Pancakes are considered "As American as Apple Pie." Particularly the fluffy buttermilk variety, are deeply embedded in the American breakfast tradition. And diners have become synonymous with "a place for everyone," connected to the nostalgic idea of America. Put the two together and you have The Pancake House in Salem, Virginia. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And "The Pancake House" in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. This restaurant that opened its doors in the mid 1950's, not only has survived through the years, but has kept the ionic American breakfast tradition alive and well, as I discovered today when after having driven by it many times in my pearl white Lexus, I decided to stop by for an early breakfast, and give it a try. Located on Apperson Drive next to the Lee-Hi Lanes Bowling Center, in Salem, Virginia, The Pancake House is a long-standing diner, known for its, friendly, old-fashioned atmosphere, and classic American comfort food, serving breakfast and lunch daily. What impressed me the most when I entered the restaurant was its cleanliness and old charm yet with comfortable new furniture and decor in the traditional diner style. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. As I entered and sat at one of the booths, I was greeted by one of their friendly servers, given a menu, and asked what I wanted to drink. I ordered a cup of coffee, which tasted very good. And for food I ordered the Pork Loin breakfast with two fried eggs over-medium, and buttered white toast. As well as two pancakes. My server did an excellent job explaining the terminology of how eggs were cooked there. The ambiance was so relaxed and friendly that I felt welcomed and totally at home. I sat in the main dining room just in front of where the kitchen was located behind a large window where the food was delivered to the servers to take to the customers. The quality of the food was superb, cooked just right. The eggs were fresh and tasty, the pork loins were generous size and cooked to perfection. And even the toast were crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. The pancakes were huge size and nice and fluffy. My server made the appropriate rounds to check on me and provide coffee refills. She also provided me with a glass of iced water without me having to ask for it. Their clientele were people of all ages and all walks of life. Since they open at six in the early morning on weekdays, the time is very convenient for customers to have breakfast early and go on their day. I highly recommend this place for an extraordinary breakfast dining experience and plan to return real soon to try out some other items on their menu. read more

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Aesthetic: Traditional, relaxed diner with an array of breakfast items and combos. My Favorites: The corned beef hash, well done! Experience: This spot was poppin. I could tell it's a local favorite when we walked in on a Thursday morning, and it was packed. We ordered eggs, corned beef hash, and a side of pancakes. I was surprised the corned beef hash outshined the pancakes, it was so delicious. Order it extra crispy! read more

Pancake House - Eggs and corned beef hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Virginia

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It's a classic. Great service and great food. It's nothing fancy, just a perfect pancake.

It's a tiny place to start, but the tables were dirty. It was my son's birthday, and we drove several hours to eat brunch with him to celebrate. I brought candles and the waitress was rude when I asked if there was anyway to get a lighter for us to sing. The additional waitress that brought our food was rude and omg... not sure how you could mess up eggs but everything except the pancakes was gross. Definitely not going back read more

The menus have changed slightly but the food is still delicious and filling. The staff are all friendly and attentive. The prices are excellent for what you get. If you are looking for breakfast this is the place to stop. read more

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We eat at Pancake House whenever we stay nearby, which is several times per year. The silver dollar pancake breakfast hooked us, with country ham and eggs for him and bacon and eggs for me, always accompanied by real maple syrup. The food is cooked well. The place is clean and well-maintained as reflected in their health scores. The wait staff regulars are attentive, friendly, and efficient. read more

If a simple, typical breakfast diner is what you're looking for, this is a great option. Affordable, tasty breakfast. I liked the alternative syrup flavors for the pancakes. read more

Pancake House - Pancakes with strawberry syrup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Virginia

AMAZING food! I love their breakfast specials that are always so cheap. They are extremely nice to customers. Its like a little hole in the wall type of place. Its nice for a lazy morning. read more

Fast service, great food, staff is friendly, diner style, we make excuses to come by and get something to eat

