Best Pancakes

I'll be talking BEST PANCAKES next week on the radio. Where are you favorite pancake spots in Sonoma County?

The best pancakes are at Flying Aces in Petaluma. They are light, fluffy and have great flavor. This is a wonderful breakfast spot.

My sig other and I went to Willie Bird's on Santa Rosa Ave for breakfast on a whim the other day. I have always been curious about that place. Anyway, the pancakes were amazing. We shared a short stack. I don't really care for pancakes and I kept sneaking bites off the plate. Very light and fluffy with a great flavor. Yum!

I love the pancakes at SoCo Cafe in Windsor. They are huge and fluffy.

OUR FAMILY ALWAYS GOES FOR THE EAST WEST PANCAKES IN SEBASTOPOL...

KC's grill in Windsor has wonderful light and fluffy pancakes. Their potato pancake breakfast is real good too. Denver something, yummy :)

Hallie's in Petaluma has the best cornmeal pancakes I've ever had.

Hallie's in Petaluma has the best cornmeal pancakes I've ever had.

GARDEN COURT CAFE IN GLEN ELLEN

THE BEST PANCAKES EVER ARE AT THE GARDEN COURT CAFE IN GLEN ELLEN, WELL WORTH THE DRIVE!!!!! TRY THE BLUE BERRY! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!

Sam's For Play on Sebastopol Rd Santa Rosa: plate sized pancakes, more than light and fluffy, they're springy, velvety, amazing!

SoCo has the best pancakes around. They are so big they fill up the whole plate. They are also so fluffy and fill you up most of the day!

I am not a pancake person but the cakes at the Cookhouse are excellent!

I remember going to this place several years ago down in saratoga called the original house of pancakes, which is not to be confused with ihop. they had the best pancakes I have ever had. Also, nice place and very family friendly

I remember going to this place several years ago down in saratoga called the original house of pancakes, which is not to be confused with ihop. they had the best pancakes I have ever had. Also, nice place and very family friendly

The Swedish pancakes at the River Inn in Gurneville are amazing.

Most restaurants cut corners on the pancake mix and buy a just add water mix. They also use bulk corn syrup instead of real maple syrup. You can always tell because they are spongy and have a distinctly plain taste and the syrup is non-descript. Having kids who love pancakes, the best pancakes are at my house. Almost any from scratch recipe is better than most restaurants. The best recipe ever was one on the cover of Sunset magazine years ago. Never understood why so many restaurants choose to use a mix since it takes 2 minutes to make from scratch. Go for better quality and charge a little more and always 100% real maple syrup.

Just in case any of you SoCo locals are ever trapped in LA (as I am) and needing pancakes, the Griddle Cafe in Hollywood has the best pancakes I have ever had in my life. They are so large they hang over the edges of the plate, are clearly made from scratch, and can be customized with some incredible additions, including- wait for it- OREOS.

My personal favorite (this week) is pancakes filled with pumpkin pie batter and covered in whipped cream. Spicy, hearty and delicious- gonna have to try making these at home.

For sonoma pancakes, Garden Court is excellent, so are the blue corn variety at East West.

My vote is for Su Casa in Santa Rosa,so light and fluffy and oh sooo tasty.

The best pancakes I've ever had were from a little open air cafe on the beach in Santa Barbara. Their banana blueberry wheat germ cakes were out of this world.

Another vote for SoCo in Windsor. Great hotcakes and hot waitresses!

Another vote for SoCo in Windsor. Great hotcakes and hot waitresses!

Best buckwheats at the coffee shop of the Hillside Inn at 4th and Farmers Lane.

OMG-> loved Fred's comment! Yay Fred!- the best pancakes probably DO come from your house!

Now, from my own personal experience and, not knowing anything about Fred's pancakes, I personally love IHOP- yes, there- I've said it! lol!

My vote or 2 cents is for Sam's For Play- Sebastopol Rd. Plate sized, fluffy, light and always served with a smile. Actually there are great pancakes in a lot of places in our corner of the world, but really who has the best tasting syrup? I find that most of these places use inexpensive no flavor maple syrup. The pancakes themselves can have wonderful flavor, be light, fluffy, plate sized, etc., etc., but then the syrup falls flat with it's lack of flavor. For me this can ruin even the most wonderful of pancakes.

