Chicken and waffles is a beloved food pairing that combines crispy, savory chicken with sweet, fluffy waffles. This unlikely combination actually has roots dating back over a century. While the exact origins are disputed, most food historians agree that chicken and waffles gained popularity in the 1930s-1940s at soul food restaurants and jazz clubs in the American South and Harlem, New York.
Today, chicken and waffles remains a staple at soul food eateries and a brunch favorite across the U.S. From hole-in-the-wall joints to upscale restaurants, many chefs have put their own spin on this classic dish. Here’s a guide on where you can find some of the best chicken and waffles near you.
Traditional Soul Food Spots
Soul food restaurants that serve Southern food are the best places to get real chicken and waffles. These places serve crispy fried chicken with syrup on top of fluffy waffles, staying true to the original tastes. A few legendary spots include:
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Gladys Knight opened Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta, Georgia. Get the Georgia peach chicken with Belgian waffles.
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Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, Los Angeles, CA – This LA institution has been serving its famous chicken and waffles since 1975. Go for the Obama Special with three wings and a waffle.
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Amy Ruth’s Restaurant, New York City, NY: Amy Ruth’s has been serving down-home food for a long time and is a mainstay in Harlem. Try their chicken and waffle platter with eggs any style.
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The Breakfast Klub Houston TX – This popular breakfast spot does chicken and waffles with a selection of homemade syrups like salted caramel and strawberry guava.
Specialty Chicken and Waffle Restaurants
In the past few years, restaurants across the country have opened that serve only chicken and waffles. These places serve a wide range of creative versions of the dish:
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Federal Donuts, Philadelphia, PA – This donut shop doubles as a fried chicken and waffle destination. Try flavors like gingerbread, chocolate marshmallow, and strawberry lavender.
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Bruxie, Orange County, CA – This eatery stuffs waffles with fried chicken to make sweet and savory sandwiches. The Brussels sprouts option comes with garlic aioli.
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The Chicken and the Egg, Marietta, GA – Everything on the menu highlights chicken and waffles, from tacos to banh mi sandwiches. Go for The Hen House with fried chicken on a house-made waffle.
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Waffle Champion, Chicago, IL – This waffle focused cafe offers fried chicken served Nashville hot style or Korean glazed atop liège waffles. Get a side of chicken n’ waffle fries.
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12th State Fried Chicken and Waffles, Bentonville, AR – As the name suggests, this spot fries its chicken in a secret 12th herb and spice blend. Pair it with a sweet potato or red velvet waffle.
Upscale Chicken and Waffle Restaurants
Chicken and waffles has also made its way to upscale brunch spots and contemporary Southern restaurants. These chefs put gourmet spins on the dish:
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The Grey, Savannah, GA – Executive chef Mashama Bailey adds sophisticated twists like chicken confit and mascarpone waffles.
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Post & Beam, Los Angeles, CA – This modern soul food restaurant uses organic chicken and whole grain red velvet waffles. Get the Lou Rawls with hot maple syrup.
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Red Rooster, New York City, NY – Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s take features coconut waffles and jerk chicken with spicy maple syrup.
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Husk, Charleston, SC – Husk puts elevated Southern touches on their chicken and waffles using pimento cheese waffles and chicken confit.
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Root Down, Denver, CO – This farm-to-table eatery makes gluten-free waffles served with fried chicken and gravy.
Best Chicken and Waffle Chains
You can also find solid chicken and waffle plates at certain regional chains like:
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The Original Pancake House – A breakfast favorite with 100+ locations mostly in the West and Midwest.
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Crack Shack – This California-based fried chicken chain is quickly expanding nationwide.
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Another Broken Egg Cafe – With over 70 locations across the South and Midwest, this daytime cafe excels at chicken and waffles.
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Slutty Vegan – A plant-based spin on soul food in Georgia with fried chick’n and Belgian waffles.
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Babalu – This Memphis-based chain serves Latin twists on Southern food including chicken chilaquiles waffles.
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Twin Peaks – The sports bar chain offers chicken tenders and waffles as an appetizer option.
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Tupelo Honey Cafe – This Southern cafe with locations across the South makes chicken and waffles drizzled with honey.
Make Your Own at Home
You don’t need to go out to enjoy chicken and waffles. Many home cooks have developed their own simple recipes combining store-bought frozen waffles, chicken tenders, and syrup. Or go all out by dipping chicken in buttermilk and flour before frying and making waffles from scratch. Add some spice by shaking hot sauce or go sweet with berries and whipped cream. Whip up chicken and waffles at home for a fun weekend brunch.
Chicken and waffles has come a long way from its humble origins at jazz clubs and diners. This soulful dish remains a staple of Southern cooking, but contemporary chefs all over have put gourmet spins on the traditional pairing. Look for chicken and waffle joints near you or try making your own version at home for a delicious and comforting meal any time of day.
Press Waffle Co.
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You may remember Press Waffle Co. from an appearance on TV’s “Shark Tank” in 2019. Its business plan focused on authentic European-style waffles. There are eight locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. With a focus on waffles and a location in the South, you know the chicken and waffles will be next level—and they are. Enjoy two deep-fried crispy tenders with bacon crumble and maple syrup on top of a golden Liége-inspired waffle.
Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles
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This Hollywood, Calif.-based soul food restaurant chain was founded by Herb Hudson, a Harlem native, in 1975. It is best known for its chicken and waffles, which are served together and separately, along with Southern-favorite sides like candy yams, cornbread, and greens. You can’t go wrong on an order here, but regulars swear by Herb’s special: half a chicken smothered with gravy and onions over two waffles.
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With five locations in New York, Sweet Chick is a smaller chain that dishes up a lot of flavor since opening in Brooklyn in 2013. Like Roscoe’s, the focus is chicken and waffles, and the classic with two bone-in pieces of fried chicken over a Belgian waffle never disappoints. Sweet Chick also offers flavored waffles, including apple cinnamon, bacon cheddar, chocolate chip, and vanilla glaze, which take the dish to another level.
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Another small regional chain, Shy Bird has locations in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., and is known for excellent rotisserie and fried chicken. Diners on a healthier trip love the Tuscan grain bowl, but the chicken and waffles are a savory and sweet mix you can’t miss. Fried chicken tops the waffles and is smothered in a maple-Dijon syrup and Frank’s Red Hot whipped cream. Yes, that’s right: spicy whipped cream!
The popular cafe originated in Asheville, N.C., but it now has locations from Texas to Michigan, with more on the way. Serving modern, scratch-made comfort food, the restaurant’s famous chicken and waffles is what gets diners in the door. The café offers a classic version, a homestyle version that adds an egg and gravy, a Sriracha honey chicken version for the spice fans, and an over-the-top version made with macaroni and cheese waffles topped with hot chicken, pickles, and buttermilk ranch.
Okay, this dish isn’t technically chicken and waffles, but it’s close enough! Besides, you’re probably within driving distance of this breakfast-centric chain with more than 600 locations nationwide. If you’re craving something slightly different, try Cracker Barrel’s chicken and French toast, which pairs a piece of fried chicken with three griddled slices of special recipe French toast, powdered sugar, and sides of whipped butter and syrup.
Sign up for our newsletter! Tanya Edwards Tanya Edwards is a seasoned food and health journalist, who has held roles at Yahoo Health as Managing Editor and at Food Network as Programming Director.
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