Ruby’s Diner is a semi-national chain 1940s style diner, with most of its locations in Southern California. There are locations in Las Vegas, Texas and the Northern East Coast, as well. Every year starting in October, they offer a special Fall menu. This year it features a pumpkin milkshake, pumpkin pancakes, and pumpkin waffles. The latter two are only available before 11 am, but the shake is available throughout the day.
Ruby’s Diner Pumpkin Pancakes
Ruby’s Pumpkin Pancakes are served in a stack of three with a dusting of powdered sugar and whipped cream. You have the option to also have two eggs and your choice of bacon or sausage.
The pancakes had a rich pumpkin taste with notes of cinnamon and ginger. They weren’t great, but they weren’t bad either. When you add eggs and sausage to the mix, there is too much food for me, so I ended up taking home about 3/4 of the pancakes.
You are provided with maple syrup, but I put their pumpkin milkshake on mine.
In summary, I would order these again, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to have them.
Ruby’s Diner Pumpkin Waffles
Ruby’s Pumpkin Waffles are served with a caramel sauce, a dusting of powdered sugar and whipped cream. You have the option to also have two eggs and your choice of bacon or sausage.
Although it is highly likely the waffle batter is simply the pancake batter with some additional oil, the waffle really didn’t work for me. I found the caramel sauce a bit too sweet for my tastes. And the process of making a waffle toned down the spice evident in the pancakes and changed the texture, as well, from a normal waffle.
In summary, I wouldn’t order these again at all.
Ruby’s Diner Pumpkin Milkshake
The pumpkin milkshake uses a vanilla shake as it’s base and adds in pumpkin and pumpkin spice. It is served with whipped cream and a candy corn garnish.
This is, by far, the best item on the pumpkin menu. I’ve had three of them so far! (My huband and I eat at Ruby’s once or twice a month.) The texture is smooth. The flavor strikes a wonderful balance of cream, pumpkin, cinnamon and other spices. This is the best pumpkin milkshake I’ve had this season (Jack-in-the-Box offers one, too. And so does Arby’s.)
In summary, if you like pumpkin milkshakes, this one is a true winner.
Miss the first post in the 2017 Pumpkin Season Review Series? You can read it here:
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Katrina is on the content team at 
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From 2002 through 2016, the number of certified organic foods producers in the US grew by 237%. The total amount of land now devoted to growing crops organically in the US has reached more than 4.36 million acres (6800 square miles), an amount of land more than double that comprising the state of Delaware.
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