Walker Bros. Original Pancake House

A charming old-school brunch spot with a cozy interior and stained-glass windows. The menu is huge, and everything we tried was hearty and comforting. Highlights included the Santa Fe omelette, chipotle chicken crepe, and the apple cinnamon pancake - decadent, spongey, and so perfect for fall. The potato pancakes were also nicely fried with a soft interior. A very satisfying, shareable meal and a great spot for a big group.

I’ve been before, and enjoyed the food. However this visit disappointed. We ordered the Chocolate Crepes, and the mushroom cheddar omelette. The crepes were salty, and the omelette was plain. The mushroom sauce with the omelette also left much to desire. Their service was friendly and fast, which was nice, but a disappointing meal.

Great pancake and omelette in a historical location. Indeed a pleasant dining experience with my long time no see friend. Worth of revisits.

Having traveled around the US for work for 25 years I can definitely say this place is the best place in America for breakfast! Haha, well who really knows but it is super good breakfast food with a large variety to please everyone. Overall great service too given how busy they can often be. Charming 1960s old school interior adds to the fun with many historic stained glass windows. This one, the original location, is still the best cooking of their various Chicagoland locations. Luckily we live not far down the street!

This is the spot, the original! Every time we visit family we come here first thing off the plane! French toast, pancakes, you name it its great. The whipped butter takes all the menu items to the next level.

Excellent all the way around! Pancakes from scratch, eggs cooked perfectly, quality bacon done to perfection and the hash browns were delicious. I must also mention the excellent coffee!! The staff was efficient and friendly and the place is cute as a button and nice and clean💕💕

Service was good. My server was Nina, brought me refill without having to ask, I really appreciate that!!! Food was really good, only thing is I asked for EXTRA CRISPY hashbrowns but didn’t deliver, was we on inside. I don’t like hashbrowns but the meal I wanted came with it so decided to try & ask for how I would enjoy. Not a big deal but was a little disappointed with that. But will go back. I’m sitting in the restaurant writing this review waiting for a ‘to go’ box & here comes Nina with another refill - love you Nina!!!!!!🥰

The interior is stunning, service was friendly and not overbearing, and the pancakes are fluffy and flavorful. Owners, please never remodel this place! What a gem.

What can I say that hasn't been said about this place. It's an institution but not in a stale way! The food ; my oven roasted spinach & cheddar omelette , and the gf pancake with a mountain of whipped butter and real maple syrup are what breakfast dreams are made of. Delicious! Also kudos for having a gluten free menu. Me and my friend really enjoyed it. Service was great and professional. The wait staff aren't here on summer break. They're trained and excellent at what they do which is to be cherished. Good service can be rare. Also the interior of this original location is bathed in the warm glow of honey toned light and paneled in rich mahogany wood with enchanted stained glass window panes through out. A real north side treasure!

Not What it Used to Be We used to come here with my parents many moons ago when we were kids. And for some reason everyone still swears by this place. This used to be such a great spot. We went today and it just sucked. Unbelievably small portions. Canned corned beef hash that's microwaved to death so you can taste the aluminum can it came from. (The cannery there must be shared with fancy feast.) And don't bother telling them how you want your eggs when they ask you. I ordered sunny side up, they may as well have been hard boiled. I asked our waitress this is not sunny side up. She goes "they're basted" and walked away. Another childhood spot that can't live up to the memory of what once was. Sadly it's lost to a better yesterday.

