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There’s something undeniably comforting about sitting down to a breakfast spread featuring the classics: fluffy pancakes, crispy waffles, and golden French toast. For some brunch-goers, these staples are a must-have for the most important meal of the day. Luckily, when it comes to the Metro Detroit area, there’s no shortage of breakfast and brunch establishments with griddled greats on their menus.
THE ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE
20273 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe Woods
33703 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham
19355 West 10 Mile Road, Southfield
What first started in Oregon in the 1950s turned into a Grosse Pointe Woods superstar in 1962, and has only gotten more popular ever since. With three Metro Detroit locations, The Original House of Pancakes will only leave you satisfied after a breakfast or brunch visit. The list of pancakes, waffles, and crepes is quite extensive. Some menu items to note are the sweet Cherry Kijafa or savory spinach crepes, apple, blueberry, or bacon Belgian waffles, or Pigs in a Blanket and banana pancakes.
CAFÉ MUSE
418 South Washington Avenue, Royal Oak
At Café Muse, guests will find a menu of “comfort food with a twist,” made using as many fresh, natural, and locally sourced ingredients as possible. Nestled in Downtown Royal Oak, this cute and cozy spot boasts stuffed French toast with mascarpone and five-spice pear topping, cinnamon raisin French toast, vanilla bean waffles with fresh fruit, orange rum raisin pancakes, ricotta and lemon pancakes, and buttermilk pancakes with an apple-pear topping.
THE GREAT COMMONER
22001 Michigan Avenue, Suite 100, Dearborn
Settled in a gorgeous, historic hotel in Dearborn, you’ll find The Great Commoner. The brunch menu combines strong Mediterranean spices along with classic breakfast items, all served with Michigan vanilla maple syrup. Served daily, you can order specials like the brown butter pancakes, with blueberry compote and burnt cinnamon whipped cream or next level chocolate chip pancakes with cacao nibs, whipped chocolate ganache, and crème fraîche. The yeasted Belgian waffles are served with whipped Plugra butter, raspberry jam, and crushed pistachio while the chocolate praline French toast has notes of chocolate hazelnut praline, roasted strawberry, crushed hazelnut, and vanilla crème fraîche.
CAFÉ ZOLA
112 West Washington Street, Ann Arbor
The owners and staff at Café Zola aim to be the preferred breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot in Ann Arbor. It’s become a go-to for many due to the fresh, high-quality food, coffee, tea, win, and friendly environment each guest experiences. The brunch menu houses a collection of creative specialty items, including dark chocolate babka French toast, ricotta pancakes with vanilla bean, berries, and orange syrup, strawberry banana waffles, cold smoked salmon buckwheat crepe, and more.
TOASTED OAK
27790 Novi Road, Novi
Toasted Oak relies heavily on health-wise locally sourced ingredients. They implement items such as seasonal vegetables, egg whites, and goat cheese into the breakfast menu. With the breakfast menu, keep it simple with the buttermilk pancakes or French toast, both served with Michigan-made maple syrup. Off of the brunch menu, get a little fancy with pumpkin cheesecake stuffed French toast or the chicken and waffles.
2 ROSES FAMILY RESTAURANT
24059 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington
At 2 Roses Family Restaurant, you feel like a member of the family. With comforting classics galore, there is something for everyone. There a quite a few griddled greats offered, from strawberry cheesecake pancakes to banana Nutella crepes and cannoli French toast (sign me up!). If you’re looking for more of a savory option, you can order the village crepes, with tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and feta cheese.
THE EMORY
27700 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale
Over 20 years ago, The Emory was built by hand, with features like the wood bar and seats made from fallen trees from the farm of the owners’ great grandfather, Emory Johnston. On the weekend brunch menu, you’ll find options like traditional French toast, made with Crispelli’s sourdough bread, a Monte Cristo with Muenster cheese, bacon, and honey maple dijon, cinnamon swirl French toast served with house-made cinnamon whipped topping and maple syrup, or chicken and waffles with house-made chicken tenders.
DETROIT HOUSE OF PANCAKES
2701 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit
This spot is a Detroit staple when it comes to breakfast, and the menu does not disappoint. At Detroit House of Pancakes, order pancakes with fruit, with options like strawberry, blueberry, and banana, or griddle specialties like cinnamon roll French toast or the apple spice waffle. From the breakfast specials menu, order country chicken and waffles, with a cornbread cheddar waffle, buttermilk fried chicken, topped with country sausage gravy, or the banana bread, Crème Brûlée, and strawberry cheesecake French toast options.
This article has been updated to include new information. The original article was published on October 31, 2022, and was authored by Briana Dixon.
