Did someone just claim the crown for the best pancakes in San Francisco? I think they did. The lemon ricotta pancakes were nothing short of phenomenal. The texture was impossibly light and airy, while the flavor struck that perfect balance of bright citrus and rich creaminess. I honestly can't remember having pancakes quite like these before. The layers of marscapone--and what I believe were whipped egg whites folded between them--created an incredible combination of moisture, flavor, and delicate structure. It was one of those dishes that has you planning your return before you've even finished the last bite. As impressive as the pancakes were, they weren't the only standout. The breakfast sandwich was outstanding, packed with flavor and expertly prepared, and the shrimp and grits were rich, comforting, and beautifully executed. Top it all off with genuinely warm, attentive service, and this was a breakfast experience that exceeded every expectation. I can't wait to work my way through the rest of the pancake menu. read more

Wish I could give zero stars negative one or -2 or -3 because I would Wasn't sure if I should write a review because the owner/workers don't care. I know this because other reviewed on things and they made no comment or changed their disgusting habits. BUT then I said I better so others see it and maybe the board of health. I want to start by saying that I absolutely love pancakes and breakfast, so when a friend suggested Pancake Boy, I was genuinely excited to try it. Before visiting, I did what I always do--I started by reading the one-star reviews and worked my way up. Most of the negative reviews I found were about the service being rude, abrupt, or unfriendly. Since many of those reviews were older, I hoped things had improved. Unfortunately, they hadn't. From the moment I called and then walked through the door, the staff came across as rude, abrupt, and unwelcoming. Considering the prices, I expected much better customer service. What truly ruined the experience, though, was what I witnessed with the food handling and cleanliness. I watched the cook handle raw food with his bare hands and then continue preparing food without changing gloves or washing his hands. After seeing that, I immediately changed my order to something without meat or eggs because I completely lost confidence in the kitchen. It didn't stop there. Both servers wore the same pair of gloves while clearing dirty dishes, serving food to customers, and repeatedly touching her face mask. Watching those same gloves touch everything was honestly disgusting. Then came the moment that completely ended any chance of enjoying the meal. A woman a few tables away vomited onto the floor. The vomit sat there without anyone cleaning it up while customers heading to the restroom had to step over it or walk around it. It remained there long enough that it became impossible to ignore. From start to finish, the entire experience was a disaster. I've honestly eaten at roadside food stalls in developing countries that were noticeably cleaner and practiced better food safety than what I witnessed here. I genuinely don't understand how this restaurant has avoided serious health code issues, because what I observed was deeply concerning. I will never return, and based on my experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant. The saddest part is that they don't care because they never respond to anybody's reviews. read more

I rarely go out for brunch but I was in the area with friends and decided to stop by for some food on a Saturday around 1pm. We got seated quickly but after 10-15 minutes, the place filled up. Our table wanted to try the pancakes so we ordered the Ube Pancakes to share. I was pleasantly surprised at how good these were. Even without the ube syrup, the batter itself has a distinct ube flavor (not artificial tasting). For my main dish, I ordered the Dungeness Crab Scramble which I was very happy with. This was pricey but they actually pack in a lot of crab so the price was justified imo. The side of home fries that it came with was probably the crispiest I've ever had. The only thing I did not enjoy was my OJ Mimosa. I know that some people prefer a stronger Mimosa but mine literally came out with a drop of OJ. I'm pretty sure they use cheap champagne so I'd rather have my drink be flavored with some juice and asked the server to put more juice in (it was still not good after). I would not order this if I came back. Other than the mimosa, the food was actually very good and I would recommend the Pancakes and Crab Scramble! read more

