Lincoln Square Pancake House Offers Diverse Menu and Greek Hospitality (Video)

Finally, the long-awaited opening of Lincoln Square Pancake House has arrived!

For those of us who live near Fox Road, it’s been torture waiting for the doors to open at Geist’s newest breakfast (and lunch) eatery. When the “pancake house” sign went up earlier this spring (replacing the China Dragon), we suddenly realized our community has been missing something all these years … a conveniently located breakfast spot where you can take the whole family for a relaxed, tasty and affordable meal.

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I was hoping the food at Lincoln Square would live up to my expectations. I had visions of cream-cheese stuffed French toast, fluffy Belgian waffles and savory omelets (and indeed, all are on the menu at Lincoln Square). But what I didn’t expect to see was the Greek skillet (gyro meat, feta cheese, onions and tomatoes, topped with eggs) or all of the lunch items, including gourmet croissant and pita sandwiches and a large offering of salads (including “The Big Greek Salad”).

So why does a restaurant with an All-American name like “Lincoln” feature so much Greek fare? For starters, it’s owned by Greek father-and-son team George and Chris Katris. Several other family members work for the Lincoln Square restaurants (there are 11 others in Central Indiana and one in Troy, Ohio) that George started in Kokomo in 1989. George’s niece, Yanna, just arrived from Greece last year, and his daughter, Demitra, runs the Lincoln Square in Westfield.

“If you like people, this is the best business to be in,” says George, who lives in Walnut Hills in Fishers with his wife of 32 years, Eleni. “This is the American dream.”

George immigrated from Greece as a 17-year-old boy in 1964, first landing in Canada and eventually making his way to Chicago in 1976. His first job was washing dishes by hand.

“I thank God every day because I made it to this land,” said George, who became an American citizen 13 years ago. “In life, you’ve got to know your directions and destinations.”

George worked his way up from bussing tables to management, and then decided it was time to open his own restaurant. His search for a suitable location took him to Kokomo, and the site of his first restaurant (at U.S. 31 and Lincoln Road) provided the inspiration for its name.

Now opening his 13th restaurant, George Katris is truly living the American Dream. His success lies not only in the quality of the food at Lincoln Square (the restaurant uses all fresh ingredients and doesn’t even have a microwave) but also the way the Katris family aims to personally greet each customer. George can often be found making silly faces at babies or jokingly calling an older woman “my girlfriend.” He just likes to see people smile.

“Our first joy is our customers,” George said. “You’re not going to fool your customers. When we say ‘thank you,’ we mean it.”

“It affects me if people don’t walk out the door totally satisfied,” echoes his son, Chris, a Purdue engineering grad who’s still looking for “Ms. Right.”

Although Chris is now his dad’s business partner, he wasn’t always treated as the “heir apparent.” George made his son start in the kitchen—washing dishes.

“He was an engineer and clearing tables,” said George, who wanted his son to experience every aspect of the restaurant business personally.

The Geist location is smaller than the Lincoln Square on East 21st Street, but Chris says he likes the more intimate feel of the new restaurant with its subtle, Mediterranean-style decor. Judging from its opening weekend (about 400 guests on Sunday alone), Lincoln Square should have no trouble finding customers. I can definitely say my entire family left feeling full and happy.

George proudly showed me the clean and orderly kitchen, where kitchen manager Martin Garcia and his staff were busy whipping up omelets made from fresh eggs, meats and veggies. He even opened the walk-in refrigerator (full of fresh produce) to prove that you won’t find anything frozen or reheated at Lincoln Square.

“If somebody wants to see our kitchen, I’ll say, ‘Come on, I’ll show you!” George offers.

The made-to-order platters feature generous portions at reasonable prices. Breakfast ranges from $4.19 for a short stack of pancakes to $9.99 for New York strip steak & eggs. Lunch items range from about $6 for a deli sandwich to $7 or $8 for more gourmet sandwiches. George’s favorite menu item is the Olympian Salad, featuring gyro meat, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, tomato wedges and sliced cucumbers for $7.99.

Stop in for a great meal with George and Chris at the new Lincoln Square Pancake House at 8150 Oaklandon Road. The restaurant is open every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner hours may be added in the future.