Visiting Chicago area on Nov' 23. Worked out at a gym in early morning nearby, decided to stop by Walker Bros Pancake House for breakfast as I saw lot of rave and good reviews about it. I ended up ordering the Apple Cinnamon Pancake, which was highly rated and recommended by others. My thoughts? Well, this dish, someone called it heaven-on-a-plate. I call it, early-death-on-a-plate. For pure indulgence, is it spot on? Oh, absolutely. If you are someone that enjoys an overload or rather overkill of sugar and maple syrup and cinnamon without any added benefit of taste, and toppings of apple slices which are sugar coated and layered with sweet taste of sudden, inescapable heart attack and early onset diabetes. Criticism aside, this OK once in a while, my good sir / homie? Oh yessir, absolutely. Once in like a half-year, don't trouble the doctor, A-OK. I approve heartily. Though honestly, even layered with the sugary goodness of early death, the Apple pancake wasn't too tempting, and didn't "wow" me much. Yes, it's sugary, yes it's decent, but it's not home run wowza. I ate about half to three quarters. I couldn't finish it all, too much sugar and fat/carb overload. I gave up. But it was good adrenaline rush and insta spike to blood sugar, while it lasted. I only hope and pray this pancake did not damage my system too much. This is crucial to me as I was once pre-diabetic. But we'll see, I guess. All in all, decent breakfast spot, I dunno if I order same thing again, at least not alone cause I know now i can't finish it in one go. If you wanna try it, I would somewhat half heartedly recommend, but be wary and only try this once in a blue moon or so. Trust me, too much of this stuff (sugar) not good for you. But yeah, for first time experience, overall that hit the spot and was worth it.

Whenever I visit the Chicagoland area I make it a point to visit Walker Bris! They never disappoint!! They have the best pancakes and basted eggs and bacon!! The service is always great and the old school exterior and interior at this location is nice!

I was in town and a group of friends, told me that I must try this place! The service was 10/10 and the food was 10/10. I was very impressed how the restaurant felt as though , you had stepped back in time and was eating in a local shop back in the 1950's or so. I got the breakfast meal that came with three original pancakes , with eggs , hash browns and bacon. They provided enough food for an army! The food was good to perfection! I really enjoyed the pancakes. They were fluffy and just amazing!!! I am glad I got the chance to try this restaurant. It was simply amazing! I will give my overall experience with the food a 11/10!!! If you are ever in the area, but sure to check them out!

I'm a breakfast junkie. I can eat breakfast anyplace, anytime. Whether a diner, a fine dining restaurant or a back alley food truck I'm gonna find my breakfast. Fortunately, I live in a city like Chicago where you never have to go far to find what you're looking for. All these years driving by this place never stopped in. I lose. I have been to their Gold Coast location many times and it is excellent but now I have been redeemed and born again. How could I have never stopped in Wilmette's Walker Bros. Original Pancake House? You can't see it from outside but once you enter the decor alone is mind blowing. Beautiful and elegant yet everyman and welcoming. It's like dining in a cross between a church and an old 1800's restaurant. The stained glass and wood fixtures and art keep me busy admiring them. the tables are family style friendly and the booth's cozy and large, like eating in your own little breakfast nook. The servers wear classic diner uniforms and are well versed in the fare offered. Even the bus attendants know the menu. that alone tells you they've been around for a while. Parking is ample with a large lot as in most Northshore suburb restaurants. A huge plus. The food is nothing short of beautiful. My oven baked mushroom and cheese omelette was accompanied by a mushroom sauce to drip over the top. WOW. The sausage side seemed to be hand pattied and full of flavor with a touch of spice. My order of rye toast cam in smaller than I'm accustomed to quaint petite sized slices with fresh jelly in a small finger bowl. Not jarred, not packaged, but in a finger bowl with a healthy dash of whipped butter on its side. Scrumptious. My friends crepes were covered in fresh fruit and his french toast were a work of art. The coffee was rich and flavorful. Everything was done just right and full of breakfast flavor which I love. The service, straight forward and excellent. I'm not sure how they do it but the place was full on an early afternoon and there was a waiting list though not long. There wasn't a seat in the house. I think i know where I'm going for breakfast.

I usually go to the Glenview location which is a tad bit farther from us than this one. I asked our server if I could add a regular egg to my egg white scramble, thinking they'd do them together in one scramble. No, instead, they gave me two separate orders of sticky, soppy eggs. When I asked our server about it, she was very unhelpful and short with me. Like she didn't understand my order at all. Totally different experience here. I'll stay with Glenview. Ambiance was casual and good for conversation. Overall it was a pretty disappointing experience.

