In a cheery storefront with huge picture windows and a red vestibule, Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant is a great place to escape the rain and cold. The warm, delectable dishes leave the customer satisfied and cozy. Located on (you guessed it!) Clinton St. just off of Houston, it opened ten years ago as a small pastry shop. As time went on, the management thought it might be nice to start selling egg sandwiches and the like. Eventually, this turned into other sandwiches and omelets until it finally became the full-fledged restaurant it is, with menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pancakes, however, are their specialty. The pancakes come in four flavors—plain, wild Maine blueberry, banana walnut, and chocolate chunk—and are served all hours of the day. The owner is a New Yorker, born and bred, but has always had a thing for southern cooking, which has heavily influenced the menu (cheese grits, buttermilk biscuits, sugar-cured bacon, fried chicken). The menu features classics like Huevos Rancheros, French toast, five different burgers, and fish tacos, as well as classic dishes with a special spin, like the smoked salmon scramble and the green chile burger.

My companion and I ordered blueberry pancakes, the Spanish scramble, a side of cheese grits, and a hot chocolate each. It was a tad pricey (for high schoolers, at least) with most entrees not below ten dollars, but it is definitely worth it as a treat.

The Spanish scramble ($13) was absolutely delightful. It was made up of three eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, caramelized onions, scallions, and melted Monterey jack; served with hash browns and sourdough toast. The eggs were perfectly cooked and the proportions of the extra ingredients were impeccable. The caramelized onions and cheese worked wonders with the eggs and the chorizo gave the dish a thicker flavor. The dish was very well executed, although I was not as impressed with the hash browns. I asked for them well done (as one always should because they are bound to come out undercooked), but they were still lacking the crispiness I craved. Not only that, but the side itself more resembled mashed potatoes than hash browns. Despite this mishap, the dish was impeccably executed.

I was delightfully surprised by the grits ($5)—most of my southern grits experiences haven’t been this thick. They were absolutely scrumptious: creamy, cheesy, melt-in-your-mouth-good. And best of all, the portion was huge. Grits are the kind of side you always want more of, but you’re never served enough. Luckily, this side was almost as big as the scramble itself, leaving me satisfied for the whole meal.

And oh, the pancakes ($13). Those pancakes! Those incredible, fluffy, blueberry-filled stacks of joy! Never have I had such pancakes. The blueberries were perfectly moist and juicy, but not too sweet. The pancakes were flawlessly light and fluffy—which made them not too filling, an automatic plus. The maple butter was a confection I’ve never experienced: hot melted butter and maple syrup mixed together in a little cup. The result was nothing but heavenly. The syrup was so delicious I actually ate most of it by itself, something I am not ashamed to admit.

As incredible as the meal was, my full dining experience was left incomplete due to the mediocre service offered to me. Our waitress was friendly, but incredibly slow. The restaurant was quite busy while we dined, which is all the more reason why a waiter should be fast-paced, especially when the place is as small as it is (some twelve-odd tables). She never once came to the table to ask how our food was, which is the top rule in the server’s handbook—after making sure you take the customer’s order and bring them their food. When we asked for the check, it took ten minutes for them to actually bring it to us. I was a little offended by the lack of attention the server gave us. In the restaurant business, “one must always do more than is expected,” but I did not see this adhered to at Clinton St. Baking Co.

I left satisfied, full, and very warm—a nice feeling on a cold, rainy day. I plan on going back to taste the other flavors of pancakes and possibly some dinner dishes. Despite the totally mediocre and irritating service, which I admit might be an aberration, I highly recommend it if you are looking to spend a couple extra dollars—you really do get plenty bang for your buck.


Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant

4 Clinton St. (btw. E Houston + Stanton)
646-602-6263

Food: *****
Service: **
Atmosphere: ****
Cleanliness: ****
Overall: ****
Price: $$$

Cuisine: American, Southern
Other notes: Brunch!!

* Awful.
** Mediocre
*** Satisfactory
**** Very good
***** Fantastic!

$$$$ Very expensive
$$$ Pricy
$$ Manageable
$ Cheap!