Restaurants in San Antonio: Magnolia Pancake Haus

Here you can see the line of people waiting to be seated, which stretched out the door. The lobby was packed with people looking for great food. Also, sorry for the crappy iPhone pictures, but I was in a hurry for breakfast that day.  

I'm in a longstanding love affair with breakfast food. I'm always trying to find the best breakfast restaurants. At least one breakfast restaurant is always on my itinerary. Hunting for breakfast is like my hobby within a hobby. Boom. Hobbyception. 

One of my favorites to date is San Antonio's magnificent Magnolia Pancake Haus. It's the perfect combination of comfort and innovation. The interior reminded me of my grandmother's house with its sunny, pastel walls and old-fashioned decor. Think floral gingham and shadow boxes. 

Also like my grandmother's house, comfort food is on the menu. But this breakfast heavy-hitter is innovative. Sure, you've got old favorites like plain old waffles, but the restaurant also offers plenty of variations on that theme, including a delicious-looking lemon-poppyseed version or a bacon waffle. And it doesn't stop at waffles. The Magnolia Pancake Haus offers everything from omelettes to French toast to other offerings like corned beef hash or oatmeal. 

The restaurant is only open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and lunch begins at 11:00. The limited hours don't seem to make a dent in the restaurant's profits — the line was out the door during the sunny Sunday morning I showed up, my family in tow. I didn't mind the wait. Often, a long wait is a sign of good food recognized by the community. Quality food is always worth standing in line for. 

I ordered coffee. They offer a European blend that is so good, I drank it black. A second and third cup followed, but this time with a cream served in a charming silver cream container I shared with my mother. I shudder to think of the calories. I shudder in delight to remember the taste. It was a rich, almost sweet blend. It was delicious. Try the coffee if you go. 

For my entree, I ordered the smoked pork calico hash, which the menu described as "haus smoked and hand pulled pork shoulder mixed with sweet potato, shredded russet potato, Spanish and red onion & a touch of garlic, topped with two eggs any style" [sic]. It was unquestionably one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.

It cost $8.99 for my entree, which is about on par with breakfast chains like The Egg & I or IHOP, but the quality and originality of the offerings at Magnolia Pancake Haus are far superior. (The only downside is that you must be in San Antonio to eat there.) However, it is important to note that the dish I had is not a regular menu item. It was among others listed on a typed sheet of white paper inserted into the menu. The list included other dishes that the cooks created, as the paper described, basically just for the joy of creating something new. The menu implied these change as time goes on. My kind of place. 

The Sunday Specials board

Protip: you might want to plan your trip there for a Sunday, because the restaurant offers mind-blowing Sunday specials. The photo above shows the specials from the day I went; they change as time goes on! A list of upcoming specials is in the menu, but you have to visit the restaurant to see it! Go check it out.