Off the Waffle

Quite simply, the food is excellent but the service always leaves something to be desired.
The atmosphere is nice, though space is lackik, so if you come when it’s busy they won’t have a table available.
The kitchen staff ends up taking orders, the counter staff runs back to the kitchen, and because you bus your own table, there’s a good chance a table won’t get wiped down between uses.
Never come here when you’re already hungry. It always seems like they have less people in the kitchen than they need, and if you’re lucky enough to get a table, you’ll end up waiting much longer than really seems necessary for your food to come. On our most recent trip, we had been waiting for half an hour and there were still 3 other tables waiting for food that had arrived before us.
I will always recommend this restaurant for the food, but take the service with several grains of salt.

Always a fun treat to go to off the waffle. My only complaint is that I wish the portions were bigger. I can always eat so much more, it’s so good!!!

This place was seriously delicious! But the line is very long and the wait time was ridiculous. After we ordered we waiting an hour and 15 minutes. Literally. I would love to come back again… don’t know if its worth waiting there that long.

We ate here not once but twice during our visit to Eugene. It was delicious and we will definitely be back and cannot wait to try more of their waffle concoctions!

Come here if you’re not hungry and are willing to wait roughly an hour for your food. After waiting half an hour, we asked how long until our food was out and they said 25 more minutes. Need I say, it’s Mother’s Day so I find it even more surprising it’s taking this long. We ordered 3 of the Self-​fulfilling Prophecy which is a sunny side up egg on top of a waffle with bacon. That’s something I don’t believe should take more than half an hour, never coming to this location again.

Great food, had the Trust Us waffles with strawberry etc and it was pretty good. Rest of the family enjoyed theirs as well.
Now, the lower rating (rather than a 4 star) is because they’re just not geared for the busy times. Today there was a mother’s day crowd at breakfast and the wait was about an hour from order time to first bite of deliciousness. They were out of coffee when needed, running out of coffee mugs etc. I can understand why they would not want to staff up too much as a small restaurant, but they need to find a solution to prepping ahead of time for busy times and staffing up at those times with temps to bus the food, rather than have the cashier run around. Clear case of being penny wise and pound foolish.

Unfortunately they do not have any gluten free items, however are advertised as such. Very disappointed that we drove over specifically for this reason and then had to go find other options for myself and daughter who are both celiac. Sidenote: If I could eat the food it looked and smelled fantastic but sadly they got a low star rating for the false advertising on Unilocal as a gluten free option in town.

This was a stop during 6 days of hanging in Eugene visiting many old friends.
They would’ve gotten 5 stars had I not had to wait for 42 minutes for my waffle. That being said, this was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! A Liege waffle (never heard of them, but with the slightest crunch on the caramelized sugary exterior, I could eat them plain, and love it), paired with the smoky, tender slices of pork belly, draped with melted Havarti, and accented with minced basil… it was nothing short of phenomenal. Luckily was a smaller portion, but very reasonably priced considering the quality of the ingredients, and execution. I’ve been wanting one ever since. I hiked to the top of Spencer Butte afterwards, so no regrets!

I was hoping for more options :/​Customer service was awesome but I wasn’t impressed by the food at all. I would enjoy a savory waffle with the savory waffle dish instead of the waffle being sweet. Ohh! If there was chicken and waffles with gravy! I would definitely go back!

I SERIOUSLY have considered moving to Eugene just for this place. We were visiting friends in town and went here for a late breakfast. Be prepared for an EXTREMELY long wait for the food, but just bring a good bock, or go with good company and it’ll sooo be worth the wait. I can’t remember if I tried similar waffles in Belgium when visiting, but if they’d been like Off the Waffle’s I would have remembered!
The waffles were the most delicious that I’ve ever had. We had the waffle with an entire glazed pear, goat cheese, bacon and caramelized onions, the omelette with everything and a waffle. Both were exceptionally tasty. So good in fact, we’re still talking about them.

With some of the great reviews, I was expecting this place to be good. But after two attempts, I am sad to say that this place is awful!
My first visit was in south Eugene: The staff member who help me was very nice, but the food was terrible. I ordered the Goat In Headlights, which sounded good, but my waffle and egg were cold. And the waffle was very stale tasting! Such a tiny and inedible serving of food for $ 9.50! Not worth it. The seating area was VERY dirty too. I was a bit grossed out.
My second (chance) visit was at the downtown location: I waited in line for a long time even though the place was dead. Once I got to the register, the cashier kept interrupting me to talk with the other staff. I asked the cashier if they could make a scrambled egg for my one-​year-​old. She said «No»…that «they can’t make scrambled eggs». Okay, weird, but fine… «how about a plain omelette?» I asked. Then SHE WALKED AWAY FROM ME. Right in the middle of my order! I was still talking. I was so confused and frankly, a bit pissed off. Was she going to ask the «chef» something? Needed to sneeze? Take a break?
So, I took my already fussy and hungry toddler to Starbucks next door.

