Breakfast is an institution in Austin, and few morning meals inspire as much nostalgia, intrigue, and flavor profiles as a stack of fluffy, syrup-laden pancakes. Buttery flapjacks are aplenty on local menus, but it takes a certain knack and attention to detail to craft the perfect short stack.

In honor of National Pancake Day, September 26, we rounded up our top pancake picks from around town.

Olivia
James Holmes is the master of Southern comfort food, which explains how he's crafted Olivia’s pancakes to near perfection. During weekend brunch, the South Lamar restaurant serves decadent pancakes with fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream, and warm vanilla or cinnamon syrup.

Kerbey Lane Cafe
An oldie but a goodie, Kerbey Lane’s pancakes are legendary. While we love the buttermilk, gingerbread, and apple cinnamon selections, we always look forward to the surprise specials, which include beignet, vegan vanilla, lemon poppy seed, and much more.

Austin Diner
Believe it or not, the secret ingredient to this Burnet Road diner’s amazing “Jake Cakes” is cottage cheese. Upgrade the unique cakes to the gingered version — you won’t regret it.

Josephine House
A fancy improvement to your childhood pancakes, Josephine House makes a beautiful stack of fragrant lemon ricotta pancakes accompanied with blackberries, cultured butter, and maple syrup.

Chez Zee
The brunch menu at Chez Zee is a sight to behold. Creme brulee French toast, crab cakes, migas, and savory omelettes saturate the selections, but nothing beats the restaurant's doughy, delightful blueberry, gingerbread and buttermilk pancakes.

Launderette
Launderette is a newcomer to the restaurant scene, knocking it out of the park with a well-executed brunch menu. Selections like zucchini bread, duck hash, and pork and grits make our mouths water, but do yourself a favor and order the luscious chocolate chip or buttermilk pancakes with blueberry maple compote and crème fraîche.

Hillside Farmacy
Leave it up to this east side gem to craft a wonderful pile of blueberry pancakes. Soft and fluffy, these crispy edged cakes come with delicious brown butter, real maple syrup, and fresh orange slices.

Dai Due
Quickly becoming our new brunch place, Dai Due presents a unique play on the traditional American pancake. Instead of the usual buttermilk or banana, the restaurant has crafted delicious sourdough pancakes with blueberries, blackberries, honey, and Neufchâtel.