Restaurant Review: The Pancake Cafe in Madison, Wisconsin

Breakfast in Madison, Wisconsin, can be quite an experience, especially if one frequents a few spots known for their excellent breakfast fare. One such place is the Pancake Café, which is located not in Madison at all but on the town's outskirts. The original Pancake Café is located in Fitchburg, at 6220 Nesbitt Road, and the other Café is in Sun Prairie, at 1303 West Main Street. Both locations are not far away for the average Madisonian, especially if one has a car.

The Pancake Café that I happened to frequent recently is located in Fitchburg, within walking distance of where I live. I went there on a Sunday and, as expected, the place was packed. Folks standing outside the doors of the restaurant were waiting for tables. I got in line with them and put in my name; I was told the wait would be around 20 minutes. Not to worry- I had come prepared with a newspaper.

After 15 minutes had gone by, I was shown to a small table in the middle of the grand hall, not far away from a fireplace which must make things really cozy in the winter. I opened the menu that was handed to me and was amazed at the number of tasty pancake options: blueberry, cherry, strawberry, banana nut, pecan, chocolate chip- either with or without whipped cream. Then there were the pancakes made with different flour options: buckwheat, wheat germ, or even potato. The Café menu also offers so-called Oven Specialties, pancakes stuffed and baked with various ingredients like apples or pecans.

Not a place to be known only for its namesake, the Café menu also offers other breakfast options, such as bacon waffles, which are waffles with crisp bacon cooked inside. Or Western omelettes, which are filled with ham, onions, and bell peppers.

And then there are the lunch options, such as the Chicken Cashew Salad, containing breast of chicken with cashews, hard boiled eggs, and tomatoes. Or The Gourmet Burger, made with a ½ pound slab of ground beef and accompanied by a choice of taffy apple salad, potato salad, or French fries.

I went this time with the Oven Specialty Apple Pancake along with a Mimosa to wash it all down. The Mimosa reached me first- it wasn't the biggest drink I'd ever seen, but not the smallest either. After another 10 minutes, the Apple Pancake arrived (despite the crowded restaurant), a huge fluffed pie dusted with powdered sugar and accompanied by many cups of syrup. I cut into this pizza-pie pancake and was greeted by several large (and hot!) chunks of sweetened apple. After wafting through the steam a bit, I dipped the food into my cup-o-syrup and took a taste. Very good! I ate about half of the pancake, then had the rest boxed up to go- there was no way I'd ever finish such a large meal. My Mimosa had been finished a long time ago, though.

The bill for the meal ran about $15. While a bit on the steep side, I did comfort myself with the knowledge that I had another pancake meal waiting for me tomorrow morning from all these leftovers. I'd be coming back to the Pancake Café soon.