Mack & Dub’s Excellent Chicken & Waffles

They serve the best Chicken & Waffles I’ve ever had… Given I’ve only had it twice before… But that’s only cus I never liked it!!!
I just wish they didn’t serve everything with disposable containers and utensils. (at least go biodegradable!!!)

The moment they put their sign up, I was there. I pretty much always have a hankering for chicken and waffles.
When I moved from LA, I left many a delicious Southern places including Aunt Kizzy’s & Roscoe’s behind and I couldn’t wait to replace their place in my heart. This place took their place and filled it even more.
We happened to be there on a poetry night where people walked up to the open mic and spilled their souls into words. The chicken and waffles were amazing. It’s like that crunchy, slighty greasy, but oh so juicy fried chicken that the Southern grandma you never had makes. All on top of a perfect crispy and chewy waffle with maple syrup over the whole thing. So darn finger-​licking good! We got some mac and cheese on the side that we gobbled up straight away.
The people here are really down to earth and nice. They may not have the fastest service, but how can you expect a home cooked meal to be rushed? I instantly feel like I’m part of their family as I sit down to a meal of their crispy chicken and I’m definitely headed back soon because I just made myself starving thinking about it…

Huge fan of this place and I don’t even eat chicken. What I ordered was the fish sandwich which came with fries. I handled that sandwich and I didn’t even know I had it in me. I saved the fries for later and they reheated nicely in the toaster oven for a late night snack. I also had a waffle and it is was delightful. The service was slow because the food was prepared to order, you could hear the fryers going when Jeff V. ordered his chicken.
Blah blah blah to the rest of the complainers about the restaurant layout, the syrup on the tables (it’s a chicken & WAFFLES joint!) the slow service and whatever else you have to gripe about. I would be skeptical if my food came out really fast, I wouldn’t want my waffles to be pre-​made and sitting under a food warmer.
This place was fun, it was indeed excellent food and the staff members were very helpful, appreciative and friendly. Dubb even came out and said hello and thanked some of the patrons for coming in and dining. Hope this place sticks around and is successful.

The only positive thing I can say about this place is they have outstanding Chicken & Waffles. That said they are very unorganized and filthy. The place is dirty and looks like an unfinished gothic commercial garage. When I brought my child there they had syrup caked on the high chair and pieces of chicken left on it. I had to bring this to the waitresses attention after she failed to notice when giving me the chair.
All of the staff looked, acted and sounded like they were high as a kite. THREE other times I have went there when there business was supposed to be open and it wasn’t. This most recent time I arrived a half an hour after they were supposed to be open (@ 11:30) and a lady employee there told me it was going to be another thirty minutes until they open. As me and my family drove away we noticed they had opened the business and turned on the open sign and had customers standing in line waiting to order. I then called and they stated they were open. How professional they are!
The ONLY reason why i’ve went back in the past is for the great food but after this last incident I will NOT be going back.

Well, when a place has the word «chicken» in its name, I would expect it to serve chicken. And waffles. I went there for lunch and was told they didn’t have wings or thighs. That left legs. Two hours after they opened and they don’t have chicken on a Friday? Unbelievable.
I’m not big on legs, so I went for the strips. They weren’t anything to write home about.
The waffles, on the other hand, were really good. Light and tender, with just the right amount of crust.
I can’t shake the feeling about the chicken. I would think a Friday night and Saturday would be busy times, but if they haven’t stocked up on chicken, it makes me wonder if they’re struggling and only have a small inventory.

We did a Groupon thingy, but we already knew we wanted to go here.
Well, at least, I did. My dining partner aka husband, doesn’t look for opportunities to try new stuff (and Unilocal it!) but he is totally willing to go along as my hungry, hungry guinea piggy.
My main g pig and I were finally in the mood to make a drive over to N. Po. to enjoy some lip smacking soul food for breakfast.
Found the place like a pro and parked right around the corner (okay, I cheated — I was guided in by my handy dandy gps which makes me look like I know where I am going) and headed on in.
[FYI — There used to be 2 Mack & Dubs (near each other?) and the gps system was a bit wonky about that…]
It was a just a little bit confusing getting inside the door (s). The restaurant is laid out kinda strangely — so here’s the deal: go the the left area to order, the middle area you just walk through over to the right area, where you find the seating area. Not hard, just different.
The menu was simple, though unclear if it was all available (menu) or if just the stuff hand written on signs is what’s for eating today. The nice young lady who took our order was welcoming and took her time to help us newbies figure out what we wanted. Good vibe right from the get go.
Like I said before, we knew we were here for the namesake dish and so we ordered it 2 ways — one order was the 2 piece chicken with 2 waffles and the other was the Strips n’ Waffles.
The wait was pretty long, but not at all long if what you want is home fried chicken!
While we waited I got to check out the atmosphere — mellow, rich colored walls and just a darn good homey feeling enveloped us. There was a ‘buzz’ in the room — really — a pleasant conversational hum of happy folks waiting for a good meal.
As the plates of food were whisked past to the other tables (they were here first damn it!) I could see how good the chicken and waffles looked. Between the smell and the sight I could barely contain myself. I hoped the other diners didn’t feel me lusting after their plates…
Finally our turn came. The fried chicken was tender inside, but for my g pig and I the crispy skin made it really stand out — flavorful without being too peppery or spicy, amazing crunch, and just the right thickness — not too little or too much. In a word — DIVINE. The other lady who brought out our food was also a real sweetheart and suggested some of the nicely thin hot sauce to go along with butter and syrup as our condiments. I used it to dip the strips in and though they don’t have the crunch and skin like the pieces, they really floated my boat — perfect size pieces not all dried out like most strips. The waffles were pretty good, too. Nice taste of vanilla in the batter and a compliment to the chicken. Though truth be told, they weren’t any too warm. Mini bummer.
Mack & Dub need not worry though — we are already thinking about driving from all the way out in the boonies over to their excellent place again very soon.
P. S. One of the owner’s was there (I don’t know which) and he sure gave off the kind of feeling you want from a small business — considerate, hands on and happy to have you in their establishment.
And we were happy to be there. Thanks guys.

My boyfriend and I joined some friends here for brunch (a group of 5, including the toddler). We were pretty excited since our two other attempts were failures. The place was closed both times we followed our hankering for chicken and waffles. At long last, we were here and the food was delicious!!! The waffles were nice and fluffy. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The sweet tea was the best sweet tea I have ever had anywhere! I will buy gallons of this stuff, it is SO GOOD!!! And they make it themselves. It’s flavor reminded me a bit of horchata with the cinnamon.
The services is a little on the slow side. We ordered drinks that took a long time coming to us. If the place had been packed with people, it would have been one thing but it wasn’t busy and the place wasn’t packed. We did meet Mack and Dubs. Mack came by our table, tried to calm the screaming child in our group, and got our drinks to us. They’ both seem like easy going guys and if neither had came along to introduce themselves and check on us, I would probably write this place off.
When the food was served, everyone but two people were served, one of them being my boyfriend. You know, if you tell us that the food will be here in a few minutes, let me just say that 10 – 15 minutes is not a few minutes. By the time we were half way through our food, and I was eating slow, his food hadn’t arrived yet. He had to get up and inquire about it before it was brought out.
In a nutshell, food is good. Best sweet tea I’ve ever had in my lifetime. The service sucks. If the service hadn’t sucked so much, I would give this place 5 stars.

The chicken and waffles here ARE excellent.
The sweet tea is so damn good. I wish I knew what kind of tea they used. Caffeine free too, according to Dub, who offered to get my tantruming toddler a glass.
Some of the the best fried chicken I’ve had in a while. MmMmmMmm. The waffles were good too. The bow tie pasta and cheese is garlicy and cheesy. I thought we ordered some baked beans too, but they never came out. Oh well. It was more than enough food.

First off, I would like to say that I have enjoyed my food both times that I eaten at Mack & Dub’s. The owners are enthusiastic, and hospitable. I can also understand the frustration reflected in some of the other reviews.
I agree that the décor could be improved upon. It sounds like they are in the process of remodeling the dining room, which a good start. I also think that there could be an improvement in the speed of delivery of the food. I know that it takes time to make everything to order, of course. I hope that they can get a rhythm down so that people will return. I think that they have a great concept, and I would like to see them stay in business. I’m not sure if they have prior restaurant or restaurant management experience. Having worked in the industry myself, it is A LOT more work than people realize. Cut them a little slack people!
Like many others, Groupon brought me here. I love chicken and waffles, so I was stoked when I heard there was a restaurant devoted to two of my favorite things. I went in after reading the reviews about the lag time between ordering, and receiving the meal. I knew to expect to be there a while. I don’t mind ordering at the counter, and seating myself. I do wish that they had a water station.
I found the portion to be just right. Two pieces of chicken, and two waffles. The times that I have been, they both came out fresh and hot. The flavor was very good, and I like that they have Franks Red Hot sauce on the tables. It goes great with fried chicken. I would prefer a lighter, crispier waffle, but theirs isn’t bad. A little chewier than I’m used to. The batter on the chicken is crispy, and not too thick. The seasoning is good in my opinion. I do prefer the chicken strips rather than whole pieces, but they’re both good.
I try to imagine I’m over at a friends house, having a home cooked meal rather than a full service restaurant. Grab a seat, get cozy, and enjoy some good comfort food. Don’t be in too much of a hurry, and you will most likely enjoy the experience a lot more.

Ugh! One of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. I purchased a Groupon for Mack & Dub’s because the ad and the high overall Unilocal review made me feel like I would be getting a unique and tasty culinary experience. You were all wrong!
When we walked up to the door we saw paper signs posted that said «Carry-​Out Only.» I reckoned we came too late to actually sit down and eat our food, or perhaps the sit-​down section (across the way from an inexplicably located loading underpass) was full. Already disappointed.
Go up to the counter to find two youngish female employees going over the finer points of iPad usage and completely ignoring us for what must have been a full minute at least. They did finally, somewhat grudgingly and very absently, take our order. The wait was, in my opinion, too long for what was clearly some pre-​prepared chicken and unaccountably soggy waffles (they just made them!). But it wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t for the oppressively loud music thumping in our ears.
By the time we got home with our environmentally unfriendly Styrofoam takeout boxes to eat our soggy waffles and mediocre fried chicken, we were so cross I doubt if we would have been able to appreciate the food even if it WAS good.
Mack & Dub’s needs a serious attitude adjustment.

I love Fried chicken and Waffles and when my husband saw Mack and Dub’s on Groupon, he bought 1 right away to try it. And oh boy! It’s worth the 30 minutes drive. Their chicken is really good. Moist and tender inside, the skin is crispy,
the portion is generous and the waffle is good too. Hopefully next time we can eat in their dining area as it was closed when we visited them.

I so wanted to like this place!!!
I recently got a groupon and was really looking forward to using it. The groupon was for 4 Superior Soul Meals for $ 40 — a $ 95 value. First of all, we didnt receive all the food items we were supposed to receive. Secondly, the portions were small. No way was it a $ 95 value. I’d say more like $ 40. Secondly, the wait times were terrible. I called in my order an hr before I said I would pick it up and I still waited 45 minutes. I felt awful for this poor elderly woman who was waiting when I got there. Just moments before i was handed my food, she asked one of the kitchen staff if someone would take her order and he said, «No, I’ve got all these other orders I have to deal with first.» She looked at me and said, «No one will take my order.» I Won’t be going back. :-(

I waited over 45 minutes for two orders of chicken (2) and waffles (2). That is ridiculous amount of time to fry up chicken that should take no more than 10 –15 minutes in a fryer. The waffles were so thick and hard, I couldn’t even finish half of one. The chicken was dry and when I went looking for my soda to wash down the dry ass chicken, my soda was left out of my order.
You have one cook in the back who is moving like a turtle, two big guys walking in and out kitchen eating chicken strips, and a guy who seems high working the counter. Please get it together!
I hope they use their Groupon money to buy more fryers and provide training to their employees. I won’t be back, but if I am around I’ll head to Alberta Street Market «Jack’s» for my quick chicken fix :)

Okay, so let’s start off with the negatives to get them simply out of the way. The service… yes, it’s a long wait during heavy times. Our meal of 8 pieces and 8 waffles took 30 minutes. However, you have to realize that this place only has two friers to fry your chicken. So I give them a pass on that. To be honest though, my experience in getting chicken and waffles isn’t mainly for the food. I mean, come on, if you’re actually going to tell yourself that you’re going to eat fried chicken on a waffle, then covered in syrup, you’re not really a connoisseur of high cuisine expecting five-​star service. My history with chicken and waffles dates back to the mid-90’s in Southern California when my friends and I wanted to get some food at 3 in the morning and wanted a place to hang out and talk. So again, I’m not going to hate on the service, since going to a chicken and waffle joint is more a social experience with friends than about the food. (Note: I don’t want people getting the wrong impression that the wait time is long cause the service is bad. No, the truth is I love this place even more cause of the service. Mack, one of the owners, came out and talked to the patrons and livened it up. People who go to black owned restaurants expect that hospitality, and I was delighted to get it.)
Which brings me to the most important part of this review… the food. Fried chicken should never taste the same from joint to joint. Every frier has a history and a reputation. How you season it makes the world of difference. I will say, Mack and Dub’s has by far the best fried chicken I have ever had. The skin was seasoned just right wasn’t too crispy or dry. The meat was literally dripping juices all over the place. Their waffles weren’t the greatest, but they served their purpose as a means to serve as an edible platter for my chicken.
As for the experience, I took my sons and my girlfriend. My sons had chicken and waffles before, but that was at an IHOP in Eugene, and that was more of a dare to my youngest son. In the end of meal at IHOP, I told him someday I would take him to a real chicken and waffles joint. So you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this place thanks to Groupon. So we went and made the most of our time there. They have music on a boombox playing ol’ school R&B. The dining room looks like a scene from a Rick James party sans the cocaine and chained up white women. All in all, it has all the flavors you would expect from NE Portland.
In summation: Will I eat here again? Yes, yes I will. I love the fact that I have an outlet for one of my guilty pleasures. Will I go here if I’m hungry like Angelina Jolie? Um, no. The truth is if you’re with a group of friends and you’re looking for a hangout spot with awesome food, this is your number one choice. If you’re a family with rowdy kids who get easily bored, stick to a place that offers crayons with the menu.

I haven’t had chicken and waffles before, so I was looking forward to my first experience at Mac and Dubs.
The restaurants layout is definitely different. I’m not really quite sure what the middle section of the restaurant is. It’s like a waiting area with several park benches, dining area with two tables, and loading dock. A hybrid of both?
This is the first restaurant where I had my water served in a plastic cup and my meal served on a paper plate. Perhaps, that they’re trying to avoid dealing with washing dishes? My friend and I both order 1 waffle and 1 chicken breast. The meal took about 20 – 25 minutes to get to the table and the food was barely warm. The chicken was bland, overcook, and soggy. The texture of the waffle was chewy and soak in butter. I would prefer to have the butter served on the side where I regulate how much butter that I want on my food.
A reasonable explanation of why the chicken had that sort of texture is that it micro waved.

I was more than excited to see a restaurant had dedicate my favorite meal to a sole door. I bookmarked it immediately and couldn’t wait to try it out; before I walked out I removed the bookmark.
The first person we encountered was a smart-​ass handyman wheeling out the BBQ pit through the raised center garage door. «Do this look like a door!?», he barked. «YEAH! IT DOES!», was my rapid response. Then we happened upon the disgruntled employee who was to take our order. Short of leaning across the counter with his head in his hands he murmured a barely audible, «Y’allknowwhatchallwant?» he clearly wasn’t interested in our being there.
Against my better judgment we decided to stay and order. Two waffles & chicken breast strips for me with a sweet tea for me; a single waffle & strips with a sweet tea for my companion. She exchanged her «sweet tea» for a soda before her food came.
The sweet tea as they call it was an herbal blend with sugar; by far the worst I have ever tasted! THAT’S NOT SWEET TEA! CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE! She said when she asked for the exchange our despondent order taker laughed as if he knew they shouldn’t be selling this cold sweetened Earl Grey!
In between the handy man trying to court a customer by making small talk and bringing her and her guest water (served in plastic cups) we learned he was also the individual playing the dishes! WTF?! This dude had a screwdriver in his back pocket and was touching everything in sight but himself! Why is he anywhere near food???
Food! I’m being nice by referring to what was on my plate as food because it damn sure was not edible. The waffles were chewy and the fried chicken was cold and soggy! Did they nuke my food? The 35 minutes it took to be served, I hope not!
Thoroughly disappointed I drive the 13 miles back to work and before I could find a parking space I opened my door and promptly gave my portion of the $ 24 bill right back!
NEVER AGAIN! I don’t care how many hapless individuals with poor taste buds rate this experiment with 5 Stars; this spot is the worst! From the poor customer service, lack of professionalism and plastic utensils to the single song they had on repeat for the day; this was my worst culinary experience to date! One star is way too generous.

When I lived near Pasadena, CA, I made quite a few pilgrimages down the 210 to Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles on Lake. I’m wearing a Roscoe’s t-​shirt while I type this, as a matter of fact. Roscoe’s is the freaking Holy Grail for chicken and waffle fans and the line there can be out the door and around the block on weekends. I only mention this because nothing pleases my palette and gets me to do my fat guy happy dance more than a plate filled with tasty waffles and delicious fried chicken.
I had some high hopes for Mack & Dubs and I’ve been looking forward to trying them out since they opened. They are clearly new to the restaurant biz and seemed to have some organizational problems last night. No biggie. The people working here are very friendly and appeared to be enjoying themselves. It looked like a tornado hit behind that counter, though. This is absolutely a family-​style place. Don’t come here expecting a polished presentation, or you will be disappointed, I’m just saying.
The three of us ordered chicken and waffles. I went with thighs and my companions, who are squeamish about bone-​in chicken, got breast strips. There was a solo gent playing guitar on the small stage in the dining room. We enjoyed the tunes – from «Stairway to Heaven» to «Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” – while we waited for our food. It was a rather long wait. Again, no biggie. We weren’t in a hurry.
Of course, it would be unfair to judge Mack & Dubs against Roscoe’s, but my stomach doesn’t have a sense of fairness. The food arrived on real plates (zebra strip pattern) and there was a substantial amount of it. The waffles smelled great and had a nice flavor. I prefer the thinner, full plate waffles. These are the thicker Belgian type, which surprised me. Still, the deep pockets hold a lot of syrup and I appreciated having a full squeeze bottle on the table.
The chicken was delicious. Piping hot and the skin was a crispy masterpiece on each thigh. I LOVE being able to peel off that skin and eat it like a crunchy chicken cookie. That’s how my Missouri born and raised mama used to fry chicken. The pieces were big and juicy and nicely seasoned. My toes were definitely tapping with joy.
It was a bit difficult to cut up my waffle with the plastic knife and fork provided and I would have appreciated some real silverware. I sent a good sized piece of buttery waffle flying across the table and I was quite sad to see it land on the floor.
I hope these guys get better with practice. There’s absolutely some room for improvement but I see the potential. With just a few tweaks, they could get some Roscoe-​size lines, no doubt. I’ll definitely go back for some more of that chicken.

This place is very slow (it wasn’t crowded). The thing that really got me was that the chicken was already cooked, sitting in a heating tub, and the only thing they had to do was make some waffles, but I waited 30+ minutes for my takeout. I could have gone to the store, got some eggos, gone home and toasted them, and made back in time to pickup my chicken before I got my waffles from this place.
About the food: The chicken, as I mentioned before, was precooked and a little dried out, but it would have been ⁴⁄₅ if fresh. The waffles had good flavor, but were really cakey/​doughy. One waffle is definitely enough waffle for one person.
The atmosphere is a little dingy too, but hopefully this will improve with time.

On one hand, it’s great that this place is close to my house. On the other hand, it’s bad because after eating here I just want to take a nap on the floor in a food coma.
The food was excellent. I had fried breast strips, two waffles, a side of bowties w/​cheese and a sweet tea. The waffle was fluffy and delicious and the chicken was juicy. My friend had a fried thigh and when he bit into it, I heard the chicken crunch from across the table. It was the first time I’d ever heard that and I was immediately jealous. The tea had a flavor I can’t pinpoint (jasmine maybe) but it was different and good as well.
There was a little bit of delay in getting my order in /​getting my food but I just chalk that up to a new restaurant working out the kinks and being busy. Mack came over to our table several times to check on us and was super happy that we came it. I’m definitely going back.

A couple first impression thoughts:
There is a giant painting of a zebra in the dining room. Kudos for that. There is a set up for a dj which seems cool. Ordering was great, the man who took our groupon was so nice, his attitude set me up for a good experience.
Getting down to the food:
On the table are containers of kick ass hot sauce and syrup. Soft drinks are of of the Pepsi kind, and come in cans.
The food arrived on zebra print plate by the same happy man who took our order. He asked us if this was our first chicken and waffle experience, it must have been obvious. For a first timer though I must say I am a convert now. Fluffy waffles with melty butter, powdered sugar and syrup? Yes. Delicious fried chicken that is properly breaded to perfection? I think so. Best meal.
If you need anymore persuading to go and try this place out let it be this… I live in southwest Portland, multnomah village area, and I went all the way to northeast for this place. And I plan on doing so regularly from now on.