Uncle Bill's Pancake House in Manhattan Beach
Category: RestaurantsCategory: Travel
The attractive and upscale city of Manhattan Beach, California is directly south of LAX. This town is known for its bars and cafes, and one of the mainstays is Uncle Bill’s Pancake House on Lincoln Boulevard, just two blocks from the beach.
The restaurant has been in the Van Amburgh family since 1973, and is now owned by Matt and his wife Jeanette, who purchased it from his father in 1991. Since buying the establishment, they have increased the size twice (including an outside patio) to accommodate the crowds that frequent the restaurant. It’s a place locals go to on a regular basis and tourists manage to find as well. Summer months are especially crowded, and it is not rare to see people waiting outside for 30-45 minutes for a table. It’s that busy and the food is that good. The downside is it is only open from 7 am to 2:45 pm, so breakfasts and lunches are all they serve.
Besides the food, it is the personal attention given to diners that keeps them coming back. And Matt manages to remember their names. “I use some of the gifts God gave me to make this successful, like remembering people and names. I enjoy meeting people and being with people,” he said.
“We’re not a chain,” he states, making this one location a one-of-a-kind place for all the scrumptious concoctions they offer. And they have a variety of great and sometimes unique creations on their menu.
The “Mitche’s Scramble” is absolutely delicious. It’s a combination of scrambled eggs mixed with cream cheese and green chilies. It comes with potatoes, toast, or pancakes, or you can opt for cottage cheese if you want to skip the carbs.
“We’re still a bacon and eggs place,” said Van Amburgh, however they do have an interesting variety of omelettes, pancakes, salads, and sandwiches.
If you’re a fan of Garden Burgers, this place has the best I’ve ever had. I have no idea how they do it but they manage to create a great burger that is tasty and different than any other I have eaten. And let’s not forget the fries. These are amazing. They are crunchy and absolutely delicious.
They also have a variety of cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, and fish and chips. They have a large selection of salads and each day they offer a special soup and chili.
Some of their special omelettes include the Istanbul (with Swiss cheese, turkey and sour cream), the Italiano (with meat sauce, jack cheese, and Parmesan), the Hawaiian (with diced ham and pineapple), Denver, Spanish, and a variety of others. They also offer Potatoes Stroganoff, a unique concoction of hash browns sautéed with crumbled bacon and melted American cheese all topped with sour cream.
Pancakes? They have a lot: buttermilk, buckwheat, pumpkin spice, chocolate chip (delicious), blueberry, cinnamon apple, banana nut, strawberry, and others. They also have waffles as well. If your mouth isn’t watering now, it should be. These are scrumptious.
“Manhattan Beach has gone from a sleepy beach town to ‘Beverly Hills by the beach'” Matt explained. And the influx of restaurants, tourists, and locals have kept this establishment afoot through the decades, and made it a “go to” place to eat.
Uncle Bills in Manhattan Beach, California is the best place in town for breakfast and lunch. Just keep in mind that you might have a little wait to get a table, but it is worth it.
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw has been covering travel, products and all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 35 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.