A friend and I wanted to do lunch. We always do korean b.b.q. I was game, until I saw a reel on facebook promoting Della J's. So we said let's do it. To begin, the appetizers were pretty damn great. The fried green tomatoes had a great crisp. The tomatoes inside were softer then I ususally do, but this made no difference to me. The sauce for dipping was a little different, but good. It kind of looked like a stone mustard, light in color. Other then that it is hard to describe the flavor. Next appetizer was the calamari with onion straws. I wouldn't say onion straws per say and not onion rings, but onions battered and fried. The calamari had good flavor and not chewy. The sauce for the fried green tomatoes paired well with the calamari. The corn hushpuppies with honey butter. DAMN!!!! SO GOOD! The main dishes: My friend got the grits with shrimp and bacon. I do not like grits, but I took a taste just to show I tried it. I LIKE GRITS, OR AT LEAST DELLA J'S GRITS!! They were so creamy and flavorful. I would order them as a meal. I got the fried jumbo chicken wings or whole chicken wings. I got 4. They were cooked well, and juicy. They just had no seasoning. Once I had a little salt added with hot sauce they were good. I was expecting an explosion of flavor, but womp womp no. The coleslaw, don't bother. Again, no flavor. I don't want them overly drowned with mayo, but this really was just cabbage impersonating coleslaw. The fries are fresh cut. If I had known, I would have had them cook longer to make them crispy. Fresh cut fries just take longer. We were going to do the bread pudding. Unfortunately, it is made with raisins and that is a big no for me. Overall, I would come back! I want to try the stuffed salmon and ribs. Please make bread pudding without the raisins. read more

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Has a really homey vibe with family photos on the walls, plates full of comfort food, and friendly service. I actually hate that I only came here for the first time today because I loved it. Like LOVED it. The chicken biscuit with honey was 10/10, and my husband said he got the best burger he's eaten in a long time. Unfortunately, we skipped dessert, but I think that peach cobbler or banana pudding might have my name on it next time I'm back. I'm told there are brunch options on weekends and live jazz every Thursday. Hubs and I are planning to be back next week for jazz night! read more

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Della J's provides classic bar food, Southern cuisine, and occasional menu items from his worldwide travels, such as Jamaican curry goat. There is also a full bar. While I had been to Della J's before for dinner at the Springfield location, this was my first time visiting them for brunch. What I ordered: Fried catfish with cheese grits Red velvet waffle with cream cheese Half and half (sweet tea and lemonade) This food tastes like someone's mama made it. My catfish came out hot, moist, nicely fried, and crispy, of course, dreamy. Grits were thick and smooth like me: creamy texture and a little bit of cheesy goodness on top. After the savory, I had to have sweet .. so I grabbed the rich red velvet waffle, paired with just a perfectly sweet cream cheese glaze. Then, I washed it down with an Arnold Palmer. read more

Della J's Delectables - Catfish and grits - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Stopped into Della J's for lunch. The place was not very crowded at all. There is plenty of seating in the restaurant where you don't feel like you are sitting close to another table. I got seated near the bar area. The bar tender seemed to be waiting on most of the tables. He was very friendly and added a pleasant touch to my visit. I ordered from the lunch specials menu. Open faced turkey sandwich and a side of mac and cheese. The sandwich was great. I just wish it was a little bit hotter. It was almost as if the sandwich say a little longer before it was brought to my table. The Mac and cheese came out very hot. The Mac was seasoned well. I also ordered the peach cobbler for dessert. The peach cobbler was delicious and the perfect way to end the meal. I did notice it was served warm, but there was some inconsistency with the temp as I was eating the cobbler. I would come back to check out other menu items. read more

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Food was great, the only issue was I did not receive any of the sauces I ordered. I ordered the catfish with extra tartar sauce and my sister in law ordered the chicken and waffles with BBQ sauce and we don't receive the tarter or BBQ sauce. Unfortunately I gave them the benefit of the doubt and didn't check the bag until I got home. Attention to detail gets you 5 stars. Still great food though... read more