I've been coming to the Pancake House since I was five years old, and the menu hasn't changed one iota. This means you know what you're getting, and you're getting it cheap. Five silver dollar pancakes are $1.95! Bacon, eggs, and three pancakes is $5! This is an old southern-style diner, so you've got the usual suspects: great spinning bar stools and lots of wooden booths; sassy waitresses who refill your coffee until you say "uncle," breakfast served all day. Their pancakes are delicious, and they sling some pretty awesome biscuits and gravy. When I was a kid I used to order the same thing every time: grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a side of five silver dollar pancakes. And, like everything else associated with this place - nothing has changed since 1981: I still order the same thing I ordered when I was five. My mother, however, now has to watch her cholesterol. "Egg-beater omelet" she regretfully orders. The waitress talks her into ordering a side of biscuits and gravy, for consolations sake, and then makes fun of my dad when she predicts, correctly, that he's going to order the largest breakfast on the menu. Told you they were sassy. read more

Pancake House - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Virginia

I hate to do this because I genuinely (use to) love the food here but in recent months the food and service has gone down so much, I don't know if I want to go back anymore. Came in like we typically do and ordered our food (two hamburger specials). Their hamburgers are actually pretty good...hand patted and griddles cooked so they have that nice crispy crust. While we were waiting for our food the manager (or so I believe) proceeded to scold the server's doe giving away free drinks right in front of everyone...very unprofessional! When our food finally arrived, the order was wrong and had cheeseburgers (which cost more) with soggy cold fries! Overall, this place has gone down fast! Don't waste your time here go to Pete's Deli, its MUCH better! read more

Came here 2 days in a row while staying in Roanoke. This place is an easy drive to get to. It has a nice diner feel and friendly wait staff. Great local place for breakfast. The busboy is a grumpy fellow... I'm just sayin'. Nothing worth getting hung up about. My party had pancakes, oatmeal, ham & cheese omelet, coffee and tea. We were all very satisfied and prices are reasonable. read more

Pancake House - Stuffing yummy pancakes in hungry mouths - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Virginia

This is the place you hope it would be. It's a short order restaurant but... It's not torn up and worn out like so many others ( listen up Waffle House) It's not a greasy spoon as they have egg beaters and don't float everything on butter The ladies that work there are a team and truly are diner waitresses who specialize in service read more

Pancake House - Inside the pancake house , happy people - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Salem, Virginia

Sorry to have to leave a bad review since I've eaten here several times before and the food and service seemed good for the price in the past. I guess the work there may be a bit boring sometimes and perhaps it doesn't pay well, but, gee, doesn't seem right to take it out on the customers. This time, as was the case once before recently, the waitress was downright rude. Really uncalled for and very unprofessional behavior. Yesterday was the last straw. It was 1:15 pm and I knew it was close to their closing time but I live 10 minutes away and thought I had time. Yelp online indicated they closed at 2:00 pm daily. So I arrived at 1:40pm and they said "we're closed" but begrudgingly allowed me to place a take out order. In the process, I asked the (older middle aged, sulking) waitress what time they normally stopped accepting dine in orders. She looked at me with one of those exaggerated 'looks', and said loudly and slowly, "1:40pm". Rather insulting, won't go back there again ... read more

Even at the busiest times the service is great. The food is delicious and cooked perfectly every time. Pancakes are light and fluffy, fried eggs are cooked perfectly to order every time and the hash browns are great. read more

Excellent breakfast spot! If you're every in the Salem/Roanoke Area, stop by and dine in. The pancake are delicious, the omelettes are great, and biscuits are like grandma's! The service is grade A as well. read more

Food was very good! Some of the best sausage gravy I've ever had. Took a little while to have order taken but food arrived promptly. Nothing fancy, just good food. Waitress was very nice and pleasant. We'll be back. read more

We stopped here because I yelped breakfast options from Shenandoah NP to Asheville, and this was one of the only places to show up. I ordered the pecan pancakes and Dan B. ordered a Western omelette. It has a classic diner feel, and it was surprisingly packed for an early Sunday morning. We didn't have any problem getting seats, and the food was filling and plentiful. That's about all I can say, though; it was definitely nothing I'd go out of my way for. Prices were reasonable (not a super great bargain, but nothing to complain about); I only wish there had been smaller portions for a lower price. I probably would stop by again if I needed a quick breakfast on the road because I don't know of any other options around. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't come here. read more

