Hip-hop and pancakes have been inextricably linked in the public eye since the introduction of syrup-coated spinners and combination griddle-turntables. Get funky flapjack-style with today's deals from the Pancake Cafe in Fitchburg. Choose from the following options:
- For $35, you get five cardio dance classes (a $60 value) at the Marquis Ballroom (next door to the café) and $10 worth of pancakes, crepes, omelets, and sandwiches (a $70 total value).
- For $55, you get 10 cardio dance classes (a $120 value) and $15 worth of pancakes, crepes, omelets, and sandwiches (a $135 total value).
- For $7, you get $15 worth of pancakes, crepes, omelets, and sandwiches.
Pushing the boundaries of what is and is not considered appropriate dancewear, the Pancake Cafe and adjacent Marquis Ballroom converge to provide a venue for hip-hop moves performed in syrup-caked sweats. Groovemaster Angelique Thompson choreographs the cardio-pumping classes, which draw inspiration from both modern music videos and Latin dance traditions and are available with or without whipped-cream topping. The high-energy classes do not require any experience, but advanced booty-movers are equally welcome on the delicious dance floor. Classes last 45 minutes and will be held from October to December at the following times: Mondays at 5:45 p.m., Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m., and Fridays at 11:45 a.m.
After a vigorous 45 minutes of stuff-strutting, refuel with eats off of the café's Best of Madison–awarded menu, with options ranging from cinnamon-graced pumpkin pancakes ($7.89) to a diverse crew of oven-baked omelets ($9.29). The Pancake Cafe harbors a breed of thick-cut bacon prepared specially for their kitchen, which is deployed in such Busby Berkeley–size showstoppers as the bacon pancakes ($7.69). Beyond rib-sticking breakfast fare, the café proffers sandwiches including the Monte Cristo melt ($7.99), a sultry tango of ham and turkey decked out in cheesy tassels and romantically dipped in french-toast batter.
Pancake Cafe
The menu at Pancake Cafe is impressive—almost as impressive as the restaurant's streak of Best Breakfast awards, from 2003-2015, in Madison Magazine’s Best of Madison showcase. For breakfast, the staff serves home-style meals such as oven-baked omelets or house-made biscuits and gravy. The eatery’s namesake comes in unexpected varieties, including an award-winning apple pancake that’s baked for 20 minutes with fresh fruit, baker’s sugar, and Sinkiang cinnamon glaze. Pancake Cafe also whips up gluten-free versions and an old-fashioned potato pancake capped with applesauce or sour cream. They even squeeze fresh orange juice by wringing out a traffic cone as aggressively as possible. At lunch, servers put the waffles down for a nap and begin presenting plates of white-albacore tuna melts, Angus burgers, and Chicago-style italian beef sandwiches.