It would be awesome for OKC if this could eventually go 24-hours. This city desperately needs a 24-hour option with character. This definitely looks like a cool spot.

Here's some recent interior shots, from their facebook page.

From a week ago:

http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/3b7c275af0ab11e2aa0322000a1fa408_7.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1070012_508974852503976_629536656_n.jpg?dl=1



In the last few days:

http://distilleryimage11.ak.instagram.com/3e30e2ccf73311e28b4622000a9e2975_7.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/995757_511034512298010_288602372_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/970976_510145285720266_1091686070_n.jpg

^ Super slick! Love everything about the style of this place.

https://sphotos-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1014180_513961348671993_501050826_n.jpg

The signage kills. Love their retro-style logo on the retro hifi.

It's amazing how high the standards have been raised in terms of restaurants in OKC in such as short period of time.

And it seems that that momentum is only picking up steam.

Wow this place looks amazing. It will be interesting to see what it becomes. I may be just dreaming, but if something like this went 24-hours, it would be just what OKC needs.

I could see it going 24 hours once some of the bigger Midtown projects come to life...

Hundreds of units at The Edge and the proposed MidtownR development at 10th & Hudson, the Ambassador Hotel (and bar) opening, Fassler Hall and Dust Bowl open and raging, McNellie's doing it's regular great business and likely more residential and bars to come.

Also, St. Anthony is a 24-hour facility, with people working there -- and families visiting --round the clock.


The potential of Midtown has always been amazing and the plan is starting to come together.

I could see it going 24 hours once some of the bigger Midtown projects come to life...

Hundreds of units at The Edge and the proposed MidtownR development at 10th & Hudson, the Ambassador Hotel (and bar) opening, Fassler Hall and Dust Bowl open and raging, McNellie's doing it's regular great business and likely more residential and bars to come.

Also, St. Anthony is a 24-hour facility, with people working there -- and families visiting --round the clock.


The potential of Midtown has always been amazing and the plan is starting to come together.

I think if it did go 24-hours it would be a HUGE hit, especially considering the Waffle House or the IHOP is currently as good as it gets late nights. When I lived in Charlotte everyone thought the 24-hour french bakery that opened wouldn't be able to stay 24 hours, but it was such a huge hit they added a second location.

They open tomorrow (Friday 8/9) at 7AM so time for a food thread.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/twelvetwelvea.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1004841_517742758293852_726228181_n.jpg

Who will be the first to review??

I plan on going but I'm not in any rush. So it won't be me.

I did enjoy the waffles they were serving from the truck. So unless they've changed a lot since then. It should be pretty tasty.

Where is it located?

Midtown..... 1212 N Walker

Went yesterday for the soft opening.

The waffles are awesome and the fries are the best I ever had. I know it sounds crazy, but try the homemade ketchup. I did take some pictures if you want me to forward those.

From Urban Pioneer:



http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/waffle8813a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/waffle8813b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/waffle8813c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/waffle8813d.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/waffle8813e.jpg

Waffle Fries! Of Course!

Love, love, love the design:

The support column that doubles as a chalkboard menu
The mill work that looks like a waffle
The vintage audio cabinet housing a modern sound system
Mesh grid at the ordering counter that mimics the outdoor signage

Great attention to detail!


Glad this is opening in time for my visit next week. :)

That looks sooooooooooooo scrumptious!

Nice job on the audio, UP.

Oh my god... That looks delicious. I bet this place is HUGE success!

What are the ingredients in the first waffle photo...looks delicious!

Midtown... 1212 N Walker
Oh, where Beverly's used to be. Great!

My mouth watered on sight of first photo.

I was going to mention everything Pete did in his post. This looks spot-on.


Only things I can see/think negatively about the setup:

Order counter looks like it will be cramped when busy. (where does the line go?)
Wish it had a more traditional bar setup with opened end for easy food serving. (are you supposed to walk up to that tiny counter to also pick up food?)
Perhaps too many stools, lol!

Nice job on the audio, UP.

Thanx friend! We normally don't do restaurants, but this seemed special.

My mouth watered on sight of first photo.

I was going to mention everything Pete did in his post. This looks spot-on.


Only things I can see/think negatively about the setup:

Order counter looks like it will be cramped when busy. (where does the line go?)
Wish it had a more traditional bar setup with opened end for easy food serving. (are you supposed to walk up to that tiny counter to also pick up food?)
Perhaps too many stools, lol!

You place the order at the counter, they give you a number, and they bring it out to you.

The owner hopes the line goes all the way back, out the door, and around the side of the building. lol

I do think this place may be one of our generation's "Cattlemen's". I think it will turn into an institution.

hopefully they'll be phone-in order friendly... 'cause that's how i roll. -M

I do think this place may be one of our generation's "Cattlemen's". I think it will turn into an institution.

