I’ve always been an avid food explorer and San Francisco never fails to fulfill each and every craving I have. Although my first intuition is to scroll through Yelp for an hour and mentally eat up the pictures of four-star (or higher) restaurants before ultimately picking one, I value my friends’ recommendations much more. A couple of months ago, my girlfriend was visiting from LA, and we woke up with a craving for pancakes and mimosas. A friend of ours recommended a place in Noe Valley called Griddle Fresh, and since then, it’s been my favorite place for brunch in the city.

I just want to humbly say that I think I know a thing or two about breakfast/brunch. I would eat breakfast for every meal of the day if I could. Heck, the last piece I wrote is all about breakfast/brunch places in San Francisco! (check it out here) So for me to say Griddle Fresh tops them all means they’ve really got some food to die for.

There were three highlights on my first visit to Griddle Fresh, which made for a complete meal and a completely satisfied belly: the lemon ricotta soufflé pancakes, the benedict & hash browns, and the mimosas.

This place is known for its pancakes, and rightfully so. The dish comes with a stack of three of the fluffiest pancakes you’ll ever have. Whipped egg whites and meringue are folded into the pancake batter, making them thicker than your normal pancake but still extremely light. It’s topped with a strawberry reduction drizzle, soft strawberry pieces and a dollop of whipped cream. The best way to describe them is, it’s like biting into a sweet and tart, fluffy yet crispy, cloud. Pancakes aren’t my favorite breakfast meal because I often find myself getting full and tired of them quick. But I could eat these soufflé-style pancakes all day long. They’re so light and not too sweet that each bite has you going back for more. You know how some pancakes need to be doused in syrup to add that extra layer of flavor? These pancakes are so good that you don’t even need the syrup. Plus, they’re the perfect sweet accompaniment to the benedicts and hash browns at Griddle Fresh.

Since we’re on the topic of the benedicts, let me tell you about the heavenly ones I tried. My girlfriend had the salmon cakes benedict, and I had the BLT benedict because I’m a sucker for anything with bacon. The salmon cakes are paired with a garlic sautéed spinach, and as you bite into it, you get a slight hint of lemon that completes it all. As for the BLT, you can’t go wrong with the classic combination. The extra kick to it is the chive hollandaise that sits above the poached egg. And did I mention the hash browns?? They are impossibly thin and deliciously crunchy…to die for.

No brunch would be complete without the mimosas. I think the only downside to Griddle Fresh is the fact that they don’t do bottomless mimosas. Instead, they serve it by the glass or by the carafe. No brunch place can be perfect, I guess. 🙁

Regardless, we had a carafe of the freshly squeezed grapefruit mimosa. So refreshing in between dishes, you’ll find yourself saying ‘ahhh’ after each sip. Never have I been so satisfied after a brunch meal. I hope my review has convinced you to visit Griddle Fresh one day if you’re in the city!