Clinton St Baking Co & Rest

(646) 602-6263

4 Clinton St (Houston Street)
New York, NY 10002 40.7212 -73.9839

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Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown

CLINTONSTREETBAKING.COM

Hours:

Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, 6pm-11pm

Sat 10am-4pm, 6pm-11pm

Sun 10am-4pm

Price:

$

Last updated 4.23.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Cash, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Family-Friendly Dining, Brunch

Cuisine:

Traditional American

What People Are Saying About Clinton St Baking Co & Rest

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The main reason this is a brunch mecca is the food: thick, fluffy brioche French toast, served with maple butter and fresh berries, excels; likewise, a clever sandwich of scrambled eggs and tomato jam in a light, salty buttermilk biscuit. And, of course, the cakes, pies, and other desserts are out of control, and you can have a sneak peak at many of them, as you enter. To the left is a small counter where solo diners can enjoy a meal; groups head to the right to be seated in the bright, airy dining room. There's lots of blond wood, service is cheery and the general air is friendly.

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
Be prepared to put your name on the list and wait for an hour or so if you arrive around noon on Saturday or Sunday. On sunny mornings, chairs are put on the sidewalk for those who want to wait.
Save Money:
Tuesday nights, the entire wine list if half-off.
The Extras:
The bakery serves Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory ice cream, a cult favorite of New York City ice cream lovers for years.
Know Before You Go:
The restaurant is cash-only during the day, but takes credit cards after 6pm.
Fun Fact:
The atmosphere owes a lot to the jazz soundtrack, which is heavy on Django Reinhardt and Sidney Bechet.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. Service was fine, and although it's a bit loud and crowded, the ambience is quite good.
  2. (p.s. love the laid back ambiance)
dessert
73.33000183105469% positive
  1. From amazing eggs to their deserts.
  2. not crazy about the cookies, but the breakfast is delicious!
  3. They have some ice cream, I forgot the name of it, but it was rated the best ice cream in New York.
  4. Loved the cream cheese in the middle.
  5. clinton st. baking company was a great find on clinton and houston st. Small place, but has a full bar, delicious ice cream, and an outstanding weekend brunch.
drinks
61.66999816894531% positive
  1. Reviewer said bad looking hosts, but we sit at the bar because of some especially cute and friendly bartenders.
  2. had the Eggs Benedict - food was tasty and home-made biscuits were absolutely delicious - coffee came in those huge bowl-like cups.
  3. Awesome coffee and homemade biscuits!
  4. The coffee is really good and the biscuits are so fresh, they just fall apart.
  5. Not to mention the full bar which can help cure your hangover with a delicious brunch.
  6. Awesome $10 burger & beer special - one of the best deals in the city
  7. The biscuits were so dry I had to drink a few glasses of water just to get down the bites.
  8. And most importantly, since you are getting up early, they pour some fantastic cocktails to start your day right.
  9. clinton st. baking company was a great find on clinton and houston st. Small place, but has a full bar, delicious ice cream, and an outstanding weekend brunch.
  10. My coffee was always full, and food came out fast.
food quality
83.10000419616699% positive
  1. Not worth the hype - Hour and half wait for cold eggs and a rude hostess.
  2. It was the best fried chicken I ever had!
  3. Fried chicken and fish tacos are the best.
  4. For the longest time there hasn't been a place that so reliably delivers great food at any meal.
  5. My wife loved the salad.
  6. tried the French toast and the pancakes, that are really excellent.
  7. We ended up at Schillers -- food there was just as good, the waiters and hostess were so attentive!
  8. ALSO, the place has delicious pastries and muffins.
  9. You should definitely try this place; just don't order avocado salad.
  10. Having dined all over the country and appreciating AWESOME food you will not go wrong with your choice of this cute out of the way place!
  11. The food is really good but I just don't understand the willingness to wait in a huge line.
  12. Some people probably love that and are part of it while others don't care because the food is "that good.
  13. This truly is the PERFECT pancake.
  14. The food is fresh, delicious, and creative.
  15. Unlike our first visit, the food was just mediocre.
  16. The fresh menu is orginial and creative.
  17. worked hard all week and i just want to enjoy a meal and not feel rushed after waiting 2 hours to eat.
  18. The fried chicken is juicy, never dry!
