KALAMAZOO, MI — “Anytime is pancake time, but we’re more than just a pancake house.”
So states the motto of Uncle Ernie’s Pancake House, which has had a steady presence in Kalamazoo’s Milwood neighborhood since 1959.
For many, Uncle Ernie’s, located at 4005 Portage Rd., is a place to get fresh hash, topped with Ernie’s popular zesty cheese and served with toast or junior pancakes on the side, owner Ryan Romensky said.
“The hashes are pretty phenomenal here,” he said. “People love the large portion sizes, the nice twist of meats cooked together amongst the potatoes and the seasonings.”
Leading the way is the Farmers Hash with its diced ham, sausage, green pepper, onion, mushrooms tomatoes and hash browns. As well as the Dutch Hash, which is comprised of green peppers, onion and hash browns grilled together and topped with two eggs cooked to one’s liking.
But yes, there is no doubt that the pancakes are the headliners.
And while traditional pancakes, chocolate chip delight, fruit topped and banana nut pancakes top the menu is items like Ernie’s Potato Cakes filled with shredded potatoes and onions, smothered with Ernie’s famous pancake batter and served with apple sauce or sour cream, that make Uncle Ernie’s unique.
And then there’s the special pancakes, Romensky said.
At any given time, those could be Reese’s pancakes, Smores pancakes topped with graham cracker crumbs and filled with marshmallow, or even Girl Scout Cookie Pancakes.
All cakes come in options of traditional batter, or for a bit extra buckwheat or whole wheat batter. And of course, there’s the size options — junior stacks, short stacks and full. The short stacks, mind you, are two full-plate-sized pancakes.
While the food is what draws people in, it’s the staff that has drawn them back for the past 63 years, said Romensky, who purchased the business from the Mithaler family in 2011. The Mithaler family, the second of three families to run Uncle Ernie’s, purchased the business from the original owners, the De Vries, in the 1970s, he said.
“It’s the 18 staff members who are making the food, tending to their tables with their smiling faces. How many of them know their names, and their children’s names and are having full conversations with them on their way to the tables. That’s what keeps them coming back,” Romensky said. “I’ve hired maybe eight people the entire 11 years we’ve owned it, most of which have been either dishwashers or hosts.
“We have staff that was here before then and we didn’t lose anyone during the pandemic.”
In addition to loyal staff and local guests, Romensky and his family are big on working with local purveyors whenever possible, partnering with local farms for eggs, produce, fruits and vegetables.
Keeping menu prices affordable and portions big with food costs going up isn’t easy, he said, but it’s important.
“We serve community here,” he said.
Not just a place for breakfast, Uncle Ernie’s also serves a daily lunch menu.
The New York Reuben with slow-roasted, homemade corned beef is a fan favorite and patrons can order everything from burgers to perch sandwiches to buffalo chicken wraps to Ernie’s triple-decker club sandwich, layered with turkey, ham, bacon, American cheese, lettuce and tomato.
On the weekends guests can expect a short wait of about 15-20 minutes for a table. No reservations are allowed. Uncle Ernie’s is open from 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit uncleerniespancakehouse.com/ or call 269-349-4170.
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