Original Pancake House   

The first Washington outpost of this growing, Oregon-based national chain has a passionate following, and not only for their excellent pancakes, but also for their consistency. Order anything made with batter and you'll know bliss. Not that there's anything wrong with eggs, but French toast is fabulous and pancakes -- whether sourdough, Swedish, apple or potato -- are sublime. The buttermilk pancakes melt in your mouth. You pick the topping, from bacon bits to chocolate chips and slather on the whipped butter. The lemony, lighter-than-goose-down Dutch baby, a cake-sized souffle with a custard center, is justifiable cause for the long lines that form on weekend mornings. Assorted bric-a-brac and knotty pine create an early American motif enhanced by swift, relentlessly sunny servers who never let your cup of coffee run low. It's good coffee too, with real cream. It all adds up to one of the area's best places to eat breakfast -- which is served until mid-afternoon. After 11AM, you can also order from the extensive lunch menu.