Home of Chicken and Waffles

Family owned with the personal touch! Food was incredibly tasty as well as large portions. Derrick met us at the door and introduced us to his families restaurant. Will definitely eat here next time I’m in Oakland.

Checked this place out on my stop to the Bay from Southern Cali.
First off, $ 7 bottomless mimosas!!! Wooooooo. My buddies and I had a great time. We all enjoyed our meal and left drizzunk.
Chicken was bomb, but I still think Rosocoe’s is just a bit better. The hot sauce sitting on the table is the best!
Definitely check this place out on a Sunday. I ordered the 3 wings and waffle, I’ll get a breast next time.

This is a regular stop for me when I’m in the bay area. The service this time was much more friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere is great and the food is always good. We all had a combination of chicken and waffles with greens, mac and cheese and red beans and rice. One person had grits and declared them «better than anything they’ve had this trip» so that is probably worth trying!
One warning is to be careful about local games. This location can get very loud on game night and is more like a sports bar. It isn’t anything to worry about but be aware of it if you are there with kids or don’t like really loud locations.
The experience is 50% of the value of the trip to CnW. Sitting by the window and watching the trains go by 10 feet from the door, walking at Jack London Square by the waterfront and experiencing the area is so unique. Take three hours and do it all and you’ll have a memory worth building. Going during the day is probably a better idea than late at night as it changes the mood pretty dramatically especially if you are going with kids.

Good food or great customer service. You really have to choose. To go please…

The only good thing about this place was the music (oldies) and the drinks (had a dandy delight, I’ll just say I didn’t taste tea or lemonade). Everything else was pretty much terrible, there is NO reason to come back.
The service was subpar. The host was entirely unhelpful in helping us find the section reserved by the party we came for. He told us to have a seat in the bar section so we sat on the bench waiting for fifteen minutes before we noticed that members of the party were already seated. Why were they seated and not us? We went to get a table when a snippy woman came over and rudely gestures to the surrounding tables, telling us that the tables were reserved for the same party we were attending. Rather than asking or leading off politely, she jumped to conclusions and was getting ready to move us.
After informing her that we were apart of the party, we sat another twenty minutes before we had to flag someone down and ask who our waiter/​waitress was. The answer we got was «he’s busy». Of course we were taken aback because what kind of response is that? Our actual waitress came shortly, thankfully and we were able to put in our orders. It still took those orders an hour to arrive. Literally an hour. We did not receive any follow ups for items we needed until another half hour after that by a completely different waitress. We had to flag down passing waitresses for silverware. We didn’t see our assigned waitress until it was time for the bill. To add insult to injury, they charge an automatic gratuity that looked to be about 18%, no less than 15% of the bill. No wonder the service was subpar if I have to tip no matter how the service was.
The food was terrible. Considering how long it took to arrive, it shouldn’t have been a shock that the food was ice COLD. The waffle was rubbery and cool and the chicken was downright cold. I had the chicken breast and it was dry and under seasoned. The skin was chewy, not crispy. The red beans and rice were mushy, watery and unseasoned. And can we talk about the syrup that isn’t syrup? That was heated corn syrup, flavored artificial syrup so generic that whoever produced it couldn’t be bothered to add maple extract. Syrup may have helped save that limp waffle, but no.
I can’t forget the bathrooms, just what??? There are two unisex bathrooms, it’s a small place so that’s not surprising or particularly bad. What was bad was how dirty and smelly it was! There is no circulation, the trash was overflowing and the toilet was old and made weird!
This was a bad food experience. Very disappointing.

One of the more affordable chicken/​waffle spots in the east bay. There’s also a parking structure nearby so you don’t have to worry too much about where you’ll park.
Service: The service is always good and they seat very quickly. They definitely make you feel welcome and make sure you have everything you need.
Food: I really enjoyed what I got. The chicken was very crispy just the way I like it and the waffle with butter/​syrup SOOO GOOD. The waffle is a bit on the softer side but I like the contrast in textures and the flavors work well together. They also have the option to get chicken tenders if you don’t want to deal with bones. My friend got it and it was just as tasty as what I got. Portions are a good size and even though some dishes might not look tat huge they’re super filling so each time i’ve been I always have some to take home.
Definitely need to try more of the side dishes when I come.

My first time having chicken and waffles. Always thought the combo was weird but boy was I wrong!
I got Keith’s tackle, and it really hit the spot as comfort food. My favorite part of the dish was probably the Mac and cheese — the cheese they used was super good and wasn’t bland at all. The wings and waffles were great too.

Service:
Our server was Kristal. She was great! Went around couple times to check on us. Water was always refilled immediately. She even told us there’s a 15% discount. The only thing was it took a while to get the check, but that’s okay. Like 6 people came in right then, so it was pretty busy.
Food:
We got Renaldi’s Request (2 breasts and 2 waffles with butter & syrup, and gravy & onions on the side) and Dale’s Choice (8 piece tenders with fries and BBQ sauce). The buttered waffles were heavenly and the chicken breast is really great. The fries’ seasoning was great. It was crunchy on the outside and puffy on the inside. Mmmmmm
Definitely will be returning!

