Belly Cake Pancake House — Restaurant in New York

I really don’t get the hype. I was there years ago and haven’t returned until recently. Recently had brunch and remembered why I never returned.

Food- it’s ok. 14 bucks for a toast, I get it. But don’t serve it on an appetizer plate! Every time I slice and dice, parts of my toasts shifted outside of my plate next to outside of my partner’s plate. Ewwww. Come on! At least serve it to me on a proper plate! Extra garnish isn’t gonna cost you close to nothing to “fill” in the blank space. Taste- meh. Nothing exceptional. It is what it is. But it is weird to have eggs on an avocado toast as it’s supposed to be a vegetarian dish.

Found a huge unblended chunk of frozen fruit(s) in my smoothie. Could be a technical issue, but very unappetizing when you see ice clumps of what looks compost in your drink.

Service- major DUD! I think this place is run by a family, which I love to support. But if you have that much foot traffic, hire outside help. I should not have to wait more than few mins to get someone’s attention. I’m waiting for EVERYTHING- to be seated (expected), utensils, water refills, beverages, food, correct food to be served, bill, to pay that bill. It takes FOREVER. Oh don’t forget to bring cash. It’s cash only. But they do take Venmo and Zelle. Again, that is so inconvenient not to accept credit cards. Bc of the CC transaction fee and to avoid taxes?! It’s 2025, accept CC payments, but leave incentive for cash payments. I understand cash only options for places that is mainly for take out orders. But for a full sit-down dining experience, use real dinner plates and catch up to current preferred payment methods.

Vibe- cozy brunch place. Preferably for group of 4 or less. This place is very intimate. But beware of the “frying oil” smell afterward because they have an opening to their kitchen right into the dining area. Hate restaurants that cheap out on proper ventilation systems- you smell like the food, it gets hot. It’s also can’t be good for the kitchen staff. So don’t wear your Sunday’s best right before an outing. I don’t think I come out this stinky even after 2hrs of IHOP dining.

Don’t recommend this place and don’t believe the hype. The moment a competitor pops up near it like everything else around there (how many new hot pot/noodle and bubble tea places have you noticed just on Bell?), this place is gonna get real...

Disappointing Experience at Belly Cake Pancake House Due to Lack of Service

On October 11, 2024, at approximately 8:50 AM, my husband and I visited Belly Cake Pancake House in New York City for the first time. We found it through Google and TikTok, and the reviews seemed to match what we were looking for. Even though we’re used to visiting small towns where restaurants are often short-staffed, we’ve never had an issue waiting for our food or having our order completely ignored, but that’s unfortunately what happened here.

We were seated next to a couple wearing a purple sweater and a black jacket. There were a few other customers in the restaurant as well, including an older couple, a younger couple with a baby, and a gentleman with his son. After receiving water and menus, we patiently waited for our order to be taken. The gentleman with his son seemed to be getting impatient and began talking to the couple with the baby, mentioning that he comes here often, even though the restaurant is often short-staffed.

Despite the slow service, my husband and I had no issue waiting since we weren’t in a rush. We enjoy leisurely mornings and weren’t expecting anything more than a relaxed breakfast. However, after waiting about 30 minutes without anyone taking our order, a large group of five walked in. The staff quickly accommodated them, even asking the gentleman with his son to move so they could be seated together. They were immediately given menus and water.

What made the experience uncomfortable was when the cook, who was also serving, brought out the food for the other tables and then went directly to take the large group’s order before acknowledging us. My husband and I sat there, still waiting, as our presence seemed to be completely overlooked.

At that point, we quietly decided to leave. While we aren’t strangers to short-staffed restaurants in small towns, this was the first time we ever felt ignored. As the only people of color in the restaurant, we couldn’t help but feel singled out, and it was a truly humiliating experience.

This review is not meant to bash Belly Cake Pancake House, but we hope to caution others about the lack of service we encountered. It was a deeply uncomfortable and...

Long review but the gist is- Though they have many rave reviews, the other 1-star reviews about their lack of customer service are not exaggerations. The restaurant has not improved on that front despite customer feedback. That speaks more to me than how good their pancakes might be.

For those who like the details…we were excited to try this local spot for brunch but left after they gave our table away despite us waiting half an hour. When my husband put down our name, the waitress said it’s a 5-10 minute wait for our 4-person party as there were no reservations ahead of us. We waited outside the restaurant for nearly 20 minutes but went in to speak with the waitress after seeing a party of 3 who arrived after us get seated at a 4-person table. When we asked her about our table, she said they had to give our table away because my husband did not tell her our full party had arrived. My husband reminded her that when he put our name down, he told her that my son and I were waiting to cross the street, to which she replied that she can’t see that far (the restaurant is 2 storefronts from the corner). Fair, though her response could’ve been less passive aggressive. But she also never bothered to call out our name or check with us (we were standing outside the door) before giving the table to someone else. The waitress did not apologize or seem sorry for the misunderstanding and her attitude made it seem like we were to blame for not keeping track of...