Best of Toronto
The Best Pancakes in Toronto
The best pancakes in Toronto are Aunt Jemima's worst nightmare. The brunch menu favourite gets a Toronto makeover with designer toppings like roasted plums and sour cherry compote, and slims up with healthy and vegan-friendly ingredients. But our list includes the good old-fashioned buttermilk variety, too. Any way you stack them, the city's best griddle cakes are little moons of breakfast pleasure.
Pancakes are the sort of thing that I can really only experience once a month. The carb and syrup rush is short-lived. Then, the unassuming breakfast cakes expand and fill every available cubic inch in my stomach. I feel the urge to hibernate for several weeks, living off of my stores. How have we managed to convince ourselves that pancakes are brunch food, when they are clearly dessert?
But, like with boozing ("I'll never drink again!"), I somehow forget about the white-flour hangover and I order pancakes again. While crisscrossing the city to indulge in the pancakes on this list, I was on a binge. A perma-carb high that came dangerously close to a full-on pancake overdose. It's a living.
Check out our list of the 12 best places to eat pancakes in Toronto, as voted by readers of this site.
Photos by Jen Chan, L.Richarz, Adrienne Tam, Taralyn Marshall, Dar Mustafa, Joseph Michael and Dayna Winter.
Mitzi's Cafe
On my recent visit to Mitzi’s, the pancake special ($13.25) is a thick oatmeal version topped with Ontario roasted plums and marshmallow cream. It’s almost like a dessert, but I love that the ‘cake itself isn’t too sweet and can handle its sticky toppings. Served with homefries, fruit, maple and whipped cream, it’s big enough for two. Specials rotate weekly. More »
Mildred's Temple Kitchen
This liberty village eatery is consolation for fans of the original Mildred Pearce, a now-closed beloved Toronto breakfast spot. The Temple Kitchen’s buttermilk blueberry pancakes with local maple syrup ($13) are popular but only available during Sunday brunch. Arrive early to avoid line-ups. More »
Aunties and Uncles
This little off-College Annex breakfast joint draws scads of local brunchers 7 days a week. I’ve waited in 45-minute line-ups for breakfast. It’s that good. Aunties’ banana oatmeal pancakes are hearty and served with a monstrous bowl of fruit and a side of maple syrup. All for $7.50. More »
Fresh
Veggie-favourite Fresh offers up a vegan pancake dish every Saturday and Sunday. The absence of milk and eggs doesn’t affect the fluffiness, though – the texture is divine. Available in five varieties, the banana nut is moist and nutty. Order them as a platter with tofu scramble and vegan sausage sides. Bet’cha can’t finish! More »
Littlefish
This Junction breaky hotspot boasts several pancake specials including blueberry, banana and bacon. Yes, bacon pancakes. Line-ups here for weekend brunch are standard so get here early. More »
George St. Diner
I chat with Ash, owner of George Street Diner, at one of the vinyl booths while the open-kitchen staff prepare my griddle cakes. Three whopping-huge discs arrive, dotted with blueberries, and served with fruit. You can order them in banana-chocolate too. Chocolate for breakfast? A big hell-yes! More »
School Bakery and Cafe
Ten bucks gets you a stack of seven (count ‘em – seven!) pancakes at School. Of course, in diameter, each cake is smaller than average (whew). These are the most traditional I’ve tasted, and would appeal to pancake purists. Topped with fresh berries, they have a nice marriage of sweet and tart. I love the attention to detail at School – education-themed props like the mini science-lab beaker of maple syrup are just too cute. More »
Frank
Much unlike my favourite hangover haunts, Frank is where you might take your mother for her birthday brunch. The pristine resto, named for AGO architect-mastermind, Frank Gehry, and nestled inside the gallery, serves pancakes during weekend brunch only. Buttermilk and toasted almond ‘cakes are complemented with Niagara sour cherry compote, maple syrup and almond whipped cream. Drool. More »
Fire on the East Side
Chef Adam Baxter likes to mix things up. He personally delivered the weekly-feature pancakes to my table. On my visit, the special was apple-caramel, with toppings so perfectly sweet that maple syrup was unnecessary. The texture of the ‘cakes was incredible – crisp and almost waffle-like on the outside and buttery-soft on the inside, with moist chunks of apple. Each weekend, the specials change – look for festive ‘cakes seasonally. More »
Okay Okay
Okay Okay is your typical low-key retro diner. Vibe, hours, and prices cater to the out-too-late and spent-too-much crowd. For a non-morning person, it’s just my speed. Brunch, served Saturday and Sunday only, includes two types of huge buttermilk pancakes – blueberry or banana – topped with butter and served with maple syrup. More »
Discussion
29 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
I love eating pancakes when I'm naked and letting the syrup run down my thighs and then going for a run on my treadmill. It's like, the best thing ever when my leg hairs dreadlock up with syrup and sweat! You can't do that at frickin' Aunties and Uncles.
Karine's has the best 'cakes in town, and I will fight anyone who thinks otherwise.
http://karines.ca/
In fact, a perfect meal for me there is an order of pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs. mmmm.
But, be forewarned. This is not somewhere you go for ambiance. It's a "family restaurant" in a neighborhood full of 'interesting' characters.
But the pancakes, which are somewhere between a crepe and a pancake (thin, with crispy edges and soft wonderful middle), are served with real maple syrup, and a side of real honest to goodness butter.
I can't remember how much they are, $6 something I think, maybe as high as $7, but worth every penny.
re bacon pancakes -- am I the only one who wish this bacon fad would go away?
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/sadiesdiner
They might have been fine pancakes, but by the time they reached the table they were cold and rubbery.
Other than that. Great list! I look forward to trying the others.
Mitzi's is a winner as well with a pancake as big as your face! In addition to the generous portion, the oatmeal lends a slightly nutty taste and a hearty texture.
I still want to try Mildred's famed pancakes.
The pancakes from Fresh are mealy, thick, dry and disgusting. Can't believe they made this list.