Hanover Pancake House

Super authentic diner experience. I just love the staff and that’s its second generation family owned. Try the pancakes wrap and experiment with syrup for the pancake and ketchup for the hash browns. The portions are large enough to share.

I was born into a restaurant family in Topeka. My grandparents owned a few places downtown in the 1960s. So Hanover has always been know to me. I've not eaten there in years, so I looked forward to having breakfast there for the first time in years. Hash browns seemed to have been set in a fryer after being par-cooked; they tasted of fry oil and they were tough. It wasn't that busy at my time of visit, but the meal did get brought out in a few minutes. Otherwise, the rest was enjoyable. It was nice to get a full carafe of coffee!

Plain and simple ask for Donna Rae, she is AMAZING. The biscuits and gravy could use some seasoning but overall enjoyed the experience.

We had breakfast here for a day trip to Topeka, and the food was decent (hence the four stars). I like the old '50s style kitschy feel (but the toilets should have been attended to better--were pretty dirty). The service on the day we went (Thursday) was slow, but friendly. Our server noticed that my wife wanted to wash her hands, but the restroom was locked, so she allowed her to use a sink used by the employees. We enjoyed the entire experience.

This is hands down the best hometown diner I have ever been to. The food is absolutely phenomenal. Flavorful and filling. Large portions. Delicious coffee. The full menu is available all day long as well! Much of their items are made in house. The hot sauces are absolutely fantastic! And they have some for sale! I purchased both the red and the green and use them quite often at home. When I run out, I will be buying them again. The service has been outstanding, fun, down to earth folks with smiles on their faces. Always willing to help, and quite prompt. It can get busy! However, the turnover is quick and the wait hasn't been long at all. It is now my favorite breakfast establishment. Highly recommend.

I grew up going here Sundays after church with the extended family and the food was just as I remembered. I've made a few trips back to town over the last few months and it was great to have such a nostalgic experience live up to the memory. The menu has definitely changed over the years, but it has stayed true to the classic diner feel. The hashbrowns are exactly what you'd expect and the eggs always come out as ordered. The pattymelt and onion rings are perfect too.

I’m SO thrilled to have discovered this pancake house! As soon as the biscuits came out, I knew they were homemade; as a southern girlie myself, these biscuits were very appreciated. I almost requested a half dozen to take home. The portion sizes are very generous, especially for the price! I felt badly not finishing my food, but who doesn’t love some yummy leftovers? The customer service itself deserves its own paragraph. We were immediately met with smiles despite how busy they were, and seated promptly. A blind woman entered the restaurant and the host was immediately helpful and asked if she could take her arm and lead her to her booth; you don’t find employees like that often (I am a general manager to a fast food chain, I am envious) If you are curious about this local gem, TRY IT! We live an hour away but will be back with our kids next week.

Nice daily special selection as well as a large breakfast menu served all day. Even though it was packed the food came out fairly quick. Everything was hot and delicious. This is a must try if you're visiting Topeka.

I was driving home from a family reunion and had researched options for a brunch stop in Topeka, which was just about the halfway point of the trip. I was interested in trying the Pancake House and see how good it would be. I was alone and it had even slipped my mind that I was doing this on Father's Day, until I arrived and saw the line. I was told 15-20 minutes and given a pager to call me. About 15 minutes later it went off and I was taken to a table. Someone brought me ice water and asked me what I wanted to drink. I asked for lemonade and she was back in a minute with the beverage. My expectations were that the service would be on the slower side and I was prepared for it. It took a few minutes for the server to get to me and she admitted that she was not usually a server and she said she would try to make sure everything was okay. I asked for the Philly sandwich, with cheese and waffle fries. I usually expect a Philly to have peppers and onions. The menu says it has mushrooms and onions, and cheese. The sandwich was filled with meat. Once again I am used to either a Steakum meat, or shaved beef from a roast or large steak. It was neither and it was not ground beef which I wondered about. I described it as more like a chipped beef in texture but there was a lot of it. I didn't think it was proportional with the cheese, either. Lots of meat, bread and vegetables but the cheese was occasionally in on or two bites, thoughout. It tasted fine but it was not what I thought a Philly would be. The waffle fries were hot and tasty. As I said I anticipated a couple of problems due to the holiday rush but I was served efficiently and it tasted good.

