Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Pancake Chef

    3.9 (666 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    The Pancake Chef Photos

    Business Info

    THE PANCAKE CHEF ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like The Pancake Chef

    Recommended Reviews - The Pancake Chef

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Buen Sabor (Great Flavor)
    Kathy N.

    First time here after seeing it for decades. I'm glad I went! Food took a minute to come out but it had big portion sizes. Very friendly service. The chicken fried steak was pretty good. The steak itself was probably not the best I've ever had but it had the nice crispy exterior. The gravy was the real star though! Hashbrowns were crispy and I asked for scrambled eggs but the gave me an omelet which was fine. Pancakes were also great! I loved the blueberry sauce it came with. Will definitely come back. They have lots of menu items I'd like to try, including the german pancake It just felt so homey and old school here, like you're transported back in time to a simpler place

    Syrups
    Anthony W.

    A wonderful step back in time. I had hoped to visit before they closed last summer, so when they reopened late last year with reviews promising the same cozy breakfast experience, I planned a trek with friends to see for myself. The dining room is spotless. While the decor steps back decades, not a single detail is missed; it's rare to find a place this impeccably clean. The staff is equally impressive--attentive and professional, they handle allergies, modifications, and large crowds with the diplomatic aplomb of a polished foreign service officer. The food was very good--clean, high-quality, and not at all greasy. My only minor disappointment was the cinnamon roll, which was a bit doughy and flat. That aside, if you're passing through SeaTac and need a nearby waypoint, skip 13 Coins and come here instead.

    Stella D.

    We'll be back when visiting from California and telling others stop by after an early flight in. Right when you step inside it just feels like grandma's house, warm and cozy. The customer service was good and the food was good.

    Crab and Cheese Omelet
    Nicole Y.

    We stopped in for breakfast on our way to Leavenworth after our flight from Honolulu. The Pancake Chef is well known for their all day breakfast and array of delicious pancakes, and crepes. We weren't in thr mood for pancakes so we enjoyed their crab and cheese omelet and biscuits and gravy. Both dishes were great and the food service was prompt. Loved the diner vibe, friendly waitress and delicious food .. I'm a fan!

    Chris N.

    If you're looking for a retro atmosphere and great food - The Chef is your place. Close to the SEA-TAC.

    Lighter side breakfast
    C. A.

    Food- 3 stars : eggs were fine, toast was too hard Service - 3 stars: she put my silverware right on top of a moving ant., Service was mediocre. She seemed nice though Ambiance - 4 stars: it's an older facility, gives you a nostalgic feeling, although it wasn't very comfy sitting on the seats with cracks on it. Personally, I would not go back.

    Menu 2 of 6
    Nami N.

    A SeaTac Institution is Back! Same Great Food and Heartwarming Service. ​I finally made it back to The Pancake Chef for breakfast! After hearing that the long-time owner, Loren, was retiring and the business was up for sale, I was thrilled to see it reopened under new ownership. While I missed seeing Loren in the kitchen, I want to sincerely thank him for his years of hard work and dedication to the community. ​A huge shoutout to Barbara, our server who has been here since 1980. She is as efficient and wonderful as ever--truly the heart of the place. ​Our Top Recommendation: The Senior Plate (for ages 55+): ​Drinks: It comes with complimentary coffee--which is smooth and served in a pot (plenty for 2-3 refills each)--plus a choice of juice. You must try the fresh-squeezed orange juice; it's delicious! ​The Meal: One egg (cooked to your liking), your choice of bacon or sausage, and your pick of either 5 mini butter pancakes or 3 blueberry pancakes. ​Even with the new ownership, the quality of food and service remains top-notch. It was a 100% satisfying experience that left us feeling very happy. So glad to have this gem back!

    Bacon
    Mrs. Kristen C.

    Clark's Pancake Chef has been a Wonderful place since 1959. The service is amazing, food, delicious and most importantly the people who have been working here for decades. We will miss them! Loren did say they may a buyer so look for future buyers. Thank you for all the years in this building of a great place

    Crêpes
    Gabriel M.

