Guide To Great Pancakes In Connecticut

CTbites Team April 01, 2018

There is nothing quite like a fluffy, American-style pancake topped with butter and drizzled with real maple syrup. These breakfast-focused and all-day eateries offer both classic flavors and tasty twists on pancakes perfect for a filling meal to start the day. The CTBites staff have weighed in and we’ve stacked together our favorite pancakes throughout the state of Connecticut.

If you have a favorite pancake spot that is not on our list tell us all about it below.

Southwestern Connecticut

Driftwood Diner, Darien: Driftwood Diner is a favorite neighborhood spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their menu offers four types of pancakes, all vegetarian-friendly, and their lemon pancakes served with berries, candied lemon, lemon syrup, and whipped cream stand-out among other tasty menu items.

Caffe Social, Norwalk: At Caffe Social, enjoy build your own pancakes topped with blueberries and bananas or your choice of other fruits and sweets.

Pancakes from Sugar & Olives i n Norwalk

Sugar & Olives, Norwalk: Sugar & Olives serves brunch on Wednesdays through Sundays, and through the menu changes daily based on the freshness of ingredients, the pancakes, whatever their variety, should be ordered. Currently, they are serving skillet pancakes with maple syrup, rhubarb compote, or lemon curd.

The Sono Baking Company and Café, South Norwalk, Darien: Sono Baking Company is loved by CTBites for their baked goods and full espresso bar. For breakfast, you also can’t beat their buttermilk pancakes!

The Cottage, Westport: The Cottage is run by one of Connecticut’s best chefs, Brian Lewis, so it’s no surprise that the delicious buttermilk pancakes are elevated with wild huckleberries and toasted almonds. Due to The Cottage’s popularity, it is best to call ahead to make a reservation.

Bella’s Café, New Haven: Bella’s Café is one of those excellent establishments that serves the best meal of the day—breakfast—all day. The menu at Bella’s has three different pancake options, buttermilk, blueberry, and banana, with regular stacks and shortstacks both available.

Lakeside Diner, Stamford: Open early, Lakeside Dinner has great pancakes, but also don’t miss out on an order of their warm cinnamon doughnuts as an appetizer or for dessert. You can find Lakeside Diner at 1050 Long Ridge Rd. in Stamford.

The Corner Restaurant, Milford: Enjoy “the fluffiest pancakes in CT” at The Corner Restaurant. A variety of toppings are available seasonally.

Rosie’s, New Canaan: Enjoy drizzling real maple syrup over the the fluffy buttermilk pancakes at Rosie’s. Still hungry...Try any one of their delicious breakfast baked goods and entrées. They're all good.

Aspetuck Blue Bird Inn, Easton: Tuck into a single, shortstack, or a full stack of buttermilk pancakes at Aspetuck Blue Bird Inn.

Magees Curbside Diner, Stamford: This is not only one of the best casual breakfast and lunch food in Stamford, but proudly serves Pancakes with pulled pork & Jack Daniel’s honey maple syrup, as well as other scrumptious pancake specials.

Southeastern Connecticut

Rise, Mystic: Rise, relatively new on the up-and-coming Mystic foodie scene, has definitely left a positive impression on diners. With their menu created around locally sourced ingredients, you can expect to find unique specials on the chalkboard menu. But what really takes the (griddle) cake is their buttermilk pancakes served with help-yourself Bobo’s Maple Syrup. These hearty pancakes are massive, nearly taking up the entire plate—certainly enough to share. Rise is open Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday) from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 10 Water Street.

The Engine Room, Mystic: A CTBites favorite, the Engine Room is a hip spot to eat any time of day, with all-around great menus for brunch, lunch, dinner, and drinks. Though their menu changes frequently, sometimes omitting the pancakes, their cast iron baked Dutch pancakes are amazing. Fluffy, light, and sweet but not too sweet, baking a pancake in a cast iron skillet seems to be the ultimate way to cook it. To taste their rendition of pancakes, be sure to come for brunch, which is only served on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Somewhere In Time, Mystic: This cozy spot gets an A+ for its help-yourself coffee, friendly staff, and breakfast served all day. Their extensive breakfast menu is also on-point, with buttermilk, whole grain, and build-your-own pancakes that can contain one or several different items from a selection of blueberries, walnuts, chocolate chips, and more. Though packed with tasty add-ons, the pancakes remain fluffy. You also have the option to order a stack of two or three, which I appreciate in a time where serving sizes always seem to be getting larger and larger.