Four Dollar Pancakes are $8. A single pancake is $6. My $15 omelette was smaller than both my toast and my smallish hands. Most places would include a side of potatoes or something, especially for that price, but not this place. This is breakfast food that costs only a few bucks to make. This kind of capitalistic greed is what's causing inflation. Stop ripping us off!

Chicken salad on croissant is pretty tasty. I've had breakfast there numerous times and it will not disappoint. Potato soup when available is delicious and if it is, I don't think twice about my choice for the day.

We came here for breakfast at the beginning of a long road trip to Colorado. We were seated quickly among a lot of locals - always a good sign for me. The pancakes were very good, the coffee was good and plentiful (my own carafe) and the service was attentive. The only thing that was less than stellar was the overcooked steak my wife got with her breakfast but, to be honest, most breakfast steaks we get are overcooked. Overall I would recommend!

I visit Topeka annually and always go out of my way to have at least one breakfast here! The staff is friendly, the restaurant is nice and clean, and the food is excellent! I don't have a problem with the prices on the menu (unlike some of the other reviewers)! I "discovered" Hanover Pancake House in the early 70's. When I joined the Air Force, I would meet my mother (who worked at the Capital-Journal) for breakfast, whenever I would come to see her when I was on military leave. I often tell people who are planning a trip to Topeka (or northeast Kansas) to "be sure to have breakfast at Hanover's!" As one of your long-time fans, thank you for continuing to be in Topeka! I wish you would open a franchise in New York City (where I live)!

Old diner feel with a quaint vintage decor. Friendly and polite staff from hostess to servers and other customers as well. Our waitress, Donna Rae is super friendly, very attentive, checked in on us regularly and refill water often. Overall great customer service from her. Corny Pancake Wrap- Extra large fluffy buttermilk Pancake stuffed with corned beef hash, American cheese, hash browns, and 2 eggs. This is big enough for 2 people to share. Three Deuce's - 2 fluffy buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs and 2 sausage links. Pretty basic breakfast but very yummy nonetheless. Perfect size breakfast All in all, breakfast was amazing (just what we were expecting and hoping for). When visiting our daughter at Washburn we will definitely be coming back here!!!

I have been a long time customer of this Topeka landmark and have found their fare and service to be pretty good. As far as traditional diner breakfast goes they do a good job and are much better than national chains offering similar breakfast menus (which isn't saying a lot). But for the past few years their prices have skyrocketed to where I can say I probably won't be back very soon. Yesterday I had their standard "Choose your meat" breakfast which in my case included 2 eggs (not cooked properly over medium), hash browns, 4 link sausages and two pancakes (a $3.99 up charge). I only had water to drink and my bill before tip was $20.43! I'm sorry but this is the kind of price gouging that is contributing to the bogus inflation we are seeing everyday. I know what eggs, a cup of flour, a potato, etc. cost (particularly wholesale) and there isn't that much value added for preparing and serving them!

We happened upon the Hanover Pancake House when we were in Topeka for a concert. We had breakfast here on a Friday morning after my birthday. We very much enjoyed our breakfast here! I have not had a better breakfast in the area. My wife and I shared the chicken fried steak and eggs breakfast with pancakes. They had a delightful selection of Friday specials. Also, the interior of the restaurant was well done and clean. Our server was very kind and attentive. We will definitely have breakfast here again. Next time. We are in the area. I believe they are open from 6 AM to 2 PM daily, so you can have breakfast or lunch.

This was the only restaurant we tried that wasn't on my Yelp list for our 2023 road trip. We drove by on Sunday night twice and the guys loved the vintage look. So we ended up there the net morning for breakfast. Simple inside. Half country (selling crocheted door stoppers) , half modern (new photos on the wall.) Our waitress was a hoot. She was swearing and just down to earth- we liked her! The food- simple. We got what we ordered and it was fine.