The best Bennedict I've ever had. It was like 3 weeks ago and think about it every day I can't wait to come back. And when we walked in the door we were greeted like family by like 6 people and this was my first time here. A++++ #1 best ever! Our server was amazing I wish I remembered his name but remembered my extra hollandaise which made my day

This is the real deal for classic American breakfast. It's always packed but the line actually moves pretty fast. The portions are huge and the food is delicious, I especially like the blueberry pancakes. It's very family friendly as well!

The food is good, hands down. I've been coming here for years, 40+ years. I hadn't been here in a while. I had stopped dinning there because I was so disappointed how they treated their employees, especially Othea Loggan. It was really sad how they treated him. I decided to give them another chance. I was seated, and waited over 25 min for service. Not ONE came to ask if I was ready to order or nothing. I watched how many tables were cleaned in the process of waiting. It was not busy that day. So no excuse. A white gentleman and his son came in, seated and ordered right away. I asked for the manager, who was very unpleasant, explained what was happening, no apology or anything. He just sent the waitress over. What a way to start off my daughter's Birthday. Being a woman of color should not determine how I am serviced. I'm so tired of this. Who is training these types of people? Is that what Walker Brothers represents? This type of service is unacceptable.

Came for late breakfast. The line was long but was fast. This is a gorgeous place with amazing service and friendly staff. I had the bacon w basted eggs and side of hasbrowns, The HB were cooked in butter. Huge portion size. The eggs were large and came w 4 strips of thick bacon and I asked for toast rather than 3 pancakes. Wife had the GF pancakes and loved them. I had a taste and it didn't seem any different from non-GF pancakes. The OJ was fresh squeezed. This is a total winner. I couldn't finish the toast. It's a lot of food. I loved the stain glass and the decor. We'll be back.

Walker Brothers has been a mainstay for me since I was little. Hands down my favorite breakfast place I've been to. Favorites are the 49er flapjacks, spinach crepes, the apple pancake ( oh my) and the potato pancakes, but I've never had a bad meal there. Omelettes are unique. I'm not an omelette guy but everybody else loves them. They're soufflé omelettes. Service is almost always spot on and the coffee is good. If you don't like lines, early morning weekends is the the time to go, but the long lines tell you something good about the place :)

Always love coming here. The food quality is great every time, no unexpected changes. Theres always a short wait on the weekends, but I usually am here with only one other person so it never takes them long to get us a table. The service is good too, the waiters are always friendly. I always love the decor inside. The stained glass is beautiful. My favorite things are the 49ers flapjacks and the potato pancakes and it's always hard to choose between the 2!

The food is always perfect here from pancakes to eggs to french toast. Historical breakfast with amazing and friendly staff. Service is always stellar, theres always someone around topping you off with coffee whenever you're almost out. The ambiance of this establishment is nice and cozy. I love this one server named Breezy who is a Jamaican man who has worked here for many years. He is the coolest guy there. Make sure to say Hi! The food menu is filled with variety. Theyre open until early afternoon

This places is awesome for breakfast!! The service is fast and the staff is always very friendly and accommodating. I love the coffee here and my fav is the Belgian waffles. I forgot how many times I've been here but it is a must TRY! Also the inside of the restaurant has a classic art to it very cool

I wish I knew about this place sooner, came here on a Sunday for brunch and had a 15mins wait to get a table. I ordered the Santa Fe omelette, crispy french toast and hash browns. The omelette was large enough for two people to share, I loved that it was spicy and flavorful. The hash brown was very creamy and delicious as well. The service was fast and efficient for our table of 7. I will definitely go back for brunch as all of the food was excellent and I enjoyed the vibe of the place.

So good! Everything the have is just delicious and the inside is so cool! When me and my huge group of friends went to eat the severs were so patient when we had to split the check. Couldn't recommend more!

Just had a late breakfast at this place. First time there. The only thing they didn't screw up was my juice order. The server brought my omelette, hash browns, muffin separately over a period of at least 15 min. Hash browns arrived ten minutes after the omelette. Tried to pour caffeinated coffee after I'd order decaf. Omelette ingredients were screwed up but by the time that was obvious I was so disgusted I gave up, ate what was there, and left. Ugh. Never again.

