The Waffle, Breakfast (and Awesome Fries) Is Served

From the man who launched the careers of Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, and Amy Adams, we now bring you…Breakfast?

That’s right, John Papsidera, one of the most influential casting directors in Hollywood decided to branch out, so he opened a restaurant serving everything the starlets he auditions would never eat in a million years. And it’s delicious! Introducing, The Waffle, which had a quiet soft-opening on Friday and already has the town buzzing.

The Waffle features a dazzling array of both savory and sweet waffles, comfort food classics, vegetarian revamps of typically meat-filled favorites and some of the best damn fries you’ll have in years, all served in a lofty, super mod diner that feels like an overblown version of the Brady Bunch house. Settle in to one of the expansive but cozy booths, sidle up to the counter, or grab a seat in the upstairs lounge which offers a full bar, cute barkeep and incredible comfort, and get ready to unbutton those jeans.

Keeping in mind that they just opened and there are always a few kinks as any newbie works to find their footing, they might want to change their name from Waffle to “Okay Waffles but Really Really Good Everything Else”.

You want it gooey? The Sticky Bun Waffle topped with Brown Sugar Glaze, cinnamon and pecans is good but a bit too cinnamon-y and cloying. You want them healthy? They’ve got Multi-Grain or Gluten Free, neither offering anything exceptional beyond knowing you tried to be sensible and conscientious. You want it with meat? The Applewood Smoked Bacon Waffle is served with bits both baked into the batter and scattered across the top, though the bacon needed to be crisper inside the waffle. What about some ingenuity with a Cornmeal Jalepeno with Breaded Chicken, Smothered Greens and your choice of Sawmill white gravy or brown gravy waffle? Sounds awesome...they were “out” when I tried to order it.

Here’s the issue: If you name your restaurant after a single food you better bring your A Game.

Across the board, the main descriptive was “Dry”. They were all good but the waffles at Waffle lack the fluffy cloud essence that is sought in the Belgian experience. It should be noted; their signature syrup (which is dense, thick and delicious) pools on top of the waffle but isn’t absorbed. The varieties are great but perhaps they need to reduce the heat or cooking time in order to deliver a waffle with the angel wing lightness one might expect (especially when paying a premium price, waffles are $8 dollars and up).

However, moving deeper into the menu, homeruns abound! The care they offer vegetarians and vegans is remarkable and the execution is stellar. The Vegan Rueben (which I ordered with real turkey instead of Tofurkey and they happily obliged) is buttery, saurkrauty, gooey, grilled perfection. Served with a side of Waffle’s sublime cross cut, well seasoned fries, it was instantly addictive and I’m already counting the days until I get to enjoy another one after a movie at the Arclight. The veggie chili and Un-BLT also deserve praise. On a meatier note, Chicken Pot Pie is another stand out, making you rue all that time you wasted with Marie Callendar. Hash Browns are served in a number of tantalizing ways including with smoked salmon or corned beef hash or smothered in gravy.

The Waffle is like a new born colt, long limbed and wobbly, a bit too much going on to know what to do with itself. Given more time, I believe we’ll have a Stallion trotting out delectable meals 22 hours a day and giving LA yet another restaurant to call home away from home in the vein of The Griddle, Fred 62, Café 101 and, if they can get the irons in check, Roscoe’s.

The Waffle

6255 Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-465-6901

Sun-Thu: 6am-2am
Fri-Sat: 6am-4am