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Richard Walker's Pancake House
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
5680 Northwest HwyCrystal Lake, IL 60014
(815) 479-9000
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Richard Walker's Pancake House
Review Highlights
23 reviews in English
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Review from Britt T.
Cary, IL
9/6/2011
The food is delish! My daughter was addicted to the Strawberry Chocolate Crepe for a few months and would beg to go to the "pancake store." Even thought it isn't on the menu, they will still make it for her.
The food is 5-stars, but I took one star off as the prices are a little high and their Bloody Mary is blah. -
Review from Bill H.
Cary, IL
1/16/2012
If you want to spend the same money as a real nice dinner than this place is for you. $10.00 for an omelette.....and you don't even get potatoes. $4.25 for 3 pieces of bacon? WTF!! Oh yes...don't forget the $4.00 glass of oj. Save your money and go Andy's or Olympic. Better food and half the price.
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Review from Jim S.
Elgin, IL
3/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good but pricey.
We checked in today at Richard Walker's Pancake House in Crystal Lake, IL I had an Omelet, which was outstanding. Big and fluffy, with cheddar cheese, ham and onion. I also had a side of the regular buttermilk pancakes. They were fine, but not especially noteworthy.
My wife had eggs over easy with hash browns and bacon. The bacon is thick cut, and very flavorful. The eggs were fine, but she had asked for toast, and we got another side of pancakes.
My daughter had French Toast. It was good, but she never got her side of bacon.
I saw some of the specialty's going by, like the baked apple pancake. It looked very good.
They were quite busy at the time, so perhaps that is why our server missed the toast and bacon. I did not know about this until after we left, or I would have brought it to the server's attentions. I expect that he would have made it right.
In total, while the food was good, we spent $58 with tax and tip for the 3 of us. That is a pretty pricey breakfast. The omelet was worth the price, but the rest of the food while good, was not noteworthy. I may return for the omelet, or some of the specialty items. If you are just looking for basic eggs, etc.. you can do as well for less $$. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Buffalo Grove, IL
11/6/2010
If you're a breakfast person - this place is a must! They have high quality breakfasts!! (As opposed to say the cheap place with the blue roof)... All locations have great food! Fast service as well.
I do have 2 objections to this place - very expensive in my book. It's nearly $3 for a small glass of pop, and they up-charge you for everything! I think it was like an extra $1 to add a tiny bit of cheese to my scrambled eggs....C'mon!!! I have also had issues at a couple locations doing substitutions. So although I love their food, I always find myself super annoyed when the check comes.
Love their eggs all kinds, wonderful fresh-squeezed O.J., and in fall the Pumpkin pancakes (they're totally not oversweet, just right). -
Review from Franklin D.
Arlington Heights, IL
4/8/2007
A little pricey and sometimes very crowded, but worth. Pretty good food and nice atmosphere including classical music and you can sit by the gas fireplace in the winter.
You can avoid the crowd and have the same breakfast food by going in the evening. Kids love the silver dollar pancakes. -
Review from Taylor O.
9/9/2008
I initially ignored Richard Walker's driving by it for several months, curious about a pancake house that appeared more upscale but not curious enough to give it another though. A co-worker recommended it and I tried every other restaurant along highway 14 so why not?
Stepping in to the Cabela/Caribou Coffee meets Cracker Barrel aesthetic building on the right of the counter they were selling pancake mixes and Kona coffee to take home.
I noticed signs for the Pumpkin Pancakes which sounded great! I think it would go well with pumpkin ice cream but that is another story.
I ended up selecting the wheat bran pancakes with a side of broccoli and a glass of Cabernet; I have healthy but shall we say eclectic taste sometimes. There were 8 or so mini-pancakes delivered and they were delicious served with the authentic real maple syrup, the only way it could be so flowingly liquid with lightly fruity tasting. -
Review from George B.
Chicago, IL
7/12/2009
this place rocks now that Lou is now in control of it. Food and service have improved significantly thanks to his running this place.
Pricewise, it isn't the bargain basement, but it isn't the most expensive either. Portion sizes are good for the money, and the coffee is worth the price. -
Review from Aesha W.
Chicago, IL
4/23/2007
This restaurant is owned by a member of the same family that owns the Walker Bros. chain of pancake houses, though this is a separate restaurant. I enjoyed this one even more than Walker Brothers; the ambience was a little nicer, the restaurant more clean (meaning less kitsch all over the walls), and the prices were just as good. I also liked the pancakes better!
