At breakfast time, the most important meal of the day, you grab your fork and bite into a waffle drowned in syrup. But wait—dinner is served too, with an odd combination to some good fried chicken. No, it’s not unhealthy. It’s just increasing your protein intake. 

The American breakfast of chicken and waffles is a unique soul food tradition said to have originated in Louisiana. Two restaurants in Houston, The Breakfast Klub and Jupiter Pizza & Waffle Co, cook this tasty dish, and we tried both.

Jupiter Pizza & Waffle Co, located in Town Square in Sugarland, call their version the Southern Belle. It comes as a brown Belgian waffle with two fried chicken breasts on top. If that were not more than enough calories, the waffle was also topped with strawberries and whipped cream. The plate also included sweet potato waffle fries with Jupiter sauce and a cup of syrup.

Although we were a little worried the chicken would be dry, it was fairly juicy and the waffles were fluffy enough.  But the chicken was flat out bland and boring. An overall rating of Jupiter’s version would be a 6/10. It was indeed filling, but it didn’t blow our minds. 

As for service, Jupiter was okay, since we waited a good 30 minutes and that was without ordering an appetizer.  The atmosphere of the restaurant was very chill and quiet, with a hipster-esque feel and clean environment.

But The Breakfast Klub—we’d die to come back for their Wings & Waffles. The waffles were fluffier,  as soft as cotton candy, melting in your mouth, giving a cozy sensation from the warmth in the syrup. The major difference was the chicken. Klub’s wings had a taste that exploded in our mouths and satisfied our taste buds. These had a homemade recipe vibe to it. They didn’t taste like anything we’ve ever had before, so the unique spice made it seem like it was a passed on family secret recipe.  

With the moderately sweet waffles and the hint of Louisiana spice in the chicken, Breakfast Klub’s version blows Jupiter Pizza & Waffle Co.’s out of the water.  We’d give the Breakfast Klub’s version a 10/10.  

We arrived around 8 in the morning, so the line to get in wasn’t bad, with only about ten people in front of us. If you were to arrive around 10 or 11, then count on a long wait. Once we were inside and got our order taken, it literally took two seconds for our food to come out.  Getting a drink from the soda fountain took longer.

Located in the Downtown area, the restaurant itself felt old, but in a way the owner wanted to keep its originality. It was homey, not commercialized, and the servers actually looked like they enjoyed their jobs. Although it was packed, the hospitality is another major reason why we would come back.

In terms of the presentation of chicken and waffles, Jupiter was better. For The Breakfast Klub, because of its recognition throughout the city, we were expecting a masterpiece.  Instead, it looked like the chef just plopped a waffle in the middle of the plate and threw a couple of chicken wings around it. This just happens to be one of those situations where you don’t judge a book by its cover. The Breakfast Klub doesn’t need syrup, whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

Breakfast Klub’s version of the dish costs a whopping $14, not including the drink, while Jupiter’s costs $11 with the drink and sweet potato fries included. Both dishes were big in portion but the Breakfast Klub filled us up more without the extra sides that Jupiter offers.

In the end though, if you want decent chicken and waffles, then go to Jupiter’s. If you want a really good experience, whether it’s the first time or not, we recommend The Breakfast Klub.

The Breakfast Klub

• Located: 3711 Travis St, Houston, Texas
• Wings and Waffle- $14

Jupiter’s Pizza & Waffle Co.

• Located: 16135 City Walk,  Sugar Land, Texas
• The Southern Belle- $11