Joe Caltagirone

A welcome addition to Batavia’s short list of breakfast restaurants, Briana’s Pancake House, opened last year and has definitely drawn a crowd. It is open for breakfast and lunch, and has a wide variety of food on its menu. And while the service might not always be up to par, the food certainly makes up for that.

Briana’s Pancake House is located in downtown Batavia, and has been open since late 2017. The location is great, as it is near the Farmers’ Market and close to any other location downtown. The building was completely renovated for this restaurant, and these renovations can clearly be seen. Soft lighting and modern furniture compliment the open style of the space. But interior decorating does not make the service great.

I go to this restaurant fairly regularly, and about a third of the time, someone in my groups’ order is messed up. This isn’t just with one server either. It has happened with three different waitresses. Strangely enough, every time the server confused crepes with pancakes. The wait staff also seems to have a tough time with sides, and I do not order anything complicated. I get pancakes with a side of bacon every time. They either give me the wrong side or no side at all.

Just because the service isn’t always great doesn’t mean the food isn’t delicious. Normally I go for breakfast, but I have been a couple of times for lunch. The pancakes are definitely the restaurant’s specialty. You can ask for any fillings inside the pancake or any toppings, and there are a wide variety of pancakes on the menu. My personal favorite is the “Black and White Pancakes.” They are covered in white chocolate and black chocolate and topped with chocolate syrup. If that’s a little too much chocolate, I would recommend the blueberry pancakes. These are lighter and a smaller portion. If pancakes aren’t your thing, the chicken fried steak is excellent. Although I cannot speak for all of the lunch items, I enjoy the parmesan crusted tilapia. It is available on fish specials.

Briana’s Pancake House features a wonderful breakfast menu, sometimes poor service, and a great location. While the wait staff might not be great, don’t let that keep you from getting some of the great food.