Chicken and waffles is a classic soul dish. The origin of the dish began in Wells Supper Club in Harlem during the 1930s. Myrecipes.com says the basic idea is: “Crispy thighs alongside deep pocketed batter.” The dish is timeless; the problem is options are limited in the Fox Valley. Hope, however, exists as I have decided to try some of the most popular chicken and waffles in the area to see which dish reigns supreme.

I have done some digging on the Internet to find out which spots I will be trying out. The results narrowed down to: KFC, Dairy Queen and Cozzy Corner. The spots chosen will be scored out of 10 on taste, aesthetics, texture and price/value then all the scores will be averaged out for a final score.

My first stop on this journey was Dairy Queen. Located on 910 Gay Dr., Neenah, this was the closest location on my stops. The staff was friendly and made the experience an overall success. The price was about $7 bucks with a drink, which is pretty affordable. The dish in general was good; the 1 waffle was pretty spongy inside but crisp on the inside. The chicken was pretty much just chicken tenders, which are pretty small. The meal did not include syrup (an essential for the dish) I, personally, had to ask for it. Overall in the scoring system the taste: 7, aesthetics:6, texture: 8 and price: 9. The final score was 7.5, good dish but meant for more of a quick lunch dish.

In contrast, Foodie Youtuber Reed Napier said “4 star!!! Better than KFC’s chicken and waffles. Fries were a nice add on.” Napier liked the waffles, but he did not like that only one was included, which is also a con. Even after that con, he still enjoyed it more than the offering from KFC. The statement flew right into my next destination, KFC.

The second spot I tried was KFC.  KFC is located on 1020 Winneconne Ave., Neenah. The advertising for the dish was pretty heavy. The colonel has now collaborated with Mrs. Buttersworth for the chicken and waffles. The staff was kind as well; the experience was pretty good too. The price, however, was about $8  for the plate and a drink, so I thought “this dish better be slapping.” The waffle was really crispy but was also pretty dry inside. The dish unlike Dairy Queen did not include fries. The chicken was tender and crispy, which was definitely the highlight of the meal. Overall in the scoring system the taste: 8, aesthetics:6, texture:5 and price: 7. The final score was 6.5 overall a good piece of chicken, but the waffle was definitely lacking.

Food reviewer Lyndsay Burginger said, “ I would suggest a few things. 1) A fluffier and less sweet waffle and 2) Serve it like a sandwich.” Burginger’s statement was spot on — the waffle was the main problem. The idea of the sandwich was also pretty smart and will lead me to my next and final stop, Cozzy Corner.

My final stop on my conquest for amazing chicken and waffles was at Cozzy Corner, located on 111 N. Walnut St., Appleton.  Clearly, this is the farthest spot. This dish has been highly recommended by classmates and even Mrs. Plankey. The hype had built up and Cozzy Corner did not disappoint. The staff was really nice and made the experience so incredible. The price with a drink was about $12 bucks. Burginger said that the KFC plate would be better as a sandwich and at Cozzy they offer a sandwich with Chicken, mac and cheese and bbq sauce! Syrup was optional, but it was not needed since the bbq was sweet. The waffles were so spongy and had a nice crisp and the chicken was really crispy and juicy. The mac and cheese and bbq were excellent additions to the dish and also included a side of fries with lemon pepper seasoning (also really good, although a little too salty). Overall in scoring the taste: 9, aesthetics: 8, texture: 9, price: 7. The final score of 8.25, good dish and a prime example of how chicken and waffles should be.

Jessica E left a review on tripadvisor.com:  “Always get the Chicken & Waffle sandwich and add the BBQ sauce to it — its heavenly!” The review is exactly how I felt after trying one of the restaurants most popular dishes.

As my journey was completed, I am proud to say that Cozzy Corner had the best score on the system of a 8.25. The dish was more expensive than DQ and KFC, but it had a pretty good value. The service on all places was good, which was not scored but is always a bonus. The DQ attempt was good, but the problem was the small size and also appearance of the meal. The KFC dish was good, but the waffle was problematic and lacked value. In the end, I conclude that Cozzy Corner has the best chicken and waffles in the area. The dish is truly something special that I can see myself going back whenever I get the craving!