Cheap Eats: Country Pancake House & Restaurant

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If you've ever been so hungry, you could eat an eight egg omelet, pancakes the size of tires, or a loaf of French toast, then step into Lakewood Ranch’s Country Pancake House.  Every morning, enormous portions of pancakes, eggs, home fries, toast and waffles are served with a promise that no one ever leaves hungry.

 Sound exaggerated?  Consider the menu, which is a spiral bound book featuring nearly 400 items.  Almost 200 of those items are specialty pancake platters.  Among the varieties are the Tropical Awareness, made with coconut and pineapple; the Nutter, whole-grain batter with pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts; the Santo Domingo Passage, made with sweet potato, raisins and granola, and the Oreo Cookie.  The pancakes measure approximately ten inches in diameter (that's roughly the size of a dinner plate) with four served per order.  If that's not enough, try ordering them Oversized.  The size of an average tire rim is a good measure of comparison to the Oversized pancakes.

 If the pancakes aren't enough, there are 40 types of waffles, more than 25 types of French toast, and over 100 varieties of omelets, frittatas, and eggs benedict.  Portions are extreme on these dishes as well.  Delivered on large serving platters, an omelet will take nearly two-thirds of plate space.  The remaining space is filled with a mountain of seasoned home fries.  Naturally, every platter comes with a side of pancakes and, for good measure, a basket of chocolate chip corn bread.  (Remember, we warned you).

The only thing served small at the Country Pancake House is the check.  Breakfast platters range from $5.00 to $9.00, and tabs are happily delivered with take-home containers. 

The Decor: Not much has been invested in the décor of the restaurant.  Small tables and chairs are offered, but surprisingly, no booths.  Servers are constantly rearranging the large dishes to accommodate the small table tops.  A painted wall mural depicting an idyllic countryside is the extent of any interior decoration.

The Service: Don't expect to go anywhere quickly.  Servers typically give diners extended time to peruse the menus.  Oversized platters also take extra time to make, so be patient.  To help pass the time, baskets of chocolate chip corn bread and scoops of butter arrive at every table.

The Food: Boring, plain old pancakes aren't promoted here.  Your pancakes are limited merely to your personal creativity.  The kitchen staff will happily fold ingredients into your pancakes or use them as a topping. 

I ordered the Country Corned Beef Hash platter ($7.95), which is three eggs, two giant scoops of corned beef hash, and a mountain of home fries.  For my side of pancakes, I requested the multi-grain batter with bananas and walnuts.  The eggs were served over-easy, as requested.  The hash had the right combination of salty meat and seasonings, and the home fries were made of waxy potatoes lightly coated in spices, onion, and house seasonings.  

My companion ordered the Western Omelet ($7.50), which turned out to be almost an entire foot in length.  Generous servings of red and green bell peppers, onions and cheese made the omelet puff to resemble a small pillow.  The accompanying pancakes were sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar and a scoop of butter.  A mound of home fries finished the dish.

At the end of the meal, we had four boxes worth of food to take home.

The Location: The restaurant may be hard to find at first.  Located in the San Marco Plaza, it’s just beyond the traffic circle of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.  Look for the clock tower, as the entrance to the restaurant is directly behind it. 

Insider Tips: It's expected that you will want a take-home container.  After all, a sign at the entrance reads "Leave with a smile on your face and take-home in your hand."  Surprisingly, pancakes and eggs reheat well.

The restaurant’s busiest day is Sunday, with wait times expected between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.  Carry-out is available. 

The Bottom Line: The Country Pancake House is a great way to cure a morning hangover or an empty stomach.  Just be sure to pace yourself and know when to say when.

Country Pancake House
San Marco Plaza
8205 Natures Way
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

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