After 5 years and a pandemic we are back at Walker Bros. Walking inside you are transformed to an old school vibe filled with stained glass and Tiffany style lighting. We love the pancake house in Buffalo but this place kicks up the ambiance x10. Service is fantastic always checking in on us and making sure our coffee is topped. Food is fabulous filled with tons of fat and flavours. Bacon is thick cut which we all love. I know we need places like Denny's and IHOP but pancake house destroys ever other breakfast place and is worth the long line up. Get here early or go during the weekday if you are visiting.

Waited for ten minutes to be served. No one approached the table. Plenty of servers taking care of others. Obviously they were getting ready to close the restaurant in an hour. So we left. Would have given one star due to not being able to sample the food, but it was not possible.

Always great food and service. I can't understand why on a Sunday at 0930 the line wasn't wrapped around the building. The last time my son was here he was 3, now he's 13.

Looking at the elaborate woodwork and the extensive collection of antique leaded glass windows, this 60+ year old Wilmette institution is virtually a museum. But the food, too, is exceptional. And the specialty pancakes are culinary superstars. OMG, the apple cinnamon pancake is heaven-on-a-plate. It's always baked to caramelized perfection. I've ordered this decadent carb bomb at other Original Pancake House locations but for some unfathomable reason theirs always seems to be the best. Perhaps it's the well-seasoned ovens and cooking utensils. I also salute their thick-cut bacon and coffee ... and the friendly, knowledgeable servers. The line to get seated may be long but it's well worth the wait.

Best pancake house in Chicagoland. Change my mind. Stellar service. Fantastic food. Always good.

Walker Bros: the best north shore restaurant to get your breakfast sugar fix! It comes to no surprise that this long standing restaurant has amazing breakfast food, with a vintage ambiance and classic service. I got the strawberry waffle and the classic apple pancake- food reviews below! Apple Pancake (10/10) - I was told it was huge, but nothing could prepare me for the monstrosity that came out of that kitchen. It was probably the size of my head - this humongous, cinnamony, delicious, blessed pancake was perfection. You can't leave Walker Bros without ordering this thing. Strawberry waffles (10/10) - I came to Walker bros with a waffle craving, and it absolutely solved it. The whip cream was great, strawberries were great *chefs kiss* Overall, definitely recommend Walker Bros for amazing breakfast options!

Walker Brothers The Original Pancake House is One of the best breakfast spots in the north shore!!!! The Wilmette location is amazing!!!

Walker Bros. Had lost some of it attraction for me. The food is not a good as it once was and the service had suffered as well. Went there on a Saturday morning and had no trouble getting a table. There was a time when there was a line out the door and into the parking lot. Also, I had a Visa gift card that I thought I could use to pay for the food. I was told by the wait staff and the manager that their "system" could not proceed gift cards, except gift care issued by Walker Bros. I have very little interest in returning to Walker Bros.

In the neighborhood so I decided to give this spot a try. Nice decor, retro. Clean spot. Hostess was friendly sat me & guest quickly. Reviewed menu and waited for server for 10 minutes. She was ok, couldn't explain the "fluffy" omelette the best. Never saw her after the food came out. The food was good, tasty. I waited 11 mins before being asked by another server if everything was ok which it wasn't since I only been served 1 cup of coffee. Finally got it from the new server. My guest stated they put an entire pack of cheese in his omelette. Talk about cholesterol. The server never came to table with check. Would I recommend...no.

This place was recommended by my bonus daughter and it was absolutely amazing. Food was delicious and so fresh. The Santa Fe omelet was not spicy at all and was delish! Service was exceptional!! The ambiance was beautiful. It was like having breakfast in a beautiful Vintage home. Will definitely be returning.

Best of everything High quality eggs, real whipped butter, pancakes that are perfectly cooked, staff that is attentive Just the best breakfast place around

This place use to be one of my favorite spots up north. Delicious pancakes, excellent french toast, hash browns, omelettes and freshly squeezed OJ. The continental you can't beat it! Eggs, hash browns, pancakes and OJ for 12 buckaroos. Not to mention, when you eat here, you will be full all day. Came today for breakfast and sadly it wasn't as stellar as I remembered. French toast was ok today. Usually piled high with strawberries and whipped cream. Kinda sparse today. Hash browns decent. Service meh. I'd come back again though! Maybe they just had an off day.

