Leftovers: Pancakes at Royal Tavern

Every now and again while out on our eating adventures, we come across good — and sometimes unusual — eats that just don’t make it into the magazine. So, we thought it only right to make you, our loyal Restaurant Club followers, aware of these truly one-of-a-kind, can’t-miss finds. First up, we discover the city’s best pancakes … at a bar?

On a recent outing to Royal Tavern, I arrived while the brunch menu was still being served. “Raspberry and strawberry pancakes” was scrawled along the bottom of the blackboard menu. While my lunching companions stuck to the bar classics — that bacon-and-gouda-and-longhot-topped burger, those piled-high nachos — I took a leap of faith and ordered the pancakes.

Finally, a short stack in this city that doesn’t rely on pads of melted butter, sticky-sweet maple syrup, or mounds of sugar-laden fruit compote for its flavor! At Royal, fresh raspberries and strawberries are cooked into an airy, just-sweet-enough batter. Butter and syrup are served on the side for those of you silly enough to use ’em, but trust me, this is a stack so fresh tasting, so undeniably fluffy that it easily beats out the top runners in the Philly pancake debate (that means you, Honey’s, Carmen’s, and Figs).

937 East Passyunk Avenue; 215-389-6694.