By far, the best pancakes in Santa Rosa - Cookhouse.

the worst pancakes are at Mcdonalds,frozen, when they cooked them on the grill they were o.k.

Carlo's Country Kitchen on West College Ave. Yum.

Flying Aces in Petaluma??? More info please! Where in Petaluma? I can't find it by googling????

I'm not telling you.

No Way.

Its already too long a wait, there. I wanna keep it for me and me alone. yum.

Paige's Diner by G&G in S.R. makes the best. Thin and tasty. Yum Yum.

It's hard to find good pancakes - most I've had have distinct aftertaste which I credit to not being from scratch. the best cakes are at my house - real buttermilk, butter, light, fluffy, hot, and always, hot real maple syrup.

BEST pancakes are in Petaluma at the quaint and friendly Hallies. The cornmeal pancakes are the absolute best!!!

BEST pancakes are in Petaluma at the quaint and friendly Hallies. The cornmeal pancakes are the absolute best!!!

Heather,
I know I mentioned this last week when you were in the studio, but you cannot go wrong at The Big 3 Diner in Sonoma. They make the most divine Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes! And yes, they are served with "real" maple syrup...and sour cream. Sounds funny but tastes great.

I LOVE the "flapjacks" at Howard's Station in Occidental. The waffles are the most delicious EVER!

Although the regular pancakes are just light enough, just fluffy enough, and beautifully golden at this family friendly eating place, the ones that call to me are the Blubes at Redwood Cafe in Cotati. A lovely stack of blueberry pancakes, with LOTS of blueberries, is topped with a knob of creamy butter and you can have all the maple syrup you want with them. The blueberries make them a little less light and fluffy than the regulars...and don't you want blueberries over fluffy in blueberry pancakes?...and they are just wonderful!

Howards Station in Occidental with strawberries and whipping cream and Taylor Made coffee-RedRooster type French Roast

unbelieveable thin sweedish pancakes with real maple syrup at sears fine foods on powell st. 1/2 block north of union square. do not go there as much as i would like to, too many loonies in the city.

My favorite pancakes ever are the Sonoma Pancakes at East West Cafe in Sebastopol. Wonderful whoegrain texture - but not dense. You can add fresh berries..... Yumm!

Well, besides my lovely young Russian neighbor's home made pancakes, my husband and I feel the very best pancakes can be found at the East West Café in Sebastopol. My husband had ordered them at one outing and remarked how scrumptious they were. So the next time we went out to eat at East West Café, I ordered their "Sonoma Pancakes". I must say, they are the BEST pancakes I've ever had. They are all-organic with blend of unbleached white, wheat and blue corn flour, buttermilk and sunflower seeds. Of course, they are severed with organic maple syrup. You have a choice of blueberries, raspberries and another berry to add to your pancakes if you desire. I had blueberries added to my "short" stack and they were out of this world!! These delicious pancakes are so filling I couldn't finish my short stack and my husband couldn't finish his full stack. That's not typical of either of us….we tend to finish everything on our plates.

You've got to try these "Sonoma Pancakes with Blueberries" or just plain with wonderful maple sugar, either way you'll be more than pleasantly surprised!!

Susan Lewman
Happily enjoying pancakes in Sebastopol

Thanks for all the feedback. Listen on KZST tomorrow morning.

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Re: Best Pancakes
Black Bear Diners 7-grain pancakes are awesome. Got me going on
making my own (and own version 8 grain!) in different flavors at home. ie, pumpkin cinnamon nut, apple cinnamon walnut, stuffed ones too. Blueberry. Next I'm going to do blueberry banana. YUM.

Hanks Creekside on 4th st in Santa Rosa. Prepare to wait a long wait to get in, unless you get there early!

OH, forgot, Hanks Creekside makes pancakes from SCRATCH !!!