I've seen that the Schaumburg and Crystal Lake restaurants have slightly different menus, and since I have only once been to either location, I can't comment on Schaumburg. My friend ordered the apple pancake, and I've had a small bite of this at another and didn't like it; at this restaurant, it was fantastic. I've seen other reviews that mention it was pricey, but our total bill was $22.05. I had a Denver omelet with pancakes, my friend an apple pancake with bacon on the side. In my opinion, it was comparable to most of the pancake houses we've been to.
This is my #1 pancake house, and we've been touring area pancake houses to find a our favorite one to visit on weekends (so far, we've been to at least 6). I'll drive the 30 minutes to Schaumburg or Crystal Lake on the weekend now and then to enjoy a nice breakfast. -
Review from Bryan S.
Chicago, IL
11/8/2008
Well, I grew up in Crystal Lake (I now live in Chicago) and I never ate at Richard Walker's when I lived in the area. Now I know why. I went back to CL today to visit my parents and they wanted to go there. I ordered the french onion soup and a side of potato pancakes. The soup was lukewarm and the pancakes were probably the worst I have ever had. They had a very strange taste.
I went home afterward and the food gave me something that rhymes with rhiarrhea. That was a blast. Thanks Richard Walker! -
Review from David B.
Cary, IL
11/2/2009
Sunday morning. Post-church rush. Long line. Packed waiting area. Completely worth it.
I have been to the Schaumburg location of Richard Walker's a few times, and the one thing that I had always come away with was that it was slightly expensive. Walking into the Crystal Lake location was completely different. The main entrance has warm-colored wine barrel taps decorating the walls, the main dining area has a giant stone fireplace, and-- most importantly-- the place is packed wall-to-wall with a variety of people. Young and old, families and couples, Sunday-best suits and Urlacher jerseys... I could immediately see that this location appealed to the entire town.
The coffee here is wonderful on two levels. First, it's brewed well-- bold but not burnt. Perhaps benefitting from the time of day, I felt like every cup came from a fresh pot. Second, I don't think my cup ever got lower than half full. All employees seem to team up to ensure that tables always have hot cups sitting in front of them.
I ordered the mushroom omelet with cheddar cheese, although I was really tempted to have jalapeno cheese. This is an option on every omelet, which I found to be very unique. The giant omelet combined with a side order of three fluffy pancakes (these are included) was definitely more than I should have consumed in a single meal. But I'm overweight, and that's what overweight people do. Because it was during Autumn, they had pumpkin-flavored pancakes available. They included whipped cream and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top of them. Just like my coffee, I skipped the cream and sugar, and the pumpkin pancakes were still incredible.
On the way out, I heard someone call my name. I glanced over and saw the owner behind the counter. He asked how my meal was, and I told him that I enjoyed it. He leaned forward with a big smile and asked, "So am I going to see you in here again?" I mentioned to him how impressed I was with this location compared to the Schaumburg counterpart. We then had a brief discussion about Schaumburg, and he wanted to know my thoughts on moving to Cary. It would be impressive for any owner to be able to remember customers' names from the waiting list. It'd be a nice touch for all owners to have a little chat with patrons on their way out. But to do this during the Sunday morning post-church rush with a long line in a packed waiting area was incredible.
And it certainly didn't leave me thinking about the price. -
Review from Liz R.
6/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Nice for a breakfast date with my family. The food is relatively fast and there are alot of tables in the place. The food is fairly good, but it's not the best I've ever had. I feel like the menu is very limited. Avoid it Sunday mornings if you don't want to wait to stuff your face.
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Review from Marc B.
Chicago, IL
10/4/2010
The building is most, if not all, of what is good about this place. It's new construction but cozy and pretty inside and out. The food is fairly consistent in quality, but they prepare certain common things oddly. Like sunny side up eggs are partly poached. And omelets are whipped (and baked?) into enormous air-filled puffy whoopie cushions. It's all on the expensive side and there are not many healthy options -- but if you don't care about that then this may be a good place to go if you're looking for a warm and cozy place on a cold day.
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Review from Laura M.
Lake in the Hills, IL
Upscale breakfast joint. A little on the pricey side, but we expected that before. Service was a bit slow, hash browns were excellent.
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Review from Chelsea L.
Crystal Lake, IL
Updated - 7/28/2010
Since writing my original review, we've gone back nearly every other week for breakfast and just love this place. Service is consistently great and the breadth of menu choices keeps it from becoming routine (unless, of course, you want it to be! :)
Listed in: Close to Home
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/16/2009
Like another commenter, I have lived in Crystal Lake for a while, but never stopped in because we… Read more »
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Review from Bettina M.
