Original Pancake House Celebrates 40 Years

Longtime server Patty Kaiser reflects on the strong sense of family at the Original Pancake House. Photo: Emily J. Davis

Edina restaurant celebrates 40 years, with recipes for waffles and apple rum topping!

Forty Years Flipping Flapjacks

Few Edina restaurants go back to 1977, but the Original Pancake House bridges generations with its appealing selection of traditional foods. This breakfast haven is still going strong and is the anchor of Brandon Square in Edina.

Over the years, a few tweaks were made here and there for wi-fi, digital recordkeeping, gluten-free options and

a one-room addition. Still, the overall feeling is the same. OPH is a place people come for a warm welcome and reliably good food—the kind of scratch-made breakfast fare that makes getting up early in the morning a joy. Where else would the number of pancakes served be broken down by the gallon? (135 gallons of pancake batter per week). In 2016, OPH Edina served 7,164 waffles. “It really helps that we’ve had the same prep cook for 29 years.” Jennifer Adascheck, store manager says. “He knows recipes exactly.” Even when serving as many as 1,100 guests daily, consistency in quality and service keeps customers coming back for more.

“We’re like the Cheers of Edina,” Adascheck says. “We try to make everyone feel like they are family. People feel at home here.” Dentists, fraternity brothers, car dealership employees, retired teachers, bible studies and other local groups meet regularly at the Edina OPH. Some guests visit daily on their own. One loyal customer’s daily routine includes both breakfast and lunch. Regulars are on a first-name basis and servers remember their order preferences, too. Staff takes pride in their jobs and maintaining high standards for the restaurant.

“It’s a great place to work. The people are great. The customers are wonderful,” Patty Kaiser, server, says. Of her many memorable customers, one gentleman stands out. Along with a cash tip, he gave Kaiser a round piece of pewter with

“I appreciate you” engraved on the back. The customer also wrote out “I appreciate you” on the back of the check. “It’s very nice that people take the time,” Kaiser says. She still keeps the quarter-sized memento in her wallet.

Kaiser’s job started through a referral from a hockey coach in 1996—“All of a sudden it’s 21 years later.” Life goes fast, at least for Kaiser, who says, “The job is very, very fast-paced. No one likes cold eggs. When the food gets in the window—boom, it’s ‘gotta go,’ ” she says. “That’s probably the hardest part.”

As some regular customers have aged, staff and management have sent flowers and made hospital visits. One booth has

a plaque to commemorate a longtime customer named Ed. “It’s hard to watch them pass,” Kaiser says.

The dining tradition at OPH continues through families. “When their children have children, their first stop from the hospital is the restaurant,” Kaiser says.

Who can resist the beloved pancake—part pastry, part bread and completely delicious? The plate-sized ’49er flapjacks are the top pick. Jones Farm thick-cut bacon makes a popular breakfast side but the wonderments only start there. The Dutch baby, crêpes and soufflé omelets are served all day. Portions err on the side of large and customers enjoy the bounty. Many manage to eat everything, but a lot of take-home boxes go out the door, too.

Breakfast is big business at OPH. Pancakes, waffles and other traditional breakfast staples transformed the empire into legend. The first Original Pancake House opened in 1953. Now, the Portland, Oregon-based chain has more than 100 independently owned and operated restaurants across the United States plus a few in Asia. Farnam Street owns the Edina, Eden Prairie, Roseville and Burnsville locations.

With the popularity of OPH, don’t be surprised by a wait for a table, especially this time of a year. August ranks as the busiest month, with vacations winding down, kids going back to school and the start of the state fair.

Kick back and ponder the prospect of a mouthwatering breakfast embellished with flavor-rich sides. Hang around the lobby and check out the display case filled with Deneen Pottery mugs. Colors change with the season and they are available for purchase. ($16 each). A hot cup of coffee served in a hand-thrown mug adds to the homey ambiance and the beverage stays warmer.

Few Edina restaurants go back to 1977, but the Original Pancake House bridges generations with its appealing selection of traditional foods. This breakfast haven is still going strong and is the anchor of Brandon Square in Edina.

