The Waffles Debate + Win Free Dinner For Two!

3ChickenandWaffles
Restaurant 3’s Chicken and Waffles Dish – but with WHAT side?!

I recently had the pleasure of having dinner at Restaurant 3, where I talked with Co-Owner Jonathan Williams about their Chicken and Waffles dish. He was joking around, saying they were trying to settle a debate on whether the chicken and waffles should be served with a side of maple syrup or a side of gravy. The argument has been raging internally at Restaurant 3 with the Owner and Chef on different sides.

You see, I feel very strongly about this, and what the correct answer is, but I promised to remain neutral and open it up to you, We Love DC readers to decide. Vote in the comments – gravy or maple syrup, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner to get a free dinner for two at Restaurant 3. Also, in addition to offering the dinner for two, Restaurant 3 will actually alter the dish according to customer feedback. If the majority of the group says gravy, the restaurant will adapt the dish. Hurry, voting ends at noon on the 18th! I’ll announce the winner of dinner for two, and what dish will be served at the restaurant later that day.

To give you a little insight into the debate at Restaurant 3 I talked to the opposing sides. “The balance between salty and sweet is the classic twist on flavors that make Chicken n’ Waffles ridiculously delicious. The chicken has a crisp salty flavor, it is the sweet maple syrup that is the contrast. And who wants to eat a fluffy waffle without maple syrup?” says Jonathan Williams, Co-Owner of Restaurant 3. His Executive Chef does NOT agree. “Chicken n’ Waffles is not a light breakfast dish. It is a savory, hearty dinner dish that combines the sweet Belgian waffle with the crispy fried chicken. A hearty, savory gravy poured atop the Chicken n’ Waffles gives it the kick the pushes the dish into dinnertime.” says Brian Robinson.

So the fate of chicken and waffles lies to you, dear reader – so what do you say? Should it be served with maple syrup, or with gravy?

Katie moved to DC in 2007, and has since embarked upon a love affair with the city. She’s an education reform advocate and communications professional during the day; at night and on the weekends, she’s an owner here at We Love DC. Katie has high goals to eat herself through the entire city, with only her running shoes to save her from herself. For up-to-the-minute news and reviews (among other musings), follow her on Twitter!

92 thoughts on “The Waffles Debate + Win Free Dinner For Two!”

  1. I know I’m not eligible, but I’ll start off the debate by saying: MAPLE SYRUP.

    There is nothing like that juxaposition between savory and sweet. And yes, I am one of those perverts who puts maple syrup on their bacon.

  5. Syrup with fried chicken!

    Although if you are serving the Pennsylvania Dutch classic dish “turkey and gravy on waffles”, that’s a whole other thing.

  13. You people are nuts. Not eligible, but clearly maple syrup is a disgusting sticky mess and the only thing to put on this hearty meal is gravy.

  17. Umm… I’ve actually never had chicken & waffles! Which is why I am deserving of this meal! I’m guessing I will lean towards the syrup side.

  18. pure maple syrup (preferably grade b) as its rich in nutrients and definite compliment to fried chicken. You can’t been the sweet vs. salty meat combo…why do you think Popeyes and KFC offer honey with their chicken and when people order chicken nuggets the most popular dipping sauces are sweet (honey mustard, sweet & sour, honey, the bbq is usually even sweet). And don’t make me go down the road of bbq sauces sweetened with brown sugar, honey and yes…maple syrup. It’s maple syrup over gravy all day long!

  25. Syrup. I also am known to dip my bacon (salty) and sausage (savory) in my maple syrup. Gravy on a waffle is just wrong.

    You want gravy? That’s what biscuits are for.

  26. Totally going to go with Syrup….but of course I would like to ask that the whole dish be made with no trans fats, low fat and void of any sugar whatsoever. Think they can handle that? :)

  27. The “bread” of this duo makes the answer-syrup. Of course, I could be persuaded to use gravy and use my “bread” to sop up the juiciness found with the chicken.

  29. Syrup.

    I have never been served chicken and waffles with gravy, so I can empirically say that syrup on fried chicken is delicious. Gravy on a waffle, however, sounds completely repugnant.

  30. BOTH! Red eye gravy with cooked down syrup so it’s nice a thick and extra butter on the crispy chicken. My arteries love me.

  32. Syrup, the Southerner and Northerner in me screams!

    The person who made the point that gravy is best with biscuits is right.

  35. I’m not eligible, either – but maple syrup! It would be yummy on the waffles, and sweet on chicken is good – like apricot chicken and peach chicken, nom nom nom.

  38. See, for me, this all depends on the chicken’s seasoning and on how sweet the waffels are. Personally, I don’t think that syrup sounds great with chicken, and I don’t think the gravy sounds great with waffels. If I were preparing the dish, I think I’d use a raspberry reduction as a substitute. It’d go well with the savoriness and saltiness of the chicken and the sweetness of the waffels.

  39. Gravy for sure. Syrup on chicken has never sat right with me, but you could put gravy on a shoe and I’d eat it.

    If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish my gravy smoothie now…

  40. *casting a vote even though I’m probably not eligible*

    Why can’t they serve both? If I have to pick, I’m going with syrup … but, seriously, just serve both.

  42. Best chicken and waffles I’ve had were with a maple syrup reduction. So syrup far and away. Gravy ruins the waffle, but syrup doesn’t negatively impact the chicken (it may even improve it).

    And agreed, gravy is for biscuits in this case.

  44. Gotta go with maple syrup – totally agree that it’s the sweet of the syrup that brings the whole dish together.

  46. Maybe it depends on what time of the day?
    Syrup in the morning, Gravy in the evening?

    I prefer syrup though.

    The gravy tips the scale too far into “savory” in the savory vs. sweet balance because I see the waffles as neutral.