Breakfast Customers Stuck Coughing Up Extra for Real Maple

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Pancakes at Toast: where's the syrup?

One outrageous surcharge we've noticed for years at some Bay Area breakfast haunts: the ridiculous extra charge for maple syrup. Now, we don't mind paying for real maple. But we wonder why restaurants don't just add that $1 (or more) fee into the cost of the menu item, instead of making customers request it. Restaurant owners, do you eat your pancakes and waffles with only butter and, say, a sprinkling of powdered sugar? Really? Forgoing maple syrup with pancakes is like eating french fries sans ketchup. No thanks. You've got us held captive, and you know it.

One of many syrup offenders is Boogaloo's (3296 22nd St. at Valencia), where it's $1 to upgrade to "real" maple syrup. We tried the buttermilk pancakes ($4.50/$6) without upgrading and regretted cheaping out. Aunt Jemima is the best way to describe the faux-syrup alternative, and that's no compliment. Recently at Toast Eatery (3991 24th St. at Noe), the pancakes ($4.75/$6.50) came with butter on the side (we likey) and a sprinkling of powdered sugar -- a great start. The kicker? Maple syrup was only available upon request for an additional $2. Ouch!