I’ve had chicken & waffles exactly once, at Roscoe’s in Long Beach, in 2008 IIRC. I liked it but not enough to go out of my way to get it. It started popping up here in Boston (maybe about 18-24 months ago?) on the menus of a few restaurants but I haven’t bothered with it yet. As far as I can tell, chefs here do it for hipster-ironic reasons.
I didn’t think the sriracha ones were particularly hot. They certainly weren’t any hotter than the “Flaming Hot” variety of Lay’s or the competitors equivalent. The complaint I have with those is they’re a tad sweet and just taste like a cross between Flaming Hots and Sour Cream & Onion.
And the Chicken & Waffles ones are fine, but, once again, too sweet, and don’t remind me at all of chicken. They just taste like maple syrup to me. Now, and I can’t remember who mentioned this, but someone mentioned mixing the sriracha and chicken and waffles flavors together. That actually sounds like it would be pretty good. At least to me.
The garlic ones are obviously going to win because, well, who doesn’t like garlic bread? Boring.
It’s soul food.
Never had chicken for breakfast before visiting my great-grandma in Tennessee when I was around 8 or 9. She not only served chicken and waffles for breakfast (chickens from her coop at that), but also “fresh” ham, and biscuits and gravy.
Later, when Roscoe’s arrived in Southern California, the combination didn’t seem as odd to me.
I haven’t tried Lay’s yet, so I can’t speak on the flavor, but if you get real chicken and waffles done right, it’s an amazing combination.
When I used to be able to eat this kind of food, I loved going here.
I have seen chicken and waffles on menus here in Houston, TX as long as I have been alive. It was an African American thing often served on Saturday and Sunday morning in BBQ and Soul Food joints, it is tasty. Hot, peppered fried chicken with a thick waffle and fake maple syrup, nom. I like mine with a couple of eggs over easy.
The chips sound gross
Capt
So many Southerners have complained that it isn’t a “Southern” food that I’ve actually seen a few articles out there explaining exactly where it came from. I foolishly don’t have any at hand at the moment, but the short of it is that it started in New York City by homesick Southerners and gradually worked its way back “home.” How Southern that makes it is debatable.
What’s funny is, in my family, we eat turkey and waffles, which you would think would be similar. But it’s off-the-bone turkey meat, and gravy over everything instead of syrup.
Yeah, in another thread where this is discussed, a chicken version of what you’re describing was referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch chicken and waffles.
Factual answers are to be found in Cafe Society as well as GQ. Since it’s food, it’s off to CS.
samclem, moderator
Last time I was at Sylvia’s (also the only time; except for one six-month period ten years ago it’s never been convenient), it was served with syrup. I like sweet+salt and sweet+savory anyway, so that was fine with me.
The chips were okay by themselves, but dipped in maple syrup…om nom nom.
Bunny Berigan recorded a tune called “Chicken and Waffles” in 1935. I couldn’t find it on Youtube, but you can hear a snippet of it here. Berigan was a jazz musician who would probably have hung out with a lot of black folks, and would have been familiar with what came to be called “soul food” (I doubt the term was in use at the time).
My favorite chicken and waffles are from Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland.
Nah. Chicken and maple syrup is an odd taste.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was unaware of this combo. I’ve been to every state and never saw it on any menu, not even in hole in the wall southern eateries I’d been to.
You can’t talk about Roscoe’s without checking out Roscoe’s Rap, from Tapeheads.
I actually enjoyed the IHOP version, but I always go with boneless chicken when I have the option.
It seems like awesome late-night drunk munchies but other than that, I am having a hard time seeing chicken and syrup and butter and waffles as an appetizing combination. But hey, I’ve never even seen the dish, so I know nothing.
We’re not allowed to say black? Popular amongst black southerners and it has spread. It’s very good if unhealthy. Worth having every now and then.
As for chips, I still eat prawn cocktail flavoured crisps so no biggie there.
“Chicken and waffles” are mentioned prominently in James M. Cain’s heavily detailed novel Mildred Pierce published in 1941 and set in Southern California during the Great Depression. It is, in fact, the main dish served in the restaurant opened by the the eponymous character. So, while Roscoe’s may have brought their particular recipe to California in '75, it has been aroudn for decades before.
Stranger
Perhaps, but I can’t see any evidence of chicken flavor in the Lays chips. It’s more like maple syrup flavored potato chips to me (unfortunately, as I like sweet/savory/meat combos. Now if they did a sage breakfast sausage and maple syrup chip, I’d be all over that.)