PJ’s Pancake House Restaurant

My husband and I are visiting from out of town and wanted to try something different! I am very pleased to say thank PJ’S Pancake House did not disappoint us! We were seated within 2 minutes of our arrival and greeted by our waiter almost immediately! The food was piping hot and was absolutely delicious! It was very appealing to the eye and was reasonably priced!

My friend and I came on a Friday around 1pm for brunch and this place was packed! Not to worry, there was one booth available for us, so we didn’t have to wait.
She had the Egg & Bacon Stuffed Avocado. YUMMY! I had the eggs benedict. Delicious! For a diner type spot, the coffee was actually good. Water was fresh.
Atmosphere is very chill, diner like and has enough waiters that we didn’t have to wait more than 3 minutes for nearly anything. The food took about 10 minutes. Totally normal.
Long story short, I’d come again. :)

The menu item two eggs + 3 fruit pancakes costs around 10 dollars. Hard to find a better deal anywhere else. Pancakes are very good, especially the banana pecan pancakes.

My wife and I recently tried PJ’s Pancake House after an unfortunate side trip to the hospital on our way down to our honeymoon in Myrtle Beach. Bad circumstances aside, I am not taking off stars for our moods on that day. We were the second people in the door when they opened at 7am. We placed our order quickly enough, and our drinks came out right away, but we waited about 30 minutes for our food. Multiple orders came out before ours, and coffee refills seem to be prioritized on how close you are to the counter. We didn’t request an out of the way booth, it is just where we were seated.
The food was excellent. I ordered the PJ’s classic omelet, which is made with spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and feta cheese. It was a heaping omelet topped with the same ingredients. The order came with two large slices of French Toast that were cooked perfectly (there are other options for the side as well). If you are willing to deal with the less than stellar service, the food really is amazing.

PJ’s is one of the best places I have ever gone to for breakfast. I came here with some friends I was visiting for a much needed recuperation meal. They informed me that PJ’s would have a wait but is far better than any other local spot. Having agreed to the wait we showed up and stood outside for about 15 minutes… not too bad considering it was a Sunday morning.
The three of us sat at the bar so we could be seated quicker and all of our orders/​refills/​requests were handled by the employee behind the bar who was never too far away. As far as the food goes they really have breakfast down pat. I had a combo plate with pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage — all excellent. The side of potato was a bit expensive at $ 4.95 but the quality and taste sort of justified the price. If I’m in the Princeton area again I would come back for breakfast but would wait for a table… I feel the bar doesn’t deliver the comfortable and relaxed experience normally associated with a Saturday or Sunday morning. I also wouldn’t mind coming back for lunch or dinner to see how it compares to their legendary breakfast.

Cappuccino was good, soup also, but pancakes (peanut butter) were disgusting, huge pancakes, not sweet, dressing o/​n like ranch .
The omelet was not good also and potato o/​n the side and honestly service wasn’t good …

I’m torn about this place. My food has always been amazing, but service is consistently terrible. Today was beyond awful:
We were seated promptly on a Sunday afternoon and that was great.
Our server was friendly and very pleasant but never came back to take our order!
Had no clue where he went. We waited 9 minutes before I got up and asked if I could just place the order at the counter instead of from my booth.
**When we did finally get our food… Oh my gosh… Heavenly… Incredible! Perfect from the first bite to the last!!**
We order coffee… Dude brings only one cup and then looks legitimately annoyed that we did in fact want the other.
As we are finishing our coffee, bf is weirded out by something solid hanging out at the bottom of his mug. We fish it out… It’s a plastic lid for a small sauce container!
I can deal with the service on slow weekends just to eat the mashed browns, but service really needs to improve!

On a college visit we ventured into PJ’s Pancake House. The pancakes were ok, but the attention to detail when it cam e to the rest of the meal was really lacking.
For instance, the English muffins are way to big for the eggs benedict and they are so hard they are impossible to cut through. The wheat toast was cold and hard as a rock, The eggs over medium were way undercooked and luke warm. The pineapple smoothie was too milky and not nearly smooth enough.
Needless to say this was a one-​stop experience because I doubt we will return, and if we do we will contain ourselves to the pancakes.

