la.foodblogging

As a frequent moviewatcher at the Arclight, and shopper at Amoeba, I am always interested in new options for food to eat in the area that are not too expensive. A place where you can get breakfast/lunch is especially ideal, since there are only so many times you can sit outside of Roscoe’s for an hour. So when the Waffle opened, it was only a matter of time before I was going to try it.

The reviews on this place has been mixed, and from my pre-reading on this place, I was already armed with the knowledge of complaints of long waits and less than stellar food.

I went on a weekday morning, so I had no wait for a table and problem with service. As one of only three tables that were filled that morning, we actually had multiple people paying attention to us. Reviews on user sites like Yelp and Chowhound indicate that the kitchen still hasn’t established how to ramp up for busy times and if you go at a popular time you may find yourself waiting hours to eat at this point.

I think the biggest area where The Waffle suffers from a user-review standpoint is that they need to be careful in how they market themselves. It seems that many internet-denizens went here expecting someplace like Square One based on their menu and some of their marketing, but The Waffle is closer to a diner than the type of boutique breakfast establishment represented by square one.

An example of where the restaurant’s language runs away from them into misleading territory is the dish that I ordered while I was there. I order the “multi-grain waffle with low-fat organic vanilla yogurt and seasonal fruit.” From that one might expect something that looks homey and artisanal - a thick grainy waffle with a thick tangy yogurt and fruit fresh from the farmer’s market. What you get is … not that. I was perfectly happy with my breakfast, but it was also standard diner fare. The waffle tasted healthy but good, the yogurt, I am guessing was grocery-store organic. Most noticably, the fruit was not seasonal. It was your standard restaurant fruit salad - a pile of melons with some overripe pineapple and a few berries drenched in sugar water.

My breakfast was good, just not comparable to the more upscale breakfasts that people seem to be expecting. It was satisfying diner fare and probably a bit healthier than what may be available in just any old diner. My husband ordered the pancake breakfast (which was GIGANTIC - a hint for those reviewers who complained of small portions). His meal took up half of the table and he said the pancakes were excellent. They looked very good - more golden than brown and they looked like they had that slight bit of crunch on the edge that I love. I have no beef with the portion size - if J. is pushing his bacon on me, and I am actually refusing, then you KNOW that we are not lacking for food.

In fact, my biggest complaint on my trip was actually the unwelcoming exterior. The Waffle is located in an office building and the outside wall is made up of tinted windows. When we arrived, they had their doors closed and … we couldn’t find them. We first walked into the lobby of the building only to discover we had to go back outside and examine the outside for doors. When we found them, we weren’t sure which one we were supposed to use so we just picked one. If they would keep open one door for customers to enter it would be so much more welcoming.

Other than that, I thought it was fine. If I’m going to weekday matinee or movie and want a breakfast or late dinner, will I stop here again? Yes. If it’s a weekend morning, will I head over to this place while it’s packed and wait an hour for my breakfast? Probably not. I would rate this restaurant as worth going if you’re in the area, but not worth an enormous effort.

The Waffle
6255 W. Sunset Blvd.
http://www.thewaffle.us

By KT (see more of her posts). You can find more of KT's writing at her own website Gastronomy 101.