PANCAKE LOVER’S GUIDE to the Best Pancakes in NYC
Looking for the best pancakes in NYC? Sit back and relax, I have taste tested and approved every single one of these legendary NYC pancakes and can confirm who are really the best at these popular NYC brunch spots.
There are good pancakes and then there are great pancakes and I have done quite a bit of research to find the best pancakes in New York City. Being as this is one of my favorite carbs, there isn’t a pancake I’ve met that I don’t love but there are definitely some that reign supreme and this guide to the best pancakes in New York City highlights all of those.
Best NYC Pancakes To Try!
1. Bubby’s
120 Hudson Street, Tribeca, Manhattan
Bubby’s is definitely one of the best brunch spots in the city for multiple reasons, one of them being that they offer some of the best pancakes in New York City, if not the best.
Located in the Tribeca neighborhood, Bubby’s is definitely a staple that lives up to all the hype. The pancake flight is the star of the show so you can try a little bit of everything including the top buttermilk choices of blueberry, caramelized banana, and toasted walnuts and Nutella, mixed berries, and whipped cream. If you want something a little less traditional, go with the 1890 sourdough pancakes.
There are also savory items on the menu if you’re going with someone who needs something else to balance the sweetness including breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros, sandwiches, and burgers.
Bubby’s accepts reservations during the week but they do not accept reservations on the weekends and lines tend to get long, and keep in mind your entire party needs to be there to be seated when you’re in line.
They are open every day from early to late and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
2. Chez Ma Tante
90 Calyer Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
I think Chez Ma Tante has come up in every guide I’ve ever written for brunch (see best brunch in Greenpoint and best brunch in Brooklyn) and each time I write about them, the thing I always come back to is how incredible their pancakes are. Not to mention, the minimalist and chic space of Chez Ma Tante makes you feel like you’re in a small town in upstate New York, which I enjoy.
Since this is a pancake guide, you cannot and must not skip the buttermilk pancakes here. After all, it initially draws everyone in and then you realize that few other pancakes will compare so you come back as often as possible. Made in a cast iron skillet, the pancakes are created with a perfect char and then topped with the perfect amount of butter and maple syrup.
Just like all the restaurants in this guide, there are savory options, which are also great. Chez Ma Tante does simple things well and should be your guide to anything you decide to order here.
Chez Ma Tante is open for brunch on the weekends. They offer reservations through Resy and have both indoor and outdoor seating options available.
3. Breakfast by Salt’s Cure
27 ½ Morton Street, West Village, Manhattan & 368 Court Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
It’s no surprise that another spot with some of the best pancakes in New York City opened up its first New York City location in one of the best neighborhoods for great food, the West Village. Breakfast by Salt’s Cure, originally California based, takes on a different approach to your traditional pancakes and in this case, change is good.
The oatmeal griddle pancakes are what Salt’s Cure is known for and for very good reason. Coming in a stack of three, they come in a variety of flavors including the OG, apple, blueberry, banana nut and chocolate chip.
All their pancakes can be made vegan as well as gluten-free so everyone in your party can be satisfied. They also offer single pancakes but why would you want just one of the best pancakes in NYC?
Breakfast by Salt’s Cure is open every for breakfast and late lunch (closing at 3 pm) except for Mondays. They recently opened up a second location in Carroll Gardens but it is so new, the hours are not yet posted so check their website for more information as it gets shared!
4. Five Leaves
18 Bedford Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
If you’ve heard of Five Leaves is more than likely for one of two reasons, which are you’ve heard they have some of the best pancakes in NYC or that the restaurant was owned by the late and great Heath Ledger. That and the fact that the space is one of the coolest and most well-decorated restaurants in Brooklyn.
The menu is big with plenty of options for everyone, including all of your basic brunch items but you come for the ricotta pancakes. Topped with blueberries, bananas, strawberries, and honeycomb butter with a healthy amount of 100% maple syrup on the side, these buttermilk pancakes are equally satisfying and aesthetically pleasing.
If you want something more typical brunch, the french dip, egg sandwich, and burger are also delightful.
Five Leaves is open for breakfast and brunch every day. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating and accept reservations. It does get crowded, especially on the weekends, so a reservation is always recommended.
5. Sunday in Brooklyn
348 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Yet another restaurant that lives up to the social media hype is Sunday in Brooklyn. Located in Williamsburg, also one of the best spots for brunch in Williamsburg, this cozy space is another one of the top spots for some of the best pancakes in NYC. In fact, the pancakes are so popular they have actually been trademarked on their menu as Sunday Pancakes.
Unless you don’t have social media, I’m sure at some point or another you’ve laid your eyes on the Sunday Pancakes. Somehow always perfectly round and topped with copious amounts of hazelnut maple praline and brown butter, the extra butter on top never seems to melt until it gets to your table so you can create the perfect bite and capture the perfect photo.
