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Categories: Bakeries, American (New)
Neighborhood: Lower East SideDelancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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I've had my fair share of pancakes traveling around the country for work and I can say the blueberry pancakes here are often worth the 1-2 hour wait for me.
The quality is always consistent with the pancakes, and I'm never disappointed in the portion, presentation or straight out deliciousness of the blueberries and pancakes.
People thought this was:
I think if there are two senses that Clinton Street Baking Company satisfy, it's sight and texture. The food looks so hearty, so rustic, so grand. And the way each bite fills your mouth, whether it's fluffy pancakes, crunchy sugar-cured bacon, or crumbling buttermilk biscuits, it's simply a joy the way the food feels. Even the orange juice was thick with chunks of orange. Completely refreshing.
According to my sister, we came here on an off day, but the food was still pretty good. Tried a few things here, including a stack of the infamous blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and the crab cakes Benedict. But was it really worth the almost three hour wait? I have to say no.
I'd recommend coming on a weekday when it's less crowded, when you can avoid being packed in the dining area like a can of sardines, and enjoy your decadent brunch. I'm sure there are other restaurants that serve similar fare without the wait. That said, Clinton St. Baking Company is still a great place to eat.
People thought this was:
Being a pancake obsessed, biscuit loving girl, I was instantly drawn to this place when I found it on yelp. In fact, I made sure I went, even if it meant planning my entire last day in NY around having breakfast here... my goodness, I am lame.
Since space in my stomach was limited that day, I went for the blueberry pancakes and sorta forced the bf to get the buttermilk biscuit sandwich so that I could steal a few bites.
Blueberry pancakes were AMAZING! They were everything you could ever want in a pancake. Thick, fluffy, and moist with bursts of juicy blueberries scattered throughout. Top those babies with the maple butter and warm blueberry compote, and you've reached pancake perfection!
The biscuit sandwich was equally delicious. Best buttermilk biscuit I ever sank my teeth into. That thing was the perfect combination of flaky, buttery, and crumbly goodness. The eggs, tomato jam, and cheese make this the best tasting breakfast sandwich ever.
As horrible as it is living on the opposite side of the country, it's probably for the better (at least for my waistline). If you happen to live nearby, give it a try... and good luck resisting frequent visits after that!
People thought this was:
In a word: I was disappointed in this place. It is not not not worth the wait.
I waited over 1.5 hours for a table. Once I got in, I realized the wait is because the space is so small, holding less than 30 people (in my estimation). Once I got in, all I could feel was that we were being churned out. Our waitress wasn't very personable at all.
As for the food, my vanilla bean waffles were relatively unique, but they didn't blow me away. The eggs were very buttery and creamy, which I liked but my friends did not. I know CSBC's thing is the "sweet bacon," but I thought it was a little too sweet. Nothing special to say about the decor.
I'd probably have given this place 3 stars if it hadn't been for the wait; the wait in itself built this place up much more than any review had. My friends and I felt full but not completely happy that we had waited so long.
People thought this was:
So call me crazy, but I'm not sure the blueberry pancakes lived up to all the hype... they were quite good, but.... they're only pancakes. The presentation was really nice though. The maple butter was a bit too rich for me, it tasted like caramel.
I actually thought a lot of the other food looked and tasted better than the pancakes. My friend's buttermilk biscuit sandwich was AMAZING, after having a (rather large) bite, I sorta wished I had ordered that instead.
We went on a Thursday morning at around 10AM and only waited for like 15 minutes, but by the time we left the wait time was around 45 minutes, crazy for weekday morning!
I have been here a few times over the years and while sometimes the wait is only 20 minutes and sometimes it's 2 hours, raining, and you have to wait outside- the food is ALWAYS amazing. I've never had a bad meal there. Sadly, the major drawback is that wait. I'm very hesitant to bring out of town guests, or even go with locals unless I have half a day to blow.
I come from the Mountains! and I found THE best bluberry pancakes and bacon in the city!
DO NOT pass this up!!!!
I am not a pancake person by any means. I can usually barely finish one (which says a lot for a piggie like me). But this place lived up to the hype. I plowed through that blueberry pancake stack like nobody's bidness. Plus, the maple syrup is simply heavenly.
The savory breakfasts are also good and I recommend getting a glass of freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice as well. Yum! Dinner here is not nearly as remarkable, though the strawberry shortcake sundae is fun to share with a date.
