It has been about 20 years since my sister and I visted Los Angeles. At the time we were visiting old high school friends in West Covina, CA. Long before arriving, I'd watched movies where they often mentioned west coast chicken & waffles. I scratched my head. Ok, I get the combination of chicken and mashed potatoes or waffles and bacon, but fried chicken AND waffles? Served together? I simply could not imagine, so I declined. Fast foward 20 years. My son and I were visiting a church in the Kenwood area and we decided to find a place to have breakfast. Lo and behold, I could not believe my eyes - Chicago Chicken & Waffles on Martin Luther King Drive. Over the years, I thought about me not taking advantage of the e opportunity to taste this dish while on the west coast....so, here was my opportunity. I parked my care and went inside.
The first thing that surprise me was the size of the restaurant, as it seemed a bit on the smalll size. However, there was a line of people wrapped around the wall waiting to be seated. I figured, if peoeple were willing to wait, there was obviously something worth waiting for. Once we were finally seated, the server promptly attented us and made us feel welcome.
My son ordered the kids plate which consisted of a waffle and a drumstick. I, on the other hand went all the way, ordering smothered chicken, rice with gravy, collard greens and a single waffle. Our food arrived piping not, which I prefer. And the aroma? It had me at first sniff. The chicken was crisp on the outside, not at all bready, and the meat was cooked to perfection with the perfect balance of seasoning. The rice and onion gravy was good, as well as the greens. For me, the real test would be the waffle. I'm very fussy about my waffles. Let me just say this - it was OMGoodness! Lightly crisp around the edges and moist, but not soggy, in the center. The waffle had the destinct flavor of vanilla, which was pleasing to my palette.
Although we had a long wait for seating, I have to admit, it was worth it. With that said, I give Chicago Chicken & Waffles two thumbs up! Best part, they've recently updated and expanded the Chicago location and opened two additional locations in the Chicagoland area - Oak Park and Evanston.
Other details: BYOB (Oak Park location only), Live Jazz Thursday-Saturday Evenings, Reservations Not Accepted, Plenty of Street Parking.
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