Dame's Chicken and Waffles: Review from a Guest Blogger

This weekend Gavin had brunch at the new buzzed about place downtown, Dame's Chicken and Waffles. He was so blown away by it, he felt inspired to write a review, to be featured here on Bull City Food. Considering my lack of gluten tolerance, I probably won't be eating there any time soon but have heard great things. So for anyone interested in an "Almost World Famous" chicken and waffle meal, read on:

Chicken and Waffles: As Good as Unicorn Meat

This may sound weird, but chicken and waffles are what I imagine eating Unicorn meat to be like. First off, it is something I never thought I would consume.  Second, when the plate arrived, I looked down at it and it just seemed wrong – like my brain couldn’t comprehend what it was looking at.  However, after those first few bites, I quickly realized that I was eating something magical.  Chicken and waffles are sweet, spicy, salty, meaty, soft and crunchy all at the same time.  The dish, a terribly wonderful concoction, is something not of this world.  While it is something you can’t possibly expect to eat every day, Durhamites are now lucky enough to have a great place downtown that specializes in this culinary oddity.

Dame’s “Almost World Famous” Chicken & Waffles opened this summer downtown at 317 W. Main St near Beyu Caffe.  The atmosphere has the nondescript decor of a small-town Chinese restaurant - basic with cafeteria-style seating and self-serve coffee, sweet tea and water.  With that said, the service is excellent and you don’t mind getting up to get your own refills.   The wait staff greets you when you walk-in and are friendly without being too chatty – something you tend to find with new restaurants.  I do have to say that I find it funny when restaurants that serve meat hang images of Ghandi on their walls – a devoted vegetarian.  It just seems ironic.  Perhaps the image is meant to be less about vegetarianism and more about how something as simple as good food can unite people world-wide.  Or it may be the fact that Ghandi was known as “The Great Soul” and chicken and waffles are, of course, Soul Food.  Or…it could be the fact that chicken and waffles, like Unicorn meat, are simply illogical and one would do better to not try to make sense of it and just enjoy it.

Dame’s offers 10 varieties of their main dish.  Having no idea what to order, I asked my server to recommend his favorite.  He suggested “The Carolina Cockerel” which is billed as “Dame’s personal favorite! A trio of whole chicken wings served w/ a side of “Dub’s hot sauce,” a crisp and tender blueberry waffle schmeared w/ Peach and Apricot Crème $10.25.”  As mentioned above, I really enjoyed the Carolina Cockerel.  It was a culinary first for me, but one that I am sure to enjoy again (particularly after a long night of drinking).  

Chicken and waffles was a first for me so if you've never experienced what I am only assuming rivals Unicorn meat, head to downtown Durham and visit Dame's for this magical dish.