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Massive, massive lineups here. And I was running late so they were sooo close to giving away our table! My 100 meter sprint woke me up and got me there in time, thank god.
It's a packed and crowded little place. Honestly, I hate this because I usually love lounging around sipping on coffee after brunch but you can't really swing that in a place like this without feeling like an ass. But the food makes up for it. My friend was raving about their biscuit and it didn't disappoint. We shared the eggs benny, pancakes and French toast. 5 stars. That is all.
Got here at 11:00 on a Friday morning. Was told we'd have to order from the brunch menu by the time we got seated. We were disappointed at first, but a lot of the breakfast items are also on the brunch menu. Waited outside for a little over 1/2 an hour. The pancake samples were a nice preview of what was in store.
3 French models were seated at the table next to us. We wondered why they received their food first, until we saw what they ordered. 2 mini pancakes with butter and blueberries on the side. They all ordered the same thing and not one of them finished. What a tragic waste. They kept staring at our food in amazement when it arrived:
- Blueberry pancakes (3 regular size)
- Brioche French toast
- grilled chorizo
- sweet potato fries.
All normal size. Nothing on the side. The way it's meant to be eaten. The models must have thought we were pigs devouring this feast! We didn't care - we weren't there for fashion week.
The pancakes were definitely our favorite. Fluffy perfection. French toast was also delectable. Carbs at their best!
People thought this was:
Ok, with all the hype, I gotta go try this out. I went a few weeks ago, and when told there was an hour wait, I decided to come back later when I have more leisure time.
Went today after watching the marathon. Got there around 2 and was told there was still a half hour wait. Fine, I am there and it's cold, so I decided to wait. Finally got a table after a few people who I saw put their names down after me got their tables, thought it was weird. Asked once to see how much longer was the wait, and the front lady brushed me off with such annoyance. At that point, my expectation sunk already. it's just one of those places is what I had in mind.
Finally got seated. Already 40 mins in after the wait.
Cafe con leche - had better in many other places
Blueberry Pancake - good. but wasn't as fluffly as I thought it would be. The blueberry compote and maple buttery made the dish. it's better than average so if it's your first time, give it a try for sure. Glad that we ordered this since the banana one doesn't seem to have much sauce...
Southern Breakfast - YUMMO!!! cheesy grits, fried green potatoes and the sweet fried bacon were all positive contributors to the dish
Next time when I feel like dealing with the wait, and the hostess' attitude... maybe I'll come back to try their biscuits...
There's a reason why there is a line around the block for this joint.
My advice: go early (like at least a half hour before it opens) or don't brave the weekend crowds and go during the week. During the week their breakfast menu is a limited version of the brunch menu but almost all of the best things are on the menu.
My favs:
-farmer's frittata
-truffle fried eggs
-southern breakfast
-brioche french toast
-buttermilk biscuit sandwich
-pancakes
I could rattle off tons of favs but really on this menu, you can't go wrong..Definitely better for brunch/lunch than dinner, although good for that too.
People thought this was:
After seeing the "Throwdown w/ Bobby Flay", I just had to try the blueberry pancakes here! Boy did it feel right! The pancakes are fluffy and LOADED w/ blueberries! The maple butter syrup is amazing as well.
My g/f had the banana walnut pancakes which were just as delicious. The service was overall pleasant and speedy, however, be prepared for a minimum 30min wait! We arrived a Thursday morning around 10 am thinking there'd be no line and were we wrong! While you wait, there's a little italian place across the street where yo can get a nice capuccino or tea.
Will definitely be coming back for more pancakes!
We attempted to go on Saturday for brunch, but were told the wait for 3 would be close to an hour, IF they could even seat us before closing for the dinner crowd. They were very nice about it, however and we understood.
We returned the following Monday and had to wait less than 30 minutes before being seated at a table right on the window. The pictures people have posted of the pancakes are spot on. I'm not a pancake fan, so they didn't blow me away, but my dinning companion (who ordered them) said they were some of the best ever eaten.
I opted for the French Toast, which was exceptional; that maple butter they serves (with both dishes) is AWESOME and I've love to smother all of my breakfast foods in it!
The bathroom is very tidy and the staff does an excellent job of making you feel welcome in their very cozy setting.
Notes: Food is plentiful, so bring an appetite. Not sure why, but no mention of their Food Network experience anywhere in the place. They do, however, feature their coverage in many local and national publications on the wall in the bathroom!