This is a GREAT restaurant - you would have a hard time finding a better cheap breakfast place in Roanoke (Salem)! I just ate here for the 2nd time on a visit to Roanoke and our entire family loved it! The omelettes and pancakes were excellent; the service was exceptional as well. read more

Wish I had found sooner! The menu has a great variety, the pancakes are fantastic, and they have daily breakfast specials! I've tried a couple of the different pancakes and they were all really good, but the eggs tasted a little fake. I wasn't able to go back for a lunch or dinner meal, but would definitively recommend it over IHOP, Denny's, or Famous Anthony's. A lot of locals and regular customers in here, so you know it's good! read more

Waited over an hour and no food, said they were short staffed. Waitress and cooks were yelling at each other. Place used to be so good. Last 4 or 5 times it's a joke. Sad, they have great food when you can get it. I wouldn't go unless you have an hour and a half to kill and wanna listen to adults argue like crack heads read more

I am not BIG FAN OF PANCAKES BUT i AM OF DINERS. I travel quite a bit and stopped in at this restaurant for a quick meal. I always check out the other patrons plates and looks , I have found this makes non-verbal statements about the food and service. Everyone seemed happy, nobody looked disgusted, and I figured I had a winner. My meal was great, quickly served and no rush to get you out . I will stop by again when I am in the area and try other items, and yes I had pancakes and they were good to the last bite................ read more

I'm 25 and have been a frequent diner at the Pancake House since before I could walk. This was a timeless local diner-like breakfast and lunch spot, with good food and great service. The same ladies had been working there for longer than I could remember, and the place was always bustling with customers (many of whom were regulars.) I'm not sure what happened, but the Pancake House has gone down the toilet. It's equal parts shocking and depressing that a restaurant with 30+ great years behind it can self-destruct almost overnight. My mom and I ate there a couple weeks ago, and none of the long time staff were there. The "replacements" were a joke. Awkward, apathetic, incompetent, and didn't seem to know anything about the menu or the restaurant. Gave me my pancakes with no butter, syrup, or utensils. Mom never got the tea she ordered. Never got offered a water refill despite finishing it before the food came. Food took forever and then tasted like someone had taken it out of the freezer and microwaved it. Leathery pancakes, dried out potatoes, and over cooked eggs. Mom asked the manager for a pack of butter and the lady straight up ignored her. It was freezing cold in there despite it being 90+ outside and every customer present dressed accordingly. My eggs/potatoes/pancakes combo meal was for some reason rung up with everything itemized a la carte, which doubled the cost. Then after the cashier tells my mom they were short staffed, we see the manager leaving to go to the bank. I even held the door for her and she didn't acknowledge me. WTF? Such a shame to see this place come to this. read more

Sadly I have to leave a bad review (which I hate doing) I didn't even get to try the food which looked pretty good. We came in today for breakfast and sat down, the table we sat at was dirty but a nice lady came and cleaned our table and got us drinks but left, she wasn't our waitress. She left the tip for the woman who was supposed to be our waitress. The woman who was, I think, supposed to be our waitress walked by us acknowledging us, took the tip and kept walking and didn't take our order. 20 minutes pass and the table next to us with the woman who came in the same time as us, my boyfriend held the door for her, had ordered and got her food. The final straw was when a couple walked in sat down and was placing their order after we had waited for so long. We sadly had to leave and we will not return. I don't appreciate being ignored, we were excited to support this business. read more

If you're looking for pancakes, then this is the place! Very small restaurant, it seats maybe 30-40 max between the booths & counters. I recommend on weekends to get there early or be prepared to wait. Service had always been stellar. The waitresses are a delight to chat with even when they are packed and busy.I don't know how they keep their cool, but they do it! Always enjoy their buttermilk pancakes and recently got hooked on their homemade scrapple (it's amazing too!). Coffee is fresh and strong and always topped off or refilled quickly. Only small gripe are the biscuits, which are okay by my standards. But who cares right? We're here for the pancakes! Prices are perfect, no more than $10/person on average before tax and tip. Highly recommended! Trust me, I've been on the search for a great pancake breakfast in this area for years and this is it. read more

