Le Barricou has been going strong in Williamsburg for over a decade, embodying the style of a French bistro or café and serving French country-style fare. It’s a quaint place, absolutely nothing fancy, but it feels homey and rustic in a really nice way. Brunch, lunch, and dinner dishes are exactly what you’d expect for a place of its mission. On the brunch menu you’ll find offerings like Frittata Auvergnate (ham, potato, and gruyere), a Spinach and Goat Cheese Croissant, Onion Gratinee, and the classic Croque Madame (though, of course, you can make it a Monsieur, if you please). On the dinner menu you can choose from classics like Coq Au Vin, Beef Bourguignon, and Steak Frites.
Though it’s French oriented, there are a few continental options as well. And funnily enough, Le Barricou is most well-known for a dish that isn’t French: the pancake. Le Barricou’s pancakes are famous. Why? First, because they are baked to order. So this means two things: 1. They are baked instead of made stove-top and 2. It will take 30-40 minutes from the time you order to receive this dish because there is no part of the dish that is pre-made and baking takes longer than stove cooking. Second, the pancakes are unusually sized. If an average pancake is less than 1 centimeter in height, this is about 4 times that, at around 1.5 inches tall. Third, the pancake is similar to a pound cake in texture. It’s dense and substantial. When you look around, almost every table orders one, at least to share, but very few of them finish the dish.
The pancake is served with fresh strawberries and blackberries, with a strawberry butter and pure maple syrup. The exterior is sweet, but the inside is very balanced. No part of it is dry, but the inside is particularly soft and moist. And the flavor is delicious. Because the sweetness isn’t overpowering (and you are in control of how much maple syrup you add, as it comes on the side), it is not as heavy as it could be. But if you ordered it as an entrée and ate the whole thing, you’d certainly be in a happy food coma. This pancake appears on every list of best pancakes or must-try brunch items in NYC and it’s for good reason. It’s delicious, unique, and I don’t know of anyone who has been disappointed upon trying it.
Though they don’t make their own pastries and breads, they do get them from Balthazar Bakery, which is widely acknowledged to be in contention for the top French bakery in NYC. So if you order a croissant, at least you know you’re getting a real French croissant. It’s also charming that they offer fresh squeezed juices – so Parisian and a nice treat from regular OJ or GJ.
Of course, if pancakes aren’t your thing, that’s no problem. After all, their actual French foods are good too. A popular option is the steak. There are two choices: bavette steak (a.k.a. flank steak), served with a black pepper crust and a cognac & green peppercorn sauce, or the hanger steak, paired with a red wine veal sauce. Both steaks are served with fries. Though I will say you wouldn’t necessarily seek this place out or wait a long time for its French fare as much as you would for its pancake.
They do not take reservations, and they do have a tendency to get pretty full during peak times, so if you are going during brunch to order the pancake, make sure you know what you’re getting into. There could (not always) be a 30+ minute wait and then another 30+ minute wait for them to make your pancake à la minute. Plus lag time between sitting down at the table and placing the order. So make sure you’re down for a casual, slow-paced dining experience. I do definitely think it’s worth trying once. And after all, if it weren’t so leisurely, it wouldn’t be very French, would it?
