Family House of Pancakes

1900 East Plaza Boulevard National City

 When I think of a restaurant that has the name Family House of Pancakes, I think of a cozy mom and pop shop. The idea of mom and pop shops gives off heavy, big, and satisfying food. So this review was tricky. I visited the Family House of Pancakes twice, and oddly had two very different experiences, due to the fact that I ordered two very different things. The first time I went, I enjoyed their banana walnut pancakes. No problem. The second time,The restaurant was only able to fulfill two of out of the three ideals of the mom and pop shops. It was missing the satisfying part. I tried their Denver Omelet...and unfortunately thats where the problems began. So I will endeavor to share with you the details of both visits in order for you to make your own informed decision about the Family House.

I actually visited two different Family House locations for this review (1900 East Plaza Boulevard National City, 562 Broadway Chula Vista). I first ate at the National City location, where I ordered their banana pancakes ( $8.50) and a coffee ($2.50). I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. The pancakes were huge, almost as big as the plate they were served on! This is exactly what I expected from a place with the name 'Family House': a nice, homemade meal with large portions, just like mom would make. The bananas were fresh and made the pancakes nice and moist. The nutty flavors gathered from of the walnuts combined wonderfully with the sweetness of the bananas for an all around party for my palate. The pancakes were also lightly garnished with a bit of butter and powdered sugar. All together, my first visit to the Family House of Pancakes was excellent, and I eagerly awaited my next opportunity to try more of the menu.

Soon enough, that opportunity presented itself. This time I visited the Chula Vista location. With fond memories of my last Family House meal, I searched the menu with excitement and joy, looking for something that would be even better than the banana pancakes. I decided to take the omelet route, since I had not yet tried their omelets, and I already had their pancakes. It was time to switch things up a bit. Therefore, when our dear little waitress inquired of our orders, I echoed the words I wish I could take back even to this day. If only I could go back in time, before the moment when I asked for the Denver Omelet, things would be better. But I cant. So here's what I experienced:

1) The Cheese: The cheese was repulsively disgusting. Think Velveeta... it was a greasy, processed mess. This was the biggest strike against the omelet.
2) The Veggies and Ham: The flavors of the vegetables and the ham seemed to be drowned out by the thick, goopy cheese previously discussed. I would have like to have had more ham and veggies present in my omelet...but I guess thats just not the way they do things at Family House.
3) The Potatoes: The omelet came with a side of potatoes and buttermilk pancakes. The pancakes were fine. The potatoes, however, were terrible. They were undercooked, but the fried parts were burnt. Not even ketchup could help these potatoes!

As you can see, there was no party for my palate this time around, just a cheesy disaster. This was unfortunate, since I enjoyed the banana walnut pancakes so much before. Overall this restaurant is not a good place to eat at all. Even the decorum made me feel sick. It looks like a old dusty house. The upholstery of the furniture cries ancient. Therefore I suggest that you just stick to the pancakes if you decide to go. The only reason someone would come to eat at this restaurant is their Banana Pecan Pancakes. I just don't think this justifies coming to eat at the Family House of Pancakes.

Taste: 3/5
Quality: 2/5
Service: 2/5
Overall: Not so Good

Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor: Mikery Hatfield


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