Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles
I had not lived.
OK, that may be a bit dramatic, but so am I. But my life has been made better by a new food grouping: chicken and waffles.
There is much speculation as to where this pair originated, including the theory that Thomas Jefferson brought back a waffle iron from France in the 1790s and conjured up the combo.
Or, in the late 19th century, recently freed slaves migrating north and living in rural areas would fry a chicken and serve it with any kind of breakfast bread.
Who knows? But there is one fact, and that revolves around Harlem's Wells Supper Club. "Home of Chicken and Waffles, Since 1938," the restaurant served the combo until it closed in 1999.
An L.A. chain, Roscoe's, picked up on the trend in the 1970s.
And, hallelujah, Indianapolis is privy now, thanks to Maxine's Chicken and Waffles.
The mood
Hayden and I high-tailed it out of work early to visit Maxine's, which was only two days old -- and attached to a gas station. We took a seat in a booth.
The interior decor may not have the same soul as the food, but the hospitality is truly Southern. Never have I had such a friendly server, or seen a kitchen work so well, or have so much fun.
The food
You can't go to Maxine's and not try its namesake, but we wanted to see what else was on the menu.
There were things I've never tried: fried green tomatoes; catfish in a basket or in a bun; salmon croquets; collard greens; and, of course, chicken and waffles ($9.25).
Hayden chose the star entree; I went with a barbecued turkey sandwich ($7.25).
While we waited for our meal, we munched on cornbread. Crisp cornbread. Like, not baked. Like, fried. Mmmm. Oh, sorry -- back to Earth.
When our food arrived and made its way into our mouths, I don't think we spoke, other than to mutter something about the deliciousness.
My sandwich was served with lettuce, tomato and onion. A perfect amount of sweet and tangy sauce covered the shredded turkey. Homemade mac and cheese on the side, please.
I stole a few bites of Hayden's waffle, smothered in peach butter, no syrup. I followed that with one of his three, enormous, fried chicken wings. The light, crisp breading worked perfectly with the sweet, squishy waffle.
The drinks
A sweet tea and a D&K tea -- a blend of sweet tea and lemonade, made by and named for a young nephew ($1.99 each) of the restaurateurs.
The damage: $21.78
As I contemplate this delicious combination, I come to realize that it's not much different from eating sausage and pancakes. Why am I so enamored? Don't ask questions, just eat.
Maxine's Chicken and Waffles
Address: 132 N. East St.
Telephone: (317) 423-3300.
Parking: Lot or street.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 8 a.m. to! 6 p.m. Sunday.
ha! thanks for the review; we just brought up maxines in conversation and wanted more info. but here is one thing that all reviews so far are missing: description of the taste!!! "big wing" or "swishy waffle" is up there with another review that simply said "too expensive and underseasoned."
someone do better and tell me how it tastes!!!
NoblesvilleJS : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
Well, in her review Kate says "when our food arrived and made its way into our mouths, I don't think we spoke, other than to mutter something about the deliciousness." She also praises the chicken breading as light and crisp. So I'm guessing she likes the taste. Give it a try and let us know how it is!
not talking about eating and saying that a breading is crisp isnt saying onedamnthing about the taste. thats texture, not taste. im checking this place out friday and getting a job with indy.com saturday.
I agree with the two above that want more of a review of the food. The author uses all of about two sentences to talk about the food in the entire review. And as the other two posters noted, those two sentences are not the most informative. I enjoyed the history of chicken and waffles but really just want to know about the food that is supposed to be reviewed, that should cover at least 51% of a 'review.
ezdoesit22 : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
OK, here it is. Last night my family and I went to Maxine's Chicken and Waffles and we loved it. We all decided to order chicken and waffles because we had never had it and it sounded too interesting to pass up. The chicken and waffle plate consisted of 3 whole chicken wings that seemed to be cooked to order and a large waffle with peach butter wich gave it a nice sweet twist. The chicken was crispy and seasoned just right. The waffle was yummy as well especially with the peach butter wich was something that I have never had. I was so surprised how the sweetness of the waffle and syrup tasted so good with the saltyness of the fried chicken. Over all it was a good meal and I was so full I couldn't I couldn't finish my chicken! The owner came to our table and asked us how everything was, they were very friendly. I recommend this place to anyone that wants something different. It's nothing like it in Indy!
Besides chicken, waffles and BBQ turkey what else is on the menu?
I work two blocks from here and I'm looking for a new lunch spot.
ezdoesit22 : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
I think they hav smothered chicken and rice, baked chicken, salads, burgers and catfish from what I can remember. They also have several sides.
Very disappointed. My companion and I had breakfast at Maxine's Chicken & Waffles on Saturday, Aug 23rd and found our waffles cold, chicken like a Sam's Club frozen package warmed over and sausage with a very strange taste. The waffles were chewy as well and peach butter & cold syrup did little to flavor them. The menu is overpriced as well. The owners and staff very friendly and accomodating but I do not think we'll return to this restaurant.
Chicken, Bacon, Waffles and syrup! A combination suited for a king.
worthyourattention : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
We loved it- check out our pictures of the food (and the full menu) http://worthyourattention1.blogs...
DannyOngias : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
How do you go to a restaurant to review it and not order the featured item? A BBQ turkey sandwich? Seriously? I read a review of a cajun place here once and the reviewer had steak. So terrible. Also, Hayden is a girl's name.
joe.shearer : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
I'll hop in to defend Kate again on this issue. The article is "Two for $20," which is meant to describe their lunch experience, spending $20 or less (though they didn't get under the threshold this time). This isn't necessarily a restauraunt review so much as a "getting your money's worth" article. While whether the food is good or not is part of that, it doesn't have to be the main thrust of the article in all cases.
Kate spent some time running down the menu to show there were options beyond what she and her companion ordered, she did run down her thoughts on the food in a manner appropriate to the story she was writing.
Indy.com does have restaurant reviews, and while critical analysis of the food is a smaller part of this story, she's hardly failing the readers by not focusing exclusively on it.
Kate Johnson : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
My dearest Danny: We did order the chicken and waffles.
Love, Kate
DannyOngias : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
Maybe Hayden should have written the article.....but still used your picture :)
LOVE! Danny
larrybrown : RE: Two for $20: Maxine's Chicken and Waffles More..
I can honestly say that from the time I was greeeted at the door until I left it was nothing short of GREAT. The staff was very nice and helpful, the food was outstanding. I can’t wait to go back, and would recommend Maxine’s Chicken and Waffle to everyone.
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