    So I came here because the Seattle foodie was there and I saw that you had Dutch babies. I've actually been there twice in the last two weeks I live in Renton so it's 20 minute drive to get there. The place is super clean. The waitresses are horrible non-friendly nonverbal they never smiles. (the two times I've been there.) The food is great. The parking lot down below is nasty as hell.

    8/2025
    Chris C.

    Sandy is our waitress. She is very sweet and friendly. Apparently her Boy-friend and my other half share the same preference in corn beef hash. LOL She has made some awesome recommendations and she has come to check on us several times. The restaurant is very clean. I have a feeling that they do a lot of business because the hotels nearest airport or just next-door. Inside is very quaint. It is cozy and comfy. Prices are more than reasonable. And portions are very large. I ordered a French toast breakfast and the waitress was so kind as to bring me maple syrup as well as cranberry syrup and Marion berry syrup. Those are 2 things that you don't usually see. And also, aside from the usual Smuckers blackberry, orange and strawberry gems. They also have one that is a raspberry freezer jam. I am liking all these extra options. The French toast was delicious. It was crispy and light, fluffy too. The Marion berry syrup was the one that really hit the spot for me. The cranberry was a nice touch. I actually think I would have liked it if it were a little more tart , but still, there was nothing wrong with it. It was delicious. I didn't even bother with the maple syrup. I can only assume that was good as well. I didn't ask if it was locally sourced or anything, but if they had given me that little bit of detail, that might've changed things. My eggs were cooked to perfection. They were soft and fluffy. I gobbled those up right away. I like that they did not add any salt to them. Coffee is brought to you in a carafe. You can refill your cup as much as you like. They do offer fresh squeeze orange juice. And the special for today was a fresh strawberry crêpe. I did take note of the sign on the door. From August 31 until September 2, they will be closed. They will be open for business as usual on September 3, 2025. It's nice to see that they are giving their employees a break for Labor Day.

    Menu
    Sierra W.

    Can't wait to return to try the German Pancake! Pancake Chef is a great old school diner to visit if you're on the way to the airport. Menu has plenty of options. Service was friendly and laid back. We really enjoyed the old school feel and look of the diner which made us feel comfortable and cozy when dining in. I ordered the French toast with hot chocolate and both my drink and meal satisfied me and was tasty. My man ordered an omelette and asked for a side of avocado but sadly they gave him bad and brown avocado so he couldn't eat it. At the end of the meal the waitress asked us how everything was so he mentioned he was disappointed about the avocado. The waitress took it off the bill which was kind and the right thing to do in my opinion since he couldn't even eat it. We still enjoyed the rest of our meal but if we return we'll skip the avocado or make sure it's good to eat and say something sooner if it's not. Next time I return to The Pancake Chef I'm really interested in trying the German pancake as our first visit we were on a time crunch going to the airport. German pancakes do take 15-20 minutes so you wait a little longer on your meal when ordering this item. Restaurant is clean and bathrooms are clean but one odd thing in the women's bathroom was I saw an ant crawling on the toilet seat. When finished with your meal you do take your check to the front register and pay. At the register they even sell merch if you're a Pancake Chef lover and supporter. I really liked the pink Pancake Chef hat, it looks so cute! Solid diner to visit if you're on the way to the airport. Plenty of free parking and plenty of options on the menu to order :)

    Huge open kitchen and serving line
    Frank D.

    2nd visit. 1st was in 2024 before the change of owners. Restaurant was featured in a segment of King 5 evening so we decided to try it again and we were not disappointed. at about 9:30AM on a Sunday morning we were seated immediately at a table for 4. The person who seated us brought 2 glasses of water to the table as we were seated. Immediately, we were asked if we wanted coffee and 2 cups and a generous carafe arrived. We later found out that coffee was on the house for seniors. Our order was taken quickly from an extensive menu. I ordered the German Pancake because I did not know what it was and my wife got the pancake sandwich which is 3 pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs on top. 3 kinds of syrup and 4 containers of butter arrived quickly. The German pancake takes extra time but the wait was not long. Both were delicious. Service was fast and efficient. We live in Des Moines and we drive past several breakfast place to get here but it is worth the extra miles. We will be back. The restaurant sits above a small trashy strip shopping center. if you are headed north, you need to turn left at the light and left again into the parking lot of the stores. Drive across the parking lot and make a right turn up the hill to the Pancake Chef and turn right into their parking lot.

    cabin muffin  delicious, egg, thick slice ham inside, cheesy overhang. lol
    Julia M.

