A stack of warm, syrup-soaked pancakes is always a welcome sight. The pancakes at these top-rated places, however, take things to new heights of deliciousness. We’ve scoured the US to find the best pancake house – or diner or café with a reputation for great griddlecakes or crêpes – in every state and DC. Have you tried the best stack in your state?
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
Specializing in classic Southern dishes, Blue Plate Cafe in Huntsville prepares homemade, hearty food using generations-old family recipes. The enormous pancakes are among the must-orders and keep people coming back for more. Be sure to try the Very Berry pancakes (pictured), piled high with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and whipped cream.
Snow City Cafe is a popular downtown brunch spot, and the pancakes are particularly good. They only serve one kind – golden buttermilk – although you can have them as part of a huge breakfast, or add bananas, blueberries or chocolate syrup (or all of the above, if you like). There’s also usually a pancake of the month, such as pumpkin or red velvet, with cream cheese icing and strawberries.
Some of the lightest and fluffiest pancakes in Arizona are served at Matt’s Big Breakfast in Phoenix. Their no-frills griddlecakes are mixed by hand, day in and day out, and the results are magic. There’s no need for fancy toppings or to smother them with fruit. They come with or without blueberries in the batter and are served with creamy, sweetened butter and Vermont maple syrup, letting their fluffy perfection speak for itself.
Downtown diner At The Corner is a brunch spot known for its super-fluffy pancakes. The house offering comes topped with fresh seasonal berries and bacon, while there are often specials like lemon, ginger and ricotta or strawberry oatmeal. They’re pretty generously sized too – something to bear in mind if you’re ordering them on the side.
This Los Angeles café could quite possibly serve the best pancake ever, especially for cupcake lovers out there. The Griddle Cafe is known for its red velvet ‘panCAKE’, topped with cream cheese icing, although everything on the menu is delicious. Other favorites include the Golden Ticket pancakes (pictured), filled with butterscotch, walnuts and streusel – a crumbly topping usually baked on top of cakes.
Snooze staff encourage diners to customize their own breakfasts, particularly when it comes to pancakes. If you prefer to order from the menu, its signature dish is the sweet potato buttermilk pancakes topped with house-made caramel, candied pecans and ginger butter. The pineapple upside-down pancakes, with vanilla crème anglaise and cinnamon butter, are also delicious – or you can try a few different varieties in a pancake flight.
Cute, local-favorite spot Cristy’s offers a wide range of specialty pancakes, including oatmeal and raspberry, sausage and coconut with pineapple and macadamia nuts. The most important thing to know, however, is that they’re consistently superb – some of the best you’ll find anywhere, according to customers. People also praise the warm, attentive service.
This spot which focuses on made-from-scratch comfort food has quickly developed a reputation as a top breakfast spot, and its pancakes are particularly good. Cafe Americana, which has a second branch in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, serves plain and ‘fancy’ stacks, with the latter topped with any combination of toppings, including bananas, blueberries, whipped cream, caramel and choc chips. Great customer service adds to the experience.
Retro diner Ted's Bulletin serves up a range of all-day breakfast favorites as well as other American classics like country fried chicken and meatloaf, but it’s the pancake stack that really gets people talking. It comes with eggs, hash browns, a choice of meat and optional blueberries, strawberries or choc chips. Another popular option is Ted’s Tart pancakes, with the diner’s take on Pop-Tarts crushed into the batter.
Keke's Breakfast Cafe has locations throughout Florida and, although they do serve lunch, it’s the morning favorites that keep people coming back for more. Pancakes are far from an afterthought here or something just to order on the side (although you can). There’s a whole menu of them, from classic buttermilk to Florida pancakes (pictured), topped with fresh berries, banana and powdered sugar, and they’re delicious.
Ria’s Bluebird seems to have perfected the recipe for light-as-a-feather, fluffy pancakes, which they whip up using sifted cake flour. The buttermilk short stack with maple syrup, toasted pecans, caramelized bananas and chocolate chips is a must-try and comes highly recommended, even winning over customers who aren’t usually keen on pancakes.
Pancakes are the main attraction at Cinnamon’s, which has locations in Kailua and Waikiki. This beloved breakfast spot does things a little differently, and that’s what customers love. Treats from the griddle include these pretty pistachio pancakes (pictured), red velvet and cinnamon apple – although classic buttermilk is also an option.