Huntley, IL
Great food and fast service. Very attentive and friendly servers. Food is a bif expensive, but the amount you get and taste alone is worth it. Will come back again for breakfast.
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Review from lynn s.
Elgin, IL
7/7/2011
My husband and I love Richard Walker's. The closest one in is Crystal Lake, but worth the drive from Elgin. Omlettes are fluffy and wonderful and have never had any complaints with service or food quality. I am only giving 4 stars because while very good, still it is on the pricey side for breakfast. I cringe when I see a large family coming in for breakfast ....$$. They do seem to upcharge quite a bit on the extras and may want to rethink some of their prices due to the economy. That said it is still always a treat for breakfast.
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Review from brian b.
Chicago, IL
12/9/2008
I think the food quality is pretty good, breakfast is their specialty. It's the prices that I don't like. You can spend $20 on breakfast easy. So I will usually go elsewhere unless someone else is buying.
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Review from c. f.
Marlborough, MA
8/1/2009
Occasionally, I have to travel to Crystal Lake for work. It's not a favorite destination of mine. I'm from New England, and when I'm not surrounded by rolling hills and closely packed triple deckers I feel out of my element. In addition, the place I travel to visit is a rather unpleasant chemical factory surrounded by cornfields and recent (ugly) housing developments. The people are very nice, but the work and the location just bring me down. The one shining bright spot is Richard Walker's Motherfucking Pancake House.
Seriously, how come I can't get Belgian waffles with bacon in them everywhere I go? I love New England, but we are way behind in bacon-stuffed waffle technology. The fluffy waffle is good enough, but fill it up with the best bacon ever to touch your tastebuds and you will see God.
Thanks Richard Walker, whoever you are. You make travelling to the middle of Illinois bearable. -
Review from Nancy E.
Harvard, IL
11/1/2007
Richard Walker's is my ideal breakfast place. You pay a bit more, but you get great ambiance, good service, perfect coffee (it's Kona and served with fresh, real cream), and it keeps Riff and his brother Raff out. Yes, the wait is horrendous on weekend mornings!!! I couldn't afford to eat there daily, but it is a terrific place to treat yourself (or a loved one). I love the seafood crepes, Seafood Newberg, filled with a very rich concoction of scallops, shrimp, and crab and served with potato pancakes. The huge, fluffy omelets are... well, huge... and served with 3 buttermilk pancakes (or toast). One thing regarding pancakes is that they serve it with warmed real maple syrup, while I appreciate Aunt Jamima, or the like, better-- but really! What kind of complaint is that! The German Pancake is something magical to try if you haven't before. I used to make Pilgrimages for those until I learned to make them myself. Don't let it's size scare you. It is a super-big, super-fluffy, almost souffle-like pancake served with powdered sugar and lemon. Lemon on my pancake??? Yes. It is really good!
Then there is Richard Walker's for dinner. Dining out in Crystal Lake on a weekend evening can cost you valuable time waiting in line for a seat. No one thinks of a breakfast place for a lovely dinner. It is quieter and more intimate than TGIF and chances are you can get immediate seating. The calamari is perfectly prepared lightly coated and not overcooked. The Bistro Burger (with brie and bacon) and French Onion Soup are also excellent. The French Onion is not over-salted, like most restaurants tend to do. There is also a limited breakfast menu.
This is a great place for a fantastic meal any time of the day. -
Review from jen p.
Algonquin, IL
3/12/2008
this is the most awful restaurant!!!!!!!!! not only is the food terrible so is the service!!!
will never go back!!!!!!
go to reese's in lith...the ultimate for food & service!!!! -
Review from Teo D.
Chicago, IL
2/20/2010
Baked apple pancake is so good!
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Review from Hank G.
Chicago Ridge, IL
7/19/2010
Went to Richard Walker's for breakfast on Sunday Morning. Place had a good crowd but not overly packed at about 9:30AM. Tried it because of the gluten free menu for my daughter and was really impressed by the knowledge of our waitress. I must say the whole wait staff also greated us as we came in and exited the establishment. Nice touch. The food was great the gluten free bacon pancakes had the most bacon my daughter ever had in that type of pancake. She had 6 and will be took home 4 of them because they were so big. My country fried steak was good with the gravy having a substantial amount of sausage and pepper in it. And my wife had an omelet that will be eaten for at least another day or two. Coffee was excellent and the cup never was empty. Waitress also offered us a discount card to be used at Rich Walkers and other establishments for points. Will definetly be going back saw some dutch apple pancakes with my name on them.
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Review from Manny C.
South Elgin, IL
12/31/2009
Great service, tasty dutch baby and amazing fresh blueberry pancakes.