Pancake Boy - Ube Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pancake Boy is an excellent breakfast spot in Noe Valley. Food was delicious and service was friendly and prompt. Smaller restaurant and the wait for Sunday brunch may get long. Overall: 4.5/5 The salmon eggs Benedict was excellent. Loaded with salmon and nearly all elements were perfect. Salmon provided a perfect level of salt and smoke, eggs poached perfectly, and the hollandaise had a wonderful tang. The spinach and avocado were great too. My only notes about the plate were that the bread for the Benedict was lackluster and the potatoes needed more seasoning. The bread got soggy too quickly and didn't add any meaningful texture difference. The potatoes were crispy and fluffy, nothing wrong with the cook, but they overall needed a bit more seasoning. read more

They say breakfast is the most important meal and sets the tone of the day. There is a place which has many different dishes available for breakfast. Some of the dishes are sweet and cheesy like the Lemon Ricotta Pancake and the savory King Salmon Tartine and also their Grits With Sausage & Shrimp. They also have lots of good variety of food and drinks at this place at this Noe Valley establishment. It's called Pancake Boy. On a Winter breakfast stroll down 24th street in Noe Valley I went to Pancake Boy which specializes in different types of pancakes. I had to try their red velvet pancakes. It was delicious with the syrup and it was not too sweet. I then I got their purple yam pancakes also known as the Ube pancakes . These pancakes had berries on top and had a purple Ube sauce on the side. These Ube pancakes were savory and a bit sweet with the purple sauce. Overall Pancake Boy is a great place to get different variety of pancakes like their Ube pancakes the breakfast of champions. There is a place to "enjoy" and jump for" joy " for red velvet pancakes which I like to search and "destroy" in SF at " Pancake Boy" "Awake" to a place for breakfast where they "make" Ube the purple "pancake" and Coconut Brown Rice Pancake in SF which has "coconut flake" read more

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It's called pancake boy so the obvious choice is to get pancakes! I got the banana mascarpone pancakes and they were delightful and yummy! Generous portion too. Was also craving a Benedict so I got the dungeness crab + shrimp Benedict with a side of potatoes. The dungeness crab tasted really mushy to me and wasn't that flavorful and after one bite I didn't really want more, but had to force myself to eat the rest. The bread they use underneath it all was getting really soaked up too. Prefer if they used an english muffin. Other than that, the potatoes were really good and crispy, but just disappointed about the benedict. Restaurant and decor seems a bit dated would recommend sprucing up the place aka get new chairs and tables and use actual glassware too. read more

Pancake Boy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Tried the PB Favorite, love it . Be back for the Corned Beef. Great service even if it's a busy Saturday. Great outside service too. Clean , bright and spacious. read more

Pancake Boy - Inside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a great place for pancakes, small restaurant and has lines usually but we only waited about 15 minutes. I was really conflicted on which pancakes to get (ube vs lemon vs banana), ended up getting Banana Mascarpone Pancakes which had 3 Soufleé Pancakes. I loved them as they were fluffy soft and so tasty. Each element was cooked very nicely and the mascarpone complimented the pancakes so well! We also got the chicken French toast and I absolutely HATE it when places keep the bones in fried chicken because it's hard to eat especially when it's French toast, you should be able to cut through it easily. French toast definitely should've come with extra maple syrup on the side as it seemed a bit dry with the chicken addition. Do yourself a favor and skip the drinks (we got pistachio latte and red velvet latte) here as well as they are overpriced and watered down. Definitely coming back here to try the other types of pancakes. read more

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Really enjoyed the food! My friend was able to get there at the perfect time (a little after 11am) so we barely waited to get seated. Keep in mind that there is no reservation so you'll need to line up when you get there. We were seated outside which we liked because it was quieter than being inside. We ordered the red velvet latte, lemon ricotta pancakes, and ube pancakes. I thought the red velvet latte was fine. I thought that the lemon ricotta pancakes were really fluffy and good, but I think something would be really elevate them would be the use of lemon curd instead of lemon extract. I really liked the ube pancakes too since they weren't overly starchy. I think I would recommend getting pancakes to share with the table and then getting a savory dish too :) I would definitely come again. read more

