Diners flip over new Stacks' in Menlo Park Diners flip over new Stacks' in Menlo Park (November 06, 2002)

By Jane Knoerle

Almanac Lifestyles Editor

The food is down-home but the decor is uptown at Stacks' restaurant, which opened October 7 at 600 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, the former site of Koo Koo Roo and, before that, Fresh Choice.

Customers pining for pancakes formed a "line out the door" on the opening weekend, October 12 and 13, reports co-owner Geoffrey Swensen of San Francisco. This is the fourth Stacks' opened by Mr. Swensen and his partner Tom Duffy of Los Gatos. The first opened 11 years ago in Burlingame. Best-known locally is Stacks' in Redwood City, where around-the-block lines are common on the weekends.

Stacks' is not your regular pancake palace. It is designed to look like a sidewalk cafe with awnings and street lamps, says its owner. The colors are a smooth cranberry and taupe. The outside of the building has been painted a Tuscan tan, and it is being spiffed up with new landscaping. "Our landlord, Walter Harrington, has been wonderful," says Mr. Swensen.

You can have a hamburger at 8 a.m. or pancakes at 2 p.m. at Stacks'. The complete menu is served from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. "Does anybody really order a hamburger that early? "Sure. We have construction workers or people coming off night shifts who want a main meal," says Mr. Swensen.

The menu offers crepes, egg scrambles, frittatas, omelets and such house specials as steak and eggs, eggs Benedict, and huevos rancheros. A full stack (3) of pancakes can be ordered plain, with blueberries, wheat germ, bananas, or raisins and walnuts. The banana, macadamia nut, and coconut pancakes, or the lumberjack (blueberries, bananas, wheat germ and raisin-walnuts combo) set you back $7.25.

The health-conscious can order oatmeal, fresh fruit, scrambled Egg Beaters, or yogurt.

All fresh ingredients are used at Stacks', according to server Jan Mulvey. That means fresh eggs and milk were used in the pancakes I ordered, and that the pat of butter on top was the real thing. The maple syrup was also warm, which is a plus. The side of bacon was crisp, but tasted as it might have been microwaved instead of fried (more healthful, but not as flavorful).

Fellow diner, Carol Ivie, enjoyed a bacon and avocado omelet topped with real sour cream and chives. She said the hash browns tasted freshly-made, although they could have been crisper.

The lunch menu includes burgers, sandwiches (including the classic club), 12 salads, and daily specials. For example: Thursday's specials are pesto omelet with potatoes and bagel ($8.75), and wild rice soup with chicken salad sandwich ($7.50). There is also a kids' menu.

Co-owner Swensen was raised in Minnesota, where he attended culinary school. As a trained chef, he designed all the food items on the menu.

"We picked something in the food industry and specialized in it," he says. "We wanted to take breakfast to a new level. Our food is basic all-American food that everybody grew up with."

He and Mr. Duffy also designed the interiors of their stores.

When asked if he had the jitters opening a new restaurant in these shaky economic times, especially with local restaurants closing, Mr. Swensen said: "It's heightened my awareness. I intend to keep my pencil sharpened."