Getting to Clinton Street Baking Co. on the Lower East Side from the Upper East Side is an epic trek. I have already made the trip twice and was told way early in the morning that there was a wait until about six, at night! There is no way I can wait all day, that would make me way too hangry—and trust me, you do not want to see me hangry!

I finally made it through the front doors of this humble red chaired, wooden table-topped restaurant. With the aroma of decadent pancakes filling the space, I knew it was going to be everything I had been hearing. Just to make sure, I ate every single dish on the menu. I totally see the—I can’t even call it “hype” because that would make it seem unjustified. The trip is so worth it!

There are so many delicious dishes, which I didn’t expect. If you actually look at the menu, pancakes are a single line item. I don’t know why, but my brain always imagined Clinton Street Baking Co. to be all pancakes with a sprinkling of eggs and burgers—nope! There is so much to demolish. Really though, those pancakes. I seriously ate two plates of them. Those Wild Maine Blueberry pancakes and the Chocolate Chunk pancakes didn’t see me coming. Honestly, I couldn’t stop myself. Literally felt like a magic trick, now you see them, now you don’t. Also, and here’s the important part, I’m not the biggest fan of pancakes—can’t say that anymore.