People thought this was:
I am a fan and the food is fantastic. I just can't give it 5 stars because it is so small you wait an hour outside on the sidewalk where they have 2 crumby chairs. A visit here is only great at 2 in the afternoon when you can walk in and sit down right away. The rest of the time it is delicious, especially the pancakes with the caramel sauce and the veggie sandwich. But we just don't go by there much because it is not fun especially on a cold day.
My visit to Clinton St. Baking Company began with the waitress telling me they were out of hollaindaise sauce so I couldn't try their famous eggs benedict. It's fair to note, that it was 3:45pm and we were the last people seated for brunch that day but still, I pouted.
The space was cute and sunny, but small, so I'd imagine you'd have to wait long during peak hours. This place does not know how to make a cappuccino. That was disappointing. The egg and cheese biscuit sandwich was decent. Bland and pretty flavorless, but looked a lot better than it tasted. The biscuits seem to be dense and fluffy at the same time which is amazing but the dish just wasn't special. My boyfriend got the famous blueberry pancakes with maple butter. These were very good. For me, even the pancakes in the world would probably be just very good, but I imagine if you're just crazy about pancakes, you would love these. This place was good, but made little impression on me. There's a chance I'll be back to try the eggs benedict, but I'm not over eager.
People thought this was:
I came here for dinner and was amazed to find that it was quite expensive. The food was good, though. We split a goat cheese pizza, my boyfriend ordered a bowl of gumbo (which was pretty big), and I had a beat salad that was a special that day. Everything was quite rich and therefore tasted delicious. We were full even after eating all these small menu items, I don't know how we would be able to finish full entrees! Our wine was excellent and the service was pleasant. The ambiance was super casual, like a diner, which even the dim lighting and candles couldn't hide. Minus a star for that, otherwise dinner was quite good.
People thought this was:
I can't believe I had yet to review the Clinton Street Baking Company! After watching the restaurant's owners on the Food Network, I was eager to give their pancakes a try on my next trip to NYC. Now, I've been there twice and I have to say I can't wait to go back. On my first trip and had the blueberry pancakes which were TO DIE FOR!!! They could not possibly load more blueberries onto those pancakes. It's impossible (and oh so scrumptious)! On my 2nd trip I shared the buttermilk biscuit sandwich (scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, & homemade tomato jam), and the banana-nut pancakes. The sandwich's biscuit was the best I've ever tried and the homemade tomato jam made my day. The banana-nut pancakes coupled with their savory maple butter made me feel as if I'd died and gone to heaven. Visiting NYC sans a visit to the CSBC is a cardinal sin. I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I'm confident that you won't be disappointed with any dish you order off the menu. This time around, I tried the eggs benedict, and it was served on Clinton's signature biscuits. Wow, buttery, floury goodness. You won't leave hungry.
But you will get hungry during the inevitable wait for brunch on the weekends. The hostess seemed to be dissuading us from putting my name down on the list due to the ridiculously long wait. She said the wait was 2 hours, but must not have processed that I said I wanted to put my name down because she proceeded to reiterate this 3 times. Turn off. Especially since I am the customer, paying yourrr employer to feed me. Hellooooo.
Places to go meander while you wait: Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Russ and Daughter's, Whole Foods.
People thought this was:
Any time I'm in NYC, this is the first place on my list to go. Any wait you will have to endure… Read more »
This place is good, but I think they juke the stats by making you wait for a million years to get seated. By the time you eat the food (if you haven't already eaten your own foot), you're starving and everything is theoretically wonderful.
I had the southern breakfast ($14). The eggs were perfect. The cheese grits were great. The fried green tomatoes were awesome.
I was not a fan of the sugar-cured bacon. Very weird to me, though my companions loved it. I'd prefer to dip the bacon in maple syrup (or whatever) myself. This just tasted artificial to me.
The biscuits, without topping, were so-so. They were a good canvas for jam, etc.
I'm reserving 1 star because one of our dishes never came out (although they gave us extra muffins to compensate the service was otherwise very good). I also ate my southern and found myself really really hungry even 20 minutes later (sometimes satiety isn't immediate).
The portions could be a little more generous for the price. Also, I would have liked a drink but the drinks prices are absurd (more than $10 a drink, as I recall) considering the deals at some other places (Essex, for instance). I didn't see anyone with a drink.
