Gritz N' Wafflez
Brunch restaurant · Koreatown ·
Made-from-scratch Southern brunch with Texas flava
Made-from-scratch Southern brunch with Texas flava
"Chef Jurni Rayne is one of the hardest-working chefs in Los Angeles. She started in a delivery and pick-up-only operation in 2022, then moved to a Pico-Union brick-and-mortar shortly after. Devotees packed the compact room regularly to try her grits combinations with fried chicken, fried catfish, or shrimp, while waffle combinations with the same ingredients. Gritz N Wafflez is now stationed in Koreatown, and she’s got a breakfast sandwich creation called Da Baddest Chick, Rayne’s dedication to Miami rapper Trina. It’s layered with scrambled eggs and incredibly crispy fried chicken." - Mona Holmes
"Southern brunch spot Gritz N Wafflez has relocated from Pico-Union to a new space in Koreatown and serves exactly what the name promises. Grits pop up in every combo imaginable—shrimp and grits, catfish and grits, hot chicken tenders and grits—and their waffles do too, with flavors like peach cobbler, cinnamon roll, and bacon cheddar. French toast, po’boys, and wing baskets are available, too. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Cathy Park
"Chef Jurni Rayne knows brunch. After moving from a popular Pico-Union location, she reopened Gritz N Wafflez in Koreatown on Wilshire slightly east of Vermont in May 2025. The Dallas-native chef (who is also a singer-songwriter and stand-up comedian) created an entire menu that’s dedicated to its namesake. The grits combinations include fried chicken, fried catfish, or shrimp, while waffle combinations include fried wings, catfish, or a choice of sautéed or fried shrimp. And if you only want waffles, Rayne makes both sweet bean vanilla waffles and peach cobbler waffle varieties; there’s even a savory waffle with cheddar and herbs. Plan accordingly, Gritz N Wafflez’s queue forms early." - Mona Holmes
"It’s not uncommon for out-of-towners to take repeat meals at chef Jurni Rayne’s Gritz N Wafflez. It’s regularly packed because visitors want to make sure her bacon and cheese-encrusted waffles, and some of the city’s best Southern fried catfish weren’t a fluke. Rayne has a sixth sense of when to remove the fish from the fryer so it retains moisture filled with the right amount of seasoning and a cornmeal battered bite. One cannot go wrong if consuming the catfish on a waffle or a bed of grits. — Mona Holmes, reporter" - Eater Staff
"I visited Gritz N Wafflez as one of the ten female-run fried chicken spots on that day’s drive around Los Angeles." - Mona Holmes