Cody P.
Yelp
Back in a previous life I used to hang out here to watch bands play, or for open mics. I was in college, and never had the extra cash to actually eat while I was here. Only years later did I realize their food was actually a huge deal.
The place runs more on fun and innovative ideas than high quality food or ingredients. Their strong points are the variety of waffles, and their chicken wings and tenders. For most other things you're getting diner quality ingredients. This is in no way a deal breaker when you look at the finished product or the overall price. The most important thing to consider while ordering is the type of waffle you want. That's going to be your takeaway from whatever meal you get.
The first thing I tried was the Jive Turkey. They make full on waffles out of the stuffing, then pile it with turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy. The deli turkey and instant potatoes, while they always make for a good meal, served as a reminder that this is a waffle place first, everything else is toppings. The stuffing held up great and made a great waffle/base for the meal. I can see why it's so popular.
The Chicken Parm was a swing and a miss. Maybe they just messed it up, but the spaghetti never really held up in its waffle form, the meal broke down to clumpy spaghetti with chicken tenders on top. At least their tenders are awesome.
The Falafel Waffle was one of my favorites, but it wasn't available on their menu to order online, so I had to call it in. I didn't see it on their display menu when I went in to get it either, I don't know what's up with that. But they were definitely able to make it for me when I called. The flavor is toned down a bit, and it's breadier than regular falafel, so I'm guessing it was tamed a bit for waffling. The tahini is a bit grainy, which leads me to believe they make their own. That's a total guess, but usually store bought tahini is creamy af. I've only tried it with the Israeli salad and tahini that came with it by default, but it all went so amazingly well together, I couldn't imagine a better way to order this.
I have to imagine the pulled pork waffle was more of a menu afterthought. It's just a buttermilk waffle topped with generic pulled pork. There was nothing really unique about it.
If you're going to go custom, I say go banana bread batter. I'll never make regular waffles again. Just beware, they charge by the item, and starting at everything above the waffle itself. So add $1.99 for maple syrup, another $2.29 for a sealed 1.5 oz cup of peanut butter, bananas $1.99, etc. Even whipped cream. I thought that was pretty obnoxious how quickly that added up. Ignoring the cost though, they have a lot more sides than I'd ever considered. You can create pretty much anything you're looking for.
I'd never really had a proper chicken and waffle experience, but I knew I had to try it here because Guy Fieri fist bumped over it. Their waffles and their tenders are their best assets, why'd I wait so long to try them together? The order comes with their house sauce, which is like a sweet and spicy syrup. I ordered a side of maple syrup for backup. You can't have this without the house sauce, I absolutely insist on it.
Last of all is dessert. Their brownie waffles are amazing, and they go well with ice cream. We ordered the James Brownie off the menu, but next time I want this to go, I'll definitely just ice cream it myself when I get home.
Outside of the menu entrees, they have great wings. They're small, but breaded, very soft, and spiced just right. You have to eat them with the house sauce. Great fries as well. Regular breakfast items are on the menu. (Spoiler Alert: "Yolko Breakfast Cafe" is a ghost kitchen from here you'll find on delivery apps, covering the regular breakfast items.) One time we ordered a Cuban sandwich and were blown away by how good it was. I just got something regular, I didn't get into adulting it up with booze, but you can!
If possible, this is definitely a place you want to eat inside. The food mostly holds up to go, but you lose the whole atmosphere and a lot of the presentation. They have a million things to try, and as long as you go with your gut I don't think you can go wrong.