People thought this was:
Stopped in for a late late breakfast at the legendary Clinton St. Baking Company (note: even at 2:00 pm on a Monday, there was a 40 minute wait). Thought we were being slick, going on a weekday afternoon....still had to wait.
The host was extremely friendly and sat us 5 minutes earlier than we thought. The ambiance and service are only so-so here and the prices are average for Manhattan.
We split a biscuit to start, it was massive and probably the high point of the meal. Also, their preserves (homemade?) are amazingly good-definitely do this as an "appetizer" (also you will be famished from waiting to be sat for so long). Girlfriend had the famed blueberry pancakes, which were delicious, I opted for the Southern Breakfast. The cheese grits were underwhelming, but the fried green tomatoes hit the spot. I saw someone order the chicken sandwich-it looked excellent- will definitely try that if I ever find myself here again.
Overall, hyped to max-but still a solid breakfast.
If you can, come on a weekday, or else there will definitely be a line out the door. One Sunday we were told the wait was three hours!
***Try the short rib sandwich.*** I engulfed it in literally five seconds it was so good. I didn't even put it down.
People thought this was:
I've been to the Cliton Baking Company, a couple of times. Once around dinner time, and then around 11am.. There was no wait during the evening hours. Ofcourse there was a wait around 11am. The host said, 1.5 hours "maby even more"...... So, I took the advice of the others and got it to go.. They pack the food up really well... They have their own shopping bags.
All together, I got three different items. The French Toast, The Eggwhite omlet, (mushrooms, goat chese) and The blueberry pancakes (ofcourse). I'm not a big fan of French Toast, but it looked really gr8 (I think some1 else postd a pic).... The eggwhite omlet was really good... Fluffy. I was thinking maby, I shouldve asked for additional veggies.. But it was good as is.. The only thing, I thought it had 2 much cheese. (but that's just my preference, I like a very small amount of cheese, and it wasn't overkill, just a tad much 4 me).
Now for the blueberry pancakes... CSB is known for their pancakes. They have featured reviews in the restroom. They are that good. I've never had any pancakes that compare. I've had soo many pancakes from diners, and IHOP. But today, I had fluffy, flavorable, pancakes..
I only wish this plce was bigger. And maby add to their dinner menu.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars...This place can get pretty busy, especially on weekends so prepare yourself. It's a very trendy restaurant whose claim to fame is breakfast/brunch. It's other feature is being one of the most expensive as well- blueberry pancakes are going to set you back about $12. I'd like to say that they were the best blueberry pancakes I've ever had; they were good but not the best. The blueberries were small, all in a syrupy sugar bath (no fresh ones sprinkled around like in a couple of the photos here on yelp). The service here can get pretty slow and in my case painfully inattentive. My other issue is even though this place makes a ton of money and the waitress puts your order into a computer, they are still cash only. I will however say they have the best biscuit I've ever had and luckily it seemed like the only reasonably priced item on the menu.
If you want to take someone out to breakfast and impress them this is a cute place to go, otherwise just stop by for a biscuit and jam and keep on moving to a more reasonably priced place. But the place is clean and warm feeling and the food is very good so I had to round up to 4 despite the shortcomings.
People thought this was:
I came here with only one goal in mind: try the blueberry pancakes. So sorry if this review is biased.
The pancakes were amazing. The maple butter went perfectly with it. I also had a cup of coffee. Strong.
How is the rest of the menu? Don't know!
i've been going here for years. Quality is still the same - Great. If you don't mind waiting 1 hr +, it's brunch heaven. The Southern b'fast is what I always get. It comes with scrambled eggs, cheese grits, fried green tomatoes and bacon. All of these items tastes better here than anywhere else. My wife gets the blueberry pancakes which rock. the maple syrup i think is the differentiator. The cafe con leche comes in a huge cup (enough for 2) and the OJ is fresh squeezed. One of the best brunch/b'fast places in NYC.
I'm a pancake snob. I've tried countless recipes with everything from buttermilk to egg whites, whipped, to ricotta cheese. I've tried a billion toppings, and i only use the finest butter and maple syrup available. I'm a gourmet when it comes to certain foods, and I don't order pancakes unless it's a restaurant that has REPUTABLE pancakes.
