Sometimes, when you want breakfast, you just want … breakfast.

You don’t want to choose between a dozen varieties of eggs Benedict. You don’t want to flip through multiple-page menus trying to decide where breakfast ends and lunch begins.

The Original Pancake House has kept it simple. Open the menu to pancakes. Waffles. Cereals. Eggs and bacon. Omelets. There are even a couple of items you’ll have a hard time finding elsewhere: a “Dutch baby” served with whipped butter, lemon and powdered sugar; an oven-baked apple pancake with cinnamon glaze.

You can’t get lunch here. There are no burgers or beers at the Original Pancake House. It’s all about breakfast, unless you consider corned-beef hash, topped with an egg, as a lunch.

If you’ve ever driven down Barbur Boulevard in southwest Portland, chances are you’ve spied the very first Original Pancake House — the original Original. Way back in 1953, partners Lee Highet and Erma Hueneke opened it in that very spot on U.S. Highway 99, just off what is now Interstate 5. There was no interstate freeway then.

Today a sense of the 1950s is kept alive at more than 100 Original Pancake franchises in 28 states, including one in Bend and a newly opened store in Redmond.

A visit to either almost feels like dropping in at Grannie’s place.

A congenial host greets diners, ushering them to light-wood tables or upholstered booths. A team of young women, identically clad in burgundy-colored ruffled aprons, attend the tables. Colorful porcelain plates, no two alike, line mantles above knotty-pine wall paneling.

I recognized one plate as being of identical design to a set my parents owned when I was a child.

Breakfast in Bend

The food, however, was not inspiring. On an initial visit to the Bend restaurant, just off the Century Drive-Colorado Avenue roundabout, a friend and I carefully studied the menu. We considered such teasers as Swedish crepes with lingonberries and French toast stuffed with cream before settling upon a couple of basics.

I had the aforementioned corned-beef hash topped with two eggs, over easy. The meat was blended with cooked potatoes and onions; it was decent hash, more peppery than salty, yet it was less moist than I would have preferred.

The menu included a side order of three fluffy buttermilk pancakes with the hash. I paid an extra $1.25 and substituted buckwheat pancakes, which I like better because they don’t sponge up syrup at the same rate.

My friend was very specific about her desires. Torn between fiber-rich wheat-germ pancakes and tasty blueberry pancakes, she tried to combine the order, requesting wheat-germ pancakes with blueberries baked in. Alas, the apologetic server explained, this would be impossible. The restaurant could spoon a blueberry topping upon the wheat-germ cakes, but because (we learned) all pancake batter is pre-made, and custom orders are not accepted, her order could not be satisfied.

The server made a peace offering to my disappointed companion by not charging for our coffee. And once my friend took her first bite of the wheat-germ cakes — which she first mistook for cornmeal — she decided they really did taste pretty good, even without blueberries.

A meal in Redmond

I took my second Original Pancake breakfast in Redmond. This restaurant, just off Airport Way and nearly opposite the air terminal, opened in January. Although the building is brand new, its design and decor are virtually identical to the older spot in Bend.

My breakfast companion ordered a “Popular Joe,” a scramble of eggs with spinach and sausage. She likes her eggs more soft than dry, and she was disappointed to find this dish overcooked. The stack of three accompanying buttermilk pancakes tasted fine, she said, after she transferred them, one by one, to the platter on which her Joe was presented: “How are you supposed to eat the pancakes when they are bigger than the plate they’re served on?” she asked.

I had two eggs over easy, with four link sausages and hash-brown potatoes. The basted eggs were perfectly cooked, although I discovered nothing special about the sausages. The potatoes were basic, pan-fried spuds with nothing — no onions, no peppers, no oil — stirred in for additional flavor. They were almost like my late grandmother’s potato pancakes, which may be why I enjoyed them.

I couldn’t help but notice some contrasts between the Original Pancake House and its leading competitor in Bend. Although this is not a review of IHOP (the International House of Pancakes), I recalled that, in that restaurant, each table always seems to have coffee carafe (our server here made regular rounds offering refills) and a tray with five different syrups, from berry flavors to imitation maple. Both are touches that I’d like to see Original Pancake employ.

On the other hand, unlike IHOP, I didn’t have to find the cash register to pay my Original bill; our server handled that efficiently. And also unlike IHOP, I didn’t have to argue with a lunch menu to place my breakfast orders.

SMALL BITES

Cafe Sintra , downtown Bend’s Iberian cafe, has updated its menu for the summer season. New items on the lunch menu, according to owner Manuel dos Santos, include Luisa’s sandwich (fresh spinach, sauteed onions and mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette on ciabatta) and a Portuguese pizza (ham, red onions, Kalamata olives and hard-boiled egg with cheese and marinara sauce). Breakfast now features an egg-and-spinach crepe, a cheese-and-bacon omelet and an imported cheese platter. Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. 1024 N.W. Bond St., Bend; 541-382-8004, www.cafesintra.com.

Seasons Restaurant at the Seventh Mountain Resort is now open daily for breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. The menu ($6 to $12) offers such dishes as the Deschutes scramble, with smoked salmon and Gruyere cheese, and almond-crusted French toast, with fresh berries and molasses-vanilla syrup. A continental-style dinner menu, with entrees priced $18 to $29, is served between 5:30 and 9 p.m. every day. 63136 S.W. Century Drive, Bend; 541-693-9143, www.seventhmountain.com.

RECENT REVIEWS

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (B-): It’s hard to top this franchise restaurant’s location, across the parking lot from a large cinema complex. But food is no better than average, the menu is far from adventurous, the price point is a bit high, the ambience shouts kitsch and clutter, and service is more exuberant than competent. Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. 625 S.W. Powerhouse Drive (The Old Mill District), Bend; 541-382-9234, www .redrobin.com.

Mio Sushi (B): A good choice for newcomers to Japanese food, Mio Sushi makes a special effort to appeal to American tastes. Bright and spacious, its menu extends beyond fresh fish to tempura and teriyaki plates. Prices are reasonable. Lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; dinner 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday. 63455 N. U.S. Highway 97, Suite 35 (Cascade Village Shopping Center), Bend; 541-306-3486, www.miosushi .com.

Izzy’s (B-): These buffet-style restaurants, two of a regional group of 20, have excellent salad bars. Entree meats, however, are not high quality and the main-course selection is heavily carbohydrate oriented. The establishments are clean and well-maintained. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 2940 N. U.S. Highway 97, Bend (541-382-2135); 810 S.W. 11th St., Redmond (541-504-1678); www.izzys online.com.

Bend Burger Company (B+): Come for flame-broiled hamburgers (a dozen varieties, priced $8 to $10) and fries, and enjoy them in downtown Bend’s only dedicated burger shop. This breezy, order-at-the-counter establishment has bright décor, big picture windows, and a local theme in decorating. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. 718 N.W. Franklin Ave., Bend; 541-306-6166, www .bendburgercompany.com.

Original Pancake House

Locations: 1025 S.W. Donovan Ave., Bend; 3030 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day

Price range: Breakfast entrees $6 to $10.50

Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Children’s menu: Yes

Vegetarian menu: Numerous choices

Alcoholic beverages: No

Outdoor seating: No

Reservations: Not accepted

Contact: 541-317-0380 (Bend), 541-316-2515 (Redmond), www.originalpancakehouse.com

Scorecard

OVERALL: B+

Food: B. Exclusive to breakfast dining, the menu is ample but not truly inspired.

Service: A. Servers in ruffled aprons are friendly, efficient and eager to please.

Atmosphere: B+. Homespun ’50s-style charm, right down to the collectible plates.

Value: B+. Prices are fair and portions sufficient.