This was a "one time" experience. It's not a perfect world but some of this stuff didn't have to happen.
We checked it out on 12-08-21, just before lunch time. The three of us walked in and saw nobody. Stood there a while, still nothing. No one else in the place and it was lunchtime. Three young men came in after us. We left and went down to the Glennwood restaurant for coffee and wait a bit. After 20 minutes we returned. The three young men were busing their own table and leaving. They looked pretty disappointed, and left. The place was empty as a tomb.
A young woman showed up and stood behind the register, she asked "What would you like?" She looked very tired and worn, like someone just walked over her grave. It certainly could not have been a rush of customers. It was my perception the place was deliberately under staffed and the poor thing was over her head with hardly any customers.
We made our orders ( 3 of us ) and I asked about choice of syrups. She told me they only had one kind but did not state what kind. I asked, "Maple"?. She said, "Yes". O.K., A waffle place without a choice of syrups is like only one ice cream topping at an ice-cream shop!
I pulled my wallet out to pay the bill and she said, "Card only" abruptly. I used the card. She turned the screen around toward me. It had options for tips. I informed her we generally tip AFTER the meal. She replied, "Whatever."
I see, we're supposed to tip after busing our own tables, trying to find our own napkins, tableware, etc, and looking ( in vain ) for something to clean off our table?!!!
She handed me two small mason jars for water and a cup for my coffee. The coffee tasted exactly like it had fresh grounds brewed over the old ones . I know the taste. I could not drink it.
She turned and walked into the back without a word. I assumed to cook ( or heat up ) our meals. I figured we were on our own to obtain our tableware. I noticed there was a tub of utensils ( dirty ) , three napkins left next to the register ( lucky us ). The area around the coffee pot and water dispenser were dirty too. ( Ugh!) We sat at the least-sticky table. Crumbs on the seat. Nothing wiped down. Finger smears on the windows.
Our meals arrived so fast I suspected the waffles were micro-waved or slapped back on the grill! Small ( 1/2 a waffle really ) waffles; 4"X8" maybe. OMG, there's nothing cheaper than waffles or pancakes and they're stingy on that!) They were slathered in syrup ( not on the side). The "waffles" were barely warm and tasted burned. They were "crusty" and hard. It took hours to get the taste out of our mouths.
About 15 minutes into our meal a couple walked in, bringing their own food in a "go box". ( Mind you, this was the "lunch rush", a total of 8 people )
We finished our small, re-heated, hard/crusty, meals which tasted mostly of syrup ( no butter even though I'd asked for some ). I bused our table. Upon placing our dishes in the tubs ( also filthy and full, probably from breakfast) I saw a few other full cups of coffee besides the one I set down.
I would not refer this place to someone I did not like, let alone anyone else. If it's in business in six months I'll be shocked. I could go to Denny's or Elmer's, get far tastier waffles, throw bacon, cheese, and eggs on my waffle , which is over twice the size at half the price!
My daughter told us its satellite "Off the Waffle" downtown was better. Maybe so but we all agreed this one was "Awful Waffle". read more