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 11.30.11

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.
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.
The Extras:
The bakery serves Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory ice cream, a cult favorite of New York City ice cream lovers for years.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. (p.s. love the laid back ambiance)
  2. Service was fine, and although it's a bit loud and crowded, the ambience is quite good.
dessert
73.33000183105469% positive
  1. 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.
  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. From amazing eggs to their deserts.
drinks
61.66999816894531% positive
  1. And most importantly, since you are getting up early, they pour some fantastic cocktails to start your day right.
  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. Reviewer said bad looking hosts, but we sit at the bar because of some especially cute and friendly bartenders.
  4. My coffee was always full, and food came out fast.
  5. The coffee is really good and the biscuits are so fresh, they just fall apart.
  6. Awesome $10 burger & beer special - one of the best deals in the city
  7. Not to mention the full bar which can help cure your hangover with a delicious brunch.
  8. had the Eggs Benedict - food was tasty and home-made biscuits were absolutely delicious - coffee came in those huge bowl-like cups.
  9. Awesome coffee and homemade biscuits!
  10. The biscuits were so dry I had to drink a few glasses of water just to get down the bites.
food quality
83.10000419616699% positive
  1. The fried chicken is juicy, never dry!
  2. Waitresses smile, service is fast, the food is amazing and the portions are huge!
  3. 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.
  4. Awesome brioche french toast
  5. Some people probably love that and are part of it while others don't care because the food is "that good.
  6. Better off going for dinner sometime or even their lunch menu on a week day is tasty and far more manageable a crowd.
  7. Unlike our first visit, the food was just mediocre.
  8. My friend had fish tacos that were fresh and AWESOME!
  9. Overall if all you care about it food quality then this is a great place.
  10. Fried chicken and fish tacos are the best.
  11. Great food means wait time.
  12. The fresh menu is orginial and creative.
  13. The food is delicious.
  14. 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.
  15. The food is amazing.
  16. Smoked Salmon eggs are awesome.
  17. If you want to check it out during the week, they have great burgers - and happen to serve pancakes then as well.
  18. their omeletes/egg dishes are also wonderful.
  19. Still, I'll always have the memory of the delicious, delicious meal.
  20. The food is really good but I just don't understand the willingness to wait in a huge line.
  21. now it's like anywhere else downtown with decent food (actually the food is always amazing--hats off to the kitchen!
  22. tried the French toast and the pancakes, that are really excellent.
  23. ALSO, the place has delicious pastries and muffins.
  24. Not worth the hype - Hour and half wait for cold eggs and a rude hostess.
  25. Great hearty brunch (yummy blueberry pancakes, eggs benedict).
  26. The food, Crab Cakes, Coleslaw and sweet potato fries was the absolute worst.
  27. The food is fresh, delicious, and creative.
  28. Awesome $10 burger & beer special - one of the best deals in the city
  29. 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.
  30. 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!
  31. It was the best fried chicken I ever had!
  32. The Noho Star is a great place in the area which serves better food and less of a wait.
  33. I'm not sayin' the food was horrible, but definitely not worth a 2-hr wait and a $60 bill!
  34. The food is good, but is not worth the wait and not worth putting up with the horrible customer service.
  35. on top of the hallibut was a good spoonful of a tomato mixture.
  36. You should definitely try this place; just don't order avocado salad.
  37. For great cheese and fondue brunch go to Artisinal.
  38. The eggs benedict on their famous biscuits is delicious as are their waffles and french toast.
  39. For brunch, their pancakes and French toast are great, but I prefer the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon.
  40. not crazy about the cookies, but the breakfast is delicious!
  41. yes, its good (not great) food.
  42. 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.
  43. But they make possibly the best pancakes ever and decent french toast.
  44. Great food, terrible wait
  45. For awesome food and brunch in general go to Balthazar.
  46. Do not get me wrong, the food is pretty good but you can find places that serve brunch that just as good.
  47. the food is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but i just don't understand waiting 2 hours to eat anywhere in this city.