Over the years, a few tweaks were made here and there for wi-fi, digital recordkeeping, gluten-free options and a one-room addition. Still, the overall feeling is the same. OPH is a place people come for a warm welcome and reliably good food—the kind of scratch-made breakfast fare that makes getting up early in the morning a joy. Where else would the number of pancakes served be broken down by the gallon? (135 gallons of pancake batter per week).

In 2016, OPH Edina served 7,164 waffles. “It really helps that we’ve had the same prep cook for 29 years.” Jennifer Adascheck, store manager says. “He knows recipes exactly.” Even when serving as many as 1,100 guests daily, consistency in quality and service keeps customers coming back for more.“We’re like the Cheers of Edina,” Adascheck says. “We try to make everyone feel like they are family. People feel at home here.” Dentists, fraternity brothers, car dealership employees, retired teachers, bible studies and other local groups meet regularly at the Edina OPH. Some guests visit daily on their own. One loyal customer’s daily routine includes both breakfast and lunch. Regulars are on a first-name basis and servers remember their order preferences, too. Staff takes pride in their jobs and maintaining high standards for the restaurant.

“It’s a great place to work. The people are great. The customers are wonderful,” Patty Kaiser, server, says. Of her many memorable customers, one gentleman stands out. Along with a cash tip, he gave Kaiser a round piece of pewter with “I appreciate you” engraved on the back. The customer also wrote out “I appreciate you” on the back of the check. “It’s very nice that people take the time,” Kaiser says. She still keeps the quarter-sized memento in her wallet.

Kaiser’s job started through a referral from a hockey coach in 1996—“All of a sudden it’s 21 years later.” Life goes fast, at least for Kaiser, who says, “The job is very, very fast-paced. No one likes cold eggs. When the food gets in the window—boom, it’s ‘gotta go,’ ” she says. “That’s probably the hardest part.”

As some regular customers have aged, staff and management have sent flowers and made hospital visits. One booth has a plaque to commemorate a longtime customer named Ed. “It’s hard to watch them pass,” Kaiser says.

The dining tradition at OPH continues through families. “When their children have children, their first stop from the hospital is the restaurant,” Kaiser says.Who can resist the beloved pancake—part pastry, part bread and completely delicious? The plate-sized ’49er flapjacks are the top pick. Jones Farm thick-cut bacon makes a popular breakfast side but the wonderments only start there. The Dutch baby, crêpes and soufflé omelets are served all day. Portions err on the side of large and customers enjoy the bounty. Many manage to eat everything, but a lot of take-home boxes go out the door, too.

Breakfast is big business at OPH. Pancakes, waffles and other traditional breakfast staples transformed the empire into legend. The first Original Pancake House opened in 1953. Now, the Portland, Oregon-based chain has more than 100 independently owned and operated restaurants across the United States plus a few in Asia. Farnam Street owns the Edina, Eden Prairie, Roseville and Burnsville locations.With the popularity of OPH, don’t be surprised by a wait for a table, especially this time of a year. August ranks as the busiest month, with vacations winding down, kids going back to school and the start of the state fair.

Kick back and ponder the prospect of a mouthwatering breakfast embellished with flavor-rich sides. Hang around the lobby and check out the display case filled with Deneen Pottery mugs. Colors change with the season and they are available for purchase. ($16 each). A hot cup of coffee served in a hand-thrown mug adds to the homey ambiance and the beverage stays warmer.

Deneen Pottery

The heft of a stoneware mug connects the hand to the soul. Under a plume of coffee steam, it’s hard not to breathe a bit easier. Beautifully functional Deneen Pottery mugs have worked their way into OPH restaurants. The Edina location has an eye-catching table setting with a rainbow assortment of 10-ounce mugs.

The inclusion of Deneen Pottery on the table evolved from a chance OPH encounter in 2009. During a birthday celebration at the Eden Prairie location, Niles Deneen noticed plain white mugs on the tables. As president of Deneen Pottery, he realized something was missing from the picture. Having his custom-made mugs at a traditional restaurant known for family-style breakfasts seemed fitting.