The Sunday Pancakes can be ordered as single, double or triple. Always at least get one. If there is more than one of you, get two. They may be heavy but they are some of the most delicious and unique bites of pancakes you’ll ever eat.
Sunday in Brooklyn accepts reservations and offers both indoor and outdoor dining. They are open daily and are open from early till late.
6. Rule of Thirds
171 Banker Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
The thing about pancakes in New York that make them different from all the other pancakes in the rest of the country is that they almost all offer something different and unique to the way they are created. This is definitely the case for the pancake at Rule of Thirds.
One of the best pancakes in NYC is said pancake at Rule of Thirds, the Japanese Souffle Pancake, a fluffy hotcake topped with the perfect amount of melted honey maple butter and sesame on top. Feeling extra sweet? You can also add soft serve on top. It is so good that my mouth waters every time I think about it.
Rule of Thirds is open for brunch on the weekends and offers both indoor and outdoor dining. If the weather is nice, I highly recommend sitting outdoors as they for sure have one of the best patio spaces in NYC. If the weather is bad, the chef’s counter is also an amazing option. They accept reservations through Resy and is easily one of the top brunch spots in the city.
7. Vinegar Hill House
72 Hudson Avenue, Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn
This guide for the best pancakes in New York City also includes some of the most beautiful spaces in NYC and Vinegar Hill House is definitely at the top of that list. Located in the neighborhood known as Vinegar Hill, a micro-neighborhood DUMBO and Navy Yard, you will find some of the best pancakes in NYC.
Another unique take on pancakes, the pancakes at Vinegar Hill House are sourdough-based, unlike most of the others on this list that is more traditional buttermilk. Apple flavored and topped with butter and maple syrup, you will never be disappointed with these pancakes.
Vinegar Hill House accepts reservations and offers brunch on the weekends. Their patio is something to be desired and make your pancakes taste even more delicious so opt for an outside table if the weather allows.
8. Golden Diner
123 Madison Street, Chinatown/LES, New York
Located on the border of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, Golden Diner is another top spot for all things delicious and the best pancakes in New York City.
The inside of Golden Diner is very small and has all the best vibes that you would expect from a diner. A long metal counter with round metal stools and small diner style tables curate the space but that isn’t even the beginning of the best part about this place, which you already know based on this guide are the Honey Butter Pancakes.
Just like the name describes, these buttermilk pancakes are covered in the most delicious butter you can make, honey butter. Perfectly fluffy and topped with honey maple butter these pancakes are great just as they come but if you want something to make them even better, add the berry compote for an even better pancake experience.
The best part about this pancake spot is that it is open for brunch every day of the week except Monday. The second best spot is that they also take reservations, which are very difficult to get on the weekends. Both indoor and outdoor dining options are available.
9. Clinton St Baking Company
4 Clinton Street, LES, Manhattan & 55 Water Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Another place for some of the best pancakes in NYC is Clinton Street Baking Company. With two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, Clinton Street Baking Company has been around for years and continues to stand the test of time.
The vibe at Clinton Street Baking Company is an old-school diner, which is the perfect ambiance for the perfect pancakes. Complete with your choice of blueberries, chocolate chunk or banana walnut all of the fluffy and delicious buttermilk pancakes are served with warm maple butter and maple syrup on the side. They also have a rotating pancake of the month.
The location in Brooklyn is located within Time Out Market in DUMBO and is open every day from early to late. If the weather is warm, make sure you check out the rooftop. The Lower East Side location is open every day at 9 am and accepts reservations!
Time Out Market location has both indoor and outdoor seating while the Lower East Side location is indoors only. Reservations are highly recommended for the Lower East Side location and if you don’t have them expect to wait at least an hour, especially on the weekends. They do, however, have a take out window next door.
10. Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich Street, Tribeca, New York
Not only does this next spot have some of the best pancakes in NYC, but they also have some of the coziest vibes in New York City.
Locanda Verde is known for their buttermilk lemon ricotta pancakes. They are covered in blueberries and Meyer lemon curd, making them even that much more delicious and just like so many other spots on this list for the best pancakes in NYC, they are unique and aesthetically pleasing.
Locanda Verde is open every day for breakfast and brunch on the weekends. They close at parts of the day so make sure to check the hours before going. They also accept reservations and offer both indoor and outdoor dining.
11. Dino
222 DeKalb Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Another place that tops my list over and over as a great restaurant in Fort Greene (and the city) is Dino. They also happen to have some of the best pancakes in NYC and offer another unique take on a classic dish.
Just like so many other Brooklyn spots, Dino has the perfect patio setting. Set on the beautiful DeKalb Avenue, the back patio looks like a garden oasis in the back of someone’s brownstone, and Dino’s pancakes are best served on said patio.