Very typical diner-style food. I've been twice now and both times, the food was amazing. Very simple, but done right. I wish I could remember our server's name because she was awesome! We'll be going here regularly for sure. Everything is consistent, cooked perfectly, and so good. read more

everybody on here that said that this place is good is smoking crack. This was horrible. I asked if they made their own corned beef and the waitress said "no, but they do scoop it out of the can by hand". This was the highlight of the meal. read more

Best breakfast place in the Roanoke area, hands down! I usually order pancakes (blueberry is my favorite) and grits. My husband has had their Saturday breakfast special several times and we've both enjoyed their French toast. Everything comes out hot and yummy! The wait for food is 10 minutes tops and the service is always wonderful. All the ladies are friendly and kind, although Karen is our favorite sever. We've been fortunate to have her as our waitress server all times. She now knows us by name. No need to go anywhere else for breakfast. Once you try The Pancake House in Salem, all other breakfast places in the Roanoke area will pale in comparison! read more

Classic American diner. Cheap everything. Solid food. Great value. Friendly and good service. Think, salt of the earth and not sea salt and cracked pepper. Country ham, gravy, endless diner coffee. read more

The atmosphere of this establishment is excellent from the bell ringing when you first enter to the friendly servers letting you seat yourselves. The food here is delicious and well prepared. Overall this family friendly establishment is certainly the place to go. read more

This place is as old school as it gets. I feel like I should be sitting next to my grandma. With all of that said I love this place. The food is great quality for a diner! The staff is really friendly and they all try really hard. If you are looking for good quality comfort food this is the place. If you are a food snob this is probably not for you. Its basic, it tastes good and I love it and so do all of my friends! read more

Cheap breakfast, fast service. If you're looking for a breakfast place, you can't beat this place, even though you have to drive out to Salem. Two people ate for around 10 bucks. And the last time I was here, my friend and I talked about Call of Duty with the cashier. Don't judge me. read more

Delicious cheap quick breakfast. Great service. No frills, but that isn't what you are looking for here. Don't spend 8$ for pancakes at IHOP, when you can get something decent for half of that here. read more

Good breakfast diner type food. Weekend mornings tend to be crowded sometimes with a short line and a bit longer wait and serve time. One of only 3 breakfast places I go to regularly. Good, consistent, and not expensive. read more

Loved it! Classic, QUALITY, breakfast on the cheap. Many varieties of pancakes, great corned beef hash, 5 different flaves of syrup and, of course, a super and attentive wait staff. Go! Now! read more

Food tasted pretty ok.. Kind of Waffle House level. Pretty sure we ate something off, as 5/6 of our party got sick after.

My son goes to Roanoke College and we found this place when looking for a nearby breakfast joint. Living in North Carolina we rarely get yummy diner food! Great breakfast and service plus sweet and attentive wait staff! Highly recommend for a delicious breakfast. Yummmmmy!!! We'll be back! read more

I stopped in for breakfast and really enjoyed the food. I had eggs, sausage and pancakes. Everything was delicious and the staff was extremely nice. read more

First off very nice staff; the two stars are because of that otherwise I would give one star. Food portion is so little considering other breakfast dinners; and the taste was bellow average. It is kinda pricey too. read more

Did they sell this place? Didn't recognize each the employees and the old faithful, many of whom have been there for years, were nowhere to be seen. Service was horrible. I mean if you hate your job that bad just stay home or at least stf away from my table. Actually argued with me about my order.. I wanted a fried egg on my club... imagine that. Took her forever to actually take my order btw. Ham was way too thick and tough. Obvious the cook has no interest in what he/she serves. Server slides the plate to me and slings napkins. I am not exaggerating. I had to ask for a second cup of coffee. Water never arrived. I ALWAYS tip well. Not today. Zero. In short the place has gone to hell. read more