I usually come here with my friends after Warriors game b/​c we prefer not to pay for the ridiculous priced food at Oracle. This place is located in Jack London Square which is about ten minutes north from Oracle.
The service here is always good. I don’t think I’ve ever had a service issue here. Their staff is very attentive in filling refills, taking orders and asking if you need anything. I think this is because they’re not cheap when it comes to staffing and choose to have a lot of people working for overall better service. Their staff is also usually in a good mood and actually pretty cool/​fun to talk to. When you come here you definitely get a homey feel. The wall near the counter has paintings of friends/​family with the dishes that are named after them. The style of this place is almost like that of a diner. They also have a bar on the other end but I’ve never been there.
The food here is amazing. I usually order the Homeboy Special which comes with three chicken wings and a waffle or fries. Always opt for the waffle. The chicken wings are massive and are definitely enough for me. Their chicken wings are seasoned so good and it’s also good if you add hot sauce. But most of the time I like to actually eat the chicken with my waffle at the same time. It’s so savory but sweet and just goes well together. Their waffles are extremely good as well and taste good even by themselves.
Overall, great restaurant! I’ll prolly always eat here after Warriors games.

Very delicious fried chicken with gravy. A little on the salty side due to gravy, but taste very tender and juicy. The chicken offers The right spices and fried just right for us. The server offers us drinks over 10 times, very friendly and excellent service.

I really wish they were closer to San Jose! I find myself having cravings too often… I always get the Keith’s tackle (Waffle + Drumstick + Wing + Mac and Cheese) with a side of collard greens, and every now and then a side of candied yams. All SO good.
Minus one star because they don’t have the best service, you have some servers that lack enthusiasm to be at work and then you have the others that seem to care about the quality of service they give.
One thing I can say that might improve the business– check on your customers if they need anything every once in a while. Or if the food is taking a while to prepare, acknowledge that they have been waiting.
I would definitely recommend this place if you are visiting the Bay Area and a foodie, just don’t expect much when it comes to service.

Arrived at 2:00 A.M. to be bypassed by other less «white» customers, then sat at our table for 15 minutes while being ignored by every employee that passed by. Drinks were never refilled and waiter (if you can call him that) was disrespectful to female busser telling her to get on bussing a table while several tables sat empty and a line awaited outside. A group of customers walked out yelling that service took to long, and here we are still waiting 45 minutes later. .. We shall see if the food is any good.
Chicken arrived with waffles instead of fries as requested. Chicken was on point. Server offered to bring fries. No silverware was provided and 5 minutes after finishing meal fries are still nowhere to be seen…
Food is good service is unbelievably terrible. Late night dining is pre-​paid which forces you to pay and tip prior to receiving service.

I went there last night after the bars. Normally I’m quite happy with this place, but last night I was disgusted with the food and the service.
The nicest people on staff were the security guys. The guy at the register told us to wait outside, in the cold may I add. However, it was the security guy who Kurt is come sit on the bench.
I think this place gets so busy, the staff forgets we are patrons. Without patrons, there would be no them. They definitely need some training in customer service.
Now to the food. I ordered the Sabrina’s Select Chicken Burger, that’s described as
«All-​white, breaded-​and-​fried chicken breast, with lettuce, tomatoes, & red onions on a sesame seed bun.» Either they’re loosing it or someone is delusional in their descriptions. The breaded chicken breast is nothing but a cheap chicken patty that McDonald’s wouldn’t serve. That’s how processed this patty was. It’s quite disappointing being served this for $ 10.75, coming from a place that specializes in chicken.

Came here with a bunch of friends really late one night, and man, I didn’t realize how surprisingly good fried chicken and waffles taste together!!! I was always a little skeptical of the concept because I just thought it never made sense, plus I’m not a fan of mixing sweet and savory, but wow was I wrong.
Like I said, we were there late, so I think we rolled in around 11:30 pm. There were 5 of us, and they had no problem seating us. Our waitress was a sweetheart. I wish I remembered her name, so she could get proper credit, because usually waiters/​waitresses have an attitude when you come in that late. I don’t usually like to do that because I’ve been on the other side where people come in 5 minutes before closing, but it was the only place open at the time. Anyway, I ordered the chicken and waffles, and fell in love! YUM. If it weren’t so far, I’d love to take my husband here.
Docked a star because I think the place could be a little cleaner. I had to use a napkin to wipe off food from our booth as I was scooting myself in, and overall, the appearance of the place just needs a little vamping. Other than that, this place is a solid 4 stars :)

I’ve been here twice since I first came and my experience was so radically different and so much better!
I came here for my second time as part of the Savor Oakland Food Tour (which I also highly recommend), and it was awesome. We were given a half a waffle and two pieces of chicken. Again, I didn’t dig the waffle that much. I still think they should make big fluffy, Belgian style waffles instead. Their waffles are more like Eggo waffles, thin and flat. Never the less, it was still good.
I returned a third time, and we ordered the mac and cheese and some other dishes which were delicious! The vibe and ambiance was just so totally different the second and third times that I went versus the first time.
TIP: I would definitely avoid coming here late on Fridays and Saturdays to ditch the drunk crowd.
Be sure to check out the cook kitschy ‘60s décor! Also use that yummy hot sauce on your chicken!

