Fast Food Pancakes Ranked Worst To Best

When you think of classic breakfast dishes, a stack of fluffy, warm, golden pancakes is definitely one of the first entrées to come to mind. It's a dish many of us grew up having on weekend mornings or special occasions. Sometimes there's just no beating this breakfast treat, especially when smothered in butter and maple syrup.

One of many great things about pancakes is how easy they are to make at home. Even so, you may not have time to pull out the griddle on busy mornings. But don't worry. You can still satisfy that breakfast craving and keep things affordable by stopping at one of several fast food joints that offer pancakes on the breakfast menu.

Of course, not all fast food pancakes are created equal. While ordering pancakes can be quick, easy, and delicious at some restaurants, at others, you'll just end up with a mouthful of disappointment. So, before you wait in another fast food line, be sure to read this article for the definitive ranking of worst to best fast food pancakes. Use this as your guide to get the best flapjacks for your dollar, and avoid any subpar fast food breakfasts in the future.

It may seem strange to see IHOP ranked so low. You'd think a place named the International House of Pancakes would make the best pancakes around. But IHOP has many different kinds of pancakes on the menu. You can get everything from classic buttermilk pancakes to blueberry or cupcake pancakes, and the list goes on. So, of course, some of the pancakes are better than others.

And when it comes to which IHOP pancake is the worst, many customers agree that it's the Harvest Grain 'N Nut pancakes. When we ranked IHOP's worst menu items, 32.02% of 609 respondents said that the Harvest Grain 'N Nut Pancakes were their least favorite. This isn't that surprising as the added grains make the pancakes quite dense, which isn't what you want when you're hoping to get a fluffy pancake. Although the addition of grains and nuts makes it sound like a healthier option, Food Network points out that these pancakes are actually higher in fat and calories than the classic buttermilk pancakes. Despite these pancakes still being a customer favorite, they were discontinued in July 2023. It's always possible they will return to menus in the future due to their popularity.

On its breakfast menu, Wendy's offers a three-piece stack of pancakes in the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas for $5.45 (US$6.54) or a pancake platter for $7.79 (US$9.35), which also includes a stack of three pancakes along with eggs, and your choice of sausage or bacon. It's a classic, no-fuss breakfast option, but ultimately isn't anything to write home about. While there's nothing particularly wrong with Wendy's pancakes, they also don't stand out.

When compared to similar pancakes that you can get at McDonald's or Burger King, Wendy's option is quite similar, but for some reason costs much more. That might be acceptable if Wendy's pancakes were offering something new or were significantly better than other fast food choices. However, the classic pancake stack just isn't worth it when you could get the same order for less elsewhere.

On top of that, the pancakes aren't available at all Wendy's locations. So, Wendy's definitely isn't the fast food restaurant for when you're in the mood for pancakes. You may leave empty-handed or have to settle for another menu item. For a more reliable breakfast combo, stop at Wendy's for the French Toast Sticks.

Burger King is a decent choice when you're just in the mood for classic breakfast pancakes. While you won't get any of the fancy toppings or mix-ins that you might at IHOP or other restaurants, Burger King offers fluffy pancakes with sweet syrup at an affordable price. You can get a small stack of pancakes on their own for $2.29 or a breakfast platter including pancakes and sausage for $3.69, both more affordable than the arguably overpriced Wendy's version.

However, while these pancakes have a tempting price tag and are decent tasting, they're still far from the top of the list. Overall, Burger King Pancakes are fairly plain, and when stacked up against the many delicious breakfast sandwiches offered on the menu, they're hardly your best option.

In 2018, Burger King had a promotion selling three pancakes for just 89 cents. At that incredibly low price, you can see how these might become a go-to guilty pleasure. But now that the menu item is back to normal pricing, you have to ask yourself if they're really worth it. When reviewing pancakes from both Burger King and McDonald's, Daym Drops on YouTube said that they taste quite similar, but Burger King's pancakes are much smaller. Even though you get three pancakes in the order, the small size makes it less filling than you'd expect. Still, Burger King pancakes will get the job done if you really need something to satisfy your pancake craving.

Not to be confused with Jack in the Box pancakes, Jack's pancakes are an excellent option to try. Jack's Family Restaurant opened its doors in Alabama in 1960, offering fast food favorites like burgers, sandwiches, chicken, and fries, as well as a breakfast menu. Jack's has stuck to its Southern roots over the years; unfortunately, that means it's another restaurant that's only available in the South. However, there are a few more options than Spangles, as you can find Jack's in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Jack's Family Restaurant is a good place to stop for pancakes if you're in the area, especially if you like your hot cakes nice and airy. Customers love these simple, fluffy pancakes! The Daily Meal quoted one satisfied customer who said that Jack's pancakes were "[the] best pancakes from any fast food restaurant." Because of its Alabama roots, you may also want to try some of the more traditional Southern dishes on the menu, like biscuits and gravy and the many biscuit sandwiches.

When it comes to quick and easy fast food, it's hard to beat McDonald's. There are locations everywhere, it's affordable, and the menu is reliable. Those and many other reasons make McDonald's Hotcakes one of our favorite fast food pancake options. An order of Hotcakes gets you three golden pancakes with a side of butter and maple syrup. It's nothing fancy, but the golden, airy pancakes are exactly what you have in mind when ordering pancakes. And considering the price of $2.49, McDonald's over-delivers with reliably good, fluffy pancakes. Just be sure to eat them while they're still fresh and warm, or they can become rubbery.

Many fans rave about this order. One user took to Reddit to express their love for the order saying, "They're the best pancakes I've ever [had] in terms of quality, consistency, fluffiness, and taste. The syrup and butter they give always deliver as well. They're better than any IHOP, Denny's, etc. And it's much cheaper to eat there." While many commenters agreed with the positive feedback, some felt this was too high of praise for McDonald's. Another user said that while the Hotcakes are good, they're far from the best, "They're like the rest of McDonald's food. Not the best quality but sometime[s] you're just craving it." This is probably a fair assessment of the fast food breakfast. While they aren't the best pancakes you'll ever eat, for the price and convenience, McDonald's Hotcakes are pretty excellent.

Finally, the top-ranked fast food breakfast pancake is Whataburger's Pancake Platter. Along with a stack of three pancakes, this meal comes with hash brown sticks, coffee, and your choice of bacon or sausage. At $6.49, it's a more expensive option than McDonald's, but you get a very filling meal with the platter. The pancakes themselves are decently thick, fluffy, and a larger size than a lot of fast food pancakes. Popular YouTuber Mike Chen reviewed his Whataburger pancakes, saying, "Not gonna lie, these are some good pancakes! Wow, fluffy, light, airy, [and] easily soaks up that nice syrup."

What sets Whataburger apart from many fast food pancake options is that these pancakes are made fresh on the griddle when you order. Instead of reheating premade breakfast items, Whataburger cooks up these delicious hotcakes to make them hot and fresh. A Reddit user who previously worked for the fast food chain confirmed this, writing, "At our breakfast rush, we get 3 orders of pancakes with every other order. One grill is just producing plain eggs and pancakes." So, if you want a fresh but fast and affordable breakfast, Whataburger's meal is a great option! If you love Whataburger pancakes, you can also make them at home just like the restaurant version. Whataburger sells boxes of its premade pancake mix to make it easy for you!