People don’t come to The Original Pancake House for fancy surroundings or silver service. They come (of course) for the stacks. The signature dish is an oven-baked apple pancake with apples and cinnamon, while the extensive range of other options includes delicious coconut and banana pancakes. You can order an omelet, French toast and other breakfast classics here too, but there’s no doubt that pancakes – whether you prefer American-style or crêpes – are the main attraction.
The signature pancakes at Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe are, unsurprisingly, berry-themed. The signature Berry Bliss pancakes come with a vanilla crème anglaise, blackberry coulis, berry mascarpone and fresh berries. There are other options, including the decadent chocolate chip and banana, and the Oreo s’mores stacks. There are two locations in Chicago and others in the suburbs of Schaumburg and Libertyville.
The Village Deli in Bloomington has come up with something that beats your everyday pancake: a pancake crossed with a cinnamon roll. This specialty swirl is a real favorite here. The café is known for its huge buttermilk pancakes, which can also be dressed up with a choice of toppings like berries, bananas, granola, choc chips and walnuts.
Breakfast is offered all day at delightfully retro Bluebird Diner. Its fluffy pancakes are made to a house recipe that keeps customers coming back for more. The classic buttermilk or gluten-free stacks can be ordered with all the usual embellishments like syrup, whipped cream, griddled bananas, walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips and blueberries. There are often inventive specials on offer too, such as chocolate cherry or s’mores.
Hanover Pancake House dishes out some real treats from its griddle. There’s a choice of buttermilk, wholewheat or pumpkin or – for something different – various pancake wraps. This genius idea takes pancakes, piles them with breakfast mainstays like scrambled eggs, bacon, corned beef and hash browns, and wraps it all up in one irresistible package.
The pancakes are a must-order at quirky brunch spot Josie’s. They’re also enormous. Choose whether you want your stack with whipped cream, butter and syrup, topped with berries or scattered with pecans and choc chips. You can also go down the savory road and add bacon, sausage or ham. Gluten-free options are also available.
Ruby Slipper in New Orleans serves great Southern breakfasts and pancakes. Everything from the griddle is irresistible, although the cinnamon swirl pancakes with cream cheese icing and served with applewood-smoked bacon are apparently life-changing. They also offer a pancake flight where you can try one of each plus the pancake of the day. There are several locations in New Orleans and its surroundings, one in Baton Rouge and a few outside of the state – in Mobile and Orange Beach, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.
The blueberry pancakes, which people often order for breakfast or dessert, are an absolute must at Becky's Diner, which has been flipping out great things from its griddle since 1991. The classic spot, on Portland’s waterfront, also serves plain buttermilk, chocolate chip and – for kids and pretty much anyone who loves Disney – a Mickey Mouse-themed pancake with fruit used to create a face.
Miss Shirley’s Cafe, which has three locations in Baltimore and one in Annapolis, rolls out a new pancake flavor each month. They’re often seasonal, with red velvet for Valentine’s Day and a festive stack with broken candy cane and chocolate. Whatever the toppings, they’re always a real treat – and the blueberry pancakes get rave reviews too.
The Paramount doesn’t offer a long menu of pancakes. In fact, it’s just classic buttermilk on offer, served with optional blueberries, strawberries, banana or chocolate chips. When they're this good, that's all you need. You can also go for whipped butter, powdered sugar and perhaps a generous drizzle of maple syrup. People praise the service too.
The Hudson Cafe in Downtown Detroit knows how to pull in the customers – and that’s with ridiculously tempting pancakes like the Oreo and the Chunky Monkey, a moreish combination of caramel, white choc chips and banana. Another crowd-pleaser is the Cinnabunn, cinnamon-swirled pancakes with a generous topping of cream cheese icing. It offers a variety of crêpes with toppings from banana to chicken pesto too.
Maria’s Cafe takes inspiration from South American cooking – you'll find corn pancakes, plantain pancakes and wild rice pancakes on the menu, as well as classic options such as blueberry and chocolate chip. The plantain and corn are great topped with hard cheese, while the others are best drenched in Maria’s homemade syrup.
You can have pancakes with pretty much anything at Big Bad Breakfast. There are buttermilk pancakes with berries and syrup, chocolate chip oatmeal pancakes, pancakes with a choice of meat and even pancakes with fried chicken – it’s up to you. The small chain also has a few locations in other Southern states including Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.