That said, I ordered the blueberry pancakes. They were everything I HOPED that it was going to be, not what I thought what I was going to get. It was hot, steamy, fluffy, tender... the maple butter was perfect, it added sweet butteriness that pancakes need, and the blueberries were ripe and burst into hot splatters in your mouth. It was a big stack. It stayed hot for about the 15 minutes that it took me and three other people to finish it (because we all had our own entrees). These were the best pancakes. PERIOD. i have ever consumed. In My Life.
I ordered the fried chicken salad, which was insane. The salad was just barely dressed with flavorful dressing. Slightly sweet and herby, and very crisp. The chicken was crunch, JUICY, tender, the best fried piece of meat i've eaten in my entire life.
I had some delicious tea, and there were some sandwiches and eggs ordere at my table. Everything else tasted great, and the expected wait of 2 hours only turned out to be about 45 minutes, which gave me enough time to get some truffles down the street and tour the Essex Marketplace.
This place would be my regular hang out if I lived in NYC.
I know, i know...
when you go here, you order their blueberry pancakes.
But I, being a maverick and all, didn't.
*gasp*
Instead, I got the Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich (sans bacon) and sidekick maverick-foodie got the Veggie Sandwich. Both dishes were filling and delicious. Well, tasty and hearty enough to make it a memorable brunch to bring me back here.
The Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich was an intimidating, mouth-watering sight. The biscuit was so ginormous I couldn't make a sandwich out of it so I just ate the bottom half with all the goodies - that includes the fluffy eggs, gooey chedder, and tomato jam.
The Veggie Sandwich, which I helped myself to also, was alright. It was not as outstanding as the biscuit sandwich but it was uber-filling and good enough for me to take a few good chomps.
Another visit means another wait that could last anywhere between 20-40 minutes. But another visit means another opportunity for their brunch selections. Maybe I'll take it easy and get the pancakes per round 2.
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You had me at Clinton
Best brunch in the city. Period.
I am usually a fan of instant gratification - Madhuri I wants chocolate, Madhuri I eats chocolate. Madhuri I want to travel, she buys a weekend ticket to Europe. And so on. The concept of waiting for 2 hours to eat pancakes is frankly beyond me. But, like everyone else apparently, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
So there I was, standing outside the baking company at 1:30 PM on a Sunday. There was a scattered crowd of visibly hungry outside, making strained conversation with fellow visibly hungry people and trying not to stare into the plates of the visibly pleased individuals inside stuffing their faces with huge portions of baked goods. My friend and I walk in, ask for a table for 2. One hour's wait? No problem. I head to Century 21 to pick up some stuff I'd been wanting to buy, and we get back _just_ in time for our table. I felt incredibly clever about the whole thing.
I ordered the blueberry pancakes. I'm telling you, this is no ordinary pancake. It is layer upon layer of fluffy moist pancakes with generous heaps of blueberries lodged between them. I ate tiny nibbles, generous spoonfuls and finally small fistfuls of the pancakes and polished the whole thing off. The maple butter that came with the pancakes was warm, creamy and just sweet enough. The concept of maple butter is so good, I question the existance of mere maple syrup - it should be promptly converted to maple butter without further ado.
I think my friend had less luck with his buttermilk biscuit sandwich - he enjoyed the biscuit but he wasn't such a great fan of the burnt bacon. His banana shake was yumminess though.
I stumbled out of Clinton St Baking Company and straight into bed for my afternoon nap, I think :)
I highly recommend! I also recommend you plan some handy errands to run in the neighbourhood so you won't have to wait yearningly for hours outside the restaurant!
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This heavenly HOUSE OF DELICIOUSNESS probably doesn't need another stellar review - since its common knowledge that it's THAT good!
But, I'll add my two cents anyways:
(THIS REVIEW IS FOR THEIR BRUNCH - I haven't tried them for lunch or dinner yet.)
(1) Be prepared to wait. My friend and I got there 20 minutes before they opened on a Saturday morning, and a line of at least 30 people were already in front of the door. A nice man takes your name and puts it on a list. When the place opens, he calls each name in order. Unfortunately, we weren't in the first batch of people. We were the first people of the second batch. The man told us that we could leave the line and come back in 20 or so minutes (since we had to wait until the first batch of folks ate their meals). My friend and I chose to stay and wait (and stare down the people through the window - mentally willing them to hurry up and order!) Then we stopped doing that - because we wouldn't want that done to us, and everyone deserves to enjoy their meals at their own place, right? :)
(2) WHAT TO ORDER: FRENCH TOAST and BLUEBERRY PANCAKES. PERIOD. The best I've ever had. The pancakes are golden pillows of perfection. Fluffy, moist....OMG. The blueberries are perfectly integrated in the batter. Little bursts of sweet, fruity juice with every bite. The french toast had the perfect balance of egginess and fluffy bread. The crispiness of the toast was just right. The maple butter - WOW. I could only add a little, because it was so sweet. But, it was enough to make me swoon!
