Clinton St. Baking Company

Clinton St. Baking Company has been serving the Lower East Side since 2001, and over the years its pancakes have turned it into one of the city's most famous brunch addresses. It grew from a bakery into a full restaurant while keeping a homely, neighbourhood feel, and on weekend mornings the queue outside is a sign of its reputation.

Brunch is the main draw. The blueberry pancakes with warm maple butter are the dish most people come for, thick, fluffy and generous, and they are the restaurant's signature. Buttermilk fried chicken, Spanish-style scrambles and other egg dishes fill out the menu, and the juicy cheeseburger has its own following, especially at dinner. The bakery side of the business is still part of the identity, so look out for the baked goods on the counter.

Brunch is served indoors from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 3:30pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30am to 4pm. Dinner runs from Wednesday to Saturday, 5:30pm to 10pm, with takeaway and delivery from 4pm to 9pm on those nights, and the restaurant is closed for dinner from Sunday to Tuesday. There is no outdoor dining at this location.

Dinner reservations can be made through Resy, and some tables are held back for walk-ins every evening. Brunch is largely first come, first served, with walk-ins welcome but not guaranteed a quick table, so arrive close to opening, especially at weekends, when waits can be long. Weekday mornings are much calmer. Prices are moderate, and the restaurant suits families, couples and anyone in search of a classic New York brunch. If the weekend queue looks too long, a weekday morning visit is a far more relaxed way to try the famous pancakes.

The restaurant is at 4 Clinton Street, between East Houston and Stanton Streets. The 2nd Avenue station on the F line and Delancey Street–Essex Street on the F, J, M and Z lines are both within about ten minutes' walk. Katz's Delicatessen and Russ & Daughters are a few blocks west along Houston Street. Clinton St. also runs a counter at Time Out Market in DUMBO, Brooklyn, and a branch in Tokyo. Questions can be sent to the restaurant by email.