PJ’s has some surprisingly good dishes outside of pancakes. In particular, I really like their calamari dish, which is listed as an appetizer, but is actually size able enough to serve as a meal for someone with a small appetite. I’ve also enjoyed the shakshuka which was huge and impossible to finish, and a delicious combination of eggs, tomatoes and fresh garnishes. The bistec sandwich isn’t bad, though I found the bread a bit too hard, and you can find the same sandwich down the street at Porta Via, owned by the same chain.

The Banana and Pecan was my hands down favorite pancake on my «pancake sampler plate» where you get to try 3 of more than a dozen pancakes. I have no idea how they were able to ensure there is no uncooked batter around those bananas, but rest assured, it was crisp and golden brown up to the banana! Mixed with cold maple syrup, it was a delightfully sweet breakfast treat.
Ambience is as expected for an older building in that the booths are tables are «tight» and the ceilings are lower than your usual modern commercial building (I’d say a 7.5ft clearance for remodeled duct work). I mention this as if you happen to suffer from claustrophobia, this likely isn’t the restaurant for you. However, if you welcome an experience that brings you closer to «what was» and enjoy imagining all those historical figures who have dined at the same table over the years, this is a great place! Another great «character» feature is the hand carved tables where patrons have carved initials, I love you messages, signatures and other fun doodles into the tables. I loved how the tables seemed to have a fresh layer of polyurethane over top the carvings as it allowed to the tables to be «non-​sticky» and clean which is a requirement of any restaurant with maple syrup! (If my forearms get stuck to the table, I will never return!) PJ’s was sparkling clean!
One note of caution: If you go on a weekend, go early or plan on a wait! I’ve driven past many Saturday and Sunday morning where the line is out the door to the nearby stoplight. It is worth the wait for a first time visitor.

******AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. ********
The food was far below my expectations. The portion sizes were small for the price. You are better off going to any IHOP or Denny’s; the food would be comparable and you would get more for your money. I ordered the breakfast meat omelette with strawberry pancakes. Two other friends of mine also ordered the omelette, but when the waiter brought them out, they were all significantly different in sizes. Thinking the quality would make up for it, I dug in anyway. Boy was this a let down. The food was bland and unspectacular. The omelette tasted under-​cooked and was cold. I turned to the pancakes hoping to be amazed, but again, I was disappointed. The pancakes were wet, starchy, and dense. The sparse amounts of strawberries were just thrown on top. You could probably make a better breakfast with Bisquick and liquid eggs.
The service also was lacking. The waiter was inattentive and did not even know how to split a check. Instead, everybody in our party was charged twice. When I called to rectify the charge, the manager «Z» was incredibly disrespectful and rude on the phone, resorting to yelling and saying he did not have time to deal with this. Later when my friend called for the same issue, he openly talked trash about me. If I could give this place negative stars, I would.

Breakfast is the best meal of the day! Lets face it, its the first thing we usually think of in the morning! When I arrived I was greeted immediately and seated. There was plenty to choose from and when with pancakes of course! When the food arrived I was anxious to dig in. It was so much food that I didnt get to finish it. Good service, good food and had a great time. Next time I got back I promise to finish all the food!

PJ’s is a classic for Princeton. Grew up coming here all the time. The food is usually great, and it’s «different». While I love PJ’s, I’m giving it a lower amount of stars because I feel as though over the last, maybe 7 or so years, the quality has deteriorated and I have gone there questioning the cleanliness of the place (not making any accusations — still love this place — just making an observation). Glad it’s still around though and locals still love it!

Great bang for your buck for brunch! Walked in with a few girlfriends and was seated right away. Although it is a pancake house, I decided to go with the lox and cream cheese omelette and bacon on the side. Every omelette comes with a (3) stack of pancakes so I donated that to my table full of sorority sisters.
The only disappointing part was that the smoked salmon was basically overcooked, so it was like eating a fish omelette which was a a little bit of an odd taste. There was barely any cream cheese and the capers were also a bit overcooked. However, it was still ok tasting and the portions were big for the amount of money charged.
If I went back, I would stick to the pancakes or waffles as that’s probably what’s good there.