Dino’s pancakes are the perfect portions of lemon and ricotta with the perfect amount of fruit compote on top. Lemon zest is also sprinkled over the top for that perfect extra addition of lemon to these perfectly fluffy buttermilk pancakes.
Dino’s pancakes are unfortunately only served on the weekends but they accept reservations for both indoor and outdoor dining.
12. Buttermilk Channel
524 Court Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Sometimes the best pancakes are the most simple ones and Buttermilk Channel has mastered that simplicity.
Just as the name suggests, which is not named after fluffy pancakes but the mile-long tidal straight between Governors Island and Brooklyn, but the buttermilk pancakes are my favorite thing on the menu by far at this local Carroll Gardens brunch spot and not just because this is a guide for the best pancakes in New York City. They are perfectly simple to create fluffiness that melts in your mouth with each bite. Add butter and their signature poor farm maple syrup and you might have your perfect meal.
For some of the best pancakes in NYC, you’ll have to wait for the weekends. Reservations are accepted and both indoor and outdoor dining are available.
13. Tom’s Restaurant
782 Washington Avenue, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn & 1229 Boardwalk W, Coney Island, Brooklyn
Carrying on with the lemon ricotta pancake trend for some of the best pancakes in NYC is Tom’s Restaurant located on the border of Prospect Heights and Crown Heights in Brooklyn. In addition, they have a seasonal location on the boardwalk of Coney Island.
What looks like a “traditional” diner, Tom’s is a step above many of the other diner options in NYC and part of that is attributed to said lemon ricotta pancakes. Smothered and griddled with ricotta cheese and topped off with lemon zest, these perfectly fluffy pancakes make for the perfect bite of cheese and lemon.
While the lemon ricotta pancakes are at the top, Toms also offers other varieties of pancakes including the Harvest Pancakes, which are whole wheat pancakes with cranberries and sweet corn. Don’t let the whole wheat scare you because these are truly delicious pancakes that are perfectly sweet from the corn that sometimes syrup isn’t even needed; sometimes.
They also have all your classic buttermilk from plain to toppings like chocolate chip, blueberry, cinnamon roll, apple walnut, pumpkin walnut, banana walnut, streusel, cranberry, sweet potato and mango walnut pancake. They also have a cinnamon pancake (another personal favorite) that can be served plain or with bananas or apples, a supreme pancake topped with a combination of blueberries, mangos and walnuts and last, but not least, a danish pancake served with a zest of lemon, ricotta, parmesan cheese and blueberries.
Almost all the pancakes can be topped with additional fruit if you’d like!
Just like many other old-school diners in NYC, Toms offers a variety of savory dishes to accompany your pancakes but you shouldn’t leave without putting at least one order of pancakes on your table.
Tom’s does not take reservations but opens early. Breakfast is served all day and both indoor and outdoor dining are available. Make sure to check their website for their location in Coney Island as it is seasonal.
14. Cafe Luluc
214 Smith Street, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Cafe Luluc is one of the best spots for pancakes in NYC but it’s also one of the originals and something is to be about places that can withstand long periods of time in New York City and still attract a wait.
The pancakes are about the size of a dinner plate and are covered with mixed fruits and covered in powdered sugar. Butter and maple syrup are also served on the side and if you’re feeling like you want a little extra, Nutella can also be added.
Cafe Luluc is open every day from early to late at night. Reservations are not accepted but they offer both indoor and outdoor seating.
15. The Uptown Garrison
821 W 181st St, Washington Heights, Manhattan
Heading way uptown and rounding out this list for the best pancakes in NYC is The Uptown Garrison, the perfect spot in Washington Heights with, once again, some of the best and most unique pancakes NYC has to offer.
Crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, this pancake is topped with fruit and jelly for an extra unique take on your classic flapjack. Maple syrup is served on the side and the best part about this pancake is that it is served as a platter so you don’t have to choose between sweet and savory for brunch!
The Uptown Garrison is open every day for breakfast, pastries and coffee, and brunch on the weekends. Both indoor and outdoor seating are available and reservations are accepted.
Better yet, after you have your fill on pancakes, you can walk over to Fort Tryon Park and the Met Cloisters for an after meal activity.
NYC’s Best Pancakes Summary:
- Bubby’s
- Chez Ma Tante
- Breakfast by Salt’s Cure
- Five Leaves
- Sunday in Brooklyn
- Rule of Thirds
- Vinegar Hill House
- Golden Diner
- Clinton St Baking Company
- Locanda Verde
- Dino
- Buttermilk Channel
- Tom’s Restaurant
- Cafe Luluc
- The Uptown Garrison
About the Author
Molly Royce – Originally from Oklahoma, I moved to NYC for grad school and have had a hard time wanting to leave ever since. There really is no better borough than Brooklyn where I live with my boyfriend and our black lab, Frankie. There’s no greater city in the world and I can’t wait to share my love of the city, eating, and drinking with all of you.
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