So the next owner will win it in an illegal dice game? ;)

Now Taco Bell is copying their idea! Trailblazers in OKC

http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2013-08-07/taco-bells-waffle-taco-unleashed

... The owner hopes the line goes all the way back, out the door, and around
the side of the building. lol
That's the way it should be. When people are standing in line you know
the food must be good. Too many times have restaurants gone under
because they moved in order to accommodate more patrons. Naturally,
with no long lines people think the food isn't as good as it was and they
leave.

Case in point...

Anyone remember the Gumbowl? It was hidden in an out of the way
strip mall. The lines were close to an hour long every day they were
open. The owner moved to an easier access and larger capacity
location and didn't last 6 months.

There's something to be said for long lines at the door. As Yogi
Berra is to have said, "nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

Now Taco Bell is copying their idea! Trailblazers in OKC

Taco Bell's Waffle Taco Unleashed - Businessweek (http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2013-08-07/taco-bells-waffle-taco-unleashed)
COOL! Gonna have to try it. Pork and syrup go very well together.

That's the way it should be. When people are standing in line you know
the food must be good. Too many times have restaurants gone under
because they moved in order to accommodate more patrons. Naturally,
with no long lines people think the food isn't as good as it was and they
leave.

Case in point...

Anyone remember the Gumbowl? It was hidden in an out of the way
strip mall. The lines were close to an hour long every day they were
open. The owner moved to an easier access and larger capacity
location and didn't last 6 months.

There's something to be said for long lines at the door. As Yogi
Berra is to have said, "nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

Nic's is a good example.

Nic's is a good example.

Nic's would actually be almost the negative at the opposite end of the spectrum.

I used to eat there a lot (before deciding to drop 50 pounds) and the owner and I would chat. He'd laugh because people thought he made so much money with his burger place because it was always full with a line. He'd always say "I'm not complaining, but just look around, I can only seat a few people at a time and lunch is when they all come, you do the math."

That said, absolutely the 'quirkiness' of the place (location, look, size) is one of the reasons the place has been so popular - even long before the current owner had it.

Maybe Waffle Champion will share that same success. Personally, I really like their product, I just don't know if a year from now there will ever be a line anywhere near the door - let alone outside.

Which is actually fine with me. I tend to avoid places that make me stand around in a line - especially at lunch during the week.

I'm hoping to give them a try next week.

Im gonna guess their first day was a huge success. Seems like no one from this board was able to partake of or post a review (other than those of you from the soft opening) and no one updated their Facebook page with pics so they must have been plum wore out! :-)

I went before 8 this morning on my way to work and saw two people walking there. There were a few people inside, but no line yet. It was very nice to think that we have a neighborhood where people can walk to breakfast.

Line was very much out the door later in the morning. Glad to see they are successful, though. I'll give them a try tomorrow.

went there this morning and it was incredible. never seen anything like it.

went in around 10 am and the line was out the door

I hope this place is so incredibly successful they go to 24 hours... Or close to it.

I hope this place is so incredibly successful they go to 24 hours... Or close to it.

We ate there today. Had the turkey chorizo waffle. So good! It was packed.

Tried the place out at around 11 this morning. Had the egg/bacon/cheese waggle, my girlfriend had a sweet waffle. It was very good, the service was fine. Try the pre-made juices, I had one with lemon and cayenne pepper, it was awesome. Met the guy who owns the company that makes the juice, he was pretty excited about the placement. Anyway, definitely worth a try, pretty unique in the city.

Decided to partake in a waffle breakfast this morning with my wife and parents.

Got there around 8:30 a.m. before the brunch/church crowd.

I really like the buildout. Smaller and yet more spacious than it appeared in the photos (to me anyways). The look is unique and tastefully done.

I like the ordering system.... hostess greets you and has you pick out a table and then they place a number on it to hold it for you while you order.

You then order at the counter, pay and return to your table and they bring you your food. There is a soda self-serve fountain. I had the Diet Mexican Cola and REALLY liked it.

Prices were not bad, especially considering you could share most of the waffles.

As for food I had the Applewood Bacon waffle and then shared two different 'pick three' sweets consisting of 1.) caramelized banana, baked cinnamon apples and house whipped cream and 2.) house huckleberry jam, fresh berries and house whipped cream.

Wife had the fresh berries, marshmallow brûlée, and caramelized bananas.

Dad had the Apple Bacon waffle and mom shared the pick three sweets mentioned above.

When we got there, there were maybe 4-5 people ahead of us. Was mostly groups of 4 and lots of people with very little kids. The atmosphere was nice, lots of natural light, and a bit noisy (which I don't mind at all).

TV's were displaying a 'no signal' on the screen which should have been addressed before opening.