This place is still kicking out unique amazing waffles with super fresh toppings. The great news is the service is fast now! Check them out!

Off The Waffle has great waffles– no doubt about it. Service wise, we waited an hour before our waffles came, and even then we waited a little longer because the wrong waffles came out.
Waffle wise, the waffles were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. They filling and the flavor combinations were A+. Better than Waffle Window in Portland, I think. Overall, Off The Waffle is not worth the hype that it gets– but then again most places don’t live up to the hype that they get. I recommend going only if you get there when it’s not busy or you have 2+ hours to kill.

I quite frankly don’t see what’s so spectacular about this place. It’s waffles.
I think it’s overpriced, given its waffles. They make you pay for something as basic as syrup. Which I think is pathetic. It’s just a way to nickel and dime you, when it should be included for the ridiculous amount you’re already paying.
My husband had a waffle with some sort of fruit, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. The whipped cream was clearly out of a can and tasted bland. The waffle seemed overdone. It was hard and super crispy, almost to the point it was hard to chew. This would be where the syrup was needed to soften it up a bit, but we had to pay extra for it. I had an omelette. Which was alright. Honestly, it seemed very small for an omelette. I had bacon with it, which was completely overdone and had a burnt taste to it. Which required copious amounts of water to wash it down.
I read rave reviews about this place and more than one friend recommended it, so I had high hopes for it. Sadly, I was disappointed and won’t be returning. Once was plenty.

Oh heck yeah! This is the kind of restaurant I love to eat at! The food is divine. Waffles are crispy and delicious, the bacon is thick and amazing… Just everything we had was salivatingly good. And they have gluten-​free waffles!!! We had the self-​fulfilling prophecy with eggs and bacon atop a waffle with maple syrup and the Be Brie-​peared– scrumptious Brie and Asian pear on a waffle. I added the bacon and never before was bacon so deserving of the extra charge. Just do it, let them take your money. It’s worth it. So worth it. Gluten free, vegan, organic, fresh delicious, even have agave and stevia for your coffee or loose leaf tea.
Order at the counter from the nicest staff and take your number to a table, where you can enjoy local artists’ work, mason jar lamps, and is that little door for kids or house elves? Either way it’s adorable.

I had one of these waffles at Oregon Country Fair. Let me tell you, I think waffles are the MOST overrated breakfast item of all time. I only bought it because I wanted my toddler to get something in her gut that wasn’t ice cream, a sno cone, etc.
My god. Hold the phone.
This waffle was crunchy and slightly sweet, with the most glorious interior. It was like a yeast donut. Simply amazing.
After looking into these amazing things I learned that they’re Liege waffles – whatever that means – and not the typical American dry crap. Waaaay better than Waffle Window in Portland!

We had heard rave reviews about Off The Waffle for a couple years, having stayed in Eugene numerous times. We got there around lunch time. Parking is street-​only and frequently busy, since the location is right downtown. There was also a line that went right out the door, which often causes my husband to run in the opposite direction. Luckily the line cleared quickly. You order at the counter and then find a place to sit afterwards. We lucked out on finding a table immediately, although any space between the tables was a pretty tight squeeze. The lighting around the back dining area is super dim, but whatever – that’s not a huge deal.
I ordered the Goat in the Headlights: chèvre, avocado, fresh basil, two sunny side up eggs with smoked paprika, served on a liège waffle. My husband ordered the special, which came with bananas, chocolate chips, coconut, chocolate sauce and house made almond butter. On the savory waffle, I anticipated a more savory-​type waffle, but it was a traditional liège waffle, which was perfectly sweet and crisp. The flavors were delicious on both my savory pick and my husband’s sweet waffle.
Also… self-​serve, bottomless coffee was a lovely plus! And the staff here was super friendly and attentive.

