Buddy’s Chicken & Waffles

Buddy Brown grew up in Baltimore watching his mother and grandmother cook, and started reverse engineering a fried chicken recipe in his brother's kitchen during the pandemic. Waffle Wednesdays turned into a following, the following turned into a ghost kitchen in November 2021, and the neighborhood raised roughly fifty thousand dollars to put him in a building in Tacoma's Lincoln District.

The format is one waffle, two hand breaded tenders, and a decision. Buttermilk and southern cornbread anchor the list, then blueberry, chocolate chip, cinnamon toast crunch, cookies and cream, strawberry shortcake, and a cheddar bay biscuit waffle. Syrups come bourbon maple, salted caramel maple and strawberry maple. There are sandwiches, tender boxes and loaded fries for anyone who came only for the chicken, and the chicken is halal.

Closed Monday and Tuesday, open ten to eight midweek, closing at five on weekends.