A restaurant needs to know where they are going and what they are trying to do. I have said it many times before, but I am dubious of menus that offer everything from sushi to burgers, steaks, seafood, and pizza. Where is the focus? I want to know what the chef does best, and my bet is that if the menu is too diverse, the food is going to be mediocre at best.
A quick look at Rockin Chicken and Waffle’s Facebook page and you know exactly what this place is all about — chicken and waffles. The place is relatively new to D’Iberville (it’s only four months old), but the people I have talked to who have eaten there just rave about it. One Facebook comment even said that they would never eat chicken anywhere else again. That says a lot!
They describe themselves as “The first Chicken and Waffle Sandwich restaurant on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Cooked fresh to order sandwiches, burgers, wraps, salad, and more.” It is a succinct description, but accurate to be sure.
Chicken and waffles served together came to us from the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 1600s. Back then it was waffles covered in stewed chicken and gravy. The idea of serving these two together had survived over the years but with modification. Today many people think of it as soul food. This version originated in the Wells Supper Club in Harlem and moved South over time, where it remains very popular. So, to see this place open in D’Iberville is a big deal, at least to the culinarily inclined.
The menu is small and includes just a few waffles and sandwiches, two wraps, and a 1/3 pound burger but quite a few sides. Perhaps the best seller is the classic chicken and waffles — fried chicken tenders served on Belgian waffles with a side of powdered sugar and syrup.
The chicken and waffle sandwich served with maple syrup, tomato, lettuce, red onion, and a dill pickle in a Belgian waffle sounds good, as does the grilled or crispy chicken sandwich and the chicken sandwich with fries. Sides, enough to make a meal out of, include egg rolls, French fries, fried dumplings, fried okra, mozzarella cheese sticks, onion rings, and sweet potato fries. Sounds pretty darn good to me!
Rockin Chicken and Waffles gets a big thumbs up from me. It’s a small place, family-run, and I think you ought to put this one at the top of your to-do list. I know it’s at mine.