One of my friends told me about Off the Waffle (OTW) and it was his go-​to breakfast place whenever he visited Eugene. I am proud to say that, after several years of hearing about this place, I finally got to experience it for myself during my first trip to Eugene.
OTW is a quaint eatery and I loved this café’s atmosphere. At 8:30 a.m. on a Monday, it wasn’t crowded, which was great for our group of four that ended up staying there for several hours for a breakfast meeting. There were numerous tables available and everyone working there was very cheerful and pleasant.
I had studied the eatery’s menu beforehand and was torn among several items, but my breakfast choice for that day ultimately depended on my mood … and I was in the mood for something sweet. You just take one of the menus by the counter and step up to the counter to order, and then you grab a table and your food is bussed out to you.
We all got coffee and could help ourselves to the drinks, as well as napkins and utensils, and we enjoyed the pleasant sunshine from our window booth. Our breakfast came out in no time and we were all pleased with the taste and presentation.
I know there are other OTW locations, but I’m just glad I finally got to visit one. If I’m ever in Eugene again, I know I’ll definitely be back to this breakfast joint.
Here’s what we got during this visit:
«The Self-​Fulfilling Prophecy»: One of the ladies in our group ordered this waffle because it was balanced and she liked the fact that it came with one egg (not two, as did the «Goat in Headlights»). It featured one sunny side up egg with oozing yolk, bacon and real maple syrup. I actually almost ordered this waffle myself, but at the last minute, my craving for something sweet won out. She really enjoyed the blend of bacon and the sweeter maple syrup, and the egg soaked the waffle with that yolky goodness. If I ordered this waffle, I would have added Havarti cheese because I love Havarti. If I’m ever in the mood for a more savory waffle – but don’t want TOO many ingredients – this is the one I would choose.
«Goat in Headlights»: Two of the guys in our group ordered this waffle, and I have to admit, it looked stellar and I wanted one as well! It featured a fresh waffle topped with Chevre, avocado, fresh basil, two sunny side up eggs, smoked paprika, fresh coriander and an olive oil drizzle. Talk about pulling out all the stops! I definitely want to try this savory entrée one day because I do love basil, sunny side up eggs and olive oil. I’m curious to see what Chevre tastes like, because I don’t think I’ve had it on anything before. But the waffle dish looked truly tantalizing and I just might have to make an exception to my «sweets for breakfast» norm to sample this dish. I would just order this waffle sans the avocado.
«The Beloved Bully»: This was the sweet waffle that I got, and I made sure to ask for the strawberries on the side because, let’s face it – I was sold on this waffle because of that dark chocolate. This crispy waffle came topped with Belgian chocolate chips, fresh strawberries and a swirl of housemade dark chocolate sauce. That dark chocolate sauce was light yet decadent at the same time. I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate, so I was pleased to see that the waffle was topped with a good amount of the chocolate sauce, without the proportion being overwhelming. I loved the waffles from OTW because the exterior is perfectly crispy without being too hard, and the interior is moist, soft and spongy (without being soggy … unless, of course, your waffle has egg yolk on it). I enjoyed my sweet breakfast treat and would definitely order this waffle again.
«Caprese»: If I were to choose a different waffle from the above three to try, I would have gone with this Caprese because I actually really do like Caprese sandwiches. This waffle comes with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, avocado, tomato, a dash of sea salt, fresh ground black peppercorn and an olive oil drizzle. I would just order this entrée sans the avocado and tomato, but I really look forward to trying that fresh mozzarella and sea salt topping one day.
«The H-​Bomb»: When it comes to sweets, I normally don’t like fruits in the mix (whether it’s pie, cupcakes or cakes, I like my fruits to stay separate from my dessert), but for this sweet waffle, I may have to make an exception. It includes sliced apples, melted Havarti cheese, cinnamon sugar and maple syrup. If I got this waffle, I would probably ask for the maple syrup on the side, but I really am curious to experience the blend of that Havarti cheese, cinnamon sugar and sweet sliced apples.

I went here with a large group and we were easily accommodated. We were informed by the staff that our large group would drive the kitchen wait time for brunch to around 25 minutes (though I swear it took some of our group members more like 40 minutes to get their food). I’m willing to let the long wait time slide because we received friendly service and also because the waffles were completely delightful.
I ordered the caprese waffle (tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese) from the «savory» list and added a sunny side up egg to it. The waffle has a certain sweetness that complimented the other ingredients so well, but it does make me wonder if the waffles from the «sweet» list would then be SUPER sweet?
Guess I’ll have to come back next time I’m visiting Eugene and find out.

Delicious… truly.
Not stingy on the bacon and the flavor combinations are exciting.
Savory is the way to go for me…
Totally packed on weekend mornings. Line out the door. Wait until later and it’s smooth.
Parking can be tricky.