Popular diner/​breakfast/​brunch establishment right next to Princeton’s campus.
I’ve had the good fortune to dine at PJ’s twice now, once for dinner and once for brunch. If you come during traditional brunch hours, even when students are on break, expect a wait — but as they say, the best things in life are worth waiting for.
On my brunch trip (I honestly can’t recall what I had on my first visit, but it was delicious), I had shakshuka, one of my favorite vegetarian dishes that can be tough to find. Poached eggs covered in a flavorful red pepper, onion, and tomato sauce and served with grilled toast — this is a wonderful dish hailing from Tunisia and Israel. My dining companion also generously allowed me a few bites of his Oreo pancakes, which were obviously fantastic. Freshly crushed Oreos in a full, fluffy pancake, drenched with syrup? Now that’s a power brunch.
The service was friendly and quick, the atmosphere casual and only a bit noisy (this is a popular place after all). Definitely a great place for breakfast, brunch, or any meal of the day!

Upon reflection, I realized that I never tried the pancakes here! I would always walked by PJ’s pancake house and see long lines outside the restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays. One day, I decided to come with a few friends to check out what’s so special about it, but none of us ordered an order of real pancakes. I got a potato pancake and soup while my friends ordered a gnocchi, fries and chilies!
Personally, I think the food is okay. The portions were HUGE for the prices, but the food were too greasy and heavy for my liking. After half way into the potato pancake, I was already quite full. Even my friend who ordered the gnocchi could only finish half of the plate because the sauce was too heavy and creamy.
Nonetheless the ambiance of the pancake house is very interesting and unique in its own way. Also, the service of the waitress was great despite of the crowded restaurant.
I would come back again to try the pancakes!

It’s always interesting to dine at a restaurant both as an adult and teenager and compare the two experiences. PJ’s is a Princeton staple for pancakes and breakfast overall. I’ve come here many times over the years and swore it was some of the best pancakes ever. After a 10 year hiatus, I returned to PJ’s to find that the emperor has no clothes!
The line that extends from restaurant on a Saturday is unreal for a town this small. People come from different towns to dine here every weekend. After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, we were seated and immediately ordered a stack of five pancakes and pork rolls.
The pancakes were incredibly thick and nothing special at all. With each bite, I honestly found myself thinking that I could have made these myself. No special taste and no secret ingredient that gives it a unique flavor. Quite disappointing…
The restaurant venue itself exudes the history of the town. That part is pretty cool. The hand carved names into the tables and the fact that the colors and décor still reflect the 1970’s is actually a really unique touch that makes one intrigued. The food however, specifically the pancakes, are nothing special at all and not worth waiting in line here for. I can say with certainty that I probably won’t be dining here anymore when I’m in the mood for pancakes.

First time visitor. Was told it’s the hot place to visit for breakfast when in Princeton.
It’s a busy place. So if lucky enough to grab parking spot in front. Make sure you can get seated or at 12 mins a quarter. Parking will be expensive in itself.
The building small and lively. Plenty waiters and witnesses to keep the place moving fairly fast.
The food is excellent and the plates come out very hot. Definitely not your average pancake joint. They have the right selections I think. A menu that so many I would like to try.
Also a lunch/​dinner menu that seems interesting. So I’ll be back to to try on other dishes.

Delicious! Quick and loved the staff! I felt like it was a hometown favorite and it was just my first time there!!!
The homefries mash was perfectly seasoned — and they gave you this MOUND of bacon — YUM
Pancakes of course were perfect.
And I heard rumor BYOB for pasta nights — I cannot wait to go back!

I always come here when we want to go out for breakfast because it is the perfect location, right smack in the middle of Nassau Street, in the middle of Princeton’s main street. They also have outdoor seating when the weather isn’t so brisk cold outside!
Their pancakes are amazingly fluffy, buttery, and filling. They have a variety of different types of pancakes, but my favorite would be the chocolate chip. They come in half size (3 pancakes) or full size (6 pancakes). If you can’t decide, they have an option where you can pick any 3 pancakes. Their hashed potatoes are also my favorite, mixed with peppers and onions. Their eggs benedicts are also good, but I have had better in other places. But hey, I’ll give them the point that they are called a pancake house, not an omelet house.
On any given weekend, you have to be for their long wait lines, going out of the door! But they seem to move pretty fast and I’m assuming it’s because they don’t seat you until the entire party is here, usually when there is a long line. In this cramped yet homey restaurant, the servers and hosts are very friendly, but always seem busy and always moving from table to table.
Also there are no private parking lots for most of the restaurants along Nassau Street, so be prepared to hunt for spots or park in the parking structures on Spring St or Chambers St.
If you want some pancakes to start your morning right, come by PJs on Nassau Street, especially if you are in the area! You won’t be disappointed as far as the food is concerned. Disappointment maybe for the wait, but its worth it!