Waffle Kitchen (Palmdale)

I’ve driven by the Waffle Kitchen in Palmdale dozens of times. I like waffles, and I was extremely excited to finally get there and try it. I never looked at their menu, but from the outside, the restaurant lists waffles (obviously), pizza, salads, and sandwiches. Like many diners, it’s a little of everything. Different from many diners is the bar-like atmosphere.

Waffle Kitchen Atmosphere: B

The Waffle Kitchen isn’t a traditional diner, in fact you might say it’s more of a bar-restaurant. Just looking at the inside, it looks more like an old Applebees. Maybe it once was.

The interior has plenty of seating, a full bar, and is almost completely open. It does look like they have outdoor seating as well. When we went, no one was sitting outdoors.

When we arrived, there were only a couple of other parties there. There was a couple at the bar making out, which isn’t my favorite dining view. As we waited for the host, several people came in.

Waffle Kitchen Coffee: C

The coffee was fine, nothing unusual or interesting. It was so boring I forgot to take a photo. How photogenic is coffee anyway?

Waffle Kitchen Food: F

Where to start here? I assumed a restaurant called Waffle Kitchen would have several different waffle options, but it had roughly 5. I was hoping for a sweet waffle. It seemed like this would be a good spot to have it but there options are all savory including a waffle sandwich and spicy chicken and waffle. You can get sweet french toast or pancakes. They also have several lunch and dinner options including sandwiches and salads. You can see the full Waffle Kitchen menu here.

I decided to order the chicken and waffle. It’s one of my favorite meals and I was excited to try it. The excitement quickly died down when the food arrived. I had forgotten what I ordered and when I opened the box, the bright orange chicken caught me off guard. I thought maybe it was salmon. After trying it, I realized it was spicy chicken. The waffle was soggy and sad. No part of the meal was good, but it was edible. It didn’t come with syrup so I had to ask for that too.

Waffle Kitchen Service: D

I could have given the Waffle Kitchen a free pass if it was busy, but there were roughly 3 other parties in the restaurant when we arrived. It took a long time for the food, to run the credit card, and just overall it seemed like a chaotic mess. I felt bad because it seemed like they were both understaffed and just disorganized.

Cost: $

For my chicken and waffle plus coffee, it was $15. To me, it felt like a $7 take out meal I could have gotten at a fast-food restaurant.

Waffle Kitchen Conclusion/Would I Come Back?

I am leaning towards this is a one and done type of place. I do think maybe if I’m around and they are still in business next year, I might try them again. I don’t know if the restaurant was just going through a bad day but this definitely ranks in the top 1% of sad restaurant and diner experiences I’ve had.