Joliet’s Old Fashioned Pancake House Brings Back Dinner Service After Six-Year Hiatus
Joliet's Old Fashioned Pancake House, a family-run staple since 1988, is bringing back dinner service Monday after a six-year pandemic-era pause. New owners PZ and Despina Zografos are extending hours and expanding the menu.
For more than 37 years, Old Fashioned Pancake House has been a fixture on 2202 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet. Starting Monday, June 1, the restaurant is adding something customers have been asking for since the pandemic began. Dinner service is back.
The change comes alongside a generational shift behind the counter. Panagioti "PZ" Zografos and his sister Despina officially took over ownership from their father, Dimitrios "Jimmy" Zografos. The Zografos family opened the restaurant in 1988 in the Marycrest shopping plaza.
A menu that stretches past sunset
Old Fashioned Pancake House closed for dinner service during the COVID pandemic. The restaurant operated from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the past six years. That ends now.
The new hours run from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
"We've had a lot of people asking us for dinner since COVID, and our first priority is to make sure we are looking out for our customers." — PZ Zografos, owner
The dinner menu carries two sides. One side features the 25 most popular breakfast items. The other side offers home-cooked dinner plates that PZ said you will not find at most Joliet sit-down restaurants.
Menu highlights include:
- Liver and onions
- Breaded pork tenderloin
- Ribs that PZ said "slide off the bone"
- Chicken parmesan
- A new chipotle aioli chicken and rice bowl with homemade chipotle sauce
- Garlic butter Norwegian salmon over mashed potatoes
"This will give us the opportunity to perfect those plates. We're used to having such a big menu that we're trying to hone in on the plates we make best that customers will love." — PZ Zografos
A counter returns
The restaurant also brought back its front counter seating. Seven stools sit right in front of the kitchen, giving customers a place to watch the action.
PZ said the family approach to the business has not changed. He credited his father for building a foundation that has supported the whole family.
"God has been very good to us here. It's done very well, provided for our whole family. As a family, we always look at the small details to make sure the customer gets the best experience with us." — PZ Zografos
Word is out
PZ shared the news about dinner hours on Brian Bessler's Joliet Area Bar and Restaurant Guide Facebook page. The response was immediate.
"It just got posted on the restaurant group and there's huge excitement. People are excited." — PZ Zografos
The new owners are asking customers to send feedback through the restaurant's Facebook page as the dinner menu takes shape.
"I think you can never truly be ready for anything. We are aware there are some hurdles we will have to overcome, but that's part of any business." — PZ Zografos