After a disappointing first attempt to head over to Stacks, the relatively new pancake house in Paramus, NJ, I decided to finally mosey on down there again. Will it be better this time around?
Our first attempt was back in June. Being pancake aficionados, my mom and youngest sister were excited to go, and being known for taking too long to decide on my orders, I took a look at the menu online prior to leaving. Lo and behold, there was a sign on the menu stating it was open 24 hours a day on Fridays/Saturdays. So we headed over after a day filled with some hard work and waiting for my other sister to get off work and getting lost along 17 (thanks a lot Darth Hugh for wasting my gas looking for u-turns all over 17 north and south). After what seemed like a ridiculously long journey and some stomach grumbling and near tears frustration only the hungry will understand, we reached the promised land around 11PM. Only to find out that no, in fact they aren't open 24 hours a day, despite the menu stating otherwise. Should've known better when there was no "hours" posted anywhere. There were still construction going on, a few stragglers chomping down, and some waiters who had no clue as to what their hours were. They were more interested in socializing with each other than knowing when they were open and closed apparently. We had to ask 2 servers and wait for the hostess to reappear before learning that they were "very sorry" but they were already closed for the night.
Ready to punch someone in the face at this point, I shored up reserves of patience previously unknown to me and we drove as quickly as we could to another dining establishment almost guaranteed to not disappoint--Stateline Diner in Mahwah.
The second time around was a couple of months later and unfortunately, it did indeed not live up to expectations. Is it the gloom from my first experience coloring this post? Most assuredly not. This food was just ok but not great. We arrived at a very respectable time of 8PM. Our waiter, Nick was nice enough, and gave us our menus promptly with a cute basket of cornbread. It was yummy I admit, with a great sweet crusty top. It was like having the corner piece with each bite. I ordered hot chocolate as a drink and unfortunately most of the whipped cream was already melted by the time it reached our table (Nick seemed embarrassed about this and pressed upon us that there was indeed real whipped cream in our drink). The hot chocolate was good, so good that it was like taking a pouch of Swiss Miss with mini marshmallows into a mug and pouring hot water in it. I do believe it was Swiss Miss. For $2. A mug. I ordered the Hudson, a pancake wrapped around scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar and home fries and served with a side of salsa. Unlike my sister and mom, I am not a big pancake fan. I like my pancakes flat, sprinkled with white granulated sugar and rolled up. I wasn't even feeling pancakes at this point but if I went to a pancake house, I might as well try them. Pleasantly surprised that the pancakes were indeed fluffy, light, and sweet. Yummy. The wrap itself was huge, and I was served two pieces.
Sadly, this wrap wasn't too flavorful. I hardly tasted the bite in the cheddar, and the home fries were tasteless. Thank goodness for the pancake, bacon and salsa. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to finish it. My mom has a tendency to order too much. This time, she ordered another pancake wrap, Washington, and the chicken wings. Half hot for me, half mild for her. We got all hot the first time and had to send it back. Was it worth it? They said the mild was good, but the hot sauce had too much of a vinegar taste to it and not enough sweetness to balance out the heat. Wish I brought my own bottle of Frank's Red Hot. Why? Because like the old lady said, "I put that Sh*% on everything."
I ate everything but a few pieces of the pancake wrap and one wing. After all that food, my verdict is I'd rather not return there again. Decor was fine, place was clean, plates were adorable, and I do love the stacked stone outside. Wait staff was attentive when he wasn't too busy copping a feel of the hostess' butt. Repeatedly. In plain view of the entrance. Classy dude. Real classy.
479 Rt. 17 South
Paramus, NJ
