Stacking the Deck for a Great Breakfast

Stacks Pancake House

27680 Marguerite Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92692

I figure that in the span of writing this blog, I have eaten in restaurants close to three times a week. A lot of these restaurants kind of just blend into each other. It is really hard for most restaurants to stand out from the others. That probably explains why most restaurants that we have rated only get average, to slightly above average scores. I sometimes even have trouble remembering what I have eaten in some of the restaurants we have reviewed.

That is not the case with Stacks Pancake House. We first went to Stacks in Dana Point almost one year ago. I can clearly remember the ride down there and the weather on that day. More importantly, I can remember how much I liked our experience, and one item, in particular, the Captain Mac French Toast. More on that later. I was very excited when Stacks had announced that they would be opening a second location, one that would be cutting our breakfast drive time to no more than ten minutes, with none of that time spent on the freeway. So we waited a few weeks to let them settle in, then when we could wait no longer, we headed to their new location in Mission Viejo.

We got to Stacks at about half-past nine on a Sunday morning. This restaurant is located in a pretty low traffic shopping center that features Jojo's pizza, a Chinese restaurant, and no other real stores of note. The word must have gotten out about Stacks because when we arrived the line was nearly out the door. One qualm I have had with Stacks is the ordering process. Ordering is done at the counter, then you have to hunt for a place to sit. This process is not as bad at this location, because the dining area features more tables. We did not have people watching us eat while they were waiting for our table like we had at the Dana Point location. We were given a number and this how the food came out to us.

Let's start off our dining adventure at Stacks with Katie's choice for breakfast, the Kahlua Pork Benedict ($8.50). This Hawaiian twist on the classic eggs Benedict was a favorite of Katie's. She really liked the pork used here, felt the hollandaise sauce was on point, and the egg was well done. She did think this dish was rich, and she did have trouble finishing it all. This was served with home fried potatoes, which Katie thought were pretty standard, but good.

I also could not resist the call of the pork, so I opted for the Kahlua Pork Omelette ($8.50). This omelet comes stuffed with pork, cheddar and jack cheeses, onions, and was topped with a chipotle ranchero sauce. The egg and pork portion of this omelet was very good. The egg was very buttery and well cooked, while the pork was very tender, with just a hint of the Kahlua flavor. I was really surprised that they jammed so much pork in this omelet. My problem with this omelet was that there needed to be more cheese inside, and the chipotle ranchero sauce was used sparingly over the top of it and added no flavor to the plate. Like Katie, I liked the crispiness of the home fried potatoes, but they ended up just being average. I would get this again but ask for more cheese and some Tapatio on the side.

One of my favorite items that we have photographed on this blog has been the Captain Mac Nut French Toast ($6.95). Like a supermodel, this breakfast dish can not take a bad picture. At Stacks, they use King's Hawaiian sweet bread as the base for their french toast. Then they add crushed up macadamia nuts and Captain Crunch cereal to the french toast. As if that was not enough, each table is stocked with a syrup dispenser filled with coconut syrup. The result is one of the best breakfast plates we have had. The sweetness of this french toast is not as overpowering as you might think, due to the earthiness from the macadamia nuts and the coconut syrup. The outer portion of the french toast has a slight crust to it, which gives it some good texture. This is a must-try item when coming to Stacks.

After having the Captain Mac french toast, I could not be happier that Stacks has chosen to move closer to my house. This one item really makes this restaurant for me. We liked the egg items that they have here, but they pale in comparison to the awesomeness that is the french toast. The menu at Stacks is kind of a hodgepodge of different influences. The heavy influence is Hawaiian, but for lunch, they also serve Korean short ribs, teriyaki plates, and crepes, along with burgers and traditional sandwiches. It would be hard for me to come here and not get breakfast though. The service during our visit was pretty good. The girls running the food out and clearing the tables were working pretty hard. I think the prices here are on the good side, and definitely on par with other breakfast joints in the area. I am really happy that Stacks has brought one of our most memorable menu items closer to my house. Thanks, Stacks for cutting down on what we would have spent in gas getting to you.

