Pancake Manor, Brisbane

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What do a historic Brisbane Cathedral and sweet delicious pancakes have in common? Find out how a Brisbane City landmark helps satisfy the hunger of its visitors with a side order of the architectural, community and social history.



Visiting the Pancake Manor within the historical St Luke's Cathedral is a story of two tales. One about religion and one about food. A historic cathedral in inner city Brisbane was transformed after 70 years into a long-running commercial restaurant. How do the two marry together? I went along to find out.

The History of St Lukes
St Luke's Cathedral is a heritage-listed building located at 18 Charlotte Street, Brisbane - near the Queensland Parliament Government end of the Central Business District.



The Anglican Church was built in 1904 in the Romanesque style as the headquarters of the Anglican Church mission. It served as a temporary cathedral between the demolition of St Johns Pro-Cathedral in 1904 and the opening of St Johns Cathedral in 1910. The church's foundation stone can be found at the external entrance.



The missionary work of St Luke's was led by an evangelistic group which worked amongst the disadvantaged supplying food and shelter for the destitute and supporting young women and girls during difficult times. After World War 1, an Anzac Club was opened at St Luke's for returned soldiers and the hall was used for Sunday teas and dances. During the Second World War, St Luke's provided a meeting place and Saturday night dances for soldiers stationed in Brisbane.


(Photo: Gillian Ching)

Transformation into a restaurant
In 1977, St Luke's Cathedral was no longer needed for church purposes and in 1979 was converted into the Pancake Manor restaurant.



The Pancake Manor is a foodie institution in Brisbane. Not only is it located in the city and a heritage-listed building but it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This convenience has long been a favourite amongst late-night revellers who have been known to pop into the Manor at earlier hours of the morning after a long night of clubbing to grab a bite to eat before heading home.



As you walk up the brick steps and swing open the heavy doors, you will be greeted by the silver medieval armour suits of two knights and church pews. The armour pays homage to the Good Knights Bar in the centre of the restaurant.



The Building
The interior and exterior of the building retain the classic architectural features of its time as a cathedral. Inside it is filled with timeless pieces such as leadlight windows, booth seating around the parameter, and dim lighting (which can make reading the menu a little tricky at times).

Gone are the hymns which have been replaced by a modern music palette of The Cure and Fat Boy Slim which hum quietly and respectfully in the background.

The Menu
Once you are led to your table, it is time to work through the menu. I chose the short stack (one more than the single stack) which provided 2 fluffy, fulsome and filling pancakes with creamy whipped butter and sweet, maple syrup.

Of course, you can increase the stack to 3 or 4 pancakes (known as the long stack) if you wish to extend the yummy experience and add in one or more sides such as strawberries, chocolate fudge, apple cinnamon and macadamia nuts. Waffles are also available as a sidekick to the pancakes.

The pancakes are very reasonably priced ranging from $7.50 to $12.50.



But wait. There's more than just pancakes. Starters, breakfast with traditional back and egg, hash browns, sausage offerings, and mains (burgers and salads) are all on the menu to cater for the hunger needs of its visitors at any time of the day.



What Else
The Pancake Manor is fully licenced and is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. It is located at 18 Charlotte Street, Brisbane (near Queens Park) in the Government end of the Central Business District. The Manor is also family-friendly.

Consider sampling the menu of delicious pancakes with a side order of Brisbane history at the Pancake Manor.

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