Pancake Boy - Lemon Ricotta Panckaes and Ube Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Omg, so much good stuff on their menu! The lobster scramble was especially tempting. We ended up getting the dungeness crab scramble and pancake boy's plate with a housemade pork sausage patty, scrambled eggs, and buttermilk pancakes (other options included banana mascarpone/lemon ricotta), as well as an english breakfast tea. No sugar free syrup here, but I enjoyed my yummy pancakes with extra butter on the side. The pancakes themselves had a nice buttery flavor and the perfect texture. And that savory sausage had good seasoning, with a hint of sweetness to it. The dungeness crab scramble was also very tasty, with soft scrambled eggs and a generous amount of crab and melted cheese. And if you like avocado, there was plenty on top too. Even the salad and fruit that came on the side with our dishes were fresh and delicious. It took 10 minutes to be seated around 1:00pm, an hour before closing time. We opted for outside (covered parklet with patio heaters in winter), as it would have taken longer for indoor seating. Service was excellent, friendly and attentive during our entire visit. We also didn't feel rushed in the end when preparing to pay our bill. Everything about our experience makes me want to return. read more

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Loved the variety for the classical brunch options! Food-wise I loved the crab cakes, the potatoes were perfectly airy and crispy, and I loved that the pancakes had ricotta filling making them more fun and different than your average pancake. Service was super efficient. The only nitpicks are I wish the pancakes had more of the zesty lemon flavor and that the latte was just ok (kind of tasted like the automatic latte machine from an office building, idk). Overall I definitely want to come back to try more menu items! read more

Pancake Boy - Lemon Ricotta Souffle Pancake, Crab Cake Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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First time here and had a great experience! They don't sell individual pancakes so I opted for the kids silver dollar pancakes, side of scrambled eggs and side salad. Very random but the eggs were soo good, I ate them so fast! The salad was bigger than I was expecting and good. And the pancakes were fluffy and soaked up the syrup perfectly. This place reminded me of the pancake cafes I would go to in Tokyo with great staff, decor and food presentation. read more

Pancake Boy - Kids Butter Milk Pancake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My husband had the buttermilk pancakes and I ordered the sf omelette. The pancakes were really good and filling. The omelette was super fluffy and good but the potatoes were terrible. I would recommend opting for the fruit bowl. read more

I was in the area and decided to stop by Pancake Boy for an early breakfast after seeing the good reviews. I had actually been here over 10 years ago, and since I was nearby I figured I'd give it another shot to see if anything had changed. Unfortunately, the experience ended up being pretty disappointing. My husband and I both ordered omelets and pancakes. I had the SF omelet, which was decent but very basic, nothing particularly memorable or that stood out. It was fine, just not something I'd rave about. My husband ordered the chipotle pulled pork scramble, and unfortunately it was extremely greasy, with oil pooling on the plate. He's someone who loves a good breakfast scramble and almost always finishes his meals, but this one was just too greasy for him to continue eating. The most disappointing part, though, was the pancakes. Considering the restaurant is called Pancake Boy, we expected them to be the highlight. Once we poured the syrup over them and took a bite, we both immediately noticed a very bitter taste. We're not sure if something was off with the batter or the syrup, but it definitely didn't taste right and we ended up sending the pancakes back. Coming back after more than a decade, the experience felt very similar to what I remembered, and unfortunately not in a positive way. Based on this visit, I don't see myself returning again. read more

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We love it here, this is our to go brunch place on 24th street. The French toast is amazing and the seafood Benedict is my all time favorite. They service us quick so you don't wait long for food. I recommend this spot to brunch lovers read more

Pancake Boy - Seafood Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a nice spot to have breakfast. The eggs Benedict plate was pretty dang good. It was a big plate with a lot of food and could even share with someone. My friend and I had to take the rest to go. I'd go back again! read more

This place was delish! We ordered the lemon ricotta soufflé pancakes with a side of bacon. Everything was delicious and the service was very prompt. Size portions were very big so consider sharing if you get the pancakes! We sat outside on a rare sunny SF day - only compliant is the street is pretty busy so it can be very noisy if you want to have a conversation. read more