Took only about 5-7 minutes before we could place our order.

Place looks fully staffed and everyone we encountered was friendly.

Took probably 15 minutes to get our food.

The presentation was great. Love the trays and the waffles themselves looked crafted and not slapped together in a hurry.

The Apple Bacon waffles were exceptional in all ways. The waffle itself was fluffy with just a touch of crunch and the bacon, eggs and cheese were cooked to perfection. The temperature was spot on too, very warm but not too hot. NOTE: This waffle is huge and can easily be shared.

My second favorite was the caramelized banana, baked cinnamon apples and house whipped cream. The flavors went together very well. These are served open faced and appear to use a different style of waffle - thicker. The waffle itself was more dense than the sandwich and I would describe it as firm with more crunch but still very tasty.

My wife loved her pick three choice so much she was in no mood to share. Had I know how good the marshmallow brûlée was going to be, I would have used it on one of the other pick three sweets.

The least favorite was our house huckleberry jam, fresh berries and house whipped cream. The toppings went together very well. Where it fell flat was in the waffle itself. It was beyond crunchy and dense and was simply hard. Had to go get a knife to cut it and everyone who had a bite commented it was a shame the waffle was so hard. So hard in fact that most ended up just eating the topping and leaving the waffle.

Only other notes are - I didn't realize they had bottles of syrup (hidden under the soda fountain) until we were almost finished. Would have loved to have added some to my waffles. I wish they had outdoor dinning and I think a cool bike rack needs to be on the todo list. Too far for me to bike ride, but lots of patrons this morning showed up on two wheels. A canine friendly waffle would also be cool. Saw a few patrons waiting outside with their pooches as their other half was inside ordering. Maybe a waffle shaped dog biscuit!

So.....

Location: 9/10 (love the Midtown area for great locally owned venues - parking is the only let down here, but it was manageable).

Atmosphere: 8/10 (really like it, would love to see some cool large canvases up with some retro images to match their look - maybe retro photos from the area - if they are not careful its going to look like some of the fancy frozen yogurt bars I've seen in OKC and Austin).

Ordering: 7/10 (Like the idea of having a table waiting for you. The only concern is wait times on food. Ours wasn't bad, but it also wasn't busy. Have heard from a few people their wait times have been 30+ minutes. This may just be opening pains)

Food: 7/10 (this is a pretty high score for me and would probably be most people's 8 or 9. Would like to see a bit more 'zip' to the sandwiches and the inconsistency of the waffle itself can be a killer at $7-$12 each.

Cost: 7/10 (If you are used to sharing meals then bump it up a point, otherwise its not a bargain, but not expensive by any means either).

Overall I really like this place. Love that its locally owned and in a very cool location. Will it be a regular lunch or even brunch stop for me? No. But that's probably more my food tastes and not how Waffle Champion is being executed. If it goes 24-hours or even late night - I could definitely see visiting more when I'm in the area. Definitely worth the trip to give them a try!

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5391/cuge.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/202/cuge.jpg/)

^

Outstanding review.

Thanks so much!

^

Outstanding review.

Thanks so much!

No doubt.... Maybe Brian needs to start a food blog. ;)

No doubt.... Maybe Brian needs to start a food blog. ;)


Would read.

Quit Nguyen took some pics:

http://31.media.tumblr.com/42d0dda2c79744b5f96e700084808468/tumblr_mra5avxflL1rhzoh4o8_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/908ffd2ade028ef4e36fc419e3324e18/tumblr_mra5avxflL1rhzoh4o7_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/e27b8c47cffe510a1157890668506335/tumblr_mra5avxflL1rhzoh4o2_1280.jpg

http://31.media.tumblr.com/3e4b3991bae0aabacfe59c6b77057439/tumblr_mra5avxflL1rhzoh4o4_1280.jpg

Source: Quit in OKC (http://okc.quitnguyen.com/post/57816059043/waffle-champion-grand-opening-view-my-portfolio)

If somebody has the chance, could they post the "expanded" menu. I went to the soft opening and there where only a couple waffles on the trial run. I assume there must be quite a few options now.

If somebody has the chance, could they post the "expanded" menu. I went to the soft opening and there where only a couple waffles on the trial run. I assume there must be quite a few options now.

The menu on their UrbanSpoon listing is the same one I ordered from...... Waffle Champion Menu (http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/46-oklahoma-city/restaurants/1763249-waffle-champion/menu)

I had lunch there yesterday...

Walked in about 12:15 and it was busy but no line. Really like the way they greet you, assign you a table then direct you to the counter to order.

I had the turkey chorizo sandwich with avocado mousse. I really wanted to try the waffle fries but knew this was meal was going to be plenty heavy on it's own, so I passed.

