Waldo’s Chicken & Beer

Waldo’s Chicken and Beer – Franklin, TN 🟡 Tayst Score: 8/10 📍108 New Hwy 96 W, Franklin, TN 💲Meal: 4 Tender Box (White BBQ + Tender Sauce), Fries, Slaw, Bread + Fruit Tea – $15.26 📅 Date: July 22, 2025 🔍 Review: Pulled up to Waldo’s in Franklin for the first time. Got the 4 Tender Box with all the fixings. Here’s how it really went: 🍟 The fries were the highlight. Fresh-cut, hot, seasoned just right—crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Straight up 10/10. 🍗 Tenders did their job. Crispy, seasoned, and dipped in that White BBQ + Tender Sauce combo, it came together solid. Not the best ever, but definitely worth grabbing again. 🥖 The bread? Mid. It had a nice toast on it, but let’s keep it real—it ain’t touching Raising Cane’s toast. No wow factor. Just there. 🥬 Coleslaw? Sharp and vinegary. Not terrible, but that bite was a little aggressive. Ain’t for everybody. 🥤 The lemonade fruit tea? Disappointing. Sounded good, but didn’t have much flavor. More like watered-down potential than refreshing. 💨 Vibes in the spot were chill. They got that wall full of beer cans, and the staff moved quick. Food came out fresh, no complaints on the service. Would I go back? Yeah—but I’m coming back for the fries and tenders, not the bread or drink. #TaystApproved (barely) #615Eats #FranklinFoodScene #WaldosChicken #TaystReview

My oldest son chose Waldo’s for his 16th birthday dinner. When we arrived, the staff let us know their computer system was rebooting due to a storm, but they graciously took our dine-in order manually. After waiting about 40 minutes, we checked on our order The manager and staff couldn’t have been more kind and they apologized, brought us complimentary biscuits, and even comped our entire meal. Our food arrived less than 10 minutes later, and it was absolutely delicious. Most importantly, our son was thrilled. This kind of thoughtful, above-and-beyond service is rare these days. Waldo’s has definitely earned our loyalty—we’ll be back again!

The service was amazing! I really liked my strip sandwich but I wasn't really digging the 4 or 5 wedges For the side it felt really small. The price wasn't to bad though. There also was a huge lack of open seating. I had originally order to eat there but quickly changed it to to takeout after seeing you lack of space and this weird bar thing that I think I was expected to sit at. I plan to try it again next time I'm I'm the area though.

Wish I knew the name of the lady who assisted in taking our order she had piercings and was the sweetest cashier I have met. She was so helpful and patient while my big group ordered. She definitely deserves to get a promotion with how helpful and kind she was. Will definitely be coming back. Food was great and delicious!

Waldo’s is my absolute favorite Chicken tender place and I’ve had them all. It’s not “Nashville hot chicken” but it has just the right amount of spice. In my opinion the OG chicken sandwich beats both Popeyes and Chick-fil-A.

Just had the most amazing 50th birthday luncheon for our son-in-law. Waldo’s staff went above and beyond in terms of accommodating our family (18 of us) and making us feel welcome. The quality of food was excellent with hot, tender chicken and sides. (Both fried and rotisserie style.) Our family and friends who joined us from a handful of states plus Canada & Mexico, were treated with traditional “southern hospitality” by manager Casey, assistant manager Julian, and cashier Austin. They and the rest of the kitchen and service crew were welcoming, courteous, respectful & ever-vigilant regarding any needs we had. What an incredible experience and welcome to our family and our visitors from afar. We will certainly will be back again soon.

A decent chicken place. the chicken is cooked right, not overcooked. Its a no frills place but the food is good and not a bad place to meet up with friends

I love this place! Amazing food I ordered 4 tenders today and the staff got my order perfect tenders were delicious! I would recommend it! Cashier was super nice and he even went a step further and asked how we are doing today! I will definitely be returning Lemonade was the best ever!

Favorite tenders. Favorite sauce. Hands down. Waldo's is my go-to. I've tried a lot of places, but this is easily my favorite when it comes to tenders -- and their tender sauce? Blows every other chicken spot out of the water. No contest. Fries are always on point, and the cheddar biscuits are a must -- I always sub out the coleslaw in the tender box for extra biscuits. Worth it every time. Big shoutout to Danny and the team at the location off 96. The whole staff is awesome -- friendly, fast, and just really solid all around. By far my favorite tenders.

