Uncle Bill's Pancake House

(310) 545-5177

1305 Highland Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 33.8863 -118.4103

Get Map & Directions »

UNCLEBILLS.NET

Years in business

Established in 2004

Price:

$

Last updated 6.20.11

Category:

Restaurants, Diners

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Breakfast, Lunch Spot, Brunch, Carry Out

Cuisine:

Traditional American

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Uncle Bill's Pancake House

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Lines of hungry surfers awaiting a wooden table contribute to the hectic outdoor scene, while more tranquil beach-themed pictures adorn inside walls. Standard lunch items are offered, but breakfast rules this roost. Specialty pancakes, with berries, bananas, chocolate chips or nuts make a complete meal. Omelette aficionados have a range of choices, including the basic Jack cheese and avocado selection; the Greek, filled with feta; and the Hawaiian, featuring pineapple and honey baked ham.

Editor's Tips

Parking:
A metered lot is located directly beside the restaurant.
Save Money:
Daily specials include deals on omlettes, fruit bowls, soups and pancakes.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “great views of the pacific ocean and a welcome warm environment and friendly staff.”
  2. “Sitting on the patio allows you a great view of the beach”
  3. “Great food at great beach location.”
  4. “Dine on their outdoor patio and you have a beautiful view of the ocean!”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “went there for lunch and ordered the Expo 79 which is a HUGE omelette with bacon, ham, mushrooms, onions, and cheese topped with sour cream and meat sauce.”
  2. “With a side of chocolate chip panckes -- I had a delicious breakfast.”
drinks
0.0% positive
  1. “service was prompt and pleasant and they kept our coffee mugs full.”
food quality
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. “Although you have to wait until the lunch hour to get a table for breakfast, the food is great and the service is really quick.”
  2. “went there for lunch and ordered the Expo 79 which is a HUGE omelette with bacon, ham, mushrooms, onions, and cheese topped with sour cream and meat sauce.”
  3. “always get the same thing but, people i've gone with have really enjoyed there other dishes.”
  4. “So after an hour wait, I finally got to order my food - and it was very disappointing.”
  5. “But they have a pretty good range of other breakfast dishes to choose from.”
  6. “The omelettes are delicious and so are the pancakes!”
  7. “my experence at uncle bill's in manhattan beach was very upsetting, there is a waitress there that says she is the owner, i know that she is not because me and my family members use to come there every week, she was a unpleasent person to deal with, for o”
  8. “The food is excellent and the service is fantasic.”
  9. “love this place, the food is amazing.”
  10. “the food was good- what we expected.”
  11. “My coworkers sandwiches and big onion rings were so-so according to them.”
  12. “The food portions are generous, but the food isn't that wonderful.”
  13. “the food is more than delicious.”
  14. “Delicios omlette and pancakes are great, they are tasty and make you full.”
  15. “maybe the wait right outside the cafe is good since u'll be smelling all the yummy pancakes b4 u can actually sit down and taste them.”
  16. “Huge menu, friendly and efficient waitstaff and good food.”
  17. “was disappointed as this omelette was not too tasty, kind of bland.”
  18. “Uncle Bills has become a local favorite in the South Bay area, no doubt why, the food is terrific and the service is awesome!”
  19. “Good price, ok food.”
  20. “ordered a crispy waffle with eggs and sausages.”
  21. “eat yummy pancakes while watching the beautiful people of manhattan beach stroll by.”
  22. “big old heaping helpings)- my fella enjoyed pancakes, taters and eggs.”
  23. “The food was excellent!”
  24. “With a side of chocolate chip panckes -- I had a delicious breakfast.”
  25. “yummy breakfast.”
  26. “Cleanliness of place-not to sound picky, but teh dishes and cups never really look clean and that makes me loose my appatitie.”
  27. “Great food at great beach location.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “the menu is great large, so we'll have to revisit the cafe in order to try out some more.”
  2. “Huge menu, friendly and efficient waitstaff and good food.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “uncle bill's is by far the best place to get pancakes and waffles in the southbay.”
  2. “my husband and i recently moved down from northern california and we've been looking for a good breakfast place and uncle bill's is a good start to our search.”
  3. “best breakfast place ever!”
service
70.59000015258789% positive
  1. “service was prompt and pleasant and they kept our coffee mugs full.”
  2. “Huge menu, friendly and efficient waitstaff and good food.”
  3. “So we park right behind the restarant and theres a good butt load of people outside, we put our name in and take a stroll down the street to starbucks- which was equally crowded.”
  4. “my experence at uncle bill's in manhattan beach was very upsetting, there is a waitress there that says she is the owner, i know that she is not because me and my family members use to come there every week, she was a unpleasent person to deal with, for o”
  5. “One bad experience with bad customer service is more tha enough for me.”
  6. “always get the same thing but, people i've gone with have really enjoyed there other dishes.”
  7. “The service is fast and friendly.”
  8. “The employees are nice, especially a short, friendly, older latina who waited on my table.”
  9. “Although you have to wait until the lunch hour to get a table for breakfast, the food is great and the service is really quick.”
  10. “great views of the pacific ocean and a welcome warm environment and friendly staff.”
  11. “So it was time for us to go, she came back over with the bill, i thought everything was ok, because we had experience so very bad service from her on that day, anyway i proceeded to go out the door of the resturant when all of a sudden, i looked for my gi”
  12. “eat yummy pancakes while watching the beautiful people of manhattan beach stroll by.”
  13. “grew up eating at Uncle Bill's and used to look forward to going there when visiting my family in Manhattan Beach but I'm done with that place now after two bad experiences from the same waitress (?)”
  14. “The food is excellent and the service is fantasic.”
  15. “The service though was great!”
  16. “People sitting next to you there- Always friendly!”
  17. “Uncle Bills has become a local favorite in the South Bay area, no doubt why, the food is terrific and the service is awesome!”
value
50.0% positive
  1. “The food portions are generous, but the food isn't that wonderful.”
  2. “Good price, ok food.”
wait time
75.0% positive
  1. “Wait time- Pretty long (30min-2hrs) this can be combated with either a nice walk around town or waiting in the line to sit at the counter (wait time for conter has been 5-15min.)”
  2. “my experence at uncle bill's in manhattan beach was very upsetting, there is a waitress there that says she is the owner, i know that she is not because me and my family members use to come there every week, she was a unpleasent person to deal with, for o”
  3. “Although you have to wait until the lunch hour to get a table for breakfast, the food is great and the service is really quick.”
  4. “love Uncle Bill's, but there is always a wait and sometimes a pretty long one.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

