Here’s the secret to how Lexington’s best pancake is made, and why it’s so big

Brian Simms

October 11, 2024 at 7:50 a.m.·3 min read

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Bigger is always better, right?

At least that is what John Candy had in mind during the 1989 film “Uncle Buck” when he made huge pancakes for his nephew.

But one Lexington restaurant is going up, not out, with their giant pancakes — about an inch and a quarter thick if you’re measuring.

I certainly was — because the Buttermilk Pancakes at Beau’s Cafe were the best thing I ate this week.

Made with Weisenberger Mill flour, orange zest, homemade bourbon maple syrup and whipped brown butter, chef and co-owner Spencer Sirles says it’s not the most ordered item on the menu (breakfast burrito), but it’s the most talked about.

“We get a lot of shock mostly because they don’t expect a pancake that size,” said Sirles. “When you see it, a lot of people look at it and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s gonna be a heavy dense pancake.’ But then they eat it and they’re like, ‘oh, wow.’ This is still a huge portion. But they’re like, ‘This is way lighter than what it looked like it was going to be.’”

Buttermilk Pancakes at Beau’s Cafe in Lexington, Ky are made with Weisenberger Mill flour, orange zest, homemade bourbon maple syrup and whipped brown butter.

Two of the giant, thick pancakes come in an order for $13. They are cooked on a flat top, the batter poured into a six-inch-wide mold allowing the pancake to cook and grow, yet making it fluffy.

“The combination of baking powder and baking soda, egg, and then the mold itself gives us a lot of the ability to have the rise,” said Sirles, who has cooked in big cities and some of Lexington’s better-known restaurants including The Mouse Trap, Table 310, National Provisions and Willie’s Locally Known.

Beau’s Cafe chef and co-owner Spencer Sirles puts buttermilk pancake batter into rings, left, as another order cooks at right. The pancakes are first cooked using a six-inch-wide mold to help them rise and keep their shape. The pancakes rise to about an inch to an inch and a quarter high.

Beau’s Cafe chef and co-owner Spencer Sirles puts down some clarified butter as he cooks the flip side of an order of Buttermilk Pancakes, Oct. 9, 2024 at Beau’s Cafe in Lexington, Ky. The pancakes are first cooked using a mold to help them rise and keep their shape.

The cakes take a while to cook — seven minutes on the first side, three to four minutes on the flip — and Beau’s Cafe makes plenty of them. Sirles says they cook 20-25 orders on an average day, and 40 on the weekends.

Why make the pancakes, possibly the biggest in Lexington, like this?

“For me, it was more of an aesthetic thing,” Sirles said.

Putting aside how they look, to me, they are the best pancakes in Lexington.

When you get them — after the shock and awe of size — you might first think there is not enough syrup. But Sirles is ahead of you, putting syrup on the first cake before plating the second one. He makes the maple syrup by reducing Evan Williams bourbon and adding other ingredients to brighten it up, he says.

Beau’s Cafe chef and co-owner Spencer Sirles puts homemade maple syrup on an order of buttermilk pancakes. The maple syrup is made by reducing Evan Williams bourbon and adding other ingredients.

The pancakes have a crisp outer shell from being delicately cooked with clarified butter. Surprisingly, they have a light and fluffy inside that your fork practically falls through as you cut. The orange zest flavor is a nice surprise, almost like a sweet reminder of spring or fall. And be sure to spread the whipped brown butter. It’s salted and gives you a sweet and salty taste with each bite.

The Buttermilk Pancakes at Beau’s Cafe look dense and filling but in fact are light and fluffy on the inside.

Beau’s Cafe in Beaumont menu options

Beau’s Cafe opened about a year ago in the Beaumont neighborhood, next door to BBQ restaurant J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar. Sirles and co-owner Daniel Dupont wanted to open a breakfast and lunch place above the fare of Waffle House and IHOP.

Beau’s Cafe has a breakfast and lunch menu in the Beaumont neighborhood. They recently added an evening menu that features burgers.

Beau’s Cafe has a bar featuring cocktails and wine selections. It’s a popular Sunday brunch restaurant.

Besides the pancake, Beau’s Cafe is also known for its French omelet and Dutch baby pancake, something not seen on many Lexington breakfast restaurant menus. Beau’s version is oven-baked with a custard center and covered with lemon zest, yogurt whipped cream and warm blackberries.

Recently they have added an evening menu from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday focusing on its new burger offerings to go with cocktails and wine selections. Breakfast is not available during dinner service.