The colorful decor at fun, laid-back spot Succotash perfectly complements the vibrant menu, packed with things that make customers happy. It's known for its huge slices of rainbow cake but the pancakes are possibly even bigger – and equally delicious. Choose from giant buttermilk pancakes, a short-stack platter, ‘Swedish’ pancakes with lingonberries or the Cake & A Smile, with sunny-side-up eggs for eyes and a bacon grin.
From thick, fluffy pancakes served in a stack to gossamer-thin crêpes with cream cheese or chocolate-hazelnut spread, there’s something to please pretty much everyone at Running Bear Pancake House. This homely spot has been around since 1966 and, according to some fans, serve the best pancakes you’ll find anywhere. Choices range from buttermilk to cinnamon roll cakes, which are particularly good.
The pancakes at Le Peep, which has several locations in Omaha, are bigger than your head and even bigger when it comes to flavor. There’s blueberry and granola and even a pancake sandwich, filled with egg and bacon or sausage. They also serve crêpes filled with berries and ricotta or Nutella, with savory options like chicken with mushrooms in a hollandaise sauce.
BabyStacks, with five locations in Vegas and another in Henderson, is the perfect place to cure a hangover in Sin City – or just to treat yourself to a really decadent breakfast. The red velvet pancakes (pictured) are as delicious as any dessert. They come topped with whipped cream, chocolate crumbles and cream cheese syrup – and are the most popular thing on the menu for good reason.
Parker's Maple Barn in Mason is a family-run spot that opened in the 1960s, when it was a small sugar house. Today, it has grown into a much-loved breakfast and lunch joint to which people travel far and wide for a taste of the house-made maple syrup – best enjoyed drizzled over pancakes, of course. You can buy a bottle at the gift shop too.
Make sure you take your appetite along when you visit Brownstone Pancake Factory. Established in 1968, this hugely popular spot serves huge buttermilk pancakes and has featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. There are now three New Jersey locations – in Edgewater, Englewood Cliffs and Brick – and there’s often a queue of people wanting to get their teeth into treats like the brownie sundae pancakes and bacon, egg and cheese pancake wraps. They even serve stacks with wedges of cake or pie perched on top.
Since opening in 2006, The Grove Cafe & Market has become Albuquerque's favorite breakfast and brunch spot thanks to its friendly, laid-back atmosphere and focus on local and seasonal ingredients. You can order breakfast at any time of day and the pancakes – crêpes topped with fresh fruit, local honey, crème fraîche, maple syrup and edible flowers – are always a winner.
You can order pancakes at any time of day or night at Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant, whose griddled stacks often attract queues around the block. Fans reckon it’s worth the wait to tuck into the fluffy, perfectly crisp pancakes topped with anything from banana and walnut to wild Maine blueberries or classic maple syrup. There’s a range of monthly specials and they’re so good they even tempt those who don’t have a sweet tooth.
Customers describe the pancakes served at Joey’s Pancake House as the best they’ve ever tasted, especially when served with wonderfully crispy bacon. The restaurant, tucked in Maggie Valley with a backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains, serves up pancakes so fluffy and moreish, people just can’t stop eating them.
Darcy’s Cafe in Grand Forks has a small but perfectly formed pancake menu, with its griddled cakes sold individually or as a stack and with a choice of blueberries, chocolate chips, pecan or cinnamon roll flavors. The options don’t stop there though. You can order a side of light, perfectly prepared pancakes with pretty much anything on the menu, from a three-egg omelet to the chicken fried steak or corned beef hash.
Pancakes are not always round and flat. At funky spot Katalina’s, housed in an old gas station, they’re sometimes round. The pancake balls are a real favorite here. They're made to a traditional recipe with local stoneground flour and served filled with Nutella or pumpkin-apple butter and topped with locally produced maple syrup. They’re also great with the house sweet and spicy bacon or a veggie sausage on the side.
Breakfast is king at syrup., founded on the principle that it’s the best meal of the day – any time of day. Its pancakes are particularly tasty, whether you order the cinnamon roll stack with cinnamon streusel and icing, or go for the sweet cream pancakes with powdered sugar and a choice of sweet or savory toppings. The café works with local and global community projects and charities too – so every pancake supports a good cause.
Stepping Stone Cafe in Portland does its pancakes a bit differently. They’re called ‘mancakes’, and each is the size of a dinner plate. They’re so huge, they even featured on eating challenge TV show Man v. Food. There are seasonal specials such as tres leches, while classic buttermilk and wholewheat varieties are flipped on the griddle all year round.