    Classic DELICIOUS breakfast spot and a good recommendation on your way in and out of SeaTac Airport. Open 6 days a week 6am-2pm. As long as you can get past the pigeons, difficult parking and neighborhood sketch, it'll be worth it once you step inside. Quality and cleanliness is on point with the excellent health rating. Heart friendly items on the menu. Old cozy warm feel inside. Great service and smiles. Always busy but plenty of seats and quick. Saw people of all ages and ethnicities, some with suitcases cuz of location. They have omelets, classic meat breakfasts, even lunch options. They also have a la carte menu to make your own combo. We were craving sweet and savory items so we went with whats called "cabin muffin" and it's just a perfect breakfast sandwich for under $6. We also shared bacon, extra egg, and strawberry waffle with our young daughter. Specialty items: Dutch pancake, fresh squeezed juices, and many homemade syrups.

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 day ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 days ago

    Barbara was great! Very professional and top notch waitress. Food was great! Close to the Airport!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris N.
    4
    52
    264

    18 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C. A.
    0
    11
    25

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nami N.
    315
    814
    9156

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gabriel M.
    52
    378
    1528

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 3
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2
    Photo of A A.
    0
    11
    1

    29 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Open again!!! Pancake Chef has reopened with much of the staff and the same menu. Solid breakfast/lunch menu.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    15 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amberlie R.
    266
    195
    217

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    23 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John K.
    0
    57
    43

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rene D.
    103
    1449
    2890

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 17

    Ask the Community - The Pancake Chef

    Can I buy a portion of the sourdough starter?

    Anyone know if they serve mimosas?

    I don't believe so

    So do they still have German pancakes on the menu?

    Yes they do, and they want you to know they take 15-20 mins to make too!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    SeaTac Cuisine - Love Ethiopian Combination Dish w chicken

    SeaTac Cuisine

    3.3(3 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    I love African food especially Ethiopian food w Injera. This time I came here Sat night. Store name…read moreis "SeaTac Cuisine" or " East African foods restaurant " in SeaTac. This restaurant is near the Pancake Chef. The shop is small and the sign is hard to see it but It is located in the row of shops under the Pancake chef. The store is spacious with tables and chairs. My hubby and I went to the counter and ordered the Ethiopian Combination Dish. This menu has full size and half size, and the price is not so different, so I chose the full size and we decided to share it. They brought us a warm sweet ginger tea and two bottles of water while the waiting food. We love this ginger tea. There are only African customers in the store and Muslim people are praying near the place to wash hands. I washed my hands quietly without disturbing them. The staff at the shop are very kind, smiling and good service. Ethiopian combination dish is a homemade teff bread, chicken stew, lentils, spices chiles, lettuce and mix veggies. You can choose meat (chicken, beef, lamb) We ate injera, meat and mix veggies together, chicken was tender, spiced and delicious. We couldn't eat it all and took it home. It was even better the next day when I warmed it up in the microwave and ate it. I want to come to eat breakfast next time.

    The door to the market is under the restaurant sign. The restaurant is one door down…read more A friend and I stopped by for lunch. It wasn't crowded. The people there were African, as was everyone else who came in during our stay. We came for Ethiopian food, and there was only one Ethiopian dish on the menu, the Ethiopian combo plate, with either chicken, lamb, or beef. We ordered the full combo plate with beef and it was excellent. Plenty of food for two. Three people like us could share a combo plate and still have an ample lunch. The menu has a number of interesting looking Somali dishes too. I'll have to try some of those in the future. Recommended.

