After hearing its praises sung, I went there for breakfast a few months ago. Indeed, the food was quite enjoyable, but, considering I received said food before my drink, and then found out they had run out of real maple syrup after getting my pancakes, it was then hard for me to recommend it to others.
Nevertheless, I believe in second chances (most of the time). And, after all, the service had been friendly (if a bit frantic), and I’d seen the potential in the eats there. Plus, the décor, which is quirky but comfy, is inviting. So, I decided to give it another shot, even bringing a friend the second time.
We weren’t disappointed.
I got coffee, which was hot and tasted fresh, and he got a Bloody Mary, which our server, a busy gal, crafted herself.
We both got veggie omelets— with house potatoes as my side and fresh tomato slices as his. Of course, we had to try the pancakes too. So, we got a stack to share. Everything was well made, and the ingredients seemed fresh. The pancakes were fluffy with just the right density, and the restaurant was stocked with real maple syrup on my second visit, so I ordered two servings of it.
Now, I must say, when they were out of maple syrup the first time, they did offer me some of their homemade coconut syrup and pineapple syrup at no extra cost. Even though I missed the maple, the two syrups they make themselves are wonderful. I’d recommend trying them before ordering maple syrup; you may end up preferring them.
Another plus: their pancake batter, butters and fruit purees are made in house daily with the freshest ingredients, according to The Pan’s menu. That’s reason enough right there to give this place a try.
Also, we went pretty basic with our hotcakes, but The Pan does offer several that are more interesting, including: The Ultimate Blueberry Pancakes, which are filled with blueberry puree and topped with lemon vanilla butter and powdered sugar; the “Best Ever” Banana Pancakes, filled with a banana-cinnamon puree and topped with bananas, walnuts, whipped butter and powdered sugar; and Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, filled with a cinnamon-brown sugar puree and pecans then topped with an orange sugar glaze, sweetened cream cheese and powdered sugar.
They also serve waffles, which, believe it or not, can be difficult to find in our local restaurants.
The Pan has many more breakfast items, in addition to its full menu of items for lunch and dinner, including pizza and specialty items such as a Pulled-Pork Sandwich, Chloe’s Turkey Thai Burger and Chiquis Cuban Feast Sandwich.
The Pan is located at 3550 Long Beach Blvd. and can be reached at (562) 490-0700. Hours are Sundays 8am—7pm, Mondays through Fridays 9am—9pm and Saturdays 8am—10pm.