  19. not crazy about the cookies, but the breakfast is delicious!
  20. now it's like anywhere else downtown with decent food (actually the food is always amazing--hats off to the kitchen!
  21. the orange juice was fresh squeezed and the pancakes were to die for.
  22. The food is amazing.
  23. The coffee is really good and the biscuits are so fresh, they just fall apart.
  24. But they make possibly the best pancakes ever and decent french toast.
  25. The food is good, but is not worth the wait and not worth putting up with the horrible customer service.
  26. Hi My boyfriend ordered the stuffed whole chicken, and the stuffing was clearly bad.
  27. My coffee was always full, and food came out fast.
  28. the banana walnut pancakes were actually very good, but the rest of the dishes are average.
  29. clinton st. baking company was a great find on clinton and houston st. Small place, but has a full bar, delicious ice cream, and an outstanding weekend brunch.
  30. their omeletes/egg dishes are also wonderful.
  31. on top of the hallibut was a good spoonful of a tomato mixture.
  32. the food isn't very cheap, but the quality is superb, so it's certainly worth the price!
  33. From amazing eggs to their deserts.
  34. The eggs benedict on their famous biscuits is delicious as are their waffles and french toast.
  35. Waitresses smile, service is fast, the food is amazing and the portions are huge!
  36. The food is delicious.
  37. Great food, terrible wait
  38. Not to mention the full bar which can help cure your hangover with a delicious brunch.
  39. Quite honestly, for the reviews and ratings on this site, I was expecting good food, but we both felt that we could have had this anywhere else for the same cost.
  40. have recommended many of my hotel guests to Clinton St. Baking Co. but regrettably I can't chance my reputation on poor food served with a heaping scoop of "attitude" to boot.
  41. had the Eggs Benedict - food was tasty and home-made biscuits were absolutely delicious - coffee came in those huge bowl-like cups.
  42. The food was divine, and the place ever so quaint.
  43. For brunch, their pancakes and French toast are great, but I prefer the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon.
  44. For awesome food and brunch in general go to Balthazar.
  45. My friend had fish tacos that were fresh and AWESOME!
  46. I'm not sayin' the food was horrible, but definitely not worth a 2-hr wait and a $60 bill!
  47. Do not get me wrong, the food is pretty good but you can find places that serve brunch that just as good.
  48. The food and service were great but the wait was brutal.
  49. The southern breakfast includes great cheddar grits and although weird to say some of the best bacon you may have ever had.
  50. No self-respecting Clinton St. patron hasnt tried their famous pancakes and biscuits, which are more like an experience than a part of the meal.
  51. Still, I'll always have the memory of the delicious, delicious meal.
  52. yes, its good (not great) food.
  53. Overall if all you care about it food quality then this is a great place.
  54. Great food means wait time.
  55. If you want to check it out during the week, they have great burgers - and happen to serve pancakes then as well.
  56. Awesome brioche french toast
  57. great food means trouble!
  58. For great cheese and fondue brunch go to Artisinal.
  59. Usually a biscuit with a side of jam is all I need to end a perfect meal there.
  60. Great food but crazy crowded
  61. Sometimes people have come a long way to enjoy the food and this hostess treats people badly.
  62. Better off going for dinner sometime or even their lunch menu on a week day is tasty and far more manageable a crowd.
  63. Smoked Salmon eggs are awesome.
  64. BEST BRUNCH, BEST PANCAKES, and just EXCELLENT food!
  65. Great hearty brunch (yummy blueberry pancakes, eggs benedict).
  66. the food is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but i just don't understand waiting 2 hours to eat anywhere in this city.
  67. The Noho Star is a great place in the area which serves better food and less of a wait.
  68. The food was great but after waiting for an hour and a half I am not sure I even tasted my food, I was so hungry.
  69. One of the best burgers in the city, accompanied by house-made chips (yum yum) and a Guss' pickle, and topped off with a tasty Brooklyn lager.
  70. The food, Crab Cakes, Coleslaw and sweet potato fries was the absolute worst.
  71. Awesome $10 burger & beer special - one of the best deals in the city
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The friend joining me insisted all menu items were fantastic and told me Clinton St Bakery was her favorite brunch place.
  2. Better off going for dinner sometime or even their lunch menu on a week day is tasty and far more manageable a crowd.
  3. The fresh menu is orginial and creative.
overall
94.44000244140625% positive