My wife and I visited Della J's on February 9, 2026 to celebrate her birthday. The food was exceptional, the music was great, and our server, Alexis was phenomenal. She made the experience special with her kindness and efficiency. read more

It's always the customer service for me. I love the live music. They were booked solid but the customer service was still amazing. All of their staff chipped in to help deliver food and expedite service. The food was a little salty but great. They have great food options to choose from. Loved the entire vibe. read more

Della J's Delectables - Stuffed shrimp with crab - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The service at this establishment is superb. From the hostess to the server. Perfection. The ambiance was comfortable. It wasn't crowded, so it was nice inside. The food is why I'm deducting a few stars. The chicken taquitos were very good. The fried whiting was too hard for my liking. The fried chicken was fried perfectly, but wasn't seasoned well. None of us liked it. The collards were too sweet to us. None of us liked them. The stewed cabbage was delicious. The grilled shrimp was delicious. The crab cake was ok, bland with more filler than I like. My daughter thought her grits bowl was ok. My husband loved his chicken and shrimp pasta. The red velvet cake was ok. Overall, it's not a bad spot, but not good enough for us to return. It read more

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I came here with such high hopes and I left quite disappointed. The establishment was really empty and that should have been my first warning. We arrived on a Saturday night and we're quickly seated. Sydney was our waitress and she was OUTSTANDING!!! Service was GREAT!!! She advised we get the chicken and waffles with the (JUMBO) wings. I obliged. 2 wings that didn't appear jumbo at all. This meal was nothing special. Chicken tasted like regular carry out wings. I wasn't impressed. My wife ordered the seafood Platter. The fish was basic, the two shrimp were HUGE and I loved them since she didn't eat them all. The greens were lacking as well. I also ordered calamari as an appetizer and I swear there was more onions on the plate than calamari. All in all this just wasn't for me. Really nice service but the food wasn't it for me. read more

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Chicken wing and flounder fish with cold slaw. The fish was nice and lightly battered; the cold slaw was just right with a bit of crunch ness and black pepper. Nice. Dessert was banana cake with cream cheese frosting, very yummy. Okra not good. read more

Della J's Delectables - Okard balls with sauce. The Park balls were not good due to not being cooked enough to add flavor to them. - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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This was our first time at this beautiful, Black owned, family restaurant and we'd definitely come back! The food was hot, delicious, and obviously freshly made. Our waitress was bubbly and pleasant; honestly all of the staff were kind and attentive. The ambiance felt very comfy and warm. We had a great experience! You should definitely put this restaurant on your list of restaurants to try if you're looking for good cooking and attentive service in the DMV! read more

We always meant to try Della J's while it was still in Springfield but just never got around to it. I was surprised to see that they moved to Alexandria by the time we were able to head over. We were placing a pickup order on a Sunday afternoon and the wait was 50-55 minutes so keep that in mind. We placed an order for the Chicken and Red Velvet Waffle, Coconut Panko Shrimp and Grits, Three Jumbo Lemon Pepper Wings, Cornbread, and an Arnold Palmer. The Parking lot was extremely packed and it didn't help that it shared the lot with an Ihop. Things were backed up during pick up so it took a little extra time to get our stuff. Inside of the restaurant was nice and there was a lot of people eating in too. The food was worth the wait though. My girlfriend's chicken and waffles were very good. Strong red velvet flavor and the chicken strips were decent sized. I usually don't order shrimp and grits but these were the best I've tried. The bowl of grits wasn't as big as I expected but they were so cheesy and had a good amount of bacon. The shrimp were enormous and perfectly fried. The wings were also fried well but the lemon pepper didn't stick too much and the ranch was missing so a little disappointed there. The cornbread was standard, nothing too special but it did have pieces of corn in it which I liked. The Arnold Palmer was refreshing and really hit the spot. Absolutely coming back soon but maybe on a less busy weeknight based on what we saw. The hype is real, the food is great. read more