04/24/11

Uncle Bills Staff can suck it!

by restaurantshatecutomers

This place gave me a headache that I still have 8 hours later. I hate you Uncle Bill's.

The worst part of dining at Uncle Bill's - I told the Manager (male, chubby, dark hair) everything that was wrong. He did NOT care. He did not try to make it up to me. He wrote me off. People like HIM make me hate dining out!

I do NOT suggest eating inside. Loud. The entire STAFF is rough with the utensils. Clanking everything!!!

After waiting twenty minutes to be seated, my friend and I were seated in the corner. Behind a large party. On plastic lawn chairs. And worst of all - next to a caddy that stores dirty plates and clean utensils.

I asked a question about a sandwich, the waitress didn't know the answer. It was a processed meat that I was afraid it would be. Not a Jewish deli quality meat. The food took almost 30 minutes to arrive. Sourdough bread was greasy and thin.

I don't want to waste any more time writing about this place. I am not a neighbor so I do not need this place. Lost a customer. Wasted $20.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/18/10

A Staple of Manhattan Beach!

by PJ25

I love Uncle bills and have been a patron for 10 years! It is a quaint breakfast place in the old school diner style. The view from the patio is amazing and so is the ocean breeze you feel! The best part however is the food. They have an complete with Ortega chilies and cream cheese in it and it is sooo good. I love love love uncle bills!

1 Star Rating: Poor

06/09/10

DONT waste your precious time!!!

by NA2009

I wish we could give negative reviews, if we could this would get a -10 stars!

If you want to waste hours of your precious day, than this is the place for you!!!!

We went on Sunday around 1ish and waited over an hour for a table - when it was finally our turn, the staff gave our table to one of their friends who's turn was 3-4 people after ours. When we complained they said that we had requested a table inside OR outside.... last I checked "OR" meant which ever table becomes available first!

Than when we asked to speak to the owner at this unprofessional behavior they freaked out and said that waiter was the owner, when clearly he was not!!!!

The staff's behavior was very very unprofessional...

Then after we got seated we had to wait another 15 minutes till our waitress approached us...

Overall the food was not worth the wait! I can get pancakes anywhere without loosing 2 hours of my morning!

Unite with me and boycott this place! They need to learn to be polite and respectful to their customers!

  • Pros: ok food
  • Cons: Long long long waits, unprofessional staff
2 Star Rating: Below Average

05/19/10

So-So

by jennymcy

We ordered Macadamia Nut Pancakes and Waffles...both of which were to be considered 'house favorites'. However, the macadamia nut pancakes just had macadamia nuts sprinkled on top of the pancakes (vs. inside the pancake mix), and the waffles were frozen waffles...this is very surprising since it's a 'Pancake House'.

The service though was great! Very friendly and attentive.

  • Pros: Patio Dining, Friendly Service
  • Cons: Menu Items Not Special
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/27/10

Best breakfast place EVER

by Sophie Manhattan Beach

I love this place, the food is amazing.

  • Pros: Everything - great food, atmosphere & location
  • Cons: none

The Details on Uncle Bill's Pancake House

Place Categories:

  • good ok food
  • excellent blueberry pancakes
  • best breakfast place
  • really good breakfast
  • favorite uncle bill
  • fast service
  • filling omelettes
  • great view
  • good waffle
  • amazing omlettes
  • big old heaping helpings
  • efficient waitstaff
  • beautiful people
  • great menu
  • very bad customer service
  • bad experience
  • inedible spanish omlette
  • cold rainy beach mornings
  • worst experence
  • that bad wait
  • awful salsa
  • nice walk
  • friendly staff
  • full coffee
  • great setting

As Seen In…

Best of Citysearch

Los Angeles

Advertisement

Featured In

Recent Reviews In Manhattan Beach

4 Star Rating: Recommended

Manhattan Pizzeria

133 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA

Advertisement