MenuPages

yes, back in 2002, we never had to wait for a table at clinton street. 6 of us could show up and we'd be seated immediately and we would immediately struggle over what to order. on more than one occasion my friends and i would be totally gluttonous and order 2 entrees each and finish every last bite. on snow days we'd have the entire place to ourselves! while those days are gone and the restaurant has been lucky enough to be PACKED on even weekday mornings, i will say that they deserve it. the food is so great and makes me so happy when i eat it. i get this overwhelming sense of security and zen from their pancakes. i crave their huevos rancheros weekly. my parents still bug me constantly to take them to get the buttermilk biscuit sandwich. i would recommend getting food to go and sitting in a park eating or at home if you dont want to wait in line. it will still taste amazing.

I went to this place back went it first opened and it was phenomenal. Pancakes were $10, which at the time was unheard of (now it's the norm), and the service was as fantastic as the food was. I used to go there all of the time. Once it got mobbed on Saturdays, I found that it you showed up at 2:15, you could catch a table with minimal wait. Then they stopped accepting reservations around 2pm. Then I would call ahead for takeout - rush down, pick up my food, and rush home - since I lived close enough that the food was still hot and tasted exactly the same at home. Now the place is a cliche of itself. The service is terrible. The attitude of the staff there is miserable as they clearly have disdain for themselves and the customers. On top of that, customers sit and finish their food and chat and do crossword puzzles with no awareness of the countless people waiting. The place is now also filled with tourists who saw the place on tv or wherever. They order the pancakes and take a picture. I mean, are you there for a photo op so you can tell your friends you ate there or because you like the food? Such is Manhattan these days. Anyway, the food is still fantastic and it tastes just as good every time. However, as are the rules for having the privilege of eating anywhere good these dasy, the waitress will take your order and serve your food, but she'll never check back in on you until you ask for the bill. You only get one napkin and one glass of water (no refills), and if you want an extra delicious portion of their maple syrup for their pancakes (and they don't give you enough for your order to begin with), that'll be an additional $2 on top of your now $13 pancakes. You're welcome and don't forget to say "thank you."

I've been going to and ordering from Clinton for a few yrs now. Initially I was impressed with the simplicity of the food and decor. I did notice above average amount of flies circulating the restaurant, but wrote it off as a LES "Mamas" type of place. In the last year the service has really taken a downturn, and the management either doesn't know or doesn't care. Last time i ordered the delivery guy couldn't find my address, today he delivered to the wrong address making me wait an extra 30 min. I do like the pancakes and the biscuit egg sandwich, but this is the last time I call them.

i love this place! sure, the wait is long, but thats because the food is worth it. i always go before i get hunger pains, but by the time they call my name, im ready to eat! i love the pancakes and french toast. and the biscuits are amazing! this area is super cute so even if the wait is 2 hours, just put your name down and go for a walk! lots of cute boutiques in the neighborhood.

My daughter read good things about this restaurant so we decided to go there even before we knew it was half price wine night. The first two things we asked about on the menu were no longer available; the wine we were served was not what was listed on the menu; we did not receive any biscuits with our meal; the waitress never asked us how our meal was. We noticed the pancakes being served at the next table were advertised as made with "real Maine Wild blueberries." Being from Maine, we know that the wild blueberries are tiny, not big like the domestic ones.

Arrived early Sunday morning hoping to get in ahead of the crowd (10:30) but was told that already there was a 90 minute wait for a table for four. Once we finally got a table, we found that the food was fine but nothing special. Any semi-literate cook can make eggs and pancakes like these at home. But what really disappointed me was the way our server tried to get us to pay and leave as quickly as possible. We had waited patiently to get in, so was it really asking so much that we be left alone for a little while to enjoy our food and talk with our friends? In short, this is another one of those special NY places that is hyped for no real reason. Tons of people will enjoy it just because they've heard it's popular, etc. But if you're looking to have a nice relaxed meal in a comfortable setting then this probably isn't the best option.

I don't know what happened to this place. My server was half asleep and I had to wait forever for everything then I look over and he is sitting at a table eating eggs. lol