Bleu Squid, Mystic: Head to the Olde Mystick Village for a yummy breakfast at the recently expanded Bleu Squid. Originally opened as a cupcake bakery and fancy grilled cheese store, Bleu Squid has flourished after its renovations, allowing more space for diners and now serving breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, they have several different options for pancakes including the standard buttermilk as well as buckwheat, sweet corn, blueberry, and banana pancakes.

Noah’s Restaurant, Stonington Borough: Located in the quaint Stonington Borough, Noah’s is a local favorite hangout for a leisurely weekend breakfast. Linger over coffee that is constantly refilled by the wait staff while digging into pancakes made from scratch. My suggestion for your pancakes order is their Dos Wild Blueberry Pancakes, which come packed with juicy blueberries and topped with maple syrup from Stonegate Farm Sugarhouse. Note that Noah’s is closed on Mondays.

When Pig’s Fly, Waterford: Sister restaurant to Somewhere In Time, When Pig’s Fly offers pretty much the same menu and the food is of the same quality. Their buttermilk, whole grain, and build your own pancakes can all be enjoyed here.

La Belle Aurore, Niantic: This tiny, cozy restaurant serves up a fantastic weekend brunch. The menu sometimes changes based on what’s available at the local farms, but generally they offer four pancakes choices: buttermilk, chocolate chip, blueberry, and chocolate strawberry. The chocolate strawberry pancakes are very decadent and definitely feel like a #treatyoself brunch option. Brunch is served only on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon and Sundays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Call ahead to make a reservation, as this brunch is quite popular and seating is limited.

The Shack, East Lyme, Waterford, Groton: The Shack is an old standby in southeastern Connecticut, with many patrons becoming regulars over the years. The Shack has a massive breakfast menu, with six different pancake options, and if you don’t just want pancakes, The Shanty has buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, and home fries all piled onto one dish. The cinnamon apple pancakes and blueberry pancakes are definitely worth the calories and go perfectly with a cup of continuously refilled coffee.

Central Connecticut

Chip’s, Multiple Locations: Chip’s offers six locations in Connecticut, and is the place to go for down and dirty IHOP-style pancakes. They also offer gluten free equivalents for every single pancake flavor on the menu.

Mamie's: New Milford, Roxbury: We love when our readers share their favorites with CTbites. Mamies' name came up twice, specifically their insanely good blueberry pancakes. Located just next door to the Green Spot and overlooking the Aspetuck River, it is arguably one of the most beautiful spots to enjoy breakfast or lunch in Litchfield County.

Mo's Midtown, Hartford: "Mo’s is proudest of its home fries, and they are cause for admiration. However, their pancakes are grand, too. Mo’s makes several kinds, including apple-walnut, blueberry, chocolate chip, and strawberry-raspberry. The unfilled and unfancy buttermilk cakes are the ones we like best. Made of whole wheat flour and with a faint sweetness reminiscent of cinnamon, they are thick and tender and featherweight, fairly levitated off the grill in irregular shapes and piled willy nilly (by ones, twos, or threes) on a plate. Not handsome pancakes, but memorable ones, they are true breakfast comfort food." -Roadfood.com

Sarah’s on Main, Portland: Sarah’s keeps folks on both sides of the river happy with her ever-changing pancake offerings, including seasonal specials with fresh fruit from local farms.

Jack’s Country Restaurant, Higganum: Further south in Higganum, Jack’s Country Restaurant always has something interesting featured. No matter what kind you choose, these bad boys are bigger than your head and crazy good!