Came here at around 11/11:30 PM on a Friday night because we were hungry after some drinking in the Jack London square area. The restaurant was pretty busy by the time we got there and unfortunately they didn’t have any available booths or tables for a group of 5 (though they did have one section roped off and closed — not sure why).
We opted to sit at the counter instead. They had a couple TVs set up on the counter so each 2 or 3 seats could share. That was cool to have while we waited for our food. The menu had many options but since it was the first time I was there, I had to go with the chicken and waffles (1 «succulent breast» and 1 «delicious waffle» with a side of mac&cheese to be exact). I think it was called the Angie’s special and it came out to be about $ 13.75 (originally $ 12.75; I substituted the grits for Mac for an extra $ 1).
The food was great and definitely filling. The waiters and waitresses were very accommodating and fun to talk with. They’ve even got a bar for you to keep the drinks comin’! I’d definitely stop by here again whenever I’m craving some chicken and waffles!

Note to SELF (smirk):
Total score again — They hit me with a bonafide 15% off Unilocal checkin discount — WHAT?!?
Top 3 Favorite Aspects of HOCAW:
1. Get hooked on the most scrumptious strawberry lemonade in Oakland which I drank so fast I gave myself a brain freeze.
2. As if that wasn’t enough the food was cooked perfectly and didn’t take forever.
3. Everything on the menu is legit, but the Mac n Cheese deserves an IV drip.
So go hard on the «breakfast» options or the «lunch/​dinner» type selections it won’t matter you’ll be completely full before it’s over with. Feeling bold, go for broke and order that Mac on the side of anything and savor a habit you’ll seek in your sleep.
Warning: you’ll need a nap afterward.

Came here on a Friday night to check out their ORW special ($ 20 for a soft drink, a Homeboy or Princess, and choice of cake slice). While the food was not mind-​blowing, I would say that it is pretty solid. Upon walking in, there was an overwhelming scent of… cleaner…that I just could not get over at least until our food was in front of us. The added bonus of them staying open late in an area where not too many others do though, is something to be considered.
I am slightly biased as I usually like my waffles in the Belgian style (thicker and crunchier), but HCW’s works just fine for me… especially for tearing up into small pieces and dipping into the maple syrup. Mhhm! The fried wings we got were also good, but nothing spectacular. I was most touched by the attentive service, as well as the exuberance of the front of house hostess. Also, the portion of cake we got too… I swear it must have been a quarter to a fifth of the whole bundt cake!

Love the location and the warm vibe here, but the food was alright and the service was spotty. Took a while to get our orders in & our drinks out. It also seems like the employees lightweight hate their jobs because I caught them rolling their eyes a few times. I also read a few reviews before I stopped by and that «high» server really exists! Except it was a busboy and he was moving so slow that I’m pretty sure he was legitimately BLAAASTED LOL. I watched him try to lift a plate for 5 minutes and he kept struggling and shaking. That was interesting.
As for the food…
Fried chicken: Wings were good but the breast was incredibly dry and overcooked. Don’t get it lol. Maybe I’ll try a thigh next time.
Waffle: Star of the show. Amazing texture and flavor. Would come back just for this. It’s even better smothered in butter!
Candied yams: pretty good– loved the different spices. Gets too sweet after a few bites though.
Mac & cheese: pretty bland. Not cheesy. Weird texture. Kind of just. Wet?
Cornbread: Took a bite and it was so dry. Left it at that.
Maybe I’ll be back for the waffle.

This is a decent chicken and waffles place but nothing like Roscoe’s. It’s still a great place for the bay area. I went on a Monday night and there was a decent amount of people there. The place itself is old fashion looking which is cool. The booths are pretty tiny. The service was nice and the people were friendly.
The food was just okay. I had a coupon for one waffle, so I got that and a thigh. I was pretty disappointed with the thigh piece. There wasn’t that much meat on it and I found it to be a bit dry. I should’ve have gotten the wings because it looked much bigger. The waffle was good except for the large amount of butter. Overall I thought the food was a little plain. I tasted a bit of my friends chicken nachos and the chips were a little hard. Nothing to jump about it. I still enjoyed my food though.
As I said, this is a decent place but nothing exceptional. I went with a group and all of us split the check. We all checked in on Unilocal hoping to get their check in discount. But we found out that if you split the bill, only one person can use the discount. A little annoying but understandable I guess. Although it’s not mentioned in the details when you redeem it but whatever. So that was pretty disappointing.
Just your standard chicken and waffles. I have yet to find a place in the bay that is as good as roscoes. The search continues.