12 Postcards
Clinton St. Baking Company is the go-to spot for NYC brunchers, famous for its fluffy blueberry pancakes and vibrant, welcoming vibe—with lines that prove it's worth the wait.
"Waiting in an endless line to eat the pancakes at Clinton St. Baking Company is a New York City rite of passage. It’s the kind of thing you do in the first six months of living here, but it’s also the kind of thing that’s nice to revisit every few years just to see if the sparkle is still there. This place is loud, unreasonably busy, and kind of annoying, but the pancakes are truly top-notch. They’re fluffy, basic, and delicious." - carina finn koeppicus, kenny yang, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah
"Why is it that Clinton Street Baking Company resembles a crowded subway car on the weekends? Ridiculous pancakes, obviously. During brunch hours, it’s not uncommon for people to wait two hours for the pure, fluffy cakes of ecstasy that this place is known for. We won’t join them...but we can’t blame them either. The pancakes alone make this place a top [perfect_for slug=“chronic-brunch”]Chronic Brunch[/perfect_for] venue in Manhattan. After being told there was a long wait for brunch at 3:30pm on a Saturday a few years back, CSBC was officially relegated to an afterthought for us. Maybe if they were handing out freshly baked goods on the street, it’d be worth waiting around, but they don’t, so coming here on a weekend is completely out of the question. Like you, we don’t have that kind of time to waste. But those pancakes can only remain an afterthought for so long. We had recently been thinking about those big beautiful things a whole lot, and it was time for a fix without the wait. Weekday breakfast was the move, and hot damn, was it ever. Talk about starting the day off right. The place is close enough to the F train to be convenient to Midtown, and a weekday meal means you aren’t waiting around like a crazy person. Book a breakfast meeting just for the hell of it. For those living on the Lower East Side or EastVillage,Clinton St. Baking Company is also a useful lunch and dinner standby, delivering quality food across the board. It’s a charming little establishment, family owned and operated by a husband and wife team who put that little extra love into their food to make you remember it and want to come back. Food Rundown Pancakes We’ve discussed these enough. The pancakes here are incredible. Favorites include blueberry, chocolate chunk, and banana walnut. Spanish Scramble Another one of our favorite brunch orders: three eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, caramelized onions, scallions, melted monterey jack, with hash browns and sourdough toast. Delicious. Eggs Benedict They make an excellent hollandaise at Clinton St. - definitely feel free to order up the benedict. Poached eggs and grilled ham with sauce over their homemade, toasted buttermilk biscuit. Damn straight. Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich This is a pretty damn good egg sandwich on a toasted biscuit. Proceed. Brioche French Toast Brioche french toast + caramelized bananas + roasted pecans + warm maple butter = definition of Chronic Brunch. Grilled Chicken Sandwich It’s always on the menu, and for good reason. Served with bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and chipotle mayo on a toasted roll, this is a fine sandwich. You won’t leave hungry. Black Angus Cheeseburger Monday through Thursday, there’s a $12 burger and beer special from 6-8pm which we’ve been known to hit up every once in a while. The burger is pretty standard - a nice patty with swiss or cheddar and caramelized sweet onions on a toasted brioche bun, with chips and slaw. Not a bad option dinner option if you live in the hood. Buttermilk Fried Chicken Dinner time is fried chicken time at Clinton St. Baking Company. It’s not on the same level as some of our favorites, but this is still a high quality piece of crispy, juicy chicken. Order with confidence. Classic Hot Fudge Sundae Always save room for dessert, especially here. The “classic’” hot fudge sundae is awesome. Homemade hot fudge, whipped cream, and real chocolate sprinkles. Just like the old days at Friendly’s." - Andrew Steinthal
"These are probably the most famous pancakes in the city, as underscored by the long lines of people vying for a stack on any given Sunday. Here, the wild Maine blueberry pancakes are the big draw: They’re light and fluffy, made with egg whites, and accompanied by warm maple butter. Not much of a berry fan? Choose the banana walnut or chocolate chunk varieties instead. Bypass the lines by opting for breakfast for dinner, which is an entire section on the nighttime menu." - Eater Staff
"There are often lines around the corner to get in but it's worth it for the legendary pancakes. Plus, take-out is always available if you don’t have time to wait for a seat. They take reservations for dinner only."
"There’s nowhere in NYC more known for its pancakes than Clinton St. Baking Company. Expect lines, so have a snack first, but then get ready to carbo load on Maine blueberry, banana walnut, or chocolate chunk stacks. The light and fluffy cakes are made with egg whites and come with warm maple butter." - Emma Orlow, Urvija Banerji