  48. This truly is the PERFECT pancake.
  49. Hi My boyfriend ordered the stuffed whole chicken, and the stuffing was clearly bad.
  50. The southern breakfast includes great cheddar grits and although weird to say some of the best bacon you may have ever had.
  51. We ended up at Schillers -- food there was just as good, the waiters and hostess were so attentive!
  52. 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.
  53. BEST BRUNCH, BEST PANCAKES, and just EXCELLENT food!
  54. Not to mention the full bar which can help cure your hangover with a delicious brunch.
  55. the banana walnut pancakes were actually very good, but the rest of the dishes are average.
  56. My coffee was always full, and food came out fast.
  57. Great food but crazy crowded
  58. The food was divine, and the place ever so quaint.
  59. the orange juice was fresh squeezed and the pancakes were to die for.
  60. had the Eggs Benedict - food was tasty and home-made biscuits were absolutely delicious - coffee came in those huge bowl-like cups.
  61. Usually a biscuit with a side of jam is all I need to end a perfect meal there.
  62. worked hard all week and i just want to enjoy a meal and not feel rushed after waiting 2 hours to eat.
  63. The coffee is really good and the biscuits are so fresh, they just fall apart.
  64. the food isn't very cheap, but the quality is superb, so it's certainly worth the price!
  65. 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.
  66. The food and service were great but the wait was brutal.
  67. Sometimes people have come a long way to enjoy the food and this hostess treats people badly.
  68. great food means trouble!
  69. For the longest time there hasn't been a place that so reliably delivers great food at any meal.
  70. My wife loved the salad.
  71. From amazing eggs to their deserts.
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. Overall if all you care about it food quality then this is a great place.
  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. The Noho Star is a great place in the area which serves better food and less of a wait.
  4. what makes a restaurant a great place for a native new yorker?
  5. as I've been told that It's such a great place for brunch.
  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. 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.
  2. Waitresses smile, service is fast, the food is amazing and the portions are huge!
  3. The service is barely average, the hostess was not nice ( excuse my language but she was just awful, miserable and not pleasant).
  4. The service was a little slow, but all in all, worth the wait.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Sometimes people have come a long way to enjoy the food and this hostess treats people badly.
  9. The hostess on Sundays is rude and has a really short fuse with customers.
  10. 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.
  11. The food is good, but is not worth the wait and not worth putting up with the horrible customer service.
  12. Some people probably love that and are part of it while others don't care because the food is "that good.
  13. found the service excellent and very friendly, as was the hostess.
  14. No one is looking for 5 star service but these people are rude!
  15. 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.
  16. I've always had decent service in the mornings and usually stick to pancakes and breakfast type foods--and have been very satisfied.
  17. Reviewer said bad looking hosts, but we sit at the bar because of some especially cute and friendly bartenders.
  18. Not worth the hype - Hour and half wait for cold eggs and a rude hostess.
  19. However, as attentive readers may have noticed, the wait is INSANE.
  20. The food and service were great but the wait was brutal.
  21. Although the server didn't check on us, we enjoyed everything.
  22. Food was good and flavorful and service was adequate for a brunch.
  23. We ended up at Schillers -- food there was just as good, the waiters and hostess were so attentive!
value
73.61000061035156% positive
  1. Waitresses smile, service is fast, the food is amazing and the portions are huge!
  2. the food isn't very cheap, but the quality is superb, so it's certainly worth the price!
  3. Not worth the hype - Hour and half wait for cold eggs and a rude hostess.
  4. For takeout I recommend the berry scones and biscuits (rich but worth it).
  5. 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.
  6. I'm not sayin' the food was horrible, but definitely not worth a 2-hr wait and a $60 bill!
  7. The service was a little slow, but all in all, worth the wait.
  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. The food is really good but I just don't understand the willingness to wait in a huge line.
  10. had the Eggs Benedict - food was tasty and home-made biscuits were absolutely delicious - coffee came in those huge bowl-like cups.
  11. The food is good, but is not worth the wait and not worth putting up with the horrible customer service.
  12. Awesome $10 burger & beer special - one of the best deals in the city
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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