Pancake Boy - Lemon Ricotta Souffle Pancake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lemon ricotta soufflé pancake is a must. Fried chicken French toast a must try. The salmon egg Benedict is yummy! read more

Pancake Boy - Menu 1 as of 5/12/26 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This has been our favorite breakfast place from the beginning when it was Griddle Fresh. The portions were great, quality was great too. Lately, it's changed. Quality is not great, my lemon soufflé pancakes are layered w/a thin pancake then filled w/egg whites. My husband's Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict was not good, the salmon wasn't fresh & the color was off. He told the waiter w/not responds that the salmon is not good. That was it, gave us the check and we paid & left. Sadly we won't be going back. Time to start going somewhere new w/quality food. read more

Came around 11am on a Saturday and probably waited 5-10 minutes before getting seated. Ordered the club sandwich and fried chicken and French toast as well as their cafe mocha with whip and the iced coffee. Huge portion for the fried chicken and French toast! The chicken was crispy on the outside and still moist and tender on the inside. I really want to know how they did it because it wasn't oily at all either. The French toast was also really good. They serve the whole dish with maple syrup on the bottom but the French toast wasn't soggy. The club sandwich with fries was really good too. I normally don't get club sandwiches because they feel so basic but the chicken in the sandwich was nice and grilled and moist. The bread was toasted and crunchy, would get again. I didn't love the mocha but it was still really good, especially the whipped cream. Would go back and get a hot chocolate with the whip read more

Pancake Boy - PBs Fried Chciken French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We loved this brunch spot. The line moved surprisingly fast on a Saturday at 11:30! Our table for 5 was seated within 20 minutes. The top picks were the lemon soufflé pancakes and the chicken sandwich!! We also loved the banana pancakes and chicken French toast. Outdoor and inside seating! Excellent service. High chairs for kiddos! read more

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Delicious food! I had the grits with shrimp and sausage. Good flavor, grits were rich and creamy. Shrimp was flavorful. Very very filling! read more

I hesitate writing this review because of all of the very positive ones this restaurant has received. But in reading the less-than-positive reviews, I find my experience was quite similar. The place is nice enough and the people working there were polite and efficient. The food is simply overcooked and tasteless. I had the Fried Chicken and Challah French Toast. Literally everything on my plate had zero flavor. I seriously doubt that they used any egg or milk in making the French Toast. It was as if they just plopped it in a pan to heat it up and as a result, it was unpleasantly dry and bland. The Fried Chicken was completely dehydrated and lacked any flavor of any kind. The bacon bits that covered the French Toast were equally void of flavor. The only thing that saved the meal was the maple syrup which I needed in order to moisten the food enough so that I could swallow it. If this is typical of what they serve here, I am amazed that there are lines of people waiting to get in on the weekend. The draw must be that the portions are large and it's not as exorbitantly expensive as many places are these days. I would not bother to return. In my opinion, McDonalds serves a better breakfast. read more

3.5/5 Get the pancakes! My friend and I came on a Sunday around 1PM and got seated immediately. We ordered the SF Omelette (3/5 - EGGS SO FLUFFY but unfortunately there was no taste in this and same for the potatoes (definitely more potato than skin like it could've been fried more but that's a personal taste) & needed salt or literally any seasoning) and the Lemon Ricotta Soufflé Pancake (3.5/5 also SO FLUFFY they fr know how to make things airy and light but I tasted no lemon?). It seems like they know how to make things fluffy but where is the flavor in all of this? BTW, they don't seat incomplete parties! The vibes are definitely more mom/pop shop but I didn't really interact with the staff. read more

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Whenever you see a line outside the restaurant in SF, it's usually a good sign! Pancake Boy did not disappoint, it was very tasty. The ingredients were very fresh, and the meal was excellent. Also quiet aesthetic for photos :) I will say that for ambience, it was extremely hard to hear my friend across the table from me. So I would say that is the only caveat. read more

