Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles is a southern California destination for southern cuisine. They burst on the scene in 1985 with a restaurant in Hollywood. The odd combination of fried chicken and waffles attracted the likes of Natalie Cole and Redd Foxx. Roscoe’s now has six California locations: two in L.A. and one each in Long Beach, Pasadena, Hollywood and Ingle- wood. A seventh is slated to open soon in Anaheim.

The Inglewood eatery is one of the more recent additions to the chain. Located just east of the 405 freeway on Manchester Boulevard, Sunday breakfast and weekday lunch lines can be seen in front of the main entrance. A Los Angeles native, I am almost ashamed to admit this was my first visit to Roscoe’s; I looked forward to the experience.

I pulled into the lot on a Monday evening at about 6:00 p.m. and was surprised to see very few cars. Parking is ample and easy to navigate with convenient access from Manchester. The restaurant is larger than it appears from the outside and appears to be clean. There are several spacious tables and booths. It’s a family-style atmosphere with lots of chatter; it was a bit noisy for my taste. The radio was set to 92.3 The Beat and the volume was pretty loud. This did not make for a very relaxing meal.

I ordered the House Combo #23: two fried chicken thighs, candy yams, greens and corn bread, and added a side of macaroni and cheese. I decided to go “take out” so I could enjoy my meal in solitude. I was disappointed to find the yams were missing from my order. The thighs were fried to a crisp golden brown and tender to the bone for the most part. The seasoning was excellent, but there was too much grease. I ate only one piece. The greens were average, but I was happy to find they were not sweetened with sugar as found in some other soul food establishments. The corn bread was dry and the macaroni and cheese did not taste homemade. All told, the meal was average, not horrible. I asked other patrons about their favorites. Some mentioned the buckwheat waffles and the breakfast plates with grits, eggs, chicken and waffles.

In summary, if I’m going to break several of my healthful living rules to indulge in foods that are fried, that are high in fat, salt and white flour and that are slathered in cheese, I want taste that will knock me off my feet.
Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles missed the mark.

Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, 621 West Manchester Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90301
Parking: Lot
WiFi: Yes
Accepts Cash, Credit and ATM Debit
Attire: Casual