CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pork belly glazed with Mexican Coca-Cola. Hot sauce served in tiny old-timey medicine bottles. The line out the door. Jack Flaps in Ohio City has all the trappings of an ultimate hipster brunch spot.
What the urban breakfast shoppe, as it fancies itself, also has are some of the best pancakes in town and a menu full of bold flavors and eclectic twists on American comfort food.
Open since 2013, Jack Flaps has quickly become one of Cleveland's best breakfast and brunch spot any day of the week.
Jack Flaps serves up pancakes, comfort food with eclectic twists
By Joey Morona, cleveland.com
January 21, 2017
Jack Flaps in Ohio City is a hip, fun breakfast spot, serving up elevated versions of your morning favorites from sinfully sweet pancakes to savory egg dishes.
The details
Jack Flaps is located at 3900 Lorain Ave. Finding a parking spot on the street near the restaurant could be tricky especially during prime weekend brunch hours, so start hunting for spaces on the approach.
When to go
Jack Flaps is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. The space is tiny with only several tables and a small bar, so get there early to avoid a wait. Smaller groups may be asked to share a table.
(Photo by Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer)
Mmmm, that's damn good coffee
Is it me or is the coffee stronger in Ohio City? Jack Flaps serves up a robust blend in a handy to-go cup in case you need to re-fuel at the end of your meal.
The menu
The restaurant's bill of fare is divided into two columns: sweet and savory. There are four kinds of pancakes, two varieties of waffles, a handful of egg dishes and several sides.
The pancakes
You don't go to the Waffle House and order a burger, so you have to order the flapjacks at Jack Flaps. Good luck choosing between the original buttermilk pancakes (with a trio of topping options), lemon curd, tiramisu and buckwheat. We opted for the lemon curd pancakes ($10.50), topped with graham cracker crust and berry jam. Just the right amount of crisp on the outside, moist, fluffy and overflowing with lemon curd on the inside. The flapjacks are sinfully sweet so it's not a bad idea to split an order of two with a friend as a side.
The waffle
The raspberry crisp waffle ($10) arrived doused with raspberry coulis, vanilla mascarpone and granola. The waffle is perfectly light and airy, but the generous amount of toppings made it seem more like a dessert than breakfast.
The breakfast burrito
One of the restaurant's most popular dishes, this is not your run of the mill breakfast burrito. Adobo-braised beef and scrambled egg stuffed into a tortilla and topped with Manchego cheese, smoked tomato salsa, crema and jalapenos. The smoky shredded beef gives the dish just the right amount of heat. My only complaint? At $10.50, it's surprisingly not that filling on its own.
A twist on Eggs Benedict
Jack Flaps puts a Mexican spin on the classic dish ($10.50), with jalapeno cornbread serving as the base and sunny-side up eggs as opposed to poached. It's all covered with chorizo ranchero gravy and herb crema. "I could've done with a bit less gravy, which was good but overpowering," my fiance said.
What to try next time
We're looking forward to our next visit so we can try the Breakfast Banh Mi ($9.50), named America's best breakfast sandwich by Restaurant Hospitality magazine in 2014. There's also that aforementioned Mexican Coke-glazed house-smoked pork belly ($3.25) and the Shrimp & Grits ($12.50), pictured, that are calling our name.
(Photo by Joe Crea, cleveland.com)
Second location
Chef-owner Randy Carter opened Jack Flaps Luncheonette in the Colonial Arcade (530 Euclid Ave.) back in 2015. While the original is all breakfast, all the time, the downtown outpost also serves lunch fare including sandwiches and a burger.
(Photo by Debbi Snook, The Plain Dealer)
More best Cleveland weekend brunches and breakfasts
Touch Supper Club in Ohio City
Luna Bakery in Cleveland Heights
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