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The food was decent. The service was slow and not very attentive. It was a table of 2 people. We had to wait extended times to get refills. A few times we had to ask multiple times for the same thing. The place was not very busy during the time we were there. read more

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Got the turkey club for take out. Found out when I got home that they forgot to put bacon on it. They say roasted carved turkey on the menu but it's clearly deli turkey and covered in that gross gelatin around the outside. They also over did it with the mayo. Would never have paid $16+ for a deli turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Will not be coming back. read more

always so good and tasty! I love the mac& cheese and sweet potatoes. can't go wrong with the cornbread either

My wife and I dined with two other couples for our first Della J's Delectables visit and had an outstanding experience. Everyone--from the host who greeted us to the team member who seated us and our server--was warm, attentive, and professional. The food was excellent, and the hospitality truly stood out. Thank you for a wonderful evening. We'll absolutely recommend Della J's Delectables to anyone looking for great food and genuine Southern hospitality. read more

Delicious food served by a delightful and friendly staff! I was invited to Thursday Jazz and the musicians were excellent. The ambience was casual with some in after work attire and others in sneakers. This was a substantial ride from DC, but I enjoyed the experience and would go back anytime. It gets crowded for Thursday Jazz so get there by 5:30 or 6:00 if you don't have a reservation. read more

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The food, the service the everything was amazing. First time I eating there, from San Diego, this was awesome!!! The ambience made it all perfect. read more

The catfish is 10/10! Cajun pasta 8/10. Service was great and I the location is great. Pretty sure this is the first black owned restaurant I've tried in the dmv area and it was an excellent choice for lunch. It is a bit pricey but the dining experience, presentation included, is a nice reason to return when you want good cooking and need a break from the kitchen at home. Go, enjoy! read more

Della J's Delectables - Cajun pasta & catfish with sweet tea - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

For some reason I always forget about Della's and. Stopped here one Saturday afternoon. I got the Fried catfish with collard greens and potato salad. It was delicious. The fish wasn't overly salty. For the drink I got the old fashioned. That was delicious as well. I need to keep Della Js in the rotation. read more

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Reflecting on my last visit! Such a relaxing environment with variety choices of starters, entrées, desserts and beverages. The service was smooth and welcoming. Everything was sooo delicious from my starter, entée and dessert! While it's not pictured, I finished my meal with a Ghirardelli Brownie ala Mode! read more

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We went for the first time last week. The experience was pleasant but not a stand out. Upon entering it was a bit discombobulated getting us seated. A NOTE TO RESTAURANT OWNERS: The demeanor of your host/hostess staff is critically important- I am very keen on attitudes, both good and bad. They set the tone, and first impression is lasting impression. We were seated on the side, our waitress was delayed a bit which was slightly annoying. we ordered appetizers, the fried chicken wing were on point. the Boom Boom mushrooms were delicious!!! i definitely recommend them. I'm trying to understand why an establishment would send a bottle of beer to the table for a woman WITHOUT a glass!, a notch off of great service in my opinion. We had to remind our waitress that we wanted to order entrees, another notch off great service and slightly annoying. The food was good, not spectacular. The mac and cheese was dry ( and you know how important it is to get mac and cheese right especially in a soul food restaurant ), the fried catfish was delicious, greens were good, the crab cake was bland at best and the fried shrimp were good. I felt the service was only OK. My pet peeve is looking or waiting for our server when needing something, I feel frequent check backs enhance the dining experience. I hate spending my money and not getting great service!!! Will we be back? yes we will give it another try , but word to management: train your servers well and I guarantee you will get rave reviews instead of this mediocre one. Overall, it was ok but could have been better. Mediocre service made the difference. When people take time out of their day and spend discretionary money, you should figure out how to treat them better/ not with non chalant service but with attentive and good service. There are too many choices to dine to be taken for granted, ignored and/or have underwhelming service. I am BIG on service and refuse to go where my dollars are not valued. We will be back but hope for a more enhanced experience and better service. read more