Out of five kangaroos, (because the leading producer of macadamia nuts and the birthplace of the famous nut is not Hawaii, but Australia), five being best to zero being worst, Stacks Pancake House gets 3.5 kangaroos.

For more information about Stacks Pancake House, click here: http://stackspancakehouse.com/

How Does Stacks Stack Up?

Stacks Pancake House

34255 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

My last day of vacation came very quick. I had spent a long week of eating some pretty good food and then writing about it. We wanted to stay close to home to get ready for the week ahead, so we scoured our list of places to try for breakfast in south county. That is when Stacks Pancake House popped out at us.

Stacks is located right next to Chronic Taco on PCH, in Dana Point. They serve burgers, sandwiches, and salads, but their main claim to fame is breakfast. This is a pancake house after all. It even says so on the sign. We have not been here for lunch, but this place was cranking for the Sunday breakfast crowd.

The ordering process at Stacks might need a little tweaking. Ordering is done at the counter, but the restaurant inside is really small and cramped, so if you feel claustrophobic, be advised. We were here at peak breakfast time, so I kind of knew what we were getting into. After ordering and getting our number, we staked out a place on the patio out front and waited for our food to come out. This is how it all transpired.

Starting us off is Katie's selection, the Florentines Scramble. This egg dish contained bacon, onion, spinach, and Swiss cheese, served with two pancakes, and home fried potatoes. According to Katie, the cheese was melted evenly throughout this scramble. The veggies were fresh, and the overall texture of the scramble was good. She felt the potatoes were overcooked though. The pancakes are pretty solid here but are easily overshadowed by another breakfast bread staple that you will see in a moment.

There is a slight Hawaiian tint to the menu at Stacks, and that is nowhere more evident than with their version of the Aloha states famous breakfast dish, the Loco Moco with Portuguese sausage. Two eggs prepared whichever way you would like, I got my sunny side up, served over rice, sausage, and brown gravy. I have only had this dish one other time in my life, at Paul's Coffee Shop in Fountain Valley. At Paul's, they served this with a hamburger patty instead of the sausage. I liked this sausage version much better. The gravy needs to be a little thicker for my taste, but the sunny side egg is the way to go here. Loved the runny yolk mixed with the rice and gravy. The sausage was good as well.

All of this food is just a prelude to this next dish. It has been two weeks since we have been to Stacks, and this is the item I keep thinking about. The Captain Mac French Toast is simply the best French Toast I have ever had. Yes, it is that good! At Stacks they use thick pieces of Hawaiian bread, then coat it in macadamia nuts and crushed up Captain Crunch cereal, then as if that was not enough, they offer coconut maple syrup to pour over it. This is as sweet as it sounds. The nuts cut the sweetness just enough to not cause cavities with each bite. I will definitely be making the trek down to Dana Point to have these again, but they also offer a version made with peanut butter Captain Crunch. I might have a dilemma on my hands!

Man, if I just had to rate this restaurant on the Captain Mac french toast, it would be right up there with some of the best restaurants we have eaten at. I liked the french toast that much. The rest of the meal was good but paled in comparison. Food was all served warm, with no temperature issues. The girls that bring out the food are really hustling trying to keep up with the crowds. The prices were very fair. All breakfast items are under the $9 mark, and the french toast is $7, and I would pay double that. Sorry, a little obsessed. They are only opened until 2pm, seven days a week. Very happy to end my vacation on this happy note.

Out of five bicycles, (because the city of Dana Point hosts the Dana Point Grand Prix race every year, and it passes right in front of this restaurant), five being best to zero being worst, Stacks Pancake House gets 3.5 bicycles.

For more information on Stacks Pancake House, click here: http://stackspancakehouse.com/