I accepted at an early age that there were things in the universe that I just did not understand.  Over time and with exposure to more of life and the world, that list has grown.  The Dow Jones industrial average, how cars work, and why American cheese wrapped in plastic envelopes and tasting like plastic exists.  These things can invoke awe, at times due to their complexity, but in some cases, simply due to their very existence.  A new addition to my list is Richard Walker’s Pancake House.  The hype about this restaurant and the fact that it exists is a mystery.

I had heard over and over about the great breakfast at Richard Walker’s Pancake House.  As someone who loves breakfast, I was excited.  Thoughts of light and flavorful pancakes, crunchy and unique waffles, and interesting egg dishes ran though my head.  And, of course, espresso drinks to support the morning transition from zombie to productive human.  I heard about the line in that forms up the street the morning to wait for a table.  I was unfazed. 

I did my research.  I checked out the menu on line.  I should have listened to the alarm bells that rang when I saw the inconsistency between the logo and the menu.  The Richard Walker’s logo is simple and strong: the restaurant name in white against black with a red rabbit.  The menu is a chaotic mess of cartoon food items dancing all over the page.  I ignored these warning signs and forged ahead, romanced by the idea of a fabulous breakfast.  I made plans to visit the San Diego location.

The restaurant is nicely designed and although small, takes advantage of dramatically high ceilings.  The interior uses dark woods and has a men’s club feel (as seen in many a PBS production) without the dark and stuffy feel.  The big windows and light textiles balance out the dark wood and lines nicely.  Staff worked to seat people quickly and were friendly. 

But the food!  The food.  Such disappointment.  All of the people with whom I dined had one word to describe their dish: bland.  I ordered French toast and I am at a complete loss for words to describe it.  The best I can think of is: It was there.  I can’t figure out how to describe the vacuum of taste.  The French toast was absolutely flavorless.  I knew I was chewing something because of the texture, but there wasn’t any flavor pay-off for all the knife and fork and chewing action invested in the meal.  Definitely not wait-in-line worthy.  In addition, Richard Walker’s does not serve espresso.  So, with a cup of coffee and my dull French toast, I felt as though I would have been better off opting to start my day at the International House of Pancakes. 

I don’t understand the hype of Richard Walker’s.  Admittedly, I have not tried every dish on the menu.  But with the input of all parties at my table, I was really amazed that the consensus was flavorless food. 

An additional point worth mentioning was the chaos in the restaurant that existed throughout the meal.  Staff were moving tables into different configurations to accommodate various parties and were pulling empty tables right up to ours, and standing at our table waiting for something.  It was like having a breakfast proctor.  While I understand that the restaurant is small, there was constant invasion into the space of my party to a level that was distracting and annoying.  (However, annoyance may have also been elevated by lack of espresso). 

Overall, this is not a breakfast dollar well spent.  There are many places in San Diego with better food and atmosphere.  Some of them have a wait.  But the difference is that there is a reason for the wait.  Opt for a great start to your morning and take yourself and your breakfast companions somewhere other than Richard Walkers.  After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Richard Walker’s Pancake House

520 Front Street

San Diego, CA 92101

619/231-7777

Relevance: Richard Walker’s Pancake House, breakfast, flavorless, French toast