Best Pancake Houses in Sacramento, California

Whether you're looking for a down-home experience or more Californian fare, Sacramento delivers when it comes to pancakes. As a Midwesterner who finds myself in Sacramento frequently, I've had the opportunity to try dozens of restaurants, only to narrow it down to two favorites when it's time for breakfast.

As a real meat and potatoes kind of person, I wanted to try the Lumberjack Restaurant the moment I saw the enormous, axe-wielding lumberjack out front. I suspected I'd find hearty fare within, and I was right.

To dine at the Lumberjack, you have to realize two things. First, this place is funny. It's basically a parody of everything rural, with country music on the speakers, lumberjack competitions on the televisions, and faux-logs on the walls. Portions are huge, and I suspect that the calories follow suit. This is not the place to go if you're on a diet.

Although the menu is very meat-centric, you can certainly do alright as a vegetarian. Just skip the meals that include extra meats, or ask if they'll let you substitute fruit or a muffin or something non-meaty.

But what about the pancakes? That is, after all, what we're talking about here. If you like a classic pancake that's fluffy but still kind of hefty, this is the place to go. Although the Lumberjack has just one type of pancake, they do it very well. However, if you have a hankering for something with more of a twist, check out their French Toast list, which includes traditional, Cinnabon, and Banana Nut.

If you'd prefer a breakfast with a few less calories and some more nutritious side options, head over to H Street and hit up Crepe Escape. Here, you can order great standard pancakes, along with a ton of different fruit and nut toppings. My only major piece of advice is that you ask for extra syrup and butter, as they tend to go a little light on both. That goes double if you order waffles, since they tend to absorb more syrup.

The best part of going to Crepe Escape for breakfast, though, is that you can order an amazing glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. I don't mean the kind where they say fresh-squeezed and it's actually "fresh-squeezed" at some factory. You can see the orange halves in the machine, and it tastes just like doing it yourself (with far less work).

In addition to fantastic pancakes, Crepe Escape also has delicious crepes with fruit, meat, and vegetables. I haven't done the math, but I am pretty sure you could make thousands of different combinations out of the options, toppings, and fillings on their menu. They have tons of "California" stuff like sprouts, nuts, veggies, avocados, and other vegetarian fillings, but they also have enough meats to keep a carnivore happy. Crepe Escape is the perfect pancake house for a group that includes a few fussy eaters.

Whether you're looking for home cooking or a healthy California-style breakfast, Sacramento has you covered. Check out Crepe Escape and The Lumberjack for some of the best pancakes you'll get in the entire city.