Sarabeth’s & Good Enough to Eat: NYC’s Best Pancakes?

September 13, 2008

NYC Food Guy is a pancake fan but it’s hard to find good ones. The best I’ve had in the city so far are the Banana Walnut Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter at Clinton Street Baking Company. I’d heard good things about Sarabeth’s & Good Enough to Eat so I decided to see how they stack up to the best. Read on to find out how they fared plus a word on Sarabeth’s crab cake sandwich & Good Enough to Eat’s omelets.

Sarabeth’s Buttermilk Pancakes with sliced strawberry & banana ($13.50)

Good Enough to Eat’s Lumber Jack (Two Buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, two pieces of bacon – $10.50) & a side of biscuits with strawberry butter ($2.25)

What Makes A Good Pancake?

Light and airy
Unique, homemade flavor which separates it from other pancakes
Though they may be a struggle to finish, you want to keep pushing because they’re so good
Extra points for banana or other fruit mixed INTO the batter (not just on top)

Sarabeth’s

I’ve seen these pancakes on several top lists and the place certainly looks nice enough to work some magic on the flat griddle. Unfortunately, looks were deceiving. Solid on presentation, poor on execution.

Pancakes were bland, generic and doughy. Finishing them was an unrewarding struggle.
Buttering the pancakes is key to deliciousness, make sure you do that quickly so it melts in.
Maple syrup was authentic and warm, no artificial flavors here.

Sarabeth’s Iced Coffee

The one saving grace of the meal. For around $5 you get a nice little pitcher of strong Iced Coffee, good for at least 2 and a half, maybe three glasses, depending on how much milk you use.

Other Sarabeth’s Notes

Two women next to me ordered the crab cake sandwich ($19.50). They said the biscuit-like bun, Sarabeth’s English muffin, was tough and the matchstick fries were cold and stale.

Good Enough to Eat

Unfortunately, being mobbed every weekend has gone to their heads. They’ve got a unique menu but portions are small. As a result, reasonable prices aren’t so great anymore. You need to order a feast like the Lumber Jack (strawberries cost extra) below to get some bang for your buck.

Pancakes are light and airier than Sarabeth’s but lacking in the flavor department
Make sure to spread the strawberry butter and syrup all over to make up for that
Order a side of fresh, tasty biscuits and strawberry butter to fill out your meal

The desserts are homemade, tasty and always changing so make sure to ask what your options are. I recommend the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting.

Good Enough to Eat’s Omelet ($10.25)

The combination of a hastily prepared omelet and an underwhelming portion of fillings plus the absence of any potato side (i.e. home fries) makes for an overpriced omelet. Again, the bread & strawberry butter are the only saving graces.

Conclusion

Neither Sarabeth’s nor Good Enough to Eat’s pancakes can shine the shoes of Clinton Street Baking Company. While both places are more fun that the neighborhood diner, I think they’re being buoyed by hype and their names more than the quality of their food. If you don’t mind spending a few extra dollars, you can at least thank the NYC Food Guy for pointing out both restaurant’s shortcomings. If you know of any great, under the radar pancakes, please send them my way in the comments section.