    Photos
    SeaTac Cuisine - Order there

    Order there

    SeaTac Cuisine - This is a Ethiopian Combination Dish w Injera. Yummy

    This is a Ethiopian Combination Dish w Injera. Yummy

    SeaTac Cuisine - It was cold evening, this hot sweet ginger tea was a very good

    See all

    It was cold evening, this hot sweet ginger tea was a very good

    Jony's Breakfast & Lunch Restaurant - 9/28/25

    Jony's Breakfast & Lunch Restaurant

    3.9(274 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Came here early morning waiting to drop off my grandkids at the airport. This was the only place…read morethat opened at 7:00 am. We were the first customers of the day. The service and food was good. It's casual ambiance. We read some reviews and most of the negative was on how long the wait was for the food to come. They make the food fresh and have signs all throughout the restaurant that states the "wait maybe longer because everything is made to order." So if you don't have the time, I don't recommend, but if you do and need somewhere to eat before getting on a flight, I recommend

    On 9/28/25 Sunday after i picked up my daughter, Kaylah from the SeaTac airport. We were hungry for…read morebreakfast and we located this local restaurant on Yelp. The restaurant is located in a small plaza. Parking lot is small and we were able to park easily. Upon entry, we were greeted and were seated right away. We had a window view which was nice. We enjoyed basking under the sun LOL! For starters, we ordered two coffee, cream and sugar while we browsed the menu. The restaurant was pretty spacious and clean. Not well lit or bright. It appeared that one section (rear) was kind of dark. It was a little odd. After we placed our order. It took approximately 45-50 minutes to receive our food. It was quite long. Sadly, our waitress didn't check in to refill our coffee. My daughter ordered the waffle combo with two sunny side eggs, hash browns and two sausage links $20.99. She enjoyed her food. I had a chance to try her Belgium waffle. It was light, airy and good. For my meal, I ordered the Avocado Florentine with carne asada (up charge $5.99) Total $25.99. It looked really delicious however, it was not. Unfortunately, it was bland. No seasoned and no flavor. I added salt and it still did not taste good. It didn't help. I had only three spoons and stopped eating. This has never happened. I had packed up my leftovers for my husband have at it. When my husband tried it, he stated it was bland. I rarely give bad reviews and rarely have bad tasting breakfast. This one hit that for me. =(

    Photos
    Jony's Breakfast & Lunch Restaurant - Inside

    Inside

    Jony's Breakfast & Lunch Restaurant
    Jony's Breakfast & Lunch Restaurant

    See all

    Southern Diner - Country Fried Steak Breakfast and  Mac and Cheese

    Southern Diner

    3.9(60 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Service was fast and attentive. The lady was really sweet to my grandbaby. She let my grand…read moredaughter keep a menu to play with while we waited. I included the photos of what everyone got. I was born and raised in Georgia so maybe that's why the taste is so bland. The meatloaf just tasted burnt and like they dumped half the container of pepper in it. The Mac N cheese was decent. They do give generous portion sizes. My son's shrimp Po boy was decent. The lettuse was not limp or wilted. My daughter's bidcuits and gravy looked flavorful but I've had jar gravy that had more flavor. The biscuits were moist. The hash brown were not crispy at all just soggy. I sent the meatloaf back requesting that it be removed from my bill. I took one small fork full to taste it. My daughters captain platter has a burnt flavor as well according to her. I did not try hers. If you want food that is bursting with flavor like true southern food, go somewhere else. But if all you care about is polite service and generous portions then this is the place for you.

    First let me say the service was top tier. Love a good family owned business and love supporting…read morelocal. We order the catfish with grits and eggs. Fried chicken with red beans and rice. Fried okra Strawberry lemonade and sweet tea. Everything was fried to perfection fish and chicken were crispy and juicy! Red Beans perfectly cooked! (Hate watery beans) And it looked beautiful. I mean check my pics. My only gripe and the only reason i did not give 5 stars .... the food was not seasoned. Not a spec of salt or spice. No pepper, no garlic powder, no onion powder, no cayenne. We were very confused lol I'm hoping it was a fluke because everything about this place is great . Especially the people who run it. So we will be back and hopefully the food will be seasoned because thats literally the only negative i have to say.

    Photos
    Southern Diner - Tables inside.

    Tables inside.

    Southern Diner - Shrimp Po' Boy Lunch

    Shrimp Po' Boy Lunch

    Southern Diner - Fried Okra

    See all

    Fried Okra

    The Pancake Chef - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...