Pancake Boy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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i got the PB's plate with banana mascarpone soufflé pancakes (vanilla curd, candied walnuts and bananas with some sweet cream), 2 eggs and like 4 pieces of bacon. I also had a pistachio latte, I would suggest getting it hot bc I got it iced and there were pistachio nut pieces at the top, but it was very good. I like my coffee a bit sweet and I hate the burnt butter taste of the espresso which it didn't have so that was good. Everything was so freaking good and the plate was huge! I sat outside since the wether was nice and we usually don't get the sun out here and it was cute but the tables were a bit too close together for my liking, don't know what the inside looks like. My server was quick and everything got out reasonably timed, even on a busy Saturday morning. my meal was $34 after tax . read more

Pancake Boy - PB's Plate : Banana Mascarpone Souffle Pancake, 2 Eggs Any Style and bacon. Pistachio latte (I recommend ordering the latter hot) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I had the lemon ricotta pancakes with a mocha and my husband had the salmon eggs Benedict with a cappuccino. The staff were very friendly and were just on it. Would come here again because you can't seem to go wrong in Noe Valley. read more

A pretty tasty brunch spot. I got the omelette which had generous amounts of avocado and crispy home fries with it. Seasoned really nicely. We also got the lemon ricotta soufflé pancake which was a super unique thing I've never had. The inside was incredibly soft and light and they were all packed with this eggy filling. Really tasty even as leftovers. Service was nice too read more

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One of the best pancakes I've ever had, hands down! When I first got there, there was no parking, outside seating and a narrow inside. I ordered the buttermilk pancakes(3x) with blueberries and strawberries. Wait time was average. Unexpectedly the berries were also inside of the pancakes!! They were well caramelized and hot. 10/10, would come back again. read more

Pancake Boy - Buttermilk pancakes(3x) w/ strawberries and blueberries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My second favorite breakfast in San Francisco. When I'm in town for a few days, I know I'm gonna stop by to get those banana mascarpone soufflé pancakes. They are s fluffy and delicious. Brought Mom here for the first time and she'd never been, but she loved her soufflé pancakes too because they were rich in flavor. The Benedict's here are great too. It's a small restaurant, so come when they open if you don't want to wait for a seat during brunch. They also have heated seating out front which is nice, but heat lamps don't make up for the wind when it's going, so unless you have a pup or it's sunny,it's probably best to eat inside. read more

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Cozy diner style brunch spot in Cole Valley. We ordered: Shrimp and sausage grits 4/5 - flavorful Lemon ricotta pancakes 3/5 - ricotta is a separate layer from the pancake where some places fold it in the dough itself. Pancake tasted a bit undercooked Coffee - free flowing refills Staff attentive and nice. Note place closes at 2pm. read more

Pancake Boy - Shrimp and sausage grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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As others have said, it's a solid brunch spot in Noe Valley. You can't reserve a table, so you have to get there pretty early to stand in line. Not sure if it's Asian-owned or just staffed, but the menu is pretty eclectic. The ambiance was interesting as it felt like a standard diner inside. I suggest eating outdoors if the weather is nice. We ordered the ube lattes (can't make these bad) and an order of ube pancakes (delicious and sinful). For breakfast, we ordered an SF omelet (huge and filling) and an avocado toast (delicious with pickled onions). We went home feeling satisfied! But if you don't like waiting in line, there are other spots that have similar offerings where you can reserve tables. read more

Pancake Boy - SF Omelette Ube Pancake Ube Latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cozy breakfast spot in the noe valley area. This place is very popular so be sure to be ready to wait if you get here past 10am. I ordered the breakfast chilaquiles which came with a side of carnitas and topped with eggs and green salsa. The green salsa was tangy and had good flavor but needed more spice. Also came with a side of home style potatoes which were crispy and freshly made. We also ordered the corn beef hash which had real chunks of beef and fresh potatoes. Topped with sunny side up eggs and a side of the home style potatoes and bread of your choosing. Portions are generous and the food is delicious. Service was a bit slow. It took awhile to get our breakfast items in and sometime we didn't get coffee refills. It gets busy so I can see why it took awhile. I def want to come back and try more items read more

