It’s International Waffle Day! Hooray! Like you really need an excuse to have waffles. Waffles are amazing; crisp, fluffy, often sweet, sometimes savory. If you can’t decide where to get your waffles today, or any day, and you keep going back and forth between which place to go (basically waffling on your waffles), then I’ll help you out. Here are my picks for the best waffles in New York City, San Francisco, and Austin. Do you agree? Did I miss someplace great?
The best waffles in New York City
Buttermilk Channel’s Fried Pork Chop and Cheddar Waffles
You can get the tangy fluffy cheddar waffles without the fried pork chop, but why would you? It’s fried. And it’s pork. And it’s a chop, like in karate. $16
Buttermilk Channel
524 Court St
Brooklyn, NY 11231-4014
(718) 852-8490
Penelope’s Pumpkin Waffles
Pumpkin Waffles are that perfect mix of sweet and savory with apple butter, dried cranberries, toasted cinnamon-cardamom pecans, and warm baked apples. Throw in a side of bacon and you’ll be a happy camper. $9.50
Penelope
159 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10016(212) 481-3800
The best waffles in San Francisco
Frisco Fried’s Chicken & Waffles
Waffles aren’t just for breakfast. They can also serve as a nice subtle sweet pumpkin pie spice counterpoint to the salty crunchy fried chicken. The chicken is moist and they waffle is fluffy. Perfect soul food snack. $9.99
Frisco Fried
5176 3rd St
San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 822-1517
La Trappe’s Liege Waffle
Liege style, as opposed to Belgian, waffles are harder to find, but sweet and delicious. They are denser and sugary-er. Then they are topped with fresh fruit whipped cream and ale creme anglaise sauce. $8
La Trappe
800 Greenwich
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 440-8727
The best waffles in Austin
Trio in the Four Seasons‘ Belgian Waffle
Light, fluffy, basically everything you could hope for in a waffle is here. Then topped with maple syrup, almonds and whipped cream. A little more expensive but you won’t be thinking about the price after chowing down on these bad boys. $13
Trio in the Four Seasons
98 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 478-4500
Max’s Wine Dive’s Famous Fried Chicken and Waffles
They take their gourmet comfort food to new heights with their chicken and waffles. The thigh, leg, & breast get marinated in jalapeno buttermilk and fried to order. Then they are plopped onto a big fluffy delicious waffle. $15
Max’s Wine Dive
207 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 904-0111