August 24 is officially National Waffle Day, celebrating the first issuance of the waffle iron patent in 1869 to Cornelius Swarthout from Troy, New York. It is believed that waffles themselves were invented in the 14th century when an unknown French husband scribbled the recipe down for his wife’s use.
No matter the origins, waffles are undoubtedly a staple of the American diet. Whether you enjoy them with sweet toppings in the morning or alongside a savory piece of fried chicken for dinner, there’s no better way to celebrate National Waffle Day than by gathering your friends and trying out some of the best waffles around Savannah.
We all know about visiting one of the many Waffle House locations (at any hour of the day or night), but here are a few other top-notch options in town!
Debi’s
Serving standard breakfast fare, as well as sandwiches, burgers, salads, and fresh, homemade specials, Debi’s proudly serves their famous Chicken and Waffles platter. This meal consists of homemade Belgian waffles topped with crispy fried chicken tenders and topped with peach walnut maple syrup and powdered sugar.
Loc’s Chicken and Waffles
Loc’s (two locations) will be happy to serve you their thick Belgian waffles in a variety of ways. You may be inclined to go with the fruit topping (blueberries, strawberries, and bananas) and whipped cream or slather it in butter and syrup with a side of crisp bacon or sausage, but the real work of art offered by Loc’s is their waffle platter. This culinary creation is a waffle topped with scrambled eggs, popcorn chicken bites, bacon, and strawberry butter.
Blue Door Coffee & Waffles
The Belgian waffles are served in a mini format and can come with jam, chocolate, or powdered sugar. If you’re looking for a fun alternative sandwich good for any time of day, Blue Door offers four sandwich options consisting of two mini waffles and various fillings. The Eggy Van Halen has a grilled egg with cheese and grape jelly; the Steve Jobs is filled with turkey, bacon, brie, apple slices, and apple butter. The Vin Diesel is advertised as “Beefy, Cheesy, and Greasy,” so stock up on napkins .Finally, the Millennial Falcon is a mouth-watering waffle sandwich with bacon, egg, and cheese, and avocado slices.
Mirabelle
In the shadow of the spires of St. John the Baptist, Mirabelle offers traditional Belgian street food liege waffles in a variety of flavors. Liege waffles are made from a thicker consistency batter intended to have uneven edges. Pearl sugar is used in the dough to help the waffle caramelize while it’s cooking. There’s a classic powdered sugar liege, peach cobbler, a take on the Croque monsieur with ham and Swiss, whipped ricotta and bee pollen, lemon-lavender curd cream with raspberry cardamon jam, and a toast s’more with chocolate ganache and graham streusel.
The Ordinary Pub
If you want to partake in bottomless mimosas and interesting culinary delights, you’ve come to the right place. What jumps out as a one-of-a-kind original in town is the chicken and waffle gyro. The waffle is transformed into a soft flatbread and wrapped as a cone that’s then filled with fried chicken, herbed mascarpone cream cheese, honey poblano drizzle, and a bourbon maple syrup.
Maple Street Biscuit Company
(Photo Above) Not only do they offer made-from-scratch biscuit offerings, MSBC also serves fresh, homemade waffles in two choices. Leaning toward the savory side is their BAM! Yo-Yo waffle that is baked with Asiago cheese and pecan wood smoked bacon batter and topped with fried chicken breasts, butter, and syrup. Try the Sweet Grace, full of chocolate chips and topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup.
Goose Feathers Café
Any given morning, the line will file out the door with locals and visitors alike—always a great advertisement. In addition to eggs, grits, pastries, bagels, and quiches, they also serve a heaping portion of Belgian waffles served with your choice of either butter and syrup, fresh fruit, strawberries, and whipped cream, or bananas and pecans.
The Ordinary Pub
If you want to partake in bottomless mimosas and interesting culinary delights, you’ve come to the right place. What jumps out as a one-of-a-kind original in town is the chicken and waffle gyro. The waffle is transformed into a soft flatbread and wrapped as a cone that’s then filled with fried chicken, herbed mascarpone cream cheese, honey poblano drizzle, and a bourbon maple syrup.
Savannah Seafood Shack
This waffle isn’t for your sweeter side, rather, this will tickle the savory palate and leave you wondering why you’ve never had this dish before. The Seafood Shack’s “shack cones” are a tantalizing combination of a handmade waffle cone, filled and stuffed to the top with creamy coleslaw and your fried protein of choice: fish, shrimp, calamari, oyster, or chicken tenders. The entire cone is drizzled with sauce and is a taste sensation like no other. Trust me…sweet, savory, salty, creamy, it’s everything the palate wants.