We really enjoyed our breakfast here! My hubbie had the Three Deuces with scrambled eggs and cheese, bacon, and pancakes. He enjoyed all of it and really loved the scrambled eggs (and he's quite picky about determining if the eggs, bacon & pancakes are really good ~ lol)! I had the Bobcat with an over easy egg, bacon and a lemon blueberry pancake. It was all delicious and very filling. We would definitely come here again! Also our server, Emili, was amazing! It was so nice hearing them chitchat with their regulars.

Went here for Father's Day on a whim. Because there were several large parties and a bunch of small booths we were seated right away which was awesome. The place is vintage and just what I enjoy for a good breakfast spot. Service was on top of it. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. There were a ton of breakfast options which was much appreciated. I ordered the spinach mushroom omelette with hollandaise sauce and a side of pancakes. My husband ordered sausage, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I took half my food home because it was a lot. The omelette was really good. The hollandaise sauce was a nice touch. It did have a little more spinach than I like but, I felt like at least I was getting my vegetables for the day, lol. The pancakes were perfect, fluffy, airy, and a wonderful breakfast treat. I didn't try any of my husbands food but he kept saying how everything was perfect just the way he liked it. I was surprised at how much he complemented his meal. That says a lot. We will be back for sure!

This is the quintessential dinner experience straight out of the 60's. Our waitress was definitely rough around the edges, mixing foul language in her conversation vocabulary that you almost don't notice it. We were not offended, just surprised. Coffee comes with your own pot for refills- me personal favorite as it's always hard to flag a waitress when you need a refill. I ordered the spinach bacon tomato eggs Benedict and had the jalapeño bacon ( on waiter suggestion) It was the perfect addition. Not spicy but flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was a bit lemony but paired well with the combination. Service was hometown friendly and our food came out fast.

One of the best breakfast places if not the best that my family has been to Mrs Donna was our waitress and the service was absolutely incredible and the food was right behind with quality if you are around the Topeka area this is a must have to stop and eat and not only the breakfast was amazing so are the burgers

Classic small town diner food! Doesn't get any better than this for Topeka. Pancakes are some of the best around!

The food was fantastic, with some pretty large portions! The service was incredible, too. A wonderful small town diner!

The service was good but the food was absolute horrendous. EVERYTHING was swimming in grease. The hashbrowns had no taste and not sure if the cook would know a quiche if he actually saw one. The bacon was undercooked. The only thing decent enough to eat was the pancakes. Not sure if it was an off day but I can not recommend this place for breakfast.

We love this place. It's local and kind of divey but that's how a cafe should be. The wait staff is always friendly and speeding around. The good, however, is always the treat here. Beef crispy waffles ever! French toast is something to dream about - so special! Bacon is thick and never fatty. Omelets are huge (you have to use caution) But my daughter swears by the biscuits and gravy. It really is the best. It's usually sold out by the time we drag in at 11 am. 5 stars on food. 4 for atmosphere. Still kinda loud to me & updates were good but it's still showing age.

It was close to my hotel. We were staying for a few days and we like to try places we can't get at home. Went there and it had an overflow lot for parking in my opinion is a good sign. Parking lot was quite full but yet had immediate seating available. Breakfast was pretty good and fast. It was like a nice local home diner in I had three deuces, and my friend is as well he liked it so much. He wanted to go back again so I tried the chorizo bowl and it was pretty good. We both ate for less than $20 with tip.

Wow! Inflated breakfast menu prices. Last few times there the quality and quantity of their breakfast offering was disappointing. Need to find a better breakfast spot in Top City, First Watch opening soon!

Love having breakfast at this restaurant, great food service and nice selection of all kinds of good food to select from!

We were very pleased with our stop to Hanover Pancake House! It definitely has that hole-in-the-wall vibe. Friendly service, relatively clean, great food.

Everything was spectacular! We had eggs, bacon, omelette and biscuits and gravy. Everything tasted better than what I've had anywhere else.

