What is a waffle? Is it just bread, a sweet, glorified pancake? Heck, no—making waffles is an old culinary tradition, with its origins dating back almost a thousand years; the form we know today goes back around 500 years. Nowadays, they’re the object of many people’s hungry affection, and here in Las Vegas you can satisfy any yearnings you may have for those fragrant delights.
Of course, you’ll find waffles of many different shapes and forms on the breakfast and brunch menus of the restaurants around town—Giada (The Cromwell, 855.442.3271) offers an unusual polenta version on the brunch menu that will send you to your happy place. Here are a few other options that are sure to please.
At Hash House a Go Go (The Linq, 702.254.4646), brunch brings vanilla waffles, but stay for dinner and you can experience the mountain of food otherwise known as sage-fried chicken and waffles. Two chicken breasts and a boatload of hardwood-smoked bacon waffles (by boatload I mean four), accented with fried leeks, come held in place by a massive steak knife and a rosemary spear. It’s not just the size here—the waffles are Belgian-style, flaky and fragrant. It’s OK to pour the entire cup of maple syrup on top.
Bruxie's Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork
That chicken-and-waffle thing is seen all over Vegas, and that’s so good. At Yardbird Southern Table and Bar (The Venetian, 702.297.6541), chow down on the Chicken ’n’ Watermelon ’n’ Waffles, with a waffle base loaded with sharp Vermont cheddar cheese and a bourbon maple syrup to cover it all. If you don’t want chicken, no big thing, as the Big Ol' Cheddar Waffle can be ordered separately.
The newly opened Bruxie (The Park, 702.693.7275) near T-Mobile Arena and New York-New York puts a twist on the usual sandwich by folding a waffle around such ingredients as buttermilk-fried chicken and cider slaw; Angus beef and cheddar; pulled pork and Carolina barbecue sauce; mushrooms and goat cheese; and ham, egg and pesto. The smaller indentations in Bruxie’s waffle allow it to act effectively as the bread and catch sauces. It’s all scratch-made and really yummy. And … waffle fries!
For a super quick snack, grab one of the waffles at Waffle Bar over in the Grand Bazaar Shops (Bally’s, 844.437.3264), where you’ll find several casual dining places. The walk-up Waffle Bar’s Liège waffles contain pearl sugar, which are basically hard, sweet little lumps that when baked in a Belgian waffle provide a carmelizing or, in other terms, a yummifying effect. The slightly irregularly shaped waffles come covered in several toppings, from Nutella to bananas, berries and whipped cream.
