Andy Tullis / The BulletinThe Original Pancake House's apple pancake plate.

When I first reviewed the Original Pancake House 5½ years ago — and scored it a “B+” with an “A” for service — I received more mail scorning me for what some readers considered a negative review than I have received for any story in the years before or since. “How could you be so harsh on my favorite restaurant?” demanded one writer.

Truth be told, I had no idea local diners held such strong affection for this casual Bend restaurant, a longtime fixture on the west side of town near the Century Drive-Colorado Avenue roundabout. Now that I know, I can tell these readers: I agree that it’s a great place for breakfast. The service is outstanding if a bit too cute. And the food is even better than before.

In fact, breakfast is the only meal served at the Original Pancake House, a Portland-based group with 118 restaurants in 28 states. A half-dozen of those establishments are in Oregon, including a second Central Oregon location near the Redmond airport.

For eight hours a day, virtually every day of the year, diners come for pancakes and waffles, eggs and bacon, cereals, crepes and other breakfast plates. There are no burgers or beers here.

The original Original still stands on Barbur Boulevard in southwest Portland. Partners Lee Highet and Erma Hueneke opened it in 1953 on Highway 99, just off what is now Interstate 5. There was no interstate freeway then.

The team of female servers still feels like something out of a ’50s soda fountain or a Woolworths café. Identically clad in burgundy-colored ruffled aprons, they hurry between tables and kitchen, always friendly, always efficient, taking and delivering orders with an equal balance of speed and courtesy.

Colorful porcelain plates, more than 150 in all and no two alike, line the upper walls above knotty-pine paneling.

There’s definitely more than a passing reminder of Grandma’s house in the décor.

Crepes and hash

My dining companion and I made a variety of selections on our two recent visits. We didn’t get a couple of items that I think are unique in this region — neither a “Dutch baby” served with whipped butter, lemon and powdered sugar, nor an oven-baked apple pancake with cinnamon glaze — but we moved between crepes and waffles, eggs and corned-beef hash, not forgetting the emblematic buttermilk pancakes.

The Danish cherry crepes were almost like a fruit pie on a plate. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but these were excellent: Montmorency sour cherries simmered in a sauce of Kijafa, a cherry liqueur, rolled in thin, egg-rich pancakes and generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. They were the perfect match for the excellent morning coffee served at Original Pancake House.

Although my companion’s corned-beef hash was not as moist as she likes, she was very pleased with the flavor. Equal portions of potatoes and meat were finely chopped and mashed together, peppered for flavor, then topped with two eggs, cooked (per my friend’s direction) over easy.

Three buttermilk pancakes accompanied. For a small extra charge, my companion had bananas added. The fruit flavor was subtle, but they were just what she wanted.

Eggs and a waffle

At a subsequent breakfast, I ordered a unique version of eggs Benedict called “eggs Michael.” I can’t say who Michael is, but the plate bearing his name was a nice change of pace from typical Bennies.

It started with an English muffin, as most Bennies do. The muffin was topped with a spicy sausage patty, then with two eggs, fried (not poached) over easy. The finishing touch was white mushroom gravy with a splash of sherry, the perfect culinary complement. I would return to the Original just for this dish.

My companion chose a bacon waffle, which was just what you might imagine it to be. The buttermilk waffle was light and delicious, with crunchy bits of bacon blended unevenly through the batter. Some bites, in other words, had considerably more crunchy goodness than others.

My friend wasn’t overwhelmed by a limited choice of syrups — a maple blend, coconut or fruit. But she was pleased with a glass of orange juice, complete with pulp. It tasted, indeed, like an original.

— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com