We visited The Pink Flamingo Cafe at 304 E. Davis Boulevard on 7 June. The Pink Flamingo Cafe was our first official recommendation (as you can see, we’ve got a tremendous backlog of Breakfast work!). The Pink Flamingo Cafe also has a nice web site at http://www.pinkflamingo.us/. This was our first visit to the Pink Flamingo Cafe. It won’t be our last.

We had breakfast. And it was good.

I was a bit disappointed that we couldn’t get our old standby of pancakes, bacon, and eggs as a set unit. And they don’t have blueberry pancakes. But the Flamingo did have “banana walnut” pancakes. I gave this a try, and was not disappointed. Making pancakes with a bunch of crazy crap in them can be a good way to get a plate of mushy goo for breakfast, but the Flamingo pulled this off most excellently! And the syrup was nicely warmed up, and rumor is that it’s home-made too. That’s a good touch!

Marek wasted no time digging in, and he ate a lot for his little belly.

The Flamingo has some unique flair. While we were having pancakes, they played some newer Jimmy Buffet and a track from one of my favorite albums, Donald Fagen’s “The Nightfly”. The dining room is full of classic Florida kitsch as a theme (it IS on an island, after all, so we’ll forgive them for this).

They have a fish tank, which is guaranteed Marek fascination! (Though Marek thought it could use more fish.)

The best thing, the most unique thing about the Flamingo, is that folks can bring their dogs for breakfast, so long as everyone sits outside on the patio.

By the time we were done, there were several dogs with their families. (Our beloved hound, Zimno, will need about $67,453 worth of obedience training before we take HIM here!). Marek was enthralled to find dogs out the door!

Lest we forget, we had coffee. And it was good. And bottomless!

Marek paid the bill.

He got into some sort of discussion with the management. I have no idea what they talked about, but I’m betting he was trying to negotiate to get a pop. They must not have had any, as all he brought back was change. But it’s a credit to how good this place was … he didn’t even notice!

The bottom line on The Pink Flamingo Cafe is that this is simply a top-notch Tampa Bay Breakfast. Great food, super-nice people, lots of regulars, dogs and fish, and plenty of strong black coffee. We had a long discussion on the way home if this should be a 4.5 or a 5 pancake rating. We decided that we’d say 4.5 because it was a little pricey (not that it’s wasn’t worth the premium, but it usually we can get breakfast for under 10; today we had to lay out a Jackson to pay). If they’d had pops or blueberry pancakes, it would be a strong contender for the Best Breakfast Ever in Tampa Bay. (That’s a title currently held by Skyway Jack’s, in case you were wondering.)

We’re pleased to give The Pink Flamingo Cafe a 4.5 pancake rating. Thanks to Christine for the great recommendation!