FlapJacks in Sacramento

Rolling hills of green were lit with golden light as we drove from San Francisco to Sacramento on a Saturday morning. We were headed to the state capital for a friend’s baby shower, and my two chauffeurs (passenger princess, over here!) aka my two amazing friends, had asked if I wanted to drive up early to hit a Sacramento diner before the celebration began. 

I, of course, jumped at the idea! Any opportunity to get a diner coffee into my system is one I’ll take.

My travel companions were actually my first-ever San Francisco diner dates. Months ago, we’d hit up Eddie’s Cafe on Divisadero, where the mugs are eclectic, college students are hungover (the diner has won an award for the best hangover meal), and the food is hot!

I was thrilled to be heading to another diner with them today. 

We turned into the parking lot of a strip mall. This was a good sign, according to one of my favorite diner darlings, who saw me post a story on @dinerdates_ and immediately messaged me, “strip mall diner? Gotta be good”

The restaurant was front and center on the right-hand side of the parking lot, its geometric form promised a retro vibe and I was guessing the menus would be huge. 

From the road, we could immediately spot it. The side of the building that faced the street was constructed of an oblique triangle emblazoned with the name of the establishment (and a preview of its offerings) in bold letters: FlapJacks: Waffles, Burgers, Shakes. 

Just inside the glass doors were Easter decorations, a wild splattering of pastels and eggs. I’d stopped to take some pictures of the name of the diner, so by the time I walked in, one of my friends had already been seated in a booth just down the walkway near the center of the restaurant. 

FlapJacks Interiors

As I’ve covered previously, diners boomed in the mid-century as America’s middle and working classes grew/ They needed restaurants where they could grab affordable meals, and what were formerly little carts that served busy workers expanded into popular hot spots. The mid-century was also a time of post-war optimism, especially as our minds soared to new possibilities with the space age. 

Because of this, the design style of that century (bold checkerboard prints and space-age motifs) can still imbue us with a warm nostalgia and sense of hope. 

This is why I loved the Googie-style architecture and design aesthetic inside this diner. Funny enough, I'd actually met one of my diner dates working at a modern furniture retailer, where I’d first learned about the Googie space-age style. 

FlapJacks captured that “futuristic” look with its geometric exterior and space-age motifs inside. The cushioned booths featured a classic starburst print while the privacy dividers and hanging pendant lamps both had amoeba-style designs. The pendant lights were a classic mid-century modern shape as well.

As mentioned, this diner is located in a Sacramento strip mall, and from our seats in the booth, we could see out through the large framed windows to a tire shop. This only added to the atmosphere, giving it that truly casual laid-back “everyone’s welcome here” feel.

On the Menu at FlapJacks Diner

After we’d slid into our big booth seats (a classic diner set-up), we immediately grabbed coffees and water, then began to peruse the menus. They were large and double-sided, laminated with a clear edge around all four sides. Bolded font showed where each category of food began and the options were extensive. 

I liked how this menu was divided. Many diners have breakfast options in one section and then lunch and/or dinner options in another. 

FlapJacks, known for its FlapJacks, had sweet options (flapjacks and crepes and waffles) on one side and savory options on the other. 

Our server was a cute woman who looked to be around our age. I imagined that if she swapped her FlapJacks t-shirt for a black shirt and donned some eyeliner, she’d have fit in at a hip coffee shop just as easily as she fit into this bright family-friendly diner. 

I liked that she stopped by the outside of our booth to take our orders, just in front of the large chrome drip coffee machine and a stone’s throw from the kitchen. 

Our diner orders

We placed our orders, each deciding on an entree and then eagerly agreeing to that day’s flapjack specialty (carrot cake). 

Alyssa ordered the buckwheat waffle with a side of sausage and an egg. She’d been debating about this option as she wanted all of the items listed, but was worried that if she asked for the egg to be scrambled, a single egg wouldn’t be enough. This concern was quickly made irrelevant when the server brushed it aside and said it was easy to make it two eggs scrambled instead. 

I ordered the Garden Omelet made with zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, and onions, covered in melted cheddar cheese. It also came with a side of potatoes, which I quickly agreed to add onions and bell peppers to as well. 

Dereck ordered a breakfast wrap, and it came in a white cast iron skillet, sizzling and cut into two large portions.

The daily special (carrot cake pancakes) were delicious, unbelievably fluffy, and perfectly sweet with just a hint of something so that it wasn't overwhelming.

Satisfied with our meals, we began to chat about this and that.

Since we had previously gone over our diner preferences together, we discussed some diner preference-adjacent topics and I subconsciously noted some key characteristics of this one.

Do we need diner syrup or is maple syrup even better?

Part of the appeal of diners, we had all agreed, was their homey, casual feel. With this in mind, we started to debate the topic of syrup. 

None of us could be able to deny the appeal of real maple syrup, direct from the tree. Delicious and thick. That wasn’t what we expected at a diner, though. At a diner, we expected the sugary imitation in the glass bottles with their metal tabs. 

This is where the debate began. If real maple syrup were an option, would we want that on our pancakes? Or did that takeaway from the classic diner experience?

We all decided that it wouldn’t take away from the experience, and if it was an option, we’d all go for the “artisanal” maple syrup. 

FlapJacks Diner: Overall Ratings

Overall rating - 

Coffee: 8.5/10

Food: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8.5/10

Vibe/Staff: 9/10

Promoter points - 

The menu has an option for early bird/old folks: +1

Carrot Cake FlapJacks: +1