“The same ingredients that OPH puts into each and every dish are the same with our mugs. I knew the mugs would work well and would be a fantastic representative of the superior quality that OPH stands for,” Deneen says. “Our mugs are kiln-fired to 2,150 degrees F and are amazingly durable, so I knew they would handle the busyness of weekend bussing and washing.”

One mug order led to another, and soon Edina and a few other OPH locations were on board. Deneen’s phone call to Jon Liss, general counsel and corporate chef, garnered even more franchisee interest. Liss was quick to respond: “I know who you are and I’m looking at one of your mugs right now… I know what you’re going to say and the answer is ‘yes.’ ” Today, the mugs are available at more than 40 U.S. locations, along with a few in Asia.

The over 50-year success story of Deneen Pottery exemplifies the American dream. Sure, setbacks came and went, but nothing a strong collaborative work ethic could not overcome in the long run. Superior quality and commitment to deliver the very best for customers are hallmarks of this family-owned small business.

At Deneen Pottery’s St. Paul facility, row after row of mugs stack up with methodical precision, yet these hand-thrown pieces are all individuals within themselves. In the world of artisan pottery, no two pieces are ever exactly the same. Every firing has slight nuances but overall uniformity remains within ranks. “Open the kiln and it’s like Christmas,” Deneen says.

As a second-generation family-owned business, several generations work side by side to produce mugs, soup crocks, vases and other fine stoneware. Every week the St. Paul shop uses five tons of clay to produce an average of 12,000 mugs and other custom-made pottery. The process combines art with science to produce durable items with unique charm and top quality. “We’re only as good as the last mug we shipped because it’s going to be around forever,” Deneen says. “Knowing that you are using something made by hand conveys so much.”

An innovative glaze engraving process produces a flat medallion, applied to the mug. “Seeing the detail of the medallion and the amazing colors just brings a smile to your face,” Deneen says. The charm of hand-made pottery has a universal appeal, much like a hand-crafted OPH meal. Cheers to a refill.

See their pottery website here.

Recipes

Oatmeal Waffles and Apple Rum Sauce Topping straight from Lee Owen’s blog from the Edina Eater.

Oatmeal Waffles

Recipe for a hearty start to your day. Try to use Minnesota-grown apples; the harvest starts this time of year and continues through October. The sweet fruity topping smooths down the earthy whole-grain flavor of the waffles. The nutty-flavored fiber-rich texture makes them too filling for seconds.

Waffle Batter (Approximately 6 waffles)

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 T. oat bran
1 T. flaxseed meal
1/2 t. baking powder
2 T. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup oatmeal, cooked and cold
Canola oil
Butter
Maple syrup

Instructions

Sift self-rising flour, whole-wheat flour, oat bran, flaxseed meal, baking powder and granulated sugar into a large bowl. Some gritty grain fibers will remain in the bottom of the sifter. Pour them on top and set sifted mixture aside.

Place milk in a large bowl and blend in oatmeal until fairly smooth. Set aside.

Carefully separate eggs and set egg yolks aside. Beat whites just until fluffy in a large mixing bowl. Do not overbeat and dry out the whites.

Add egg yolks and milk-oatmeal mixture to the egg whites. Add dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. (A few lumps smaller than pea-sized are alright. A perfectly smooth batter is probably overmixed and will bake into tough waffles.)

Drizzle a tablespoon of canola oil on the hot waffle iron and repeat for each waffle. Cook batter on medium high according to waffle iron manufacturer’s instructions. Carefully remove waffles and top with apple topping. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.

Apple Rum Sauce Topping

Ingredients

2 – 3 apples
1 T. water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 t. nutmeg, freshly grated
1 T. candied ginger
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup rum

Instructions

Wash, peel, core and thinly slice apples. Place prepared apples, water, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, candied ginger, brown sugar and rum in large frying pan. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Turn heat down to very low to keep the apple topping warm while preparing the waffles. To keep apples from going dry, as needed add a bit more water or rum, depending on your mood. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.