  1. as I've been told that It's such a great place for brunch.
  2. clinton st. baking company was a great find on clinton and houston st. Small place, but has a full bar, delicious ice cream, and an outstanding weekend brunch.
  3. what makes a restaurant a great place for a native new yorker?
  4. The Noho Star is a great place in the area which serves better food and less of a wait.
  5. Overall if all you care about it food quality then this is a great place.
  6. I'm so happy to find a good place on clinton st.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. While my date and I had enjoyed a lovely dinner at Clinton Street Baking Co earlier this winter, our second visit last night proved overwhelmingly disappointing- guaranteeing we will never return.
service
55.79999923706055% positive
  1. The service is barely average, the hostess was not nice ( excuse my language but she was just awful, miserable and not pleasant).
  2. The food and service were great but the wait was brutal.
  3. We got there at 10:30 and were finally seated at 12:00 after speaking to the rude red head hostess that sat three sets of people in front of our party of two.
  4. However, as attentive readers may have noticed, the wait is INSANE.
  5. Although the server didn't check on us, we enjoyed everything.
  6. I've always had decent service in the mornings and usually stick to pancakes and breakfast type foods--and have been very satisfied.
  7. No one is looking for 5 star service but these people are rude!
  8. Food was good and flavorful and service was adequate for a brunch.
  9. Sometimes people have come a long way to enjoy the food and this hostess treats people badly.
  10. Waitresses smile, service is fast, the food is amazing and the portions are huge!
  11. The service was a little slow, but all in all, worth the wait.
  12. Some people probably love that and are part of it while others don't care because the food is "that good.
  13. We ended up at Schillers -- food there was just as good, the waiters and hostess were so attentive!
  14. would def recommend this place but only once to see what the freaking hype is about, but it is not worth the wait especially if you have to deal with a bitchy hostess with a power trip.
  15. The hostess on Sundays is rude and has a really short fuse with customers.
  16. Not worth the hype - Hour and half wait for cold eggs and a rude hostess.
  17. Food is meant to be enjoyed especially if i am spending my cash there, and the hostess left a very poor taste in my mouth.
  18. Reviewer said bad looking hosts, but we sit at the bar because of some especially cute and friendly bartenders.
  19. Our first visit was really great ( we were told an hour wait but got in sooner and the staff was friendly) so l coudn't wait to take a friend who is a pastry chef at one of NYC's best restaurants.
  20. The host on Friday night isn't much better--having loud personal telephone conversations in the waiting area at the front of the restaurant is tacky and when people are waiting to be seated it's really bad service.
  21. The poor service isn't worth the trek over to Clinton Street, when there are better places for a foodie to eat on the Upper West and Upper East side when in town.
  22. found the service excellent and very friendly, as was the hostess.
  23. The food is good, but is not worth the wait and not worth putting up with the horrible customer service.
value
73.61000061035156% positive
  1. The food is really good but I just don't understand the willingness to wait in a huge line.
  2. I'm not sayin' the food was horrible, but definitely not worth a 2-hr wait and a $60 bill!
  3. Not worth the hype - Hour and half wait for cold eggs and a rude hostess.
  4. The food is good, but is not worth the wait and not worth putting up with the horrible customer service.
  5. Awesome $10 burger & beer special - one of the best deals in the city
  6. had the Eggs Benedict - food was tasty and home-made biscuits were absolutely delicious - coffee came in those huge bowl-like cups.
  7. Waitresses smile, service is fast, the food is amazing and the portions are huge!
  8. would def recommend this place but only once to see what the freaking hype is about, but it is not worth the wait especially if you have to deal with a bitchy hostess with a power trip.
  9. For takeout I recommend the berry scones and biscuits (rich but worth it).
  10. the food isn't very cheap, but the quality is superb, so it's certainly worth the price!
  11. The service was a little slow, but all in all, worth the wait.
  12. The poor service isn't worth the trek over to Clinton Street, when there are better places for a foodie to eat on the Upper West and Upper East side when in town.
wait time
75.0% positive
  1. Sometimes people have come a long way to enjoy the food and this hostess treats people badly.
  2. The service was a little slow, but all in all, worth the wait.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

