If breakfast is the most important meal of the day (which, let's be honest, brunch is giving it a real run for its money), then pancakes are definitely near the top of the list of most important menu items.
While it's easy to be tempted by classic buttermilk flapjacks, plenty of Atlanta restaurants are changing things up with healthier gluten-free options or items with nutrient-rich ingredients like sweet potatoes. Check out these five Atlanta restaurants flipping the idea of the common pancake into something a little more diet-friendly.
Radial Café
1530 DeKalb Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-659-6594. radial.us This may be one of the city's best all-vegetarian breakfast spots, but don't let that deter the carnivores among the group: Every menu item is brimming with flavorful ingredients that keep eaters of all diets coming back. The restaurant's gluten-free pancakes are made with organic quinoa, corn, tapioca, buckwheat flour and ground flax. Top it with the organic Coombs Farms maple syrup or to-die-for strawberry rhubarb sauce for a small (and well worth it) additional cost.
Another Broken Egg
Multiple locations. anotherbrokenegg.com This Atlanta-born national chain of breakfast restaurants serves up a big treat in its jumbo "gluten-friendly" pancake. Described on the menu as a "fill the plate, deliciously prepared" entrée, these fluffy made-to-order pancakes can come topped with fruit and sweet whipped cream, which varies by location.
Flying Biscuit
Multiple locations. flyingbiscuit.com
Anyone familiar with this Atlanta breakfast joint shouldn't be surprised that it has been rapidly expanding with new locations. Its oatmeal pancakes (which, by the way, you can make at home) hold an added heartiness and a touch of cinnamon that makes them irresistible. A stack of three comes topped with warm, sweet peach compote, and while they may feel like a carb splurge, the high fiber content of oats make this a smarter choice than the average pancake.
RELATED: 4 Atlanta dietitians share what they eat for breakfast
Highland Bakery
Multiple locations. highlandbakery.com
Pancake fans can pick their poison on Highland Bakery's extensive menu, with options like its ricotta, sweet potato or cilantro corn pancakes. The cilantro corn variety is topped with two fried eggs, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese, and the sweet potato pancakes come topped with caramelized brown sugar syrup and toasted pecans. Still, sweet potatoes provide an excellent source of vitamins, so this sweet dessert-for-breakfast item is hard to hate.
