Clinton Street Baking Company has been on my list for a good amount of time. I always wanted to check them out since I go to NYC at least twice a year to eat.
I caught a red-eye on April 2, 2015 for my Michelin 3* star tour and it gave me the perfect opportunity to arrive before Clinton St opened. When I travel, I’m extremely OCD about my agenda and make sure it’s followed no matter what. In other words, it means do or die. I made sure we arrived 20 minutes early to avoid the line.
Anyway, Clinton Street Baking Company is cash only, which isn’t an issue with me at all. It’s pretty well documented on all popular eatery sites, but some reason it slipped my mind cause of the red-eye flight. Luckily, I had just enough on me to cover the meal. The wait staff were all very nice and friendly. They had their recommendations and everything arrived in a timely manner. I didn’t have any issues with being rushed out.
Now, the food.
- Burberry Pancakes – The fluffy slices of heaven that felt like Cloud 9 on your palate. It dissolved easily as you chew them. The sour yet sweet blueberries mesh well with the sweet maple syrup. The taste of the dish was overall sweet with a slight sour after-taste on your palate. This could easily be in the top 10 best pancakes I’ve eaten. I think Dave Chappelle would agree these are better than Prince’s pancakes.
Blueberry Pancakes - Southern Breakfast – It’s two eggs any style, sugar-cured bacon, cheese grits, and fried green tomatoes. We went with the scrambled eggs and the soft fluffy glob of cholesterol were perfect. The sugar-cured bacon had a sweetness to them and crispy even though it was thicker than normal bacon. The cheese grits had a coarse texture to them. I definitely enjoyed the crunchy batter on the fried green tomatoes. It was good enough to have Lil Jon say, “Okaay”.
Overall, Clinton Street Baking Company definitely lived up to their hype. It’s a great breakfast and brunch spot if you can get a seat. I wouldn’t wait 2-3 hours for them and suggest people get their before it opens. In addition, eat there only on a weekday.
Check out our other New York articles here.
- Service - 7.5/107.5/10
- Presentation - 7/107/10
- Flavors - 8/108/10
- Decor - 7.5/107.5/10
- Ambiance - 7/107/10
Summary
Clinton Street Baking Company provides a comfortable dining atmosphere and a cash only service. It’s in Lower East Side and has tourist flocking to it like Central Park. The fluffy pancakes and soothing flavors would make any diner’s palate happy.