What to do for lunch when you are entertaining 23 family members and friends from out of town.....here to celebrate a 50th birthday? No question in my book.....Waldo's! Manager Casey and Asst Manager Julian were incredible! Courteous, attentive, polite, and up to their high standards for service and food. (Kudos to the rest of the staff too fo keeping up with our individual orders.) Food was excellent with the most succulent, tender chicken, crispy sides, flavor collards, beans, and the like. Drinks were plentiful. And our guests, who had been touring the Franklin-Nashville area for several days during their stay, declared Waldo's to be their #1 stop.

Always great service and hot food. Ive never been disappointed. I will keep going with my football player who gets the OG sandwich meal and a extra sandwich with 1/2 dozen cheddar biscuits.

We love Waldo's we go between Franklin and Brentwood both have OUTSTANDING service! Today we were at the Franklin location. 7/6/25. I wish I would have got the boys name that was at the drive-up at 11 am!! He was fantastic you do not find service and personality like that very often but.... He was fantastic! Thank you Waldo's for your great service, cleanliness and positive attitudes!!!

Another five star experience at Waldo's yesterday afternoon while I was with my son going through the drive-through. Not only was the food delicious, as always, but Daniel, the gentleman that served us, had the most wonderful customer service. Such a blessing for my son to witness his kind heart. Thank you, Waldos for always hiring the best of the best.

Waldo's has great food and amazing people who work there! it is always on our list when we are considering take-out.

Not only is the food amazing but the staff is so friendly and helpful. Bre rocks it, Cam rocks it, Maddox rocks it!! So many I can't name them all. Great job guys!!

Waldo's! We have been to several locations of Waldos and I love their chicken. Takeout from here is great, service fast and the chicken is as anticipated. The dine in experience is fine. They have a large bar area which is separate from the food order area (probably so they can employ teens at the food counter). There is an extensive selection of draft beers and they do have some happy hour periods. The one time we ate in at this location it did not appear super clean. The floor feels a little sticky, and there is just some evidence that folks have been there before you. But as I said, I do love their chicken so we will still be back! (or maybe takeout is the way to go?...)

UPDATE!!!! The management has since reached out to me, making things right. Not only being proactive in reaching out but also being extremely kind and helpful. I appreciate them wanting to better their business and take feedback from customers! I love Waldo's food, but the prices are a bit ridiculous and every SINGLE time I get my food to go, drive thru or takeout they never EVER give me the sauces I ordered. It's always one sauce or a bunch of the wrong sauces. This needs to be something they improve on. I love the food and service but if i'm paying 70$ for a family meal I expect the right condiments.

Worst service waited 20 minutes. They just watched me stand there. This place is such a bait and switch.

Food is always fresh and cooked properly. Use fresh oil for frying. They also have a great happy hour. Service is always courteous and prompt, Ambiance is that of fast food atmosphere as this is housed in an old caption D's . There is not a rush though to get through the line or rush your meal.

Best French fries & chicken breast ever! Loved the Cole slaw. I never finish my fries but I sure did this time! I need a Waldo's in Sacramento!

Fantastic Food! With remarkable service! One employee specifically Daniel is always so pleasant! One of the best chicken sandwiches is Franklin easily.

CHEYENNE AND TIERZA WERE ANGELS. They were attentive, kind, and gave us extra drinks and cheddar biscuits on the HOUSE. Not to mention the food was absolutely straight FIRE. AKA I'll be back. Thank you WALDOS for making my Tuesday evening extra special.

Good food. Had it delivered twice in one week. Sides and fried chicken on point. You will not be disappointed

Decent chicken, great fries, and good beer selection... Atmosphere is one that is yet to be desired... This restaurant is located in an old Caption D's building, and nothing really seems to have changed as Waldo's, except adding beer taps... I may go here for a fast-food run, but i won't consider this as a casual, relaxing dinner spot... It's usually very loud with a bunch of rowdy kids, so loud, i cant even hear myself talk to whomever I'm dining with... For chicken experience, i would go elsewhere... But if you're hankering for a beer with any food on the menu, particularly on Sunday, this would be the spot...Glad we have Waldo's as an option in town.