Pamela's Diner has four locations in Pittsburgh and each is guaranteed to serve incredible pancakes or hotcakes, as they're known here. They come crêpe-style with perfectly crisped edges and toppings such as bananas, chocolate chips, walnuts and whipped cream. You can also order pancakes with a choice of thick bacon, hand-carved ham, sausage links or turkey sausage patties.
You can tuck into breakfast any time of day at The Corner Café, where wholegrain pancakes come topped with berries, almonds and yogurt or in a savory dish of scrambled eggs, roasted peppers, feta and herbs. For something a little different, there’s the Alpine: three pancakes with sliced sausage, caramelized apples and Cheddar.
Fans of thin, crisp-edged pancakes will (and do) adore Breizh pan Crêpes. This cute, pastel-hued spot specializes in French Brittany- or Bretonstyle crêpes made with buckwheat flour – and they’re simply perfect. There’s a range of sweet and savory fillings to choose from, with vegan and gluten-free options available too. Everything is delicious.
Pancakes definitely win the popularity contest at Tally’s Silver Spoon. The blueberry pancakes are described as superb, while all varieties flipped on the griddle are huge and perfectly fluffy. The menu includes choc chip, pancakes with egg and bacon or sausage, and crêpes with ham and egg or fresh fruit and whipped cream. People appreciate the wonderful gluten-free options too.
The Pancake Pantry is one of the most famous breakfast spots in Nashville. Each of its two locations serves up more than 20 pancake options, with the banana bread batter with pecans a particular favorite. Other varieties include old-fashioned buttermilk and a range of rolled cakes, filled with compotes from cherry to peach. They come stacked high, so it might be an idea to share if you’re feeling generous.
Kerbey Lane Cafe is the place for brunch in Austin, and thankfully there are nine locations to choose from in and around the city (they also have a café in San Marcos). Pancakes are the signature dish and they’ve been made to the same recipe since the café opened its doors in 1980. Diners can choose from classic buttermilk, gingerbread and apple, blueberry or cinnamon swirl. The best thing about them is how big and fabulously fluffy they are – just perfect.
Penny Ann’s Cafe, with two locations in Salt Lake City, calls its pancakes ‘Heavenly Hot Cakes’ and there are plenty of people who agree with that description. The batter is made with sour cream, making them light, fluffy and flavorful, and they come in a range of stack heights with just butter and syrup, or as a substitute for bread in a bacon sandwich. You can order them on the side of the breakfast plates too.
Where else would serve the best pancakes in Vermont than a sugar house? The state’s famous syrup is still made at Maple Sugar & Vermont Spice in Mendon, along with maple candy. Thankfully the pancakes are a match for the delicious maple syrup, with some customers describing them as the best ever. The house stack comes with cinnamon and maple sugar baked in and tastes as good as that sounds.
Worker-owned Little Grill Collective is consistently rated as a top local breakfast spot. It has a cracking range of pancake options to choose from such as carrot cake pancakes, blueberry and banana pancakes, buttermilk and buckwheat. Much of the menu is vegan, with the pumpkin spice pancakes with roasted root veg highly recommended.
The pancakes at Portage Bay Cafe are anything but standard. The menu has Swedish-style pancakes, made with rice and tapioca flour and served with lingonberries, apple cinnamon pancakes, and vegan pancakes served with bananas and powdered sugar. All pancake orders include a trip to the café’s breakfast bar to load up on fruit, whipped cream and organic maple syrup.
Located in a converted church, Cathedral Café is an artsy breakfast spot and bookstore that turns out great wholegrain buttermilk pancakes. They're packed with whole oats and served with a choice of blueberries, sweet potato or banana and walnuts.
The pancakes at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik come with Swedish meatballs or a choice of ham, Canadian bacon or sausage. There are some delicious, sweet options too, such as strawberries, cherries and ice cream, or strawberries and whipped cream. The restaurant has plenty of other Swedish specialties on the menu, though it’s the griddle cakes that keep people coming back. That, and the goats grazing on the living roof.
The Bunnery Bakery & Restaurant in Jackson makes its exceptional O.S.M. pancakes with oats, sunflower seeds and millet. They’re wonderfully light and fluffy, and can be topped with strawberries, blueberries or huckleberries. You can buy some of the pancake mix to whip up a batch at home too.