Our second morning in scenic Lake George, we had a bit of spare time to explore, so went driving a bit north along the western shore of Lake George, seeing some of the nice views, seeing a few of the larger resorts, and finding a place for breakfast. We ended up selecting one of the area’s more venerable establishments, the Lone Bull Pancake & Steak House, now approaching it’s 50th year of operation.
To the uninitiated, the name is a bit of a misnomer; the name “Steak House” implies a dinner menu rich in steaks, but over at least recent history, the Lone Bull is actually a breakfast-only restaurant (although it does have a steak breakfast as a menu item). But aside from that little detail, the place is every bit as much what you’d expect from a place called the Lone Bull: a rustic restaurant, pine paneled, with a rather large dining area to accommodate the large seasonal crowds of Lake George. Being that we visited slightly before high season, we got quickly seated and got to review the large menu.
Menu-wise, the Lone Bull is basically pancakes, Belgian waffles, omelets, or one of over a dozen “Big” breakfast combination platters, including steak and eggs, a “mountain of pancakes” of layered pancakes, ham, and bacon, pigs in a blanket, and the like, with options for most anyone. We both like corned beef hash, so we both ordered the Number 11, which was corned beef hash, eggs, and a stack of dollar-sized pancakes. Corned-beef wise, this was spot on: a decent, chunky hash that had been very nicely crisped on the griddle, not overly greasy or salty. The pancakes were your classic buttermilk pancakes, slightly airy with a decent crisp on them as well, great for soaking up some syrup. I ordered my eggs scrambled, and if there was weak spot, this was it, with slightly overcooked eggs, but nothing too objectionable.
I can see why the Lone Bull is still a Lake George institution: the place is popular, the menu extensive, and the portions large. I rather like both the pancakes and hash and would happily come back next year. One word of note, however: The Lone Bull is currently a cash-only establishment.