The food, service, and the ambiance is incredible. I ordered Lee's seafood platter. It came with two sides, I chose collard greens and macaroni and cheese. I live about15 miles away, and it's worth the ride. The only thing that bothers me is when the waiter asked me did I need change. Although, the change was only $1.00. I hate when waiters ask me this at any restaurant. That's my pet peeve. Other than my pet peace, you have get to this place. The shrimps are huge. I mean really big. I could not eat the crab cake and the cornbread. I was too full. read more

Della J's Delectables - Better picture of my meal. - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I have been looking for a good soul food spot. So glad I tried this out. Ambiance - You can tell that it was a new location. I never went to the old location, but this one was nice. Food - The food was very good! There is a large margin of error for red velvet cake, but the red velvet cake here was moist. The banana pudding was also delicious! It tastes similar to the banana pudding I had growing up. Customer Service - It was good. It wasn't anything over the top, but we got what we asked for. Overall, I would recommend this spot. When we have out of town guests and they want some soul food, I would definitely bring them here. read more

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The founder was okay I think I would've liked the whiting better. Mac was good greens needed more hot sauce for me but good read more

Della J's Delectables - Flounder - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Went yesterday with my family. My mom heard about it and made reservations for her and my dad but later invited my family and my sister. She called the restaurant and updated her reservation with no issue. We get to the restaurant and had a short wait while they prepared our table. (I'm not sure why there was a wait at all since it was pretty empty, but I digress). We were seated and the waitress came over to take orders, she was super bubbly and outgoing. I liked it... at first. :-/... but fast forward to us ordering our food, she was pretty slow and didn't follow up. She kept starting convos and singing but then end up MIA (Later she apologized and stated she was doing 3 other jobs). My kids food came out 1st I ordered them the jumbo wing and one order of strips. Well it was only one "strip" so I'm unsure of why they have "strips" on the menu. Even our waitress said it normally comes with 2 strips (but she never followed up and gave me an answer... and I didn't bother asking). Our food came out and we had missing silverware and we needed condiments but again our waitress was to occupied to follow up with us so we had to ask other waiters for assistance. -Fried green tomatoes- 2/5 not that good. Kinda soggy -Cornbread - 3.5/5 wish it was a tad sweeter or they provided a honey butter but still good. -Salmon Burger - 3/5 it came with pickled onion but I took them off. And thought the burger was bland. Fries were really good tho. Halfway through put some of the pickled onions back on and it was definitely better I also added tarter sauce. -Shrimp and Grits - 4/5 comes with 3 shrimp. My mom said it was pretty tasty. -Stuffed Salmon - 2/5 sis said it was bland and no seasoning. She didn't even eat it all, but my mom did like it and she took it home. -Salmon Soup - 5/5 best thing on the table. Sounds crazy but it was BOMB. Flavorful and yummy. -Ribeye- 3/5 dad said it was cooked good, but he wasn't crazy about the sauce they put on top. All-in-all, I don't think I care to come back, but if my mom wants to I would tag along and try something different. read more

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I am so impressed with Della J's. They oversaw the catering for my daughter's Sunday dinner after her wedding on Sunday. The food was Delicious!! Their Service was impeccable; they were there on time; food hot and fresh!! I loved it, Ms Katrina went over everything with me to make sure the order was complete; and to my satisfaction; very professional awesome customer service ..Excellent job to Ms. Katrina and her team!!! read more