05/26/11

Very Good Breakfast!

by GMSTAR

I wouldn't say its the best but its pretty good..

It gets very packed and you have to wait a very long time to get seated. Unless you like people eating on top of you DONT GO!

The breakfast is pretty good.

3 Star Rating: Average

02/23/10

breakfast here is awesome

by Annabelle1968

the pancakes here are out of this world. not crazy about the cookies, but the breakfast is delicious!

  • Pros: service/food
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/12/09

Awesome coffee and homemade biscuits!!

by Flushingsfinest08

I have been to this restaurant about four times, and love it each time more. The wait time is unbelieveably long, so I stick to going on weekday mornings - on the weekends the wait time can be upwards of an hour. The restaurant is super small so it is a litlle cramped, but the food is so worth it. The coffee is really good and the biscuits are so fresh, they just fall apart. I usually have a breakfast sandwich. I definitely recommend it.

  • Pros: great food
  • Cons: pricey, LONG wait times
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/20/09

give the owners a break! great food means trouble!

by nbagel

I have been reading all your reviews and can sympathize with all you say. Great food means wait time. All the hype means high expectations. Doesn't mean they cannot fullfill them but in a small place it does require several people working their butts off with no time off. You cannot duplicate the owners - they work hard but cannot always be there. We expect everyone to do the same job and cook as well but....

at a point everything suffers. Hopefully the owners will downsize (maybe dinner) and focus their attention on what needs the most. Obviously breakfast, brunch & lunch. And why on weekends are they not open until 10? Did I read this wrong because I own a bagel restaurant and am open at 6 am. HOT breakfast early. In that, I feel they are setting themselves up for trouble. Open earlier and there will not be those 2 hour wait times. Sounds like they are doing great but maybe need to re-evalute how they are doing it. Don't live in the moment but plan for the future! Love what they are doing and hope they can look ahead!

  • Pros: trying to please all
  • Cons: people complaining about waite time - done waite!
4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/21/09

Weekday Dinner

by joshprosen

Sure, Brunch is alll Hype at Clinton St. But my buddies and I like it for dinner after work- Beer and Burger Special is a great choice. Reviewer said bad looking hosts, but we sit at the bar because of some especially cute and friendly bartenders.

  • Pros: Friendly, Easy, Good Dinner in the Neighborhood
  • Cons: What are the drawbacks?

The Details on Clinton St Baking Co & Rest

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great brunch place
  • best banana walnut pancakes
  • amazing hearty brunch
  • fast service
  • famous homemade biscuits
  • great french toast
  • best fried chicken
  • bad customer service
  • always full coffee
  • favorite little spot
  • fresh fish tacos
  • cold biscuit
  • delicious eggs benedict
  • delicious meal
  • far more manageable lunch menu
  • great burgers
  • rather cold weekday
  • worst coleslaw
  • great whole experience
  • not delicious breakfast
  • gooey cheesy grits
  • rude people
  • rude red head hostess
  • crunchy outer coating

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