This is a place you go if you wanna feed a bunch of kids and have a beer . It's like a fast food place that serves beer . Chuckle cheese without the games . It is clean ..we had the chicken tenders . They were okay .not enough sauce. The Mac and cheese was a NO for us .

Kameren was an absolutely delightful bartender. She was very helpful and we were new to town so she answered all of her questions. More restaurants need bartenders like her.

I'm so glad this place opened close to where I work. My co-workers and I had lunch here the first week they opened and it was delicious. The building has been remodeled. They have a bar where you can have a drink and watch sports on the TVs. When you enter you place your order at the counter and then sit wherever you like. They bring your food to you. I ordered the 1/4 dark fried chicken plate with the potato wedges and coleslaw. The chicken was crispy and delicious. These are the best potato wedges I've ever had. I don't know what their secret is but they are so crispy and yummy. I love that the coleslaw isn't vinegary or heavy mayonnaise. It is just right. The staff was friendly and the food came out quick. This is going to be one of my favorite lunch spots.

This is the second time I've had a take out order be wrong... (love being charged for food I didn't receive). Great in store service but take out could use some works.

Not an elegant restaurant but not a bar either. Fast food, place your order and find a seat. When we ate there it was full of young families after youth sports games (Saturday afternoon). Chicken tenders were real white meat and lightly breaded. Fries were hand cut, thin and peppered nicely. Cole slaw was nice combination of mayo and vinegar for a sweet and tangy taste. I would definitely go back and sample more items!

Very good chicken tenders and the cold slaw was delicious. Very fast service. Will be coming back.

Unfortunately every single time we've gotten take out something is wrong. When we order 5 pieces of chicken it's always missing one or two, or the side is wrong, and the side portion just keeps getting smaller and smaller. For how much they charge for fries and chicken it's just disappointing @ this point. When they first opened everything was great. And the drive thru asks for a tip when u pay, which I've always left a dollar or 2 because the workers are nice.. but I'm so over this place now. Don't expect the same portion of your dining in to be the take out size as well. There's no consistency.

We really liked Waldo's when it first opened however recently they have been out of fire roasted chicken and then white beans the next time. This time we also had a few more flies than preferred. The seasoning on the chicken is good but they need to use more for flavor. Checking out sadly.

Best fried chicken. Love the fries done crispy. Great environment unless you need to wash up. Worst bathrooms. An occasional cleaning there would be nice. I'd give 4 stars for the food... but the gas station bathrooms takes the experience down a few notches.

Great Experience for our large party! Abundance of group seating at large tables, super friendly staff (Big shout out to Kris and McCall!), amazing food and excellent Happy Hour specials!! Thank you Waldo's for your 5 STAR treatment! We will be back soon!

Waldos has by far one of the best hot chicken sandwiches I have ever had. Whenever I am traveling through Franklin I always try to stop and have a hot chicken sandwich. The chicken is fried perfectly in the toppings are always fresh.

I really love the food here, honestly. It's the staff. And how stingy they are with their sauce. I have asked on multiple occasions for extra ranch, I don't care if they charge more for it, but they're so stingy with it. Went through the drive through today and asked for ranch with a salad and ranch with my plate meal, they only gave us a cup of ranch for the salad (which they only fill half way, not even 3/4 of the way full, emptier than a bag of lays chips) and NONE for my plate! Very VERY upset. This has happened multiple times where they either skimp on the sauce, don't give any, or only fill containers halfway to make it "look" like extra sauce when it's just the same amount as if they filled one cup. Besides that.. the food is really good. But it's not nearly as good as when you DON'T FORGET THE SAUCE!!!!

I came in for the first time to try them and I was greeted so kindly. I tried the OG sandwich and the bun melts in your mouth! The chicken is amazing and they have homemade Mac and cheese as a side that is stellar!! I also had them throw in the cheese biscuit which was great too! I was really pleased with the food, can't wait to come back for the tenders but this chicken sandwich is better than Popeyes and Chick-fil-A!!

Love Waldo's in downtown Franklin. Chicken is always perfect and the rotating craft beer selection keeps us coming back regularly. Bartenders are always very personable and keeps it fun.