You would literally hear a slight moan and 'omg, this is sooo good' escape our lips with every bite. Ever heard of food porn? Yep, this was it.
We also ordered a side of egg whites. Like me, you probably think egg whites are just egg whites. These were the best egg whites EVER. They were fluffy and moist and had flavor (maybe some olive oil or butter?). Add a little tabasco and ketchup and you're good to go.
We also got their famous biscuit with jam. That was delicious as well, but we were too stuffed to finish it. The jam was yummy!
Regarding service: It was spot on. Our waitress was always around filling our coffee cups and asking if we needed anything.
JUST GO. It's definitely worth it. All the positive reviews are true!
Happy Brunching!
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Sure you may eat brunch at 3pm because of a ridiculously long wait, but it's worth it!
I've heard about endless rants and raves about this notorious blueberry pancake, and they weren't wrong. Biting into the blueberry pancake is like, according to my friend, "biting into a cloud" which definitely brought my mouth into cloud 9 - it was moist, fluffy, and smooth...each bite had it's own burst of blueberry flavor.
The other sides that we ordered weren't as spectacular. I mean compared to the pancake, everything was just a drab, but they were still ok. I tried the buttermilk biscuit with raspberry jam, sweet potato fries and a bite of the french toast. Blueberry pancake was all I thought about for the rest of the meal.
Fantastic place for brunch. I went on a weekday, so I didn't experience the huge line, but I've heard the wait can be pretty intense.
I ordered two eggs over-easy with a side of hash browns, a scone, and some sugar-cured bacon. I'll start with the bacon. If you come here, ORDER THE SUGAR-CURED BACON. In fact, you should just make a trip out here solely for the bacon. I love bacon... I eat it everywhere I go. My arteries are probably oinking because I've eaten so much. But this is the best bacon I've had, period. Ever. It's delicious, you must try it.
The rest of the breakfast was decent. I liked the eggs. The hash browns had a good flavor, but I usually like them crispier. The scone was a bit dry and made me wish they offered english muffins as an alternative.
I also got a hot chocolate, which was much larger than I expected and quite tasty.
I really want to give them 5 stars, but I can't because the scone and hash browns weren't perfect. But the bacon.... I have dreams about that bacon.... dirty, dirty dreams.
Amazing brunch. But that came as no surprise considering all the raving reviews. We waited close to an hour for a table. At one point, the hostess came by with a round of pancakes and their signature maple butter to appease (or more like tease) the hungry horde waiting outside. By the time we finished our brunch around 11:30am, the wait was 2.5 hrs on a rainy day...and people were still patiently waiting outside. It's not worth a 2.5 hr wait in the rain, but I admit to having thoughts of their perfectly srambled eggs and tomato jam served atop a hearty country biscuit with a side of hashbrowns, and can't help but strategize about ways to eat there again and beat the crowds at the same time.
I know, I know...how can pancakes really be THAT good. Aren't they all the same? NO, they aren't!
We came here after seeing it on Bobby Flay, knowing it would be packed. We put our names in and were told it would be an hour and a half before we got a table. That was ok, it gave us a chance to take a walk around the Lower East Side to check out some boutiques and go to Roasting Plant Coffee.
After about an hour we came back and stood outside. What a chaotic little street~! Some one was moving into the walk up apartment next door and the movers kept having to push through the crowd. Cyclists competed with huge trucks to get down the tiny street. One lady's floppy hat flopped right in front of her face as she peddled by, she ran a red light and almost got smashed by the incoming traffic. So the people watching while waiting is good at least.
Once inside, we were seated at a small table against the kitchen. We could peer inside and see pancake batter being shoveled out of one of those huge, white plastic paint buckets. We also noticed that the husband and wife team were not the ones cooking.
The cakes came out fairly quickly, topped with fresh blueberries and served with a side of their butter/syrup. I hesitated in dumping the syrup on my cakes as I didn't know how sweet they were. I cut a bit and dipped it in the syrup. MMMMMMMMM man! Not sure what they do to these things...but really it was worth the wait!
