National Waffle Day is right around the corner on August 24th! There are so many delicious spots around the city to enjoy waffles that we couldn’t possibly list them all. From busy diners to quaint cafes and restaurants known for their tasty chicken and waffles, Pittsburgh has no shortage of yummy waffle creations.
This waffle day, we encourage you to try one of these spots you may have never heard of. These eateries are serving up some seriously cool creations when it comes to specializing in waffles!
Waffallonia
The name says it all. Waffallonia is a Liège waffle joint in Squirrel Hill that goes crazy for unique waffles! When you order at Waffallonia, you can choose from a set menu of waffle creations or design your own combo.
Start with your base, the original sugar waffle. Then, choose from toppings including fresh blueberries, raspberries, Speculoos cookie butter, caramel, Belgian dark chocolate shell, whipped cream, and MORE! For an extra special treat, add a scoop of Waffallonia’s very own small-batch ice cream atop any waffle.
If you’re not sure which combo of toppings to choose, try out one of the classic menu selections. The Ghent waffle is a waffle topped with Speculoos spread (Belgian spiced shortbread cookie butter similar to the Biscoff cookie) and fresh bananas. If you aren’t a huge fan of chocolate, this is a great sweet alternative.
Another crowd favorite is the Antwerp, a waffle topped with Waffallonia small-batch ice cream. Choose from chocolate, vanilla bean, strawberry, Nutella, or Speculoos. To finish it off, they drizzle homemade Belgian chocolate syrup over top. The authentic nature of this waffle spot is something special you won’t want to miss!
Waffles, INCaffeinated
With several locations around the city, Waffles, INCaffeinated is a staple for waffle lovers. On this menu, you will find anything from waffles topped with Eggs Benedict, to berries and Nutella – perfect for anyone’s taste buds!
These Belgian-style waffles will leave you full and happy, especially the loaded-up Country Benedict. This menu item is two quarters of a Belgian waffle topped with fried chicken, house made sausage gravy, and two fried eggs.
Not sure how to decide between sweet and savory? You don’t have to! Waffles, INCaffeinated offers the Waffle Frolic, a sampler of two sweet and two savory waffle quarters. The sweet half is one piece topped with blueberry and peach cream cheese, and another topped with peanut butter, chocolate, and strawberries. The savory half is one quarter smothered with house made sausage gravy. The final quarter is topped with bacon, cheddar, green onion, and sour cream, just like a perfectly loaded baked potato.
Naturoll Creamery
When you think about National Waffle Day, your first thought isn’t likely Naturoll Creamery. But we are here to tell you why you shouldn’t sleep on this Lawrenceville spot. Although known for their famous rolled ice cream, Naturoll has recently added Instagram-able bubble waffle to the menu!
These handmade Hong Kong-style bubble waffles are soft on the inside and nice and crunchy on the outside. All while having the delicious sweetness of a breakfast waffle.
You can order any of the signature ice cream combos in the bubble waffle, or create your own! One option we love is the Cookie Monster, a combo of Oreo cookies, Chips Ahoy, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. Another is the S’mores, topped with chocolate shavings, marshmallow fluff, graham cracker crumbs, and of course, a toasted marshmallow.
Smashed Waffles
A delicious spot in Oakland, Smashed Waffles specializes in tasty waffle sandwiches and sweet waffles topped with a variety of goodies. The savory sandwich menu is available each day from 7:00am – 2:30pm with breakfast favorites and lunchtime options as well.
Our personal favorite is The Swanson, a grilled waffle sandwich with cheddar, Swiss, and bacon. A close second is the Chatty Patty which comes with a sausage patty, egg, and cheddar smashed between two waffles. Make any sandwich a meal by adding a side of smashed browns, their take on hash browns. A perfect combo for breakfast or lunch!
Looking for something sweet? Order a single waffle, a trio, half dozen, or full dozen of the sweet waffles at Smashed Waffles! The Cereal Thriller, a waffle topped with vanilla cream sauce and fruity pebbles, and the O.G., topped with honey and cinnamon cream sauce are some of the popular sweet waffles.
Be sure to check out their featured waffle each month for something new and exciting! The current feature is the Cinnamon Toast Smash with real Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces to top it off.
Whether you’re looking for sweet or savory, you can’t go wrong celebrating National Waffle Day with these local businesses. If you’re feeling wild, maybe even make a couple of stops to celebrate this tasty holiday!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.