The Pancake House 'Coming Soon' To Joliet's West Jefferson Street

JOLIET — One of Joliet's thriving strip malls, Twin Plaza Properties at West Jefferson Street and the corner of Essington Road, will be adding another restaurant, one that's sure to attract plenty of daytime foot traffic to the plaza.

This week, for the first time, a large banner was displayed across the chain link fence surrounding the perimeter of the property that will become the future of The Pancake House. The new breakfast restaurant is going next to the La Mex Mexican Cuisine.

These days, La Mex is no longer open for lunch during the work week. It's also closed on Monday and opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at noon Saturday and Sunday.

The addition of the latest West Jefferson Street restaurant apparently also has created some confusion in the Joliet restaurant community. One of the family owners of The Old-Fashioned Pancake House explained that the large banner on the perimeter of the property next to La Mex Mexican Cuisine, advertising the future of The Pancake House, is not affiliated with the Old-Fashioned Pancake House, a Joliet staple for the past 37 years on West Jefferson Street near the Marycrest shopping center.

Extensive interior remodeling has been underway the past few months at The Pancake House location, according to Joshua McClusky, communications director for State Representative Larry Walsh Jr. Walsh moved his office to the Twin Plaza in October 2023 and being in the plaza has worked out great, according to McClusky.

Walsh's communications director said The Pancake House will become a welcome addition and he expects the new restaurant will be popular right from the start.

"We have not heard when they are going to open, other than we're looking forward to it," McClusky explained.

McClusky said that Twin Plaza already has two well-known established restaurants in Aurelio's Pizza and La Mex, so adding a breakfast restaurant should complement both of them. The Pancake House will be directly across the street from the Joliet Park District's 18-hole Inwood golf course, which should be draw plenty of golfers to the restaurant for breakfast or brunch, he noted.

McClusky said that when Walsh is in Joliet, the state representative will be able to utilize all three restaurant locations to meet up with constituents and various community leaders to discuss local and state government matters.

"We have wonderful neighbors, everyone here is very nice," McClusky said. "Just being here has increased our foot traffic. It's a wonderful place to do business and come in."

A window decal at 3147 W. Jefferson St. indicates that The Pancake House restaurant previously served as the Lange's Warehouse Network's Midwest sales office.

McClusky told Joliet Patch during Friday's interview that the property was sitting vacant prior to the renovations for The Pancake House.