Our first stop on Saturday afternoon upon arriving in Calgary was the Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus. I can’t remember when I first heard of the Haus, but I know it has been on my to-try list for a while now. I love the idea of what is essentially a Dutch “pancake diner” – with over 80 savoury and sweet options on the menu, the Haus cloaks their all-day breakfast menu under the guise of a culinary tradition.

 In a strip mall (I had to wonder if the Haus affected the name of a nearby Remax outlet which was called “Real Estate House”)

We nearly missed the turn into the strip mall housing the pancake institution, but thankfully, I spied the sign before it was too late. We joined a nearly packed house for lunch, though from the looks of it many patrons were there for their first meal of the day. There were quite a number of families with small children in the restaurant as well, and given that the food was relatively safe, I could imagine children would enjoy a visit to the Haus.

The last flap on the menu distinguished the Haus’s pancakes with those typically encountered in Canadian restaurants, and the owner trained with an authentic pannenkoek restaurant in the Netherlands in order to learn the special technique used. The Haus claims to be the onlly establishment of its kind in Canada.

The décor probably hasn’t changed much since the restaurant opened, but despite being dated, the interior felt cozy and comfortable. The bar/cash area also featured a raised shelf displaying various Dutch food items and souvenirs that could be purchased – I was tempted by the syrup-filled waffles, but figured there would be enough calories consumed that weekend to avoid non-essential confections.

Shelf of tempting goods

We perused the menu, and although there were a few non-pancake entrees listed, we knew we had to try the namesake items. Mack immediately went for the bacon, mushroom and cheese version ($10.95), while I decided on the shredded potato, onion and cheese option ($9.95).

We were floored by the plates that arrived. 12 inches of what looked to be a thin, cheese-topped pancake were placed in front of each of us. Cutting into it, we discovered that the bottom of the pancake remained soft and fluffy, while the top was crispy – it provided a nice contrast in texture. The fact that I had crunchy bits of shredded potato and crunchy onions only helped matters. Mack enjoyed his bacon, mushroom and cheese version, though it was a bit on the salty side.

Shredded Potato, Onion and Cheese Pannenkoek

Bacon, Mushroom and Cheese Pannenkoek

My only complaint through our meal was that our water glasses weren’t refilled until prompted, even though we saw the coffee thermos sail by our table on more than one occasion.

Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus was a nice way to start our weekend of eats – a casual, economically-priced restaurant serving up comfort food.

Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus
2439 – 54 Avenue SW
(403) 243-7757
Wednesday – Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 8am-3pm, closed Mondays and Tuesdays