Laura M.
Yelp
I found Walt's yesterday when looking up another soul food place in Reading Terminal Market in Philly, since someone said it's better than the place I looked up. As a fried chicken fiend, I was intrigued, and bookmarked it for a visit. Then, the brilliant idea of having chicken and waffles for brunch on New Year's Day occurred to me, so after calling to ensure that they were open, I paid a visit at around 10:45 this morning.
The chicken was excellent, with the light, crisp coating and juicy, moist interior characteristic of well-fried chicken. It's definitely leaps and bounds above chain fast food fried chicken in quality, easily beating all other fried chicken I've tried in Northern DE. The waffle, however, was softer and less crispy than I would have liked. I ordered the wing and breast combo, which came with the aforementioned pieces of chicken plus a waffle and condiments (syrup and margarine). The flavors combined well, creating the sweet-savory harmony that is the hallmark of well-made chicken and waffles. It beats the famous chicken and waffle place I tried in Atlanta (Gladys Knight's), but doesn't quite meet the standard of my favorite place serving this dish in Pittsburgh (Meat and Potatoes). Nevertheless, it's quite good for the area in which it's located.
In addition to the chicken and waffles, I ordered a sweet potato pie. Its flavor was appropriately sweet and well seasoned, but the bottom was a bit soggier than I would have liked. I noticed that the label of the bean pie said "Universal Baking Co." (the sweet potato pie's label didn't), leading me to believe that the desserts aren't made on site. While I didn't try any of the side dishes, I wonder if this may also be the case with them, based on other reviewers' comments. Black beans were for sale today due to it being New Year's, but I didn't notice this until I'd already ordered (not sure if they're offered regularly as a side).
Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the food that I received from Walt's, and would definitely return for the fried chicken, and perhaps to try some of the sides. The prices are also very reasonable (the chicken and waffles was $5.85 and the sweet potato pie was $2.95), which is always a plus. As others have mentioned, it's take-out only, so plan to take your food home or elsewhere to consume it. Bon appetit!