I had resolved to some day venture out of my Lakeview neighborhood for brunch, and when I was promised “fat and thick Dutch pancakes”, I jumped at the opportunity no matter which neighborhood it was! The name of the restaurant, Pannenkoeken Cafe (pronunciation pending), intrigued me and I was eager to learn more about these Dutch pancakes.

Pannenkoeken held a small space on the busy street of Western, and we were met with patrons patiently waiting outside. Since we had a group of five, the wait took some time while we familiarized ourselves with the menu and discussed amongst ourselves what exactly Dutch pancakes were. When we finally got seated, the food took some more time to arrive but we quickly learned that these Dutch pancakes were neither “fat” nor “thick”.

To be fair, compared to crepes, these Dutch pancake were thickER! It was also less dry than a crepe, as the thicker consistency of the dough held in moisture. We had ordered a few different types of the pancakes: Apple, Salami & Cheese,Inflatable Water Slide Bacon Cheese & Tomato (substituted from mushrooms). I have always personally struggled with the war between sweet vs. savory crepe (with “sweet” usually taking the cake), and I imagined this would be the same. However, I find myself delightfully surprised to highly favor the Salami & Cheese Pannenkoeken! The Apple Pannenkoeken came a close second as it was rich in flavor an drenched in whipped cream. I am usually Bacon’s number one fan, but Pannenkoeken Cafe taught me that there may be something bigger to life than Bacon.

Besides the food, we found ourselves truly enjoying the environment of the restaurant, and that might have something to do with us being seated so close to a couple nearby. We quickly made friends as they offered me the hash browns I had longingly (and shamelessly) stared at! The next family that sat down after them, immediately introduced themselves and we proceeded to finish our brunch with Ben, Becky and 2 year old David.

Pannenkoeken Cafe
4757 N Western
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 769-8800