Chicken strips, fries and mac and cheese are good. Good dining experience. This a chicken and fries place with an inside bar off to the side, serving a decent selection of the usual and local brews.

Waldo's Chicken & Beer has great food, and fantastic customer service! Food -- We ordered chicken tenders, sides and sauces. The chicken was fresh, good quality, flavorful. The sides were awesome. 10/10 for mac n cheese, cheddar biscuits and coleslaw. Environment -- Compact, laid-back, kid-friendly, busy (but efficient). Bar, counter service and takeout easy to access. There were couple small tables outside is a plus, too. Customer service -- I inadvertently placed an online order for the Hwy 96 location, but I meant to order at the Cool Springs location. After a long trip into town, the Cool Springs location was located within throwing distance. Imagine my disappointment when I went there to pick up our order and realized our food was another 15 minutes drive away! Here's where doing business with a good company matters. The employee called the "wrong" location to cancel my order, and the team put together our order anew within 5 minutes. They were gracious and understanding (and the charges were correct). Since I had ordered online, I had tipped online, so I had arrived without cash. I am leaving this review as a poor replacement for not having tipped some awesome employees and a great business.

This place was so fun! Great artwork, friendly prompt service, clean throughout the restaurant and restrooms, fun menu items, awesome chicken and plenty of sauces to choose from. All the side are made there. The greens were great! My son and his wife live nearby and have been back several times. Good value for your money.

One of the workers there, B-renda, was super awesome and sweet! Great service, very fast, and great food. One of my go to restaurants.

Chicken was over cooked. Second time trying them and both times it was burnt tasting. See picture

Great food good prices. I had the foul mouth sandwich and it was perfect. Looking forward to trying the tenders.

Food is good but the service is better than the food. The chicken could be bigger but overall it tastes good.

Food was delicious, the cheddar biscuit was amazing and is made from scratch daily. Service was great, cashier was very friendly. Food came out very fast. Amazing!

We had a horrible experience there Friday night with our 3 year grandson! The restaurant was very busy with little help, we ordered waited almost 25 minutes for our food, when it got there it was like the person at the counter taking orders did not listen to us at all. The 3 year old could not eat the children's tender order So hot with spices. Tables were not cleaned off no where to sit except high back stools not safe for him at all . Done will not ever go back

had to get my car towed right after I came through the driv-thru, and didn't eat it for about an hour and dat bih was still warm enough to eat that's why I be goin every Sunday, frrr.

YUM! Fresh brewed black tea with ice chips. I got the sandwich special- I think it was called bbq bird idk; it was so moist, rotisserie chicken, w/ bbq sauce, pickles, coleslaw. Loved it! Fries are excellent, potato wedges delish! My husband got the OG sandwich and liked it and even went back the next day haha adding to our list of TN fav's.

We ordered takeout today and the sandwiches and fries were so salty my husband and I could not finish our sandwiches.

Great food, even better bartenders! Shoutout to Jack for being super kind and conversational and making the experience super enjoyable! Will be back.

We dined at this Waldo's two nights ago. The food was great, restaurant clean, and service was amazing. We will certainly be back!

Everything is delicious here. You can taste the preparation, for sure, but what is one of my favorite aspects about this place is the customer service. Having worked in the industry for 6 years, I'm pretty particular with how I want to be treated in a restaurant, and these folks are trained extremely well. Keep up the good work with the customer service! And the food is phenomenal.

Just ok. The fries weren't very crispy. White beans dry and too firm. Roost sandwich was good. Wings were blah. Lots of places serve chicken. I guess I expected a restaurant with chicken in their name to shine a little brighter. If I go back, I think I will just try the beer.

We needed a place to grab a bite to eat before the Franklin tree lighting ceremony and this restaurant was recommended. I've never had chicken as moist as this chicken... It was absolutely delicious. The best chicken strips I've ever had! I tried three different dipping sauces and they were all unique and tasty. The employees were friendly and attentive. The vibe in the restaurant was positive and it seemed the employees enjoyed working there. We will definitely be coming back!

not good. oredered a bucket of chicken and was seriously misled. they gave me 4 tiny leg quarters and no white meat. the slaw was awful and not enough for 4 people. and the beans I make better at home. sure not worth the crazy amount they charge for it