Pancake Boy - Chilaquiles Verdes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for the first time on an overcast Sunday morning with family. I was surprised to be seated in less than 5 minutes, as I've walked by this place and have seen the long lines. We sat down and were still looking over our menu when our waitress comes up and asks what we want. I let her know that we needed a few minutes and she walked away looking irritated. She was definitely on the lower end of the friendly scale the entire time. I ordered the lemon ricotta soufflé pancakes. Two of my other family members ordered the eggs Benedict with a side salad and my brother ordered the PB plate with banana mascarpone pancakes. Reviewing just my food, the photos make the pancakes look great but they tasted very eggy. The inside of these seemed to be filled with whipped egg whites, which I was not a fan of. I wouldn't order this again. The only thing I can say that was good was the oat milk latte. Maybe I ordered the wrong food item but was not feeling that or the service (particularly from our waitress). The rest of the staff seemed nice. Not sure I'd be back any time soon. read more

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Service and breakfast were amazing!!!! Fruit very fresh. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes were worth it!!!

Poor quality. The effort put into the plating of this dish was severely lacking. Tasted fine, but the excess liquid on the plate ruined it. read more

Pancake Boy - Chipotle Pulled Pork Scramble - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was 10/10 good I ate everything! Although It's a small space and a tad crowded inside And u have to wait outside to be seated And u can sit either inside or outside. If you have no problem with any of these things I recommend going ! read more

Pancake Boy - I had the Lemon Ricotta Souffle Pancakes & Pistachio Latte He had the Ube Pancake & red velvet latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got seated outside right away on a Saturday morning. I was happy there's a cover/roof over the parklet as it was raining a bit during our meal. We ordered the shrimp and sausage and grits and a Benedict to share. Portions were large and service was pretty good. Food was fairly tasty but nothing overwhelmingly amazing. We were happy to check it out for brunch while in the area. read more

Pancake Boy - The Grits with Sausage & Shrimp - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for brunch with my boyfriend and we both had high hopes after seeing the reviews and the line out the door every weekend. I ordered the Wake Up Sunshine which was soju and orange juice, which was very refreshing on a hot Sunday morning. My boyfriend ordered an iced chai latte with oat milk, but it ended up coming to us hot with whole milk. It took us a really long time to flag down a server to correct this because it's not what we ordered. They gave it back to us, but it was the same drink just poured over a glass of ice, so now it tasted extremely watered down and the milk situation was still not corrected. This was not a pleasant start of the experience, but we just decided to let it pass since it took so much effort to grab someone's attention. For the food we ordered the lemon ricotta soufflé pancake and chilaquiles verdes to share. The chilaquiles were flavorful, and the potatoes were really crispy which was good. The pancakes were another let down since the middle was undercooked. I've had a ton of soufflé pancakes and they've never been basically raw in the center like this one was. The flavor was there but the texture wasn't in the middle, so we just ate the parts that were more cooked. Overall I don't think I will be returning given the service and quality of the food for the price point. read more

Pancake Boy - Chai Latte and Wake Up Sunshine - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My friend and I went here one weekend. We luckily grabbed a seat outdoors, which was really lovely. We shared the PB's plate (3 buttermilk pancakes, 2 poached eggs, and bacon) and a side of breakfast potatoes. It was good! Nicely presented too. My only gripe is that the PB's plate is $25, which imo is wildly expensive. Possibly similar pricing to the other popular brunch places in sf.. but still that's kinda wild when the eggs and bacon (2 of the 3 items) weren't that different from any other brunch spot. So I'm taking one star off for that bc it's GOOD, but I think it would have to wow me to be that much ya know? read more

Pancake Boy - PB's Plate (right) and side of potatoes (left) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California