The only thing we found good about this place was the service. This was the most expensive breakfast place we've ever been to and the food was mediocre at best for their exorbitant prices. I got chicken fried steak which seemed more like a chicken fried hamburger. The eggs were over cooked for how I ordered them and the hash browns were overcooked and off tasting making them inedible. My husband got an omelette which he said was okay but again not worth the price. Daughter got cinnamon roll French toast which she said looked like a cinnamon roll but lacked the cinnamon flavor so basically French toast. Seemed clean minus several tables that hadn't been cleared when we arrived. Again about the pricing things like fries to go with a burger are an additional price and most of the burgers were 12-15 by themselves. Same with some of the breakfast items, some come hash browns but most it was an up charge. We will not be coming back.

Legit breakfast in downtown Topeka, I hit up Hanover at 8am on a Saturday morning. It was busy but no wait for me to get a decent booth. Service was very good throughout my meal with three different waitresses patrolling to refill coffee. My check was dropped off midway through the meal so I could pay it when ready and then there was no delay at the register. I chose a broccoli and cheese omelet which was a good size and plenty of it. No potatoes on it as I'm doing the keto diet (no carbs). The side of bacon was excellent. A very good meal that I enjoyed. I'm a fan. [Review 11408 overall, 1185 of 2019.]

This is one of the old pancake house in Topeka KS downtown. When I visited for office trip, coworkers told that it's more than 30 yrs old. Service was a bit slow and it wasn't sparkly clean but not dirty either. I ordered spinach and mushroom omelette with tomato Hollandaise sauce on it, it was average and the sauce wasn't tasting as Hollandaise sauce. French toast on side was nice and tasty. Coffee was nice. French toast looks good to try next time.

Hanover is a Topeka staple. I enjoy the breakfast offerings, the wait staff is always so kind, and the prices are reasonable. The only thing keeping this from a perfect score is that it would be nice if it were cleaner.

For a midwest breakfast joint I wouldn't expect great things, just a solid meal for a good price. That's what I got at Hanover. The corned beef hash was ok, my friend got some monstrous meal that was wrapped in a pancake. I don't think I want to meet the person that can finish this entree. It was just a ton of food. The service was relatively quick and midwest nice. If you find yourself in Topeka needing a ton of food at a value and want to support local - stop at Hanover.

Good food and service Really good pancakes. Will come back again. Friendly atmosphere

Hanover Pancake House is a wonderful place to get a great comfort food breakfast. We had a delicous breakfast again today with eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. The bread is thick and tastes homemade and everything was cooked perfectly. They are super busy on the weekends but our server (Michaela) was excellent and brought our food out quickly. Also, be sure to check out the fun old time candy they sell at the checkout stand. We'll be back soon!

We stopped by after church during the brunch rush and really enjoyed our experience. My boyfriend got the chicken and waffles and I got pancakes w banana and chocolate chips. Both meals were delicious and reasonably priced. The chicken was beautifully crispy and my pancakes were the perfect size and taste. Service was extremely quick and our waitress was efficient and lovely. The restaurant itself was clean and welcoming. Will be back!

Best breakfast in Topeka! The pancakes are out of this world. We also really enjoy their breakfast bowls.

Great home-style restaurant. Busy place that use a QR system for waitlists. Prices were great and the waitstaff nice.

the staff was friendly as soon as we cam. Our waitress was funny and just had a great attitud. The establishment was clean with sort of a down home feeling. The food was excellent and very filling. Breakfast and lunch is served all day. The California omelette was fantasti.

Firs time here and I'm absolutely returning. Best breakfast sandwich you can have. I had the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on a buttery croissant and it comes with a side of hash browns. SO YUM!!! Freshly squeezed OJ! The service was wonderful. Place is very clean. Get here early.

Awesome food! Had the rolled up pancake stuffed with beef hash, scrambled eggs and hash browns. Was delicious!!! My kids loved their pancakes and bacon meals, we will go back!

Enjoyed my 2 egg, bacon, hash browns and toast today. Cooked just right! Pretty fast and ok service. Friend had French toast and enjoyed it. Keith of us had coffee, just water.

I LOVE this place! I grew up eating here with my Dad after church on Sundays. It has become a family staple passed down to the next generation. I have ordered the same thing every time since I was 16 years old. While everything looks good on the menu, I haven't found a better ham and cheese omelet anywhere in all my years of traveling. This is where you will find me celebrating my birthday every year. Hanovers is a family & a Topeka tradition!!

