Miss Shirley’s Cafe proves to be worth the hype

There’s nothing wrong with having a sweet tooth... at least, that’s what I like to say.

I recently was able to enjoy a lovely brunch at Miss Shirley’s Cafe, a short five-to-10-minute drive from campus. This brunch was special for me, not only because it was with a new friend — I know, it’s such a concept following a year of online schooling — but because it featured very sweet, fluffy and delicious pancakes!

Both she and I had heard about Miss Shirley’s many times; after all, it’s always on the front page of any food delivery app (I know this because I spend a considerable amount of time on Uber Eats, and I am not ashamed), and it was voted “Best Brunch” in the “2021 Best of Baltimore Readers’ Poll” of Baltimore Magazine. So, obviously, we decided to give it a shot.

Frankly, I’m quite the skeptic — if everybody hypes something up for too long, my standards skyrocket and I become doubtful. I just have to experience things for myself before I believe them. 

Once we sat down, we required a bit more time than standard, but this was simply because of the long list of unique and mouthwatering pancake flavors on the menu. Eventually, we settled on a stack of the blueberry and white chocolate chip pancakes and the cinnamon Danish pancakes.

Now, at this point, my friend and I simply looked at each other and said, “They’re just pancakes; they can only be so good. How much better can they actually be?” Again, the classic skeptics. But these pancakes certainly did not disappoint, and we definitely want to go again to try the other flavors. They were huge, fluffy, creamy and super sweet. Though I will say that even if I didn’t have a sweet tooth (ahem), they really melt right in your mouth. It was a lovely and mood-lifting experience.

Miss Shirley’s menu is quite unique and has a lot of options. A lot of pancake flavors now are seasonal and sound absolutely scrumptious. The menu also features vegan options as well as a plethora of savory dishes, so if you’re not a pancake person, do not fret! Go bring a new friend and give it a shot. 

I honestly believe that Miss Shirley’s Cafe was definitely worth the hype. Also, its iced coffee was excellent, and we all know that there’s no better way of telling a restaurant or café’s standing than by its coffee.