LIVING MY LIFE LIKE IT'S GOLDEN

by Marissa Page

GOLDEN HOUSE RESTAURANT & PANCAKE HOUSE

Location: 4744 N. Broadway

Price Range: Around $10 / per person

Hours: 6 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. daily

StreetWise intern Marissa Page will rave to anyone and everyone about her favorite neighborhood haunt, Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House, which those in the know just call the "Pancake House.” When she told Street- Wise restaurant critic Lisa Getches about the diner’s delicious pancakes and eye-poppingly low prices, Getches decided it was about time to check it out for herself.

Lisa Getches

The unassuming storefront at 4744 N. Broadway Ave is tucked next to the Riviera Theatre, and despite its rivaling marquee advertising “SENIOR CITIZEN DIS- COUNT” and “CUSTOMER PARKING IN REAR,” it can be easy to miss the Pancake House at first blush under the theatre’s glittering lights.

Golden House pancakes exterior

Once she arrived, Getches noticed a sign in the window advertising the 1-1-1-1 deal: one egg, pancake, sausage link and bacon strip for $5.10. (There’s also a 2-2-2-2 for $7.10).

“That’s gotta be the best price for breakfast in the 50 states,” she said.

Inside, Getches marveled at the comfy red pleather booths and matching upholstered swivel chairs that studded the counter. “I haven’t seen that in so long,” she reminisced. “They’re old fashioned, and bring back memories of when I was a child, sitting with my mom, and my feet wouldn’t even touch the ground.”

Golden House pancakes interior

As soon as she sat down, the waitress appeared and brought her some hot coffee. A mere $2.10 will get you a cup with bottomless refills.

“Oh my gosh, it was the best service I ever had at a restaurant, I swear,” Getches said. “They were there with the coffee every five seconds. I had four cups.”

After perusing the Pancake House’s enormous menu, which includes a wide array of breakfast and lunch options, Getches settled on the steak and eggs with a side of three pancakes for $17.

“It was like I took a breath after I ordered and my food was there,” Getches raved of the service. “My eggs over hard were cooked perfectly -- brown, crispy and just how I like it. I don’t want any yellow junk running on the rest of my food,” she said.

“The steak was so good. I expected a thin little piece, but it was thicker and cooked just how I asked. Not too tough and not too juicy, and perfectly seasoned.”

As for the namesake pancakes? Getches was happily surprised at the size of her threepancake side, which she said, “took over the whole plate.”

On her next visit, Getches hopes to try the two pork chops and two eggs meal for $14. But beyond the long menu full of tantalizing options, Getches said it’s the friendly atmosphere that will bring her back quickly.

“I had so much fun at that restaurant,” she said. “Sometimes I can feel awkward when I have to dine alone, but everyone was so friendly.”