The Resy Guide to Exceptional Pancakes in D.C.

While chef David Deshaies loves to change up his menus, some dishes never leave his roster due to their popularity. The buttermilk pancakes at Unconventional Diner are a prime example. Here, the pancakes have been on the brunch menu almost since the restaurant opened, and — as of a few months ago — are now available for both brunch and dinner. And as soon as you taste them, you’ll understand the reverence locals have for these flapjacks.

The four pancakes are each brushed with butter as they’re stacked, then doused with a house made blueberry-lavender syrup, dotted with a brown sugar cookie crumble, and finally, crowned with a scoop of vanilla mascarpone that has been whipped with crème fraîche and lemon zest. The tart, floral blueberry lavender syrup is made by adding lavender syrup to a blueberry compote, which spotlights locally farmed berries during the summer. It’s the plate of pancakes you’ve dreamed of, and more.

Ube Pancakes

These are easily one of the most eye-catching pancakes in town, thanks to their memorable purple hue. Made with traditional pancake ingredients like flour, eggs, and baking soda, these pancakes also incorporate ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, which gives them their distinctive color. Topped with ube buttercream, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and served with macapuno syrup (Filipino coconut syrup), these colorful pancakes taste as good as they look. Note that if you don’t want the pancakes as an entrée (the brunch menu here is stacked), you do have the option of ordering them as a side.

Can’t decide if you want a sweet or savory pancake brunch? Don’t worry, Osteria Morini has you covered. Recently, this waterfront Italian restaurant launched a new Morini pancake menu, with seven different dedicated pancake options (!). The signature sweet pancakes are still great (of those, the tiramisu is the one), but their savory variations really shine on the new menu. Try the smoked salmon pancake, which riffs on a smoked salmon bagel sandwich, with a savory ricotta pancake piled high with smoked salmon, a generous mound of scallion mascarpone, a handful of trout roe, and everything bagel seasoning. Elsewhere, there’s a carbonara pancake and a diavola with a poached egg, prosciutto, and Calabrian chile honey. Pro tip: For the ultimate pancake experience, order the pancake old-fashioned to drink — it’s made with cinnamon-maple syrup and comes adorned with a tiny pancake.

Deutsch Baby!!

The Germans are famous for many dishes: schnitzel, sausages, pretzels, and even pancakes. At Prost, the German pancakes are cooked in a skillet, rendering them huge and puffy. Golden and crispy, the pancake is lavished in flakes of powdered sugar, fresh fruit, and served with maple syrup. For a chicken and waffles twist, you can order it with chicken schnitzel and syrup, but be forewarned — the Deutsch Baby is cooked to order and takes about 20-25 minutes to arrive, so be prepared for a leisurely brunch. Pro tip: To make this brunch experience even more leisurely, partake in the Prost Bottomless brunch, where mimosas, draft beers, and bloody marys are unlimited for 90 minutes for $30. The mimosas come in no less than seven varieties, including prickly pear and hibiscus.

Pancake lovers, Ellie Bird is calling your name. Purchase any main dish, and it comes with unlimited pancakes for just an additional $5. Fluffy and doughy and dusted with powdered sugar, these flapjacks will invoke nostalgic memories of the pancakes your mom used to make. For the main dish, we recommend the tornado omelet. This playful East Asian twirled omelet covers a mound of kimchi fried rice and lap cheong (Chinese sausage) and serves as the perfect contrast to the sweet pancakes.

Swedish Pancakes

If you’ve never had traditional Swedish pancakes, your next brunch reservation needs to be at Mikko in Dupont Circle. Thin like crepes, these delicate pancakes are slightly sweet and just a little chewy. Folded into triangles, the trio of pancakes arrives with a handful of berries, a generous smattering of powdered sugar, a generous dollop of whipped cream, and maple syrup — perfect with a coffee while you soak up the weekend vibes on their patio.

For a stack of homestyle pancakes, head to Vagabond. Here, a trio of soft pancakes awaits, with a classic scoop of butter on the side and a pool of amber Vermont maple syrup. If you want to dress up your pancakes a bit, you can add blueberries, bananas, or (best of all) chocolate chips. There’s just something about the bitterness of chocolate that marries so well with caramel and toffee notes of maple syrup. Pair your pancakes with a passion fruit or guava mimosas for a truly delectable brunch.