When my husband and I think of breakfast the one restaurant that comes to our mind is Walker Brothers. We're lucky to have one in neighboring Wilmette. The line on a weekend is long but if you're patient enough you'll manage to get in. We went over the weekend and waited a half hour to get seated. From what I understand, this is the first and original Walker Brothers location. They have at least 7 others in the Chicagoland area. So far we've only gone to this one and their other site in Highland Park but both places offer consistent service and great food. My recommendations are the following: · The Spicy Habanero cheese and Pico de Gallo hashbrowns · Side of sausage links and scrambled eggs · Their German pancake or get the Dutch baby if you want the smaller version. Get either one with the strawberry and banana toppings. The diner is large and if you're into vintage décor you'll find Tiffany lamps and glass work all over. The Wilmette location is a well-oiled, dine-in machine staffed with efficient servers, hosts, bus boys and cooks. Their mission is to get you in and out with a full belly. Curbside pickup is available if you don't want to dine-in. My only downside is reservations are not allowed at this location. Aside from this minor issue, Walker Brothers is delicious and worth visiting if you're in town.

See my 5 star review of the Glenview location which applies here and all the Walker Bros restaurants.

Well, the server was nice, the coffee was good and strong, and my husband liked his eggs and bacon. Those are the only positives. I ordered the spinach crepes, which came with sour cream and potato pancakes. It was unbelievably awful. The crepes had an unappealing appearance and tasted terrible. The potato pancakes were dry and tasteless and what looked like a pint of sour cream had a weird chemical taste. I was starving, but quickly lost my appetite. I truly felt unwell later in the day. The entire place looked decrepit and unclean, and the table bussers made so much noise it was like they were doing it on purpose. The icing on the cake was that a side window was being replaced and the banging and sawing was nuts, while patrons were eating. For the pleasure of all this, the bill was $40!!! You could not pay me to come back here.

This was my first time at this location. You do not put your name on a list, you just wait in line. It goes faster than you would think, and it is worth it. The coffee is amazing. My friend and I had different types of eggs Benedict. She had one with crab and I had one with veggies and bacon. Both delicious!

Came in with a group of friends on Sunday brunch. They don't take reservations over phone or online; however, we were seated right away. Some locations don't let your party sit unless everyone is there but this one was cool with it. The coffee poured down our mugs every few minutes, food came out incredible, and the bill was low budget. Only downside was the person checking vaccination cards did a half-ass attempt in verifying identity to covid card due to it being a busy day. I would revise the training on this and make it better. Otherwise, good time!

I used to go to Walker Brothers all the time when I lived in Evanston. I recently moved back to the Chicago area after 10 years and was not disappointed with Walker Bros. I ordered the buttermilk pancakes and they were the best I had ever eaten, and just as a I remembered. Not to mention the coffee is amazing. You can't go wrong with the simple pancakes at Walker Bros.

Yum! This place is perfect for brunch with friends! They don't take reservations but for a party of 4 on a Sunday afternoon, we didn't have to wait for a table. It took a little while for our waiter to get our orders but it was alright. She was very nice! Getting our food didn't take long. Crunchy french toast: I LOVE french toast and I LOVE crunchy food so I had to order this. The portion was decently sized so I saved half of it for home. It comes with banana slices, whipped cream, and powdered sugar on top. Loved the whipped cream because it wasn't super sweet and it's very light. I wish the powdered sugar was distributed more. Comes with a cute little cup of maple syrup! Hashbrowns: omg this dish was so delicious!! Good portion too! I ordered it with pico de gallo and habanero cheese. Added some Cholula hot sauce to make it more spicy because I love spicy! This was a nice savory side considering I ordered a sweet entree. A nice surprise was realizing that they had a deal of Buy 3 entrees, get the 4th free for the whole month of February. So one of our meals was free!

