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Local house of pancakes

Because you don't get out of bed for a burger

Short stack of blueberry pancakes
Short stack of blueberry pancakes

History will only fitfully remember 2018 as the year national pancake chain IHOP changed a P to a B rebrand itself IHOB (International House of Burgers), then quickly bowed to public backlash and restored the capital P for Pancakes, in a marketing ruse reminiscent of the public trolling Coca Cola achieved with its “New Coke” campaign of the 1980s.

Place

Aunt Emma's Pancakes

700 E Street, Chula Vista

I guess IHOP’s effort to provoke America into standing up to demand a return of our collective pancake heritage had a point. Flat griddle cakes may seem anachronistic in the age of acai bowls and gourmet donuts, but they still put butts in seats.

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Sponsored

Just look at the ongoing success of local restaurant, Aunt Emma’s Pancakes. The Chula Vista restaurant been around close to 60 years, and was declared a historic site after the first 50. We must assume its long-held motto, “It’s always pancake time!” means even in 2018, because, regarding time of day, it’s only pancake time at Aunt Emma’s during opening hours, from 6 am til 2 pm daily.

Aunt Emma’s Pancakes makes strong use of those hours, as I’m sure South Bay natives are keenly aware. The original location is routinely busy through breakfast, and as is a second, National City location. Like IHOP, Aunt Emma’s does also serve burgers, along with crepes, waffles, and about any egg dish that comes to mind.

Place

Aunt Emma's Pancakes

214 National City Boulevard, National City

This tried and true, family-friendly breakfast diner doesn’t seemed fazed by the changing times, and its greatest nod to the past may be affordability. As in, you can still get a hefty amount of breakfast for under ten bucks.

Though apparently still appreciated IRL, virtual appreciation is lacking. Yelp has been unfair to Aunt Emma’s, bestowing three stars, which might be a kiss of death for any new restaurant. But when you take a look at reviews, most of the one-star Yelpers dock stars for such audacious transgressions as being crowded on weekends, or offering slow service during the daily breakfast rush.

Those impatient reviewers should have taken a seat at the counter. At the Chula Vista restaurant, a large semicircular counter dominates the center of the room, with dining tables in front, kitchen behind. The hostess suggests service will be faster at the counter, and she wasn’t kidding: once I decide on my order, not three minutes go by before my pancakes arrive.

A short stack of buttermilk pancakes (a “special recipe” by the original owner’s Aunt Emma, they tell us) goes for $6.49. Should you want a full stack (five instead of three), the price bumps to a mere $7.79. I came looking for add-ons, and upgraded my short stack with blueberries for $8.19. Other options include strawberry, chocolate, and banana pecan.

They’re light and fluffy unless you choose to soak them in blueberry or maple-like syrup; satisfying if not remarkable. And pancakes don’t need to be remarkable. They don’t need to be a pretext for selling burgers. They just need to keep homey restaurants like Aunt Emma’s going.

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Short stack of blueberry pancakes
Short stack of blueberry pancakes

History will only fitfully remember 2018 as the year national pancake chain IHOP changed a P to a B rebrand itself IHOB (International House of Burgers), then quickly bowed to public backlash and restored the capital P for Pancakes, in a marketing ruse reminiscent of the public trolling Coca Cola achieved with its “New Coke” campaign of the 1980s.

Place

Aunt Emma's Pancakes

700 E Street, Chula Vista

I guess IHOP’s effort to provoke America into standing up to demand a return of our collective pancake heritage had a point. Flat griddle cakes may seem anachronistic in the age of acai bowls and gourmet donuts, but they still put butts in seats.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Just look at the ongoing success of local restaurant, Aunt Emma’s Pancakes. The Chula Vista restaurant been around close to 60 years, and was declared a historic site after the first 50. We must assume its long-held motto, “It’s always pancake time!” means even in 2018, because, regarding time of day, it’s only pancake time at Aunt Emma’s during opening hours, from 6 am til 2 pm daily.

Aunt Emma’s Pancakes makes strong use of those hours, as I’m sure South Bay natives are keenly aware. The original location is routinely busy through breakfast, and as is a second, National City location. Like IHOP, Aunt Emma’s does also serve burgers, along with crepes, waffles, and about any egg dish that comes to mind.

Place

Aunt Emma's Pancakes

214 National City Boulevard, National City

This tried and true, family-friendly breakfast diner doesn’t seemed fazed by the changing times, and its greatest nod to the past may be affordability. As in, you can still get a hefty amount of breakfast for under ten bucks.

Though apparently still appreciated IRL, virtual appreciation is lacking. Yelp has been unfair to Aunt Emma’s, bestowing three stars, which might be a kiss of death for any new restaurant. But when you take a look at reviews, most of the one-star Yelpers dock stars for such audacious transgressions as being crowded on weekends, or offering slow service during the daily breakfast rush.

Those impatient reviewers should have taken a seat at the counter. At the Chula Vista restaurant, a large semicircular counter dominates the center of the room, with dining tables in front, kitchen behind. The hostess suggests service will be faster at the counter, and she wasn’t kidding: once I decide on my order, not three minutes go by before my pancakes arrive.

A short stack of buttermilk pancakes (a “special recipe” by the original owner’s Aunt Emma, they tell us) goes for $6.49. Should you want a full stack (five instead of three), the price bumps to a mere $7.79. I came looking for add-ons, and upgraded my short stack with blueberries for $8.19. Other options include strawberry, chocolate, and banana pecan.

They’re light and fluffy unless you choose to soak them in blueberry or maple-like syrup; satisfying if not remarkable. And pancakes don’t need to be remarkable. They don’t need to be a pretext for selling burgers. They just need to keep homey restaurants like Aunt Emma’s going.

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The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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