Ever since I read about how the New York Times listed Ria’s Bluebird’s Buttermilk pancakes as the best in the world, I’ve been eager to try them. For me, when it comes to pancakes, it doesn’t get much better than DeWaffleBakers and IHOP so these had better be great. So I invited my family to join me for a casual birthday breakfast.

As we drove into to the small parking lot, I took my first look at the exterior and knew I had come to the right place. There was a crowd of about 20 – 25 people lining the small sidewalk in front of the building. The day’s special adorned the front window:

Roast Pork loin Benedict with wild mushroom sauce, choice of side

Fresh strawberry buttermilk pancakes dusted with powdered sugar

Omelet of the day is fresh mozzarella cheese and sautéed asparagus

I anxiously headed inside to put my name on the list. I stood there for a few moments searching for a greeter and noticed that the place wasn’t very large. There were some seats occupied at the counter but only a few tables with chairs and a couple round booths in the main dining area. While I was making a mental note of the close quarters, a woman behind the counter wearing a gray Ria’s Bluebird t-shirt encouraged me to write my name on the list. I jotted down “Williams party of 6” and headed outside to join the hungry crowd waiting patiently for their names to be called.

The wait lasted about 25 minutes but since I was in good company and their was an interesting view (Ria’s Bluebird is situated across the street from the historic Oakland Cemetery) the time seemed to fly.

Our party of 6 was seated in the last booth toward the far right of the building. It wasn’t until we sat down that I noticed there was additional space attached to the outside of the restaurant. My brother remarked and I agreed that it was probably an effort on management’s part to accommodate more people without taking away the neighborhood charm of the establishment.

After an initial greeting, our waiter provided us with menus, took our drink orders and left to fill them. A few minutes passed and I noticed that the two biggest eaters in my family (my husband and my dad) had yet to select an item from the menu. Unfortunately, it wasn’t because there was so much to choose from but because there weren’t a lot of items that seemed to interest them. I suggested to my dad that he try the Brisket Breakfast and he concurred. My husband finally decided to try the Bionic Breakfast and requested (at my suggestion) for the spicy tofu sauce to be served on the side.

Although I was tempted to order the biscuits & gravy, I knew I had come to Ria’s Bluebird for one thing and one thing only – to try the pancakes. I ordered a short stack of buttermilk pancakes with caramelized bananas and a side order of bacon. I asked the waiter for the NY Times acclaimed pancakes to be topped with whipped cream (after all it was my birthday) but unfortunately the waiter said they did not have any. I thought to myself, no whipped cream! What kind of place is this anyway? I decided not to let Ria’s lack of what I consider to be a restaurant staple stop me from trying the buttermilk pancakes.

Once the meal arrived, I was excited to see that the caramelized bananas were not just sugar infused banana rounds lumped on top of my flapjacks, but were actually served with the caramelized syrup. What a treat! The pancakes were light and fluffy just as I expected and the caramelized bananas and syrup added just the right amount of sweetness. To my surprise, once they were served I didn’t even miss the whipped cream.

Halfway through my meal, I offered my husband a taste of my pancakes since he didn’t seem to agree that his breakfast was indeed Bionic. He thanked me for suggesting to get the spicy tofu sauce on the side then quietly and respectfully ate the rest of his meal. The Brisket Breakfast that my dad ordered was also served in a bowl and looked like soup. Granted the description did say the beef was shredded in its own tomato broth however for some reason I didn’t think the eggs would be in the broth as well. My dad thanked the server and then he also proceeded to quietly and respectfully eat his meal.

On the other side of the table my brother who ordered the omelet of the day, a side order of grits, bacon and a short stack of buttermilk pancakes braced himself as his meal was served. He too has a standard for pancakes and is skeptical of all who dare to compete with the status of the pancakes served at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. After a hearty bite, he concluded along with me and my mom (who ordered the Fresh Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes) that the Ria’s Bluebird’s pancakes were indeed very good.

Ria’s Bluebird

421 Memorial Drive

Atlanta, GA 30312

www.riasbluebird.com

404-521-3737

 

I came here…

To celebrate my birthday with family

 

I ate…

Buttermilk Pancakes with caramelized bananas (short stack)

Rating:  

What a treat! The pancakes were light and fluffy just as I expected and the caramelized bananas and syrup added just the right amount of sweetness.

 

Fresh strawberry buttermilk pancakes dusted with powdered sugar

Rating:  

The strawberries were cooked inside of the pancakes and although the pancakes were dusted with powdered sugar, they definitely needed the enrichment of the maple syrup because they weren’t very sweet.

 

A side order of Bacon

Rating:  

The bacon was cooked just the way I like it – chewy in the meaty areas with the fat extra crispy.

I drank…

Hot Cocoa

Rating:  

At first appearance, I thought the hot cocoa showed promise. It appeared to be perfectly frothed and thoughtfully garnished with a light dusting of cocoa powder. Unfortunately, this concoction was not very chocolaty and was served lukewarm. As somewhat of a hot chocolate gourmet, the taste was disappointing but since I didn’t visit Ria’s Bluebird for the hot cocoa (which wasn’t even listed on the menu) I won’t hold it against them.

In summary…

Who am I to argue with a review provided by the New York Times? For what it’s worth, I agree that the buttermilk pancakes were very good however, I was not convinced that Ria’s Bluebird’s Buttermilk pancakes are the World’s Best.

 

I don’t plan to visit Ria’s Bluebird again. It’s a 20-25 minute drive from where I live and I don’t think it is worth a second trip. I would however recommend it to others who desire to satisfy their curiosity about the Buttermilk Pancakes or who happen to be in the area and are looking for a unique place to eat for breakfast before visiting a nearby Atlanta Attraction like the Oakland Cemetery or Zoo Atlanta.

 

Oh, by the way…

Ria’s Bluebird offers a nice selection of loose teas with tea strainers to accompany your meal which would be a highlight for any tea enthusiast.

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