If you are in NYC and have a few hours to kill, come here for pancakes! They are awesome!
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I arrived for Sunday brunch at 12:10pm. The hostess told my friend and I that the wait would be 1 hour, 30 minutes. It turned out she was fairly accurate - we waited 1 hour 40 minutes. If I hadn't been offered a pancake sample halfway through my wait, I may have been upset by standing on a crowded sidewalk in the rain. Luckily, the hostess came out with bite-sized pancake pieces for the hungry, waiting guests. Once I had a bite, I was done-for. No way was I going to walk away from that.
And I'm GLAD I didn't! I ordered the banana walnut pancakes with a side of hash browns, and my friend had the blueberry pancakes. As other reviewers have noted, the maple butter was Pavlow's dogs' salivation-worthy. It definitely MADE the experience. Not to take away from the excellence of the pancakes - they were certainly scrumptious and fluffy. Really fluffy. Fat fluffy. I loved that they bake the walnuts and bananas into the pancake mix. That doesn't always happen. But this was no IHOP.
I think the staff's performance was also note-worthy. I was impressed that with the hordes of hungry guests, the hostess and waiter remained calm and polite. Kudos to them!
P.S. You may not be sat at a table. My friend and I were sat at the "bar" area by the staff who made coffees, etc. I also noted there was another similar bar-type seating by the window. Didn't dampen the experience for me one bit!
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I was really looking forward to eating here, but was quite disappointed.
PASS on the pork tenderloins. I said medium well, lady. Not dry and tough.
We got here on a Tuesday, the restaurant was practically empty. Fast forward 30 minutes. We still have not gotten our food but everyone else has been served. Yay for them!
We flagged down our waitress and she told us that it takes longer for the fried chicken and porkloins. Really....b/c other people who ordered the same thing were eating what should have been OUR PLATES! You give me that lame excuse and then serve me a lackluster pork tenderloin? I couldn't say anything b/c I'm sure they probably would've spit in my food or something worse.
Tried some of my friend's fried chicken. Seemed kinda greasy and not so crispy. I guess the shrimp and grits is the safest bet.
Half-priced bottles of wine on Tuesdays. Perhaps that is what made me belligerent. Oh wait, no. It was the crappy service.
People thought this was:
We've come here for brunch twice since the first review, and it has been inconsistent. That's not to say that it isn't wonderful, but it is not "the best brunch ever" anymore. The eggs benedict look nice but do not taste the part. The southern breakfast is inconsistent---the bacon is not totally sugar-cured like it had been the first time, and they are starting to substitute fried red tomatoes for the fried green tomatoes. It is still in the upper echelon of the NYC brunch choices, but I am less apt to wait 2 hours for a table.
Best Brunch in NYC! Fresh squeezed orange juice. Buttermilk biscuit served with homemade raspberry… Read more »
Dear Clinton St. Baking Company:
I have turned into a loyal pancake eating enthusiast after trying your blueberry pancakes for dinner. Please don't tell my doctor who has warned me about my family's high cholesterol history, that I asked your friendly server for a second.. yes.. I repeat.. SECOND maple butter side. First MB to pour all over the stack's center, as I love to leave the outside crispy so I can peel off and eat it. The second MB to dunk each piece before I shove it in my mouth.
Because of your pancakes, my boyfriend whom I came with, sees a new side of me. My relationship is forever changed by my jawdropping act of eating a whole stack of pancakes in 5 minutes.
Seriously, this place is the BEST. The pancakes have a crispy exterior and are fluffy (guess it's the whipped egg whites). It has a hint of vanilla flavor and the tartness of blueberries from the compote provides a great balance. The pancakes are moist but not falling apart. They add blueberries not into the mixture, but while the pancakes are on the griddle. Result: Pancakes that are not blue.
The maple butter is fantastic, it's rich and so flavorful.
Boyfriend had a Black Angus Burger, soo much meat! So flavorful but a HELL lot of meat, nolettuce, no tomato. This is so worth $12 (special) because the fries are a generous portion and you get a BEER!
People thought this was:
I can only talk about their blueberry pancakes, and they were the best pancakes I have ever had. Seriously..they were fluffy, sweet but not too sweet, and it was just utter happiness eating them. I couldn't stop smiling while i was eating! Their other foods look good, and I would love to try them, but I would just probably end up getting pancakes again because they're so goood!
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Italian
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