Decided to grab breakfast before heading out of town. Hanover Pancake House has a retro look from the outside. It's a warm and inviting place with a great mix to their crowd. Steady flow of diners. I tried their donut holes (sugar, cinnamon and powdered sugar) and they are good but nothing to write home about. They came with a side of frosting that was tasty. Breakfast was one egg, bacon and four small pancakes...all was very good. Their pancakes are delicious. I took some home and they warmed up perfectly! The service is very good, friendly and fast. Great breakfast place with a lot of options on the menu...check them out!

I ordered a large biscuits and gravy to go,mine came with 3 biscuits, with a tip cost around $9, tasted good but the problem was 3 biscuits in a stryofoam container which left room for about a biscuit and a half, won't be going there ever again!!!!! Did make a egg and cheese biscuit sandwich with the leftovers

Used to eat here all the time. Today I went there and they allow people to walk around without masks on. As a health care provider this is a slap in the face. As a patron, what other health code conditions do they take as mere recommendations? (Ewww) I will not be back.

My expectation for eggs Benedict was much higher. I was hoping the yoke wouldn't cooked through, the ham wouldn't be an inch thick, and that it would be served over an English muffin. These expectations were not met. My friends meals were not too appetizing, either. They both got omelets, eggs looks over cooked. Came with strips of bacon on top covered in low grade cheese, not how I would expect that to be prepared. I regret spending money here Service was slow.

racist environment and under tones..this place Is not for all races. it appears to be a great place eat if you are non black. Treatment and service was atrocious.

Nothing huge to write home about here. I had an omelet, side grits and pancakes instead of toast. Everything was ok nothing extremely wrong or great about it. My one comment for the omelet was that on top the cheese wasn't really melted. The service was ok... I wasn't really attended do as I would expected. I had to wait for a min to get my drink refilled. They had some interesting things on the menu that I would like to try so l would give them another go around.

I really liked this place when I first moved here from California, but the fact it is in Topeka sours the overall ambiance. The food quality is very inconsistent and they still haven't managed to serve me an over medium egg. I'd give it a higher rating but location, inconsistency, and the lack of self awareness and taste from its demographic dulls the encompassing experience. The food, on a busy day that is, is often served cold and not all at once. This would not be the case if the wait staff were better. By better I mean younger, of a younger and healthier mind, able to keep up with what is going on around them and respond to situations as they arise. Unfortunately their young staff are so young they lack any self awareness, shoveling food in their faces while standing where everyone can see them. Absolutely tacky and off putting.

All I can say is WOW! You better come hungry. This place is great. Best corned beef hash I've ever had. Great service - AWESOME!!

You simply do not want to visit Topeka without breakfast or lunch at Hanovers. Can't remember how long we have been going there but I rennet our house faucet going there for morning discussions about 50 years ago. It is like having a happy me cooked breakfast and great coffee

We stopped here in the morning to start off our road trip. We had read good things about the pancakes. My suggestion if you go here is to stick with the pancakes. I ordered biscuits and gravy; my biscuits were dry and the gravy had very little flavor. My son had the breakfast burrito which was steaming hot, and didn't cool down until about 5 minutes into our meal. It was good, but he said he wouldn't order it again. . My daughter ordered a meal with fried eggs, which she ordered over easy. The eggs came out way over cooked; over easy should be runny... these were almost hard boiled in the middle. The yellow did not run at all but instead was a gel in the center. The pancakes were good though, and all the servers were very friendly and attentive.

Local local local joint. Takes you back to the 1970's but who doesn't like the 70's. Had the hard hat special which is 2 eggs, 3 pancakes and hash browns with a side of meat. They have spicy jalapeño bacon which would seem to be pretty good but didn't try it. The breakfast burrito was filled plum full with great stuff and would recommend it to the burrito lovers out there. Got seated quickly and Everyone was super nice.

Love the vintage vibe of this place. Place is clean and service was very good. We were greeted promptly and seated right away. Food was very good.