Rockdale Pancake House (Rockdale)
Hey gang! We took a bit of a summer hiatus and are just now writing up the reviews from our excursions. One of our absolute favorite visits was actually from July, when we hit up Rockdale Pancake House in Rockdale. Spoiler alert: it's absolutely darling! No wonder it's got such great reviews online. Kay's a regular here, so we knew we were in for something good.
____
QUICK STATS
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Price Range: $$
Best For: adventure-seeking lovers of nostalgia and great food
____
BEHIND OUR RATINGS
Food Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
The food was excellent. Hands down, the deep-fried bacon was the star of the table: a must try if you make the trek to Rockdale. Folks come from near and far for this place and it’s clear why. Large menu, executed well.
The coffee has a bit of a bite, it’s a great medium roast, “sit and sip” breakfast coffee.
Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Val took exceptional care of us. To be honest, we liked her before we even met her, since Kay discovered this gem some time ago and has been singing her praises.
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Lemony yellow walls, mint-green booths, and a great 50s playlist to boot. The place was super crowded when we arrived, but we snagged a booth without any trouble. That said, you can’t really talk about Rockdale Pancake House without talking about Rockdale. Rockdale is a trip and I mean that literally and metaphorically. Worth the drive.
Noise Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
A busy room with music playing throughout. Nothing about the noise stood out to us either way.
Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Prices on par with other breakfast places and it’s a great deal for what you’re getting.
Wait Time: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
It was crowded when we walked in, but we got seated in a booth with no problem.
Kid-Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Show me the kid who will turn their nose up at Fruity Pebbles and a chocolate milkshake!
____
WHAT WE ORDERED
Court had the waffle sandwich, which exactly what it sounds like, a full breakfast sandwich tucked between two quarter waffles. The waffles were golden, slightly crisp, and cooked to perfection. His hash browns were regular-style, crispy on top with good flavor underneath. And like the rest of us, he found the deep-fried bacon to be exceptional.
Kay had the oatmeal with fruit, made to order and, in her words, absolutely delicious. The fruit was fresh, the oatmeal extremely tasty. She also had the deep-fried bacon (“out of this world”) and called the coffee wonderful and plentiful.
As for me (Bridget), I had the veggie skillet. Veggies were done well. I also had multigrain pancakes which were big and cakey. They had a very good flavor to them. I also stole a taste of Court's deep-fried bacon and loved it: light and crumpled, almost like chips fresh from the fryer. And I finished off the fruit from Sunny's dish: the cantaloupe was in great shape, grapes just decent.
Sunny had the Fruity Pebbles and fruit, complimented with a chocolate milkshake. He ate the whole thing and drank the whole thing. He also gave the deep-fried bacon a try and called it pretty good.
____
THE BOTTOM LINE
Our Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
What Made Us Smile:
The deep-fried bacon. Four thumbs up!
What Could Be Better:
Honestly, nothing stood out as a miss this week.
Will the SSBC Be Back?
Without question, yes.
____
Well, that's a wrap from your SSBC! Thanks for reading and please endeavor to be as gracious a guest as you expect of your establishment. Mind your manners, tip well, and if you linger during peak times (as we sometimes do), order lots and tip even better.
If you'd like to recommend a place for us to visit, drop us a line on our contact page.