A pancake house, pancake and waffle house or waffle house is a restaurant that specializes in breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles, and omelettes, among other items. Many small, independent pancake houses, as well as large corporations and franchises, use the terminology in their establishment names, most notably the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Waffle House and The Original Pancake House. Most pancake houses are dine-in, although most will offer carry-out as well. Many are open until around 3 a.m. Exceptions to this are large chains such as IHOP and Denny's, which are usually open 24 hours. Some independent pancake houses are found in strip malls, or exist as stand-alone structures that have been re-fitted, such as a closed-down diner or retail store.
The Original Pancake House in Southfield, Michigan
1960 – Clark's Pancake House at Pacific Highway South and South 151st St. south, in Tukwila, Washington
Nooitgedacht mill in the Netherlands, which has a pancake house within it
A Waffle House restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland
IHOP Restaurants LLC is an American multinational pancake house restaurant chain that specializes in American breakfast foods. It is owned by Dine Brands—a company formed after IHOP's purchase of Applebee's, with 99% of the restaurants run by independent franchisees.
An IHOP in Portland, Oregon in 1983, with the older look and "International House of Pancakes" signage
IHOP Cheesecake Pancakes
Logo used from 1994 to 2003