Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House marks generations of Indy 500 fans

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) – A trip to Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House ahead of race day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a tradition that’s marked the month of May for generations.

Long-time regular of the breakfast joint, Kevin Miller, said, “If you’re going to the track, why wouldn’t you come here for breakfast?”

With nearly every booth full, it’s a place to swap stories of the Brickyard and greet a racer.

“You don’t want to bother them, but if you see them you might do a little nod,” Rex Musselman, a Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House lover, said. “Last time, we saw Bobby Rahal.”

Since the age of six, Michael Heilman has attended the Indy 500. He brought his wife and two young sons to Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House to begin new traditions and prepare for race day.

“It’s something that I shared with my dad growing up, and his dad,” Heilman said. “So, it’s just really cool to be able to share it with them.”

Kirby Smock, another Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House fan, said it’s a tradition he doesn’t plan on breaking.

“As long as I can get there on a stretcher, a wheelchair, or whatever, I’ll go to the race,” stated Smock.

Tradition, the Brickyard, and Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House go hand-in-hand, according to fans.

Open for nearly 50 years, the restaurant is a place veteran fans will tell you to experience at least once in your life.

“Some people will say, ‘Well I don’t want to fight the crowd.’ Well, the crowd being there is half the fun,” Smock said.

Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House will close early on race day.