So I live in Napa, and used to drive airporters outta Santa Rosa. I know almost all the premo breakfast slots in Sonoma Co.. I'm not a pancake kinda guy,
still the blurbs for SoCo Cafe really peaked my
curiosity. Hot cookies only added to my interest.
I can now say...that's not a bad p-cake, but the
ambiance will come with more volume.
I know where Flying Aces is, too. I'll get back to
ya on that off the wall spot w/in the week.

rohlfffmike

Hanks Creekside not only makes them from scratch, he grinds the wheat for them!!!! HELLO! Delish!

I love Big Daddy's Diner in RP. Nothing fancy, no cornmeal or ground wheat, just yummy yummy pancakes & blueberry pancakes. The rest of their menu is good too, and the servers & cooks are friendly. I have been a loyal customer since they opened a few months back.

I enjoy Nina's home cookin'. My wife makes the best pancakes right at home. Trader Joe's whole grain pancake mix made with orange juice and a side of crisp bacon. Topped with sliced banana's and pure maple syrup, easy on the butter. ...and don't get me started on the cinnamon raisin french toast! Nina makes the best breakfast in the county...we hardly ever go out for breakfast anymore.

Page's Restaurant in Santa Rosa has great pancakes. I have tried different restaurants and I get the cakes as part of my carbs for the day. They serve the cakes on a huge platter and give you heaping portions. Very inexpensive and the help are very friendly.

Best pancakes ever are at Sam's on Sebastopol Rd. They are just like all our Moms used to make!

Best Pancakes: The Friendly kitchen, 101 southwest blvd., rohnert park. Two of the friendliest business owners. Persoanl greeting every morning! Mom & Pop. I hate cold food. Their pancakes are light, fresh, hot, and delicious. Served with extra butter and thick syrup. Very reasonable: 2 pancakes and two eggs is $5.87, including tax! Homestyle, home made, fresh, & tasty!! CONSISTENTLY GOOD EVERY SINGLE TIME. I go there at least 4 times a week.

The coffee shop at the Hillside Inn....4th and Farmer's Lane in Santa Rosa. Try the buckwheats....they are fabulous! Also silver dollar pancakes at Sears in San Francisco. Sears also has a great fruit salad and banana bread. My folks used to fly to SF just to eat at Sears.

Big Daddy's Diner has the best cakes! The place as a whole is amazing, great food and servers and the decor and music! Plus the Cooks are right there when you walk in and say hi to everyone!

I agree Big Daddy's a are great! I also love the granola cakes at Black bear.

Howard's Station in Occ. IS THE BEST!!!!

Big Daddy's pancakes are the bomb! and the young cook who works weekends is a cutie!!!

The best Sonoma County pancakes will be served on Sunday, March 15th from 8am till 11:30am, at the Santa Rosa Lioness Annual "Beary Hearty" Pancake Breakfast, held at the Santa Rosa Vet's Memorial Bldg. Come out and help us raise funds for many local charities.

Creekside in Santa Rosa is the best...

The BEST pancakes are at the BREAKAWAY Cafe in Sonoma. They make a "baked pancake" with fresh fruit and ginger butter that absolutely melt in your mouth!

The buckwheat Pancakes at the Hilldside Inn are soooo good!

My 3 year-old daughter is a pancake expert and she will tell you Howard's Station in Occidental has the tastiest pancakes in Sonomoa County. The coffee is terrific too!

I met my then future wife on our first date at the Marvin's restaurant in Petaluma. Back then, there was one on Kentucky St; I showed up at the original one on and thought how could she stand me up? She was thinking the same at the one on Kentucky St. I asked the staff and they let me know about the other one. The pancake sandwich is 2 HUGE cakes, 2 eggs and of course bacon (or sausage if you like) breakfast, but the fresh squeezed orange juice is to die for!

Absolutely the best pancakes are served only once a year at the Cloverdale Kiwanis Mothers Day Pancake Breakfast. They are served with all the trimmings and we honor our MOMS! What could be better.

At the Vets building in Cloverdale!

OK, I'll spill... The best pancakes are in the most unlikely spot... Su Casa, Mexican restaurant, has banana pancakes that'll make you hurt yourself! Bananas, cream cheese, honey and walnuts... it's heaven!