I genuinely enjoy the food at this establishment, but I must say that the older lady who manages it is exceedingly rude and dismissive. This marks the second time I've had a terrible experience while dealing with her. When I called the Friday before Mother's Day to inquire about changing my reservation from 6 to 7 people, she cut me off abruptly, saying, "We're completely booked; do you want me to cancel your reservation?" I replied that I'd like to keep it, and while I understand that they were fully booked, my issue lies with her rudeness and dismissiveness. Today, I visited again because, as mentioned, the food is excellent, and I wanted to highlight that. I placed an online order and went to pick it up, but when I arrived, she asked for my ID, which I had left at home since I live just 3-4 minutes away. I apologized and explained that I didn't have it on me, but I did have proof of my order. Instead of being understanding, she told the server, "No, she can't have her order without an ID." I get that we live in a time when scamming is prevalent, so I appreciate the security measures they have in place for everyone's protection. However, it was the way she said it--then she abruptly picked up a call as if our conversation didn't matter at all. Fortunately, the man who I believe is the owner stepped in and asked to see my order on my phone. I showed it to him along with the card (apple wallet) used for the purchase, and he kindly handed over my order, assuring me he was comfortable with that. It's all about treating your customers the way you'd want to be treated. Unfortunately, I won't be returning. read more

I really wanted some crab cakes but I didn't want to have to go far to get decent crab cakes so I discovered that they sell them at this restaurant that is less than a mile from me!! WOO-HOO!! I love fried okra so I had to order those and they were very good. I also have started eating more cauliflower because chefs are coming up with more inventive ways to cook them than just steaming it and topping it with cheddar cheese like they did when I was growing up. The Boom Boom Cauliflower did not disappont!! The crab cakes turned out well, not overly breaded with plenty of crab meat.. What was sort of disappointing were the two sides that accompanied my crab cakes. Seriously. I didn't taste any seasoning or umami!! Where was the bacon or smoked ham hocks?? I will be back to try their other Southern offerings but not ordering the cabbage or greens!! Enjoy!! read more

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I joined a group of friends for dinner. Everything is wonderful. Tonight (Thursday) there's live jazz. The interior is well appointed. The wait staff is awesome. I ordered catfish, Mac & cheese, and mashed sweet potatoes. I ordered the spiked Arnold Palmer. It was great. Our waitress, Sydney, was phenomenal. read more

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I was craving shrimp and grits and after reading reviews, decided to give Della J a try. First of all, I love the decor and the vibe of the restaurant! From the family photos and black history photos to the old school music being played, it just made me feel so comfortable. Like I was entering the home of a family member. The servers were very friendly. We had a little bit of a wait after we were seated (not long at all) and the waitress brought us some hot biscuits as a courtesy. That was nice. I had the sweet tea which was good and I ordered the shrimp and grits which did not disappoint! I was worried that the portion would be small, but it was very filling! My boyfriend had the chicken and waffles which he said were just ok. The chicken tenders could have used some seasoning. We also ordered 2 whole wings just to try them out and they were good, just a little too salty for our taste. I also felt that those wings were a little pricey ($7.50 for 2 wings). Overall, it was decent. I'd definitely come back for the shrimp and grits! read more

Della J's Delectables - Shrimp and grits - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Della J's is an elegant establishment serving genuine southern soul food. The service was friendly, food delight and flavorful. *Vegetables * (vegetables cooked with turkey) For vegetarian info Table, booth and bar seating. Great place for a date, family dinner, or lunch excursion. Plenty of parking and bathroom was clean. read more

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The customer service is top tier in this establishment. We had a party of 17 and the process of getting our reservation and being seated/served was absolutely seamless. And can we talk about the music?! 10/10. Now, for the food I will say it was pretty good. I had the Smoked baby back barbecue ribs with mac & cheese, and collard greens. I liked it but it's just missing a little something. Maybe a little extra seasoning? I give it a 7/10. Overall, the experience was great and THAT is what will keep me coming back as a returning customer. Thank you to the entire staff who made my mom's birthday dinner a success!! read more

Della J's Delectables - Smoked Baby Back Barbecue Ribs, Mac & Cheese, and Collard Greens. - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

