Buttermilk fried chicken on red velvet waffles is one man’s gift to Tacoma
In a matter of weeks, Buddy Brown has proven that dedication supersedes variety, that pickup- and delivery-only restaurants can thrive, and that chicken and waffles deserve to be together.
“It’s breakfast, it’s lunch, it’s dinner,” said Brown. “It’s versatile, it’s simple.”
When you’re ordering from Buddy’s Chicken and Waffles, it’s also fun, and these days we can all benefit from a hot honey-soaked, Cinnamon Toast Crunch-infused escape.
On this particular buttermilk waffle, Brown adds those flavors to the batter and sprinkles the finished product with cereal crumbs and full squares. Other choices include Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Chip, Southern Cornbread and Red Velvet, the latter rich with cocoa powder and of course vibrant in color.
He anticipated great affection for this foundation, but his growing fan base — ordering online and retrieving from the commissary Whimsy Kitchen in South Tacoma — has signaled their obsession with the chicken.
“I season it, for starters,” he said, lamenting the ubiquity of flavorless frozen foods. Fresh breast tenderloins, easier to eat than than bone-in, are double-seasoned with a proprietary spice blend, bathed in seasoned buttermilk overnight, which locks in moisture, then dredged in flour with the same spices and fried in vegetable oil.
The recipe was born in his Tacoma kitchen, where Wednesday was chicken and waffle night. A friend tried it, asked what the heck he had done to it, and “that’s when I knew that I created something good,” he recalled.
The Baltimore native moved to Tacoma in late 2019 to reunite with siblings he had only reconnected with four years prior. Brown never knew his dad, but at age 17 he learned he probably had brothers and sisters — six, it turns out, five of whom lived in the South Puget Sound as he learned 10 years later. He sent a Facebook message, and in 2018 his older brother invited him to move out West.
“It’s been serendipitous for sure,” he said. After working as a bartender and server for several years in his hometown, he knew he needed a change. “Everything’s worked out the way it was supposed to.”
In Tacoma, Brown, who started hanging out with his mom in the kitchen as a toddler, became the family chef, knowing his future was somewhere in food. Chicken and waffles was an uncomplicated concept; now he knows it was highly desirable, too.
Last March, he leased the former Infinitea Cafe at 1127 Broadway. Delays ensued, notably the installation of a grease trap, but Brown — ever-cool under pressure — pursued the commissary space in the interim. From there he has served his signature dishes as well as baskets of chicken tenders and fries (seasoned with that same bewitching spice medley) since November, with delivery through DoorDash or free pickup. He plans on keeping it, finding a food truck, and opening the full-service restaurant this spring.
“I just wanted a small breakfast/dinner restaurant,” he said in January, “but seeing how popular it is in the area, I’m certain I can work with two locations.”
Downtown, he hopes to incorporate what he calls “midnight brunch,” until 1 or 2 a.m. Inspired by Blue Moon Cafe, a 24-hour Baltimore diner famous for its Captain Crunch French toast, he said, “That’s really, really fun. Especially that late at night because it’s technically morning.”
You know what? We’re cool, 2022.
BUDDY’S CHICKEN & WAFFLES
▪ Currently serving from Whimsy Kitchen, 5602 S. Washington St., Tacoma; order pickup or delivery online at buddyschickenandwaffles.com
▪ Waffle with two pieces of chicken, $12-$13; add extra chicken for $2
▪ Downtown restaurant opening March 2022 at 1127 Broadway #101; follow instagram.com/buddyschickenandwaffles for updates
This story was originally published January 18, 2022 at 1:57 PM.