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Walker Bros. is a series of pancake houses in the Chicago area.
They developed as a franchised spin-off of The Original Pancake House, founded in Portland, Oregon in 1953 by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke; the Walker Bros. version has been in business for over 45 years. Like the original, they are famous for their apple pancakes, French toast, and omelettes.
Awards and recognition
The restaurant was recognized by USA Today as one of the "Top Ten Pancake Restaurants in the Nation." Zagat recognized them as a Chicago's "best breakfast – bar none" and the "north and Northwest suburban family favorite." Chicago magazine presented them with the Critic's Choice Award for the "best breakfast" around. The restaurant has also been recognized by AOL Cityguide in 2006 and 2007 for "City's Best Breakfast" (Chicago). They received the "Gold Cup" from Superior Coffee Company, a coveted award of excellence.
Chef and food critic James Beard, who grew up in Portland, named The Original Pancake House as one of the top ten "best" in America. In 1999, the Original Pancake House in Portland was designated by the James Beard Foundation as a regional landmark restaurant.
Walker Brothers was mentioned in the 2004 film Mean Girls. In 2010, Dick Portillo, the founder of Portillo's Restaurants in Chicago opened a fast casual breakfast restaurant modeled after the ambiance and menu of Walker Bros., called Honey Jam Cafe.
The film Ordinary People features a scene there.