Waffle House Has a New Menu Item, and I Tried It First

Will it become a permanent fixture?

If you grew up in the South, then there’s undoubtedly a point where your social life and Waffle House intertwined. Whether you were getting into trouble or not, Waffle House restaurants are part of the Southern late-night ecosystem, and stories from the neighborhood Waffle House often end up in local lore—legend says that a server at one of my hometown Waffle House locations pulled out a sword once, and patrons reading this likely have even better tales.

Waffle House rarely changes its menu—it’s part of the everlasting charm. Any new item that graces Waffle House’s permanent menu has to reflect a significant shift in dining patterns and the restaurant industry. That’s why even a seasonal item can make such a huge impact, and why I knew I needed to try their new chicken sausage as soon as possible.

Waffle House Is Testing Chicken Sausage

Select locations in Metro Atlanta started offering chicken sausage in late 2023. (Fun fact: Waffle House opened its first location in Avondale Estates, Atlanta, in 1955—the original venue is now a museum!) It looks like the initial experiment took off. According to Waffle House headquarters, all locations in Georgia are now testing chicken sausage.

Note: chicken sausage isn’t populating on the online order page, you’ll need to get it in person.

According to my server, the chicken sausage rollout experienced delays because it overlapped with the limited run of the strawberry waffle (a legend in its own right) limited run. The strawberry waffle has been phased out, though, so now the only thing keeping you apart from chicken sausage is demand.

Unfortunately, chicken sausage hasn’t gotten a permanent spot on Waffle House’s menu just yet. If it does, it could be available in more states. As with the strawberry waffle, it’s a limited item available at select locations.

My Honest Review of Waffle House's New Chicken Sausage

Waffle House’s chicken sausage side consists of one link, split down the middle and grilled, and retails for $3.49. It’s salty and smoky, and to be frank, it tastes and feels a lot like a hot dog.  Still, it’s not as greasy as their bacon or regular sausage and makes a good companion to a sweeter or carbohydrate-heavy dish like a plain waffle.

All in all, I’d recommend Waffle House’s chicken sausage, despite its slightly higher price, to anyone who prefers chicken sausage or encounters gastric issues like reflux after eating pork. Like many others, I hope it claims a spot on the permanent menu.

Read the original article on All Recipes.