HO-HUM PANCAKES AT HEIDI'S IN SOUTH RENO

UPDATE:  As of Spring 2014, this location of Heidi's Family Restaurant is now CLOSED.

This weekend, I finally got around to trying some pancakes at Heidi’s Family Restaurant, 189 Damonte Ranch Pkwy. in South Reno (near Walmart). 

It’s not like my family never goes out for breakfast.  But we’ve become really partial to the South Reno Squeeze In on Foothill Road, home of the “best omelettes on the planet," along with outstanding service and a lively atmosphere.  We also like Peg’s Glorified Ham n Eggs on South Meadows Parkway, which features marvelous Mexican skillet breakfasts.

Those restaurants serve pancakes, as well, but pancakes aren’t prominently featured on their menus.  Heidi’s seemed more like a place that might satisfy my yearning for the kind of pancakes I’ve always loved at the Original Pancake House, which started in Portland Oregon and has several locations in our former hometowns of Chicago and Seattle.  

Obviously, I don’t know the Original Pancake House’s secret recipe, but it makes the humble pancake into something worth going out for, as opposed to opening a box of Bisquick at home.

Off to Heidi’s we gallivanted.  From the parking lot, it doesn’t look like much.

Inside, Heidi’s is unexciting, too. It’s clean and quiet and resembles the weathered home of a little old lady with a weird collection of children’s books, toys and Alpine-inspired curios.

The whimsical (and very quiet) dining room at Heidi's

Pancake, French toast and waffle fans will find many choices on Heidi’s menu.  They serve egg combos and breakfast sandwiches, too.

My husband ordered Three Little Piggies in a Blanket, pancakes rolled around breakfast sausages.  He offered a bite to me; the sausage seemed a bit overcooked.

Three Little Piggies in Blankets at Heidi's

My son opted for a simple short stack of buttermilk pancakes.  Two types of syrup were offered with these: maple and boysenberry.

Buttermilk short stack at Heidi's

I requested a short stack with blueberries.  These were plain pancakes topped with fruit. Blueberries were not incorporated into the batter, as they might be at some restaurants. 

Heidi's short stock with blueberries

 

These pancakes were all right, but definitely nothing to yodel about.  Sorry to say it, yet  I think I actually prefer the inexpensive Bisquick pancakes that I can prepare at home.  (Pancake selections at Heidi's are in the $6-8 range and up, depending on what you order.)

Service at Heidi’s was fine, although it was a bit off-putting that the host seated parties in the booths directly on either side of us when the rest of the dining room was empty.  We were all positioned near a window and my companions joked that this was because the host wanted passersby to spot us and to think that the restaurant was busy.

Heidi’s also has locations in Carson City, Nevada and South Lake Tahoe, California.  For more information, visit http://heidisfamilyrestaurants.com/ .

In my honest opinion, however, if you're searching for exceptional breakfasts in the Reno-Tahoe area, check out Squeeze In or Peg's Glorified Ham n Eggs, both of which also have multiple locations.

Squeeze In: http://www.squeezein.com/

Peg's Glorified Ham n Eggs:  http://eatatpegs.com/