My husband and friends sat at the bar, bartender charged him for 2 drinks when he only reviewed 1. They made a big deal , had to call the owner. I want them to check the camera then apologize. To me this is so scary because this could have went another way for the bad. Other then that the food was good. read more

I went to Della J's to pick up dinner and I always get the same thing the fried pork chops with two sides The order would normally be $16.95 plus tax. The same order tonight was $24.95. It is no way the same order and same amount of food could have increased that much and for that reason I will not be going back. A $7 adjustment and those tiny sides if you order carryout is NOT OKAY! I understand inflation but this is egregious. I see that the owner has responded and I don't see how to reply to his or her response. If I'm incorrect on the pricing I stand corrected but I still 100% stand by what I say about the size of your carryout sides and the price point. I live in Maryland and at no other restaurant would I get a side serving the size of the one at your establishment for carry out. And while you are checking your system to see how many times I've been there, you are not accurate! I was there and ate inside with a friend about a month ago when I met her after she bought her new vehicle so I stand corrected on the price, and she paid and we had to send the cornbread back because it was hard as a rock and the manager on duty came out himself and took it back to the kitchen and said it was unacceptable. It tasted like they had been heated in the microwave. I've also been on at least four other occasions this year but ate inside. I guess you wouldn't have that ability to look back on that........... When you dine in the portions are NOT the same as your carryout portions. I say if you go dine in and the mac and cheese is hit or miss. read more

We are visiting from Oakland-Vallejo, California, and after going to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, we were hungry!!! We were DETERMINED to spend our last day in the area by patronizing a highly recommended Black-owned, Black-operated restaurant. Pros: Atmosphere in/out nice, music, staff, Porkchops, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Okra, Stuffed Salmon with Crab. Cons: PoBoy Shrimp Sandwich lacked quantity of shrimp. Only 3 shrimp on roll. Should have been at least 6. Collard Greens needed chopped Sweet red peppers, Potato Salad needed a little paprika and cayenne, peach cobbler needed more crust less peaches. Overall: FANTASTIC!! Keep up the great work. We will return. Thank you for the beautiful service. read more

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Great food and services iike this place, clean and lots of parking. I will be goibgback

So this is an update to my initial review. We came here to celebrate two occasions one was my best friend's birthday and the other was Father's Day for our dad. The decor and atmosphere is very Lively and they are typically very busy especially for holidays. Initially we thought we were going to have about 15 people but it was Father's Day and a lot of people couldn't make it last minute. We ended up having about 7 people and we each got a variety of different foods that ranged from salmon, crab cakes, different sides such as greens potato salad macaroni and cheese, cornbread and a few other things. I also got their banana pudding and blackberry and blueberry cobbler as they were out of peach cobbler. Our server was excellent thank you Sydney and I was able to work with both Miss Judy and the wonderful owner Miss Lydia who actually made a guest appearance at our table to say hello and introduce herself and wish everyone a great experience. She really cares about customer service and meeting her in person was an absolute pleasure. She's such a sweetheart and just warm and kind. My family and I enjoyed this experience and can't wait to come back! Thank you Miss Lydia and team - Sincerely - DeAndre' aka The Supa Fly IT Guy. read more

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Food excellent! The service was top-tier. The ambience was like a diner. All and all, I give it a 8 out of 10. read more

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Wow. I was not expecting to find an awesome soul food place and yet here it was. I was craving chicken and waffles and saw this place on Yelp and am so glad I did. Food was awesome. From the fried catfish to the cheesy grits, collard greens, Mac and cheese and of course the chicken wings and waffles. Our server suggested the wings instead of chicken tenders to go with the waffles and she was absolutely right to do so. My friend got the red velvet waffle and said it was the best waffle he's ever had. My only regret is that I didn't know about this place sooner. So delicious. FYI, they are moving to a new location later this month (July 2022) according to our server so it'll be even closer to my house. Woohoo!!! Can't wait to come back here. read more

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