I was empty bellied at the Tukwila light rail station, and The Pancake Chef is only a couple of blocks away. Their pancakes were blah on my first visit, but they’ve been there since dinosaurs roamed Seattle, so they must do something right. I decided to give them a second try (not the pancakes, the restaurant).
I approached the front door at about the same time as an old white man with a walker, and gallantly opened the door for him, then waited while he shuffled in. We were greeted by a smiling middle-aged employee, who said, “Table for two?”
“Uh, no, just one,” I said.
“You two aren’t together?” she asked.
“No, it didn’t work out,” said the other man.
“Maybe some other time,” said I.
A moment of light humor with a total stranger — that hasn’t happened in a long time. I thought of inviting him to join me, but he was already gone, limping after the waitress toward a table.
When she came back, she seated me in a booth near the window, overlooking the parking lot. I sat with my back to it, and ordered a Denver omelet, a cinnamon roll, and of course a cup of coffee.
The coffee comes with refills in a carafe, which is nice. The creamers are the plastic one-ouncers from Wholesome Farms, and again as I’ve seen in other restaurants, they can’t be opened except by stabbing them with your knife.
The cinnamon roll came next, and was huge like a football. Hot, with whipped butter on the side that melted quickly when spread on the top. Most places, the cinnamon roll is topped with cream cheese, but at Pancake Chef it’s lemon frosting, which is pleasant, even good, but it’s a mistake. Cinnamon rolls should be sweet, not sour. Also, it’s just too much cinnamon roll — even as a fat guy, it’s enough for two people, or one person’s entire breakfast.
The omelet had gooey cheese that stretched out for several feet on my fork, but the ham in the filling hadn’t been fried or caramelized. It was sorta heated, but only sorta. Otherwise, the omelet was good.
The hash browns were utterly blah, same as most diners serve — undercooked, barely browned, and gray inside.
The toast was a treat; it’s made with semi-fancy bread, not sandwich bread, and served with a selection of both Smuckers and the far-superior local brand, Sunfresh.
At The Pancake Chef, everybody knows everybody. The waitstaff greets regulars by name, the regulars from one table wave and say hi to regulars at other tables, and the staff interacts with all of them like old friends. If you’re not a regular, though, service seems perfunctory. My waitress was efficient but unsmiling, and could’ve been AI.
The restaurant’s interior temperature was a few degrees cooler than I like it, but hey, it’s winter. My head was cold, so I reached into my backpack for my cap. It’s tie-dyed colorful, and when I slipped it over my head, there came a different kind of chill, in subtle glances from the waitress, and from other customers.
Military flags are displayed above the cash register. All the framed photos on the wall are of Boeing jets, from the factory up the road. Last time I was here, the place was full of cops eating breakfast. And this time, on my way out, I noticed a handwritten sign at the door that said something like, “Due to government regulations, supply and staff shortages, we can offer only a limited menu.” The menu didn’t seem limited, and the sign was old, probably from fresh after the COVID shutdowns.
Sad to say, I’ve grown adept at sensing right-wingery, and I’m pretty sure The Pancake Chef is a Republican restaurant. I probably won’t be back, but if I am, I won’t wear tie-dye.
The Pancake Chef
15215 Military Road S, Tukwila
Food & drink: OK
Price: OK
Service: Meh.
Transit: Link #1, #A, #F, #124, #128
Verdict: MAYBE.
12/5/2024
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