damnlines.comdamnlines.comJames Beard-winning pancakes with maple butter that draw weekend brunch lines to this Lower East Side bakery-restaurant since 2001.
Clinton St. Baking Company does not take same-day brunch reservations. Its own reservations page says the host starts a walk-in list at 9am for guests arriving in person and closes it "when we hit full capacity." The same page states plainly that the restaurant "cannot quote wait times over the phone." A firsthand account at Shelly in Real Life notes the list is text-based: they take your number and message you when a table is ready.
The reported waits are long. The Infatuation writes that during weekend brunch "it's not uncommon for people to wait two hours" for the pancakes. A firsthand account at Shelly in Real Life puts weekend waits at anywhere from an hour to two and a half hours, and describes arriving at 11am for a party of three and waiting close to 2.5 hours. That account also notes the dining room is small, seating fewer than 15 parties at once.
The workaround, per those sources, is to go early or go midweek. Shelly in Real Life reports the doors open at 9am and the room is full "by 9:05am" on weekends, and that arriving at 8:30 on a Saturday still meant being one of the last tables seated. The Infatuation is blunter: "weekday breakfast was the move." If you can't spare the wait, that account says the adjoining bakery counter sells cake, muffins, and coffee with no line. damnlines does not have a camera at this venue; the numbers above are reported by others, not measured by us.
No camera here yet — but these lines are on camera right now:
Lucinda's · 8 min walkclosedBánh Anh Em · 16 min walkclosedGolden Diner · 17 min walkclosedThe restaurant itself says it "cannot quote wait times over the phone." The Infatuation reports roughly two-hour weekend brunch waits, and a firsthand account at Shelly in Real Life describes waits from an hour to about 2.5 hours. damnlines has no live camera here, so treat these as reported, not measured.
Yes, for up to 5 people via Resy, released 30 days out and booked on the hour. But its site states it does not take same-day brunch reservations. Walk-ins get counter seats and part of the dining room, first-come, first-served.
The host starts the walk-in list at 9am for people arriving in person, per the venue's reservations page. A firsthand account at Shelly in Real Life says the room is full "by 9:05am" on weekends.
The Infatuation's advice is that "weekday breakfast was the move," and the venue says walk-in tables are easiest on weekdays and at dinner. Weekend brunch is the crush.
Not really for a table, but the adjoining bakery counter sells baked goods and coffee with no line, per Shelly in Real Life. The walk-in list also texts you when your table is ready, so you don't have to stand at the door.