Brought me the sandwich relatively quickly... Great presentation and the thing was huge.

Really liked the flavors of the fillings and the texture and taste of the waffle. I had opted for the "regular" waffle, not the sweet variety which they offer as an option.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/waffle.jpg


All in all a great experience and really, really love the space and the vibe. There were a few spots open the whole time I was there and never much of a line, so if you want to go for lunch I don't think you'll have to worry about a long wait or crazy crowd.

I have to say that was a HEAVY meal and I'm glad I didn't get the fries. Although they have salad on their menu, the whole point is to get the waffle dishes and I would recommend perhaps splitting a sandwich and fries unless you have a huge appetite.

Went to WC this morning.

This place is pure amazing. I ordered the classic waffle with applewood bacon and eggs. And a side of waffle fries. Very friendly and helpful staff and quick and easy ordering system. They give you a number at the counter and you wait at your table. There wasn't a long wait, a standard 7-10 minutes and I had my food. Came out hot and exactly as I had expected. I was very impressed by the Waffle Fries -- they are crisp and very flavorful but not overpowered with salt like some places do. The eggs were cooked perfect (soft, not overcooked but not runny either) for my liking (they don't ask how you want them, they are scrambled by default). The bacon was good although I would have preferred a little more bacon, since the name of the plate is Applewood Bacon. The waffle itself stole the show. Soft, but doesn't fall apart at the same time, sweet but not overpoweringly sweet. The sweetness and tenderness of the waffle went perfect with the soft scrambled eggs and the saltiness of the bacon. Overall an amazing meal and I will definitely be back for more soon. The interior space is very well done. One minor complaint from me was the number of stools at the counter at the window (by the street). The number of stools made sitting by the window awkward, having to do a "roundhouse" kick and swivel to get your legs out from under the counter to get up. One less stool and the spacing would work out more comfortably. This restaurant will be a hit success in OKC. If you haven't been yet you need to go, and you will be writing a book about it just as I have done.

Went this morning & this place is great. The building & food lived up to expectations. However, we showed up around 11:30am & it took over an hour from the time we started standing in line outside to when we got our food. It didn't move fast, but I'm not complaining. We knew what we were getting into when we got in line. I'll definitely be back.

been there the last 3 saturdays. If you get there before 9:30 there isnt much of a line. But when we were leaving around 10- 10:30 the line was out the door. Plan accordingly

This place just can't be beat. Took these last saturday. Oh and Sam Bradford sat right next to us!

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5442/10010555894_a8a18caf85_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/10010593595_b3fa8739d3_c.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/10010560224_c8e136e9fb_c.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7400/10010562194_cf5bae205d_c.jpg

Fried chicken waffle??? I need to go back!

I have had chicken and waffles in Dallas and other places around OKC and this was by far the best. The chicken was crispy and the waffles were cooked perfectly. Crispy leeks are added on top (think garlic/onion) which brings a nice flavor compliment to sweetness of the syrup. A must try at this place!

... The chicken was crispy and the waffles were cooked perfectly. Crispy
leeks are added on top (think garlic/onion) which brings a nice flavor
compliment to sweetness of the syrup...
drool, drool, drool, drool, drool WIPE drool, drool, drool, drool, drool...
REPEAT!

^^that^^ the pics are killing me.

I'm here for breakfast and it looks like they have moved their two tables that were on the north side as you walk in outside to have a patio type space.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are getting a second front door

https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10701959_719302218137904_898572473560659849_n.jpg? oh=abf29a8bd7bc391f9d2dd4192c31a72f&oe=54C92E4D

https://www.facebook.com/wafflechampion/photos/a.211915675543230.49780.157433530991445/719302218137904/?type=1&relevant_count=1

God I love this restaurant but I need two things from them:

(1) Some sort of children's menu. Even a single item. Peanut butter and Jelly. Whatever. Almost everything they serve is HUGE and nearly all are also spicy to some degree. As a result you end up ordering your kid a "desert"-style waffle instead of a "meal"-type waffle, which of course makes the kid happy but gives them no protein or real sustenance.

(2) For the love of everything that is holy please open for dinner hours. PLEASE!!

Now they've been open for a while, how is their business?

Line out the door every weekend from about 8 AM to about 1 PM. No idea on weekday business.

Now they've been open for a while, how is their business?

We go on a somewhat regular basis and I pass the place all the time.

Weekend mornings/brunch seem to be the busiest to me and goes in waves. We do Sunday brunch there mostly and go a bit early to avoid a line.

I pass it a lot at lunch during the week and while I always see people inside, I've yet to see lines at lunch and I probably pass it at least twice a week at lunch time.

I've never been during the week at lunch because honestly, its just not a workweek lunch menu for our tastes. But as a weekend treat you really can't beat it.