watch has a few pancake options, but the smaller chains’ giant Banana Granola Almond Crunch multigrain pancake is a favorite with diners. They are “beyond big,” taking up an entire plate. They are “Sweet and buttery,” per diners. One Redditor declares them “absolutely amazing.” “First watch has lemon ricotta pancakes now and they’re 10/10 lol they apparently know what’s up with pancakes,” another adds.
Original Pancake House
The Original Pancake House is one of the best places for pancakes. The always-packed restaurant is known for its massive, golden-brown flapjacks and huge breakfast platters. It is also one of the only restaurants that serve German-style pancakes, like the uber-popular Dutch Baby, my always-order, and the Apple Pancake, which is one of the reasons there has been a line out the door at this chain for decades.
Perkins
Perkin’s has some of the best buttermilk pancakes, stacked high into tall towers and served on platters. Diners maintain they are delicious. “Buttery and soft pancakes,” writes one Reditor. And the breakfast favorite, made fresh from Perkins’ signature buttermilk batter — light, fluffy, and golden brown on the outside with a tender inside — is served all day long.