Although I was late to discover the glorious breakfast-dinner fusion that is chicken and waffles, I have made up for lost time. Fortunately, Austin is a veritable treasure trove of diners and dives that play host to this delicious combo. But as any purveyor of poultry and pancake batter will tell you, not all chicken and waffles are created equal. So we’ve compiled a short list of the most finger lickin’, sticky, sweet and savory chicken and waffles in town.

4. Freddie’s Place

Freddie’s on South First is know for many things—a spacious outdoor seating area, cheap margaritas in the summertime and now chicken and waffles.  

Freddie’s seems like the kind of chicken and waffles Mom would make if she had a deep fryer and waffle press. There’s something so homey about the food at Freddie’s.  

The chicken is crisp, but it falls into the danger of batter-chicken separation. The waffles are pretty standard and come with the traditional syrup as well as honey—a welcome addition.

At under $10, Freddie’s chicken and waffles are standard and tasty.

3. 24 Diner

A newcomer to the Austin food scene, 24 Diner on 6th and Lamar has made some culinary waves since its opening in 2009.  Boasting “chef-inspired comfort food,” 24 serves just that.

24’s chicken and waffles is a step up from the norm. The chicken is local, the batter has a hint of bourbon vanilla and the syrup is Grade-A light amber maple from Vermont.

The portion is enormous and delicious to the last bite. However, the fine ingredients and large portions come at a price.  These chicken and waffles will cost you $13, but it will be $13 well spent.

2. Bacon

Bacon is not only the name of the holy grail of pork products, but also the name of a new and meaty restaurant in Austin. Although it is only about a month old, Bacon is creating a buzz by sticking to what it knows—decadent diner food.

The restaurant’s chicken and waffles are no exception. The chicken is crispy and the waffles have a hint of vanilla malt. The combination is a light but decadent treat for $10.  For only a few dollars more, cooks will add candied bacon into the waffle batter, creating a meaty fried food lover’s dream.

There’s no calorie counting or weight watching at Bacon, but there are some darn good chicken and waffles.

1. Ms. P’s Electric Cock

If you can get over the name, Ms. P’s Electric Cock is a fried chicken paradise. A food trailer located at 1101 South Congress Ave. with the word “CHICKEN” in neon lights, Ms. P’s is so quintessentially “Austin.”

Ms. P herself fries every piece of chicken that is ordered at the trailer window.  She didn’t open the trailer to make it big or become a famous chef, but rather to share her savory, spicy chicken with the world.  

And thank goodness she did. Her chicken recipe is more classified than the colonel’s, but the end result is what she claims to be “the best chicken in Austin.”  It is made even better with a side of waffles, syrup, and a jalapeno for under $10.

The hand-battered, homemade southern charm of Ms. P’s is both its greatest strength and weakness.  This chicken is delicious, but is served on a till-the-chicken-runs-out basis.  It is therefore difficult to nail down a time to visit Ms. P.

However, if you time it just right, you are in for a treat.