First time coming here, service was just ok. Never got my refill on my coffee or the Splenda I requested. They seemed to be understaff and they waitress seem overwhelmed. The coffee was at room temperature and they didn't give me enough creamer. The strawberry waffle was just ok, nothing special about. Be prepared to wait.

Always consistently delicious and has great service. They have something for everyone. If I'm going to give a gift to someone special I lean toward Walker Bros. the Original Pancake House.

I went on a busy Sunday brunch and the line looked long, but it moved fast and was able to get a table in 15 minutes. The service is great and friendly even though it looks busy. My favorite was the Dutch baby. I also ordered the omelette which comes with a side of three slices of pancakes. I will definitely come again to try more of their classic pancakes.

Best banana pancakes and omelettes!! And super cute inside. A true North Shore institution!

Classic breakfasts always excellent in the biggest stain glass collection you can imagine. Really a cool place. Avoid peak times as there is a line that stretches to the next county.

Classic Chicago experience. Original and Best are synonymous with this place for sure

Good food, glorious food. The coffee is amazing and there has not been anything I've tried I didn't like. Next visit I will attack the apple huge pancake thingy.

This is a cozy location but the food is as delicious as it is in the other locations. Walker Bros food is always great. The coffee isn't the best here, so I usually opt for juice and crepes. Because this is a small restaurant, lines can be pretty long in the mornings and parking is limited.

Let me think, what can I say about this place that hasn't been said, probably nothing. My only recommendation is, please order pancakes, any pancake. I mean it's called the original pancake house for a reason. Not to say that other stuff isn't good, but the pancakes are great, all the pancakes. So do yourself a favor and just order some pancakes.

I was genuinely excited to try out the walker brothers version of the original house of pancakes. I'm a long-time lover of the Hyde Park version of this establishment. And being that we were in Evanston, I was excited to try the alternative. My friend and I went on her birthday for the lunch hour. It wasn't as crowded, and it seems that they mostly received older patrons during that time. The interior was very classic looking, but I did see areas inside the restaurant where was not being occupied that I would've instead sat in. It is essential to mention that the Walker brothers location has a different menu from Hyde Park's original house of pancakes. Hence, one of my favorite items, the steak skillet, was not on the menu. They also do not have breakfast potatoes, but they have shredded, and they come with eggs similar to how you would receive a skillet. The meal was overall OK. It pales in comparison to the Hyde Park location. But I still enjoyed it. I will say that my wait staff was not as attentive and slow. In my review, I gave this a three-star, but honestly, it was more like 2 1/2. Nothing terrible if you're in the area and want a decent meal. This pancake house isn't an awful choice, and there is parking, so that's a plus. But most definitely not my top choice. Everything was just ok.

Get there before 9am Sundays... Iconic pancake house, think more Bavarian, tucked away, stain glass, v. house of pancakes, and nothing on the menu to disappoint in size, price, or quality. I rarely do order pancakes themselves, though the under 12 crowd couldn't avoid the various ways of enjoying maple, cane, and chocolate sugars in the morning. Fast service, until the pre/post church lines build. Follow the first sentence advice on Sunday and 8/9 times, you will walk straight in.

This is one of my go-to breakfast spots. I love their pancakes and potato pancakes. On my last visit I tried their new chicken sausage from Amylu which was delicious. February special was 25% off potato pancakes so we got those too, with sour cream and apple sauce. Again, a fave. I never have anything bad to say about Walker Brothers.

Admittedly, I wasn't that excited about coming here but that changes as soon as I walked in. I love the ornate wood fixtures everywhere. The building is beautiful inside. Then, the menu. Yum! So many options to choose from and they all come with pancakes!! I went with the Venetian and was blown away. The English muffin on this plate was soft and chewy as if it we're freshly baked. I loved the spinach, veggies, and bacon mixed with the yolk from the perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Seriously, I wasn't expecting it to be this delicious. They don't have weak coffee! Yes! I hate ordering coffee out because it is always so watered down. Not here. Service is friendly and fast! I would absolutely return and recommend it to EVERYONE!