There is no shortage of great restaurants in Plymouth. No matter what strikes your fancy, when hunger hits, there are many palate pleasers to choose from. We talked to the hardworking people behind some of the best restaurants in the area about how they got involved in the restaurant business, why they do what they do, and what they like best about feeding people throughout this great community.
Original Pancake House
Mark Hunter, Owner
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I grew up in Edina, and now I live in St. Louis Park, but getting to know folks from this community has just been fantastic.
Q: What do you like best about being in Plymouth?
A: This is a great spot. We love the neighborhood that we’re in. Even though we’re on a little bit of a busy intersection, it’s still pretty neighborhood-y around here. There are lots of churches, lots of schools, lots of families. Whenever the kids are out of school, we always have a big crowd here, which is great.
Q: What’s your favorite item on the menu?
A: We’ve got such a large menu, and there are so many things to choose from! But quite honestly, our old-school buttermilk pancakes, I think, are the best. That batter takes a process of about six days to make from start to finish, and there’s a lot of layers of flavor in there, because we use a little bit of a sourdough starter to give it more of a yeasty and fresh taste. The plain buttermilk pancakes with our whipped butter and maple syrup that we make here on site—that’s one of the best things we do.
Lucky’s 13 Pub
Ben Yau, General Manager
Q: How long have you been with Lucky’s 13?
A: I’ve been with Lucky’s since 2011.
Q: How long have you lived in Minnesota?
A: I have lived here my entire life!
Q: What do you like best about being in Plymouth?
A: The community! There are a lot of great folks in Plymouth.
Q: What’s your favorite item on the menu?
A: My favorite item varies over time, but right now, I would go for a cheeseburger with American cheese and the house cut fries on the side.
Peg’s Countryside Café
Peggy Rasmussen, Owner
Q: How long have you been in the restaurant business?
A: Oh gosh, I’ve been in the restaurant business for 43 years. When I first started out, I was in the kitchen and running that for the first 25 years, and then I kind of moved into different roles as time has gone on.
Q: What did you before changing careers?
A: I started out in social work. I worked with delinquent youth and with young mothers. My husband was originally interested in the restaurant business, and he started the restaurant, then we did a swap and he went back to another career, banking. It’s hard to make a living in the restaurant business and it took us a while to figure it out. One thing I like about it, though, is that it has allowed me to do a lot of community service and working with youth and different projects with non-profits. So, it has been a business that lends itself well to my other interests.
Q: What do you like best about your work?
A: First of all, it’s all about hospitality, and that’s very enjoyable to me. I love to see people and have a positive interaction with them and to be involved in the community. I’m also really proud to be in the restaurant industry, because they’re just a fine group of people. I’ve had a chance to work with a lot of different people, and they’re a great group of people who are generous in spirit. They’re all hard workers, and they’re all involved in the community in one way or another. So, I’m really proud to be among these folks—it always makes me feel good.
Q: What’s your favorite item on the menu?
A: Here’s the problem: I like it all! I still really enjoy all of our food. We have cinnamon roll French toast that’s really good, and I love the huevos now, because that’s kind of new. I guess if I had to pick my all-time favorites, it would be the things that we used to cook at home—those are our noon-time specials. We have baked chicken, popovers, meatloaf and turkey dinner, and those are my stick-to-the-ribs favorites.
