Exciting Comfort Food at Hollywood's Easygoing Modern Diner, The Waffle
The one and only The Waffle, located in Hollywood, is an inviting, stylish diner where locals go for fun comfort food in a laidback, casual atmosphere. Open daily from 7am, The Waffle serves up the best of American breakfast, brunch, and lunch, many with a tasty twist. Their menu is of course centered around their namesake and includes waffles in so many different forms and flavors that surely, they have a waffle for anyone. From savory to sweet, big waffles and small waffles, waffles with bacon and waffles for vegan or gluten-free diets.
To wash down all those waffles, they offer an array of liquid refreshments, including excellent cocktails from their full bar. I stopped in recently to check out some of their beverages and bites, and everything was so delectable and coma-inducing in the best way, making me want to eat and drink my way through everything they have to offer. A round of drinks kicked things off for me, and I instantly loved the Apple Pie-tini a la Mode, their current seasonal cocktail special. I suggest you head to The Waffle asap to grab one of these before the special changes. This fall cocktail is like drinking apple pie, but fancy and smooth, made with vanilla vodka, apple juice, and a mini scoop of ice cream, all surrounded by a graham cracker crust rim that I did not let go to waste. The White Hot Russian cocktail from their regular menu is a white Russian served hot instead of over ice as is typical, and this simple spin makes it reminiscent of an Irish coffee and a no-brainer to order for brunch, especially in cooler weather. I also loved the menu note for this, "The Waffle abides," because I am a sucker for any nods to The Big Lebowski. The warmth of this cocktail really ties the drink together, if you know what I mean. I also tried a cup of their organic fair-trade coffee and could really take in all its fantastic nutty and rich coffee bean flavor. The first bites came via a sampler of sorts, their Sweet Flight of Wee Waffles, three of their waffle hits in an adorably tiny size. The Waffle has received national acclaim for its red velvet waffle, their squishy and sumptuously deep pink waffle topped with cream cheese frosting, and this flight comes with a tiny version of it. Also in the flight was a tiny version of their refreshing tres leches waffle, with its light, milky sweetness and fresh strawberries. Finally, a tiny version of their blueberry lemon waffle provided a great contrast to the other two waffles, with the complex tang and tartness at play among the lemon curd and blueberry compote on top of the moist blueberry waffle. This Sweet Flight was indeed sweet, and they did not skimp on the toppings, so if you love toppings, then you want this. By the way, they also sell their most popular toppings to take home. As a more traditional waffle entree, I had their current seasonal waffle special, the Pumpkin Spice Waffle. This was a lovely, subdued expression of the pumpkin spice flavor that is everywhere during autumn. The nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove accents were apparent in a wonderful and not overpowering way throughout the fluffy-yet-perfectly-crisp waffle and its pillowy, sweet, homemade, pumpkin spice whipped cream. The sprinkling of seasoned pumpkin seeds on top added a nice touch of savory crunch. One of their signature savory waffles, the Hash Brown Waffle, is a unique breakfast take on the loaded baked potato. The Waffle bakes hash browns into a standard waffle and tops it with a scramble of three eggs, cheddar, and bacon, plus a dollop of sour cream and a side of maple syrup. All these different elements come together impressively in this well-balanced sweet and savory dish. The Waffle's unique Breakfast Pot Pie has no waffle component, but it has plenty of others. This dish is a glorious mashup, like a massive omelet wrapped in biscuits and gravy. This comforting and crazy pot pie is perfect for a day of hard labor or hard drinking or if you are just super hungry. The ingredients consist of two organic eggs scrambled with potato, bell pepper, onion, cheddar cheese, and choice of meat (I chose country sausage), served in a flaky pie crust, and topped with sawmill gravy. Whew. With their first-come first-served seating policy, their line for a table can get quite lengthy during popular weekend brunch hours, like the particularly busy Saturday I stopped by, but it's a surprisingly pleasant line. During my visit, their staff went above and beyond by handing out little umbrellas to people in line to provide personal shade from the sun. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and it was cute that the umbrella canopies were the same deep yellow hue as the restaurant's large patio umbrellas. While waiting in line, you can serve yourself water, peruse the menu, and place your order, not to mention spy on the happy dogs dotting The Waffle's dog-friendly patio. You will be at the front of the line before you know it. Enjoy!
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