Flippin’ a Lot of Pancakes: By Natalie Batkis

With over 50 years of serving up comforting food, The Original Pancake House is still sizzling.

It’s no secret – if you want good pancakes in Winnipeg look no further than The Original Pancake House. This Winnipeg tradition started in 1958 when entrepreneur Wallace Guberman opened Canada’s first Original Pancake House on Pembina Highway, but soon one restaurant turned into a small chain. Wally and his brother Monty opened other locations over the years and, along with the original Pembina Highway location, you can sample premium pancakes at The Forks and Clarion sites.

So what kind of food satisfies hungry people and keeps them coming back for more? Of course people will always be drawn to the classics that have made The Original Pancake House famous, like its scrumptious giant apple pancake infused with Saigon cinnamon glaze, or its German pancake served with powdered sugar and lemon wedges. However, there’s more to this restaurant than breakfast fare.

The Original Pancake House offers a wide variety ranging from New York steak topped with onion rings and crispy chicken livers sautéed with bacon. And, what kind of person stays with a company for over 50 years? Harvey Hoch, manager at the Clarion, knows everything there is to know about this Winnipeg institution. Probably because he’s been doing it for that long.

When Hoch was in school he wanted to make a little extra spending money so he applied for a job as a busboy at The Original Pancake House. When he finished his studies, he realized that he really liked making pancakes so he stayed on as a chef and eventually became manager.

After all these years in the pancake business, Hoch sure does have some sweet memories. In 51 years, the world sure has changed, but is retirement in Hoch’s immediate future? He says that this may be his last year at The Original Pancake House but he isn’t making any promises just yet. “If I keep enjoying it the way I do now, I may extend that,” he laughs.

With over five decades in business, The Original Pancake House is going stronger than ever. Their menu has always evolved with the times. They have expanded their menu to cater to all tastes and needs. “There are so many people with so many different allergies, that we try to accommodate as many as we can,” explains Hoch. “We have created some recipes for gluten-free pancakes and we are in the midst of trying them out now and plan on introducing them in 2010.”

However, despite the changing times The Original Pancake House has never gotten away from the source of their reputation and what has made them a household name in Winnipeg: their light, delicious and perfectly prepared pancakes.

THE HOME OF THE GIANT APPLE PANCAKE!

The Original Pancake House is famous for our giant baked apple pancake. Belgian waffles, specialty pancakes, crepes, bacon and eggs are also available all day. Our expanded menu features sandwiches, salads, soups and dinner entrées. We specialize in large groups such as meetings, tours and birthday parties.

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
1445 Portage Avenue 204.775.9035 • 1049 Pembina Highway 204.452.1040 • The Forks Market 204.947.5077
www.originalpancakehouse.ca