Start your day in the Dells with Mr. Pancake

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Wisconsin Dells is a state of mind.

Spend the weekend (or even just the day) in the state’s longtime tourist destination and you’ll be bombarded with outdoor water parks, indoor water parks, theme parks, boat tours, roller coasters, go-kart tracks, mini-golf, old-timey photo studios, haunted houses, candy shops, knick-knack shops, more water parks, and whatever the heck Top Secret is.

All of it is weird and wonderful. All of it requires a certain mindset. All of it requires…a proper adjustment of expectations. This is the Dells, after all. Everything is going to be crowded, expensive, and kind of goofy. But if you manage to locate that mindset and adjust those expectations, you’ll find that the Dells can be pure, kitschy magic.

Which brings us to one of the best ways to start your day(s) in the Dells: getting breakfast at Mr. Pancake. (Don’t worry: an article on Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty is forthcoming.) Located immediately across the street from Noah’s Ark at 1405 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy., Mr. Pancake is a Dells breakfast-only staple that doesn’t disappoint. You may have to prepare your mind (and your family) for a bit of a wait—this place gets busy—but the food itself requires no such adjustment.

Oh, and did we mention that the building is in the shape of an old riverboat? Because it is. This is the Dells, after all.

Mr. Pancake has been in Wisconsin Dells since 1962. It was originally owned and operated by locals Chuck and Dianne Thompson; later, their daughter Elizabeth took over. The restaurant’s website tells the family-focused origin story:

In 1962 Chuck Thompson was a Wisconsin Dells Junior High teacher when he and his wife, Dianne, took on a couple of new challenges. Firstly, they gave birth to their second daughter, Elizabeth Jane (Liz). Secondly, they decided to purchase the Edwards Pancake House, renaming the restaurant Mr. Pancake.

Edwards Pancake House had been a favorite with the locals for years but when Dianne, a Home Ec major, and an accomplished gourmet cook added her magic to Mr. Pancakes’ menu items the restaurant’s popularity quickly spread.

Being restaurateurs came naturally to the young, energetic Thompsons. They bought several other area restaurants between 1962 and 1964.

Dianne efficiently managed the staff and the kitchens while Chuck took care of the business aspects of each location. Chuck’s ever-ready smile and easy-going manner somehow seemed to make the daily challenges disappear and their determination to provide customers with delicious, affordable menu options and exceptional service became known as “The Thompson Family’s Tradition of Excellence.”

In 2022, sisters Amy Wimmer and Anne Stoken—a.k.a. the owners of iconic Dells supper club Del-Bar—took over operations of Mr. Pancake. “Being third-generation owners of The Del-Bar just down the street, they know how critical it is to keep executing customer favorites,” the website explains. “Customers of Mr. Pancake will be excited to know the recipes aren’t changing but there will be a few new exciting additions as well as a complete refresh of the interior.”

That interior is split into two large dining areas—both of which will likely be teeming with people during Mr. Pancake’s daily summer hours, 7 a.m. – 12 p.m. The riverboat theme continues inside, with old photos and faux tin ceilings. Are there tons of Beanie Babies for sale at the entrance for some reason? Yes there are. This is the Dells, after all.

Mr. Pancake specializes in pancakes, of course, and there are plenty of styles to choose from. Standard choices like buttermilk and strawberry pancakes ($9.50; $12.50) quickly give way to more adventurous options like Hawaiian pancakes (filled and topped with pineapple; $12.50), chocolate pancakes (swirled with chocolate, topped with chocolate chips; $12.50), and peanut butter pancakes (swirled with peanut butter, topped with Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips; $12.50).

A kids order of the titular Mr. Pancake ($7.95) even comes with a whipped cream smile:

Beyond that, Mr. Pancake’s menu is filled with everything you’d expect: omelets and scrambles, French toast and biscuits, bacon and eggs. What more do you need? The coffee is hot. The service—even when the place is packed—is friendly and prompt. No muss, no fuss.

Is Mr. Pancake the absolute best breakfast you’ll ever eat? Nah. This is the Dells, after all, and expectations need to be adjusted. But it’s perfectly good and satisfying, it’s relatively affordable, and, well…there’s something special about it. There’s something special about taking part in a tradition. There’s something special about making family memories in a place where so many other families have made their own. There’s something special about giving yourself over to a place like Mr. Pancake—or to a place like Wisconsin Dells in general—and letting it all wash over you.

And yeah, there’s something special about Mr. Pancake being right across the street from Noah’s Ark, where you can ride dozens of water slides, get pummeled in wave pools, and build up your appetite for another morning in the Dells.

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