Back Alley Waffles

I think these other reviewers were a tad too harsh on this great little place. Evaluating them on the same standards as a corporate or 5-​star restaurant is a bit akin to grading an elementary schooler on a high school level assignment. This waffle shop definitely might have some kinks to work out but th has much potential

Tasty.

They are closed & here is a quote from their website: «Due to the shocking business practices of an obscenity known as «Groupon” – contemptible even by the nearly non-​existent standards of the modern corporation – I can no longer afford to sell waffles for $ 8.00 and still pay, for example, my employees something north of a subsistence wage.»

Never got to try them, as apparently the hours listed on the website are more of a «lie» than an actual time the place is open, and the hours on the door are completely different.
And I guess they’re closed indefinitely now?

I went to Back Alley Waffles today and the waffles were awful. The set-​up was not conducive for a restaurant and more so a large Sunday crowd. It’s only four tables and a small table w/​bar stools off to the side. The place is VERY small. I am not sure where the running water is because it wasn’t a sink where they were making the waffles. The cashier was picking up fruit to make the smoothies with the same glove he was using to take the money and credit cards. I told him that was unsanitary, so he decided to take the glove off and use his bare hands instead (smh) to pick up the fruit to make smoothies and take payment transactions. He never washed his hands. I tolerated it as long as I could before requesting a refund. I couldn’t do it! Please do not waste your time going to this place.

Went there Sunday at about 2PM for some Waffles. No issues with service, running out of Waffles etc.
I had a Waffle and a smoothie. The smoothie was more of a juice drink then a smoothing — but was tasty none the less.
While a little on the expensive side, the Waffles were extremely delicous. The home made butter is what sealed the deal! I will be checking this place out next time I’m in the mood for a waffle.
The art was a added bonus. This place sets itself up more as a local hangout then a destination restaurant. If you find yourself in the neighborhood I would recommend checking it out!

I’ve had high hopes for this place for a while, but BOTH times I’ve tried to go, they’ve been «waiting for supplies.» Given that I’ve tried to go 1 – 3 hours after they were supposed to be opened, I’m pretty disappointed. I’m sure the waffles are amazing, for for $ 8 I don’t want to have to wait 30 minutes for the ingredients to even arrive.
Sorry Back Alley Waffles, I want to be a believer, but you need to be able to deliver the goods!

They DON’T take credit cards. Service is very slow, but your waffle is individually made so you know, factor that in. It is a small place. It is not IHOP. If you want IHOP go there. If you want to impress the one you love, take them in the Back Alley and shove a buttery waffle down their throat. They’ll thank you later.

Your waffles are as good as my mother use to make! Thanks for bringing waffles to my area and I really enjoyed stopping by this am!
Despite previous reviews, your customer service was on point. The two young gents at the counter were prompt and attentive and I really enjoyed talking with them about nothing at all.
Good coffee too and worth a look if you’re in the neighborhood.

Really wanted to like the place as it’s close to home. The waffles are well prepared, but not exceptionally flavorful. I usually expect a bit more buttermilk, malt or other grain in the taste. Ditto the syrup. The butter is fresh made. The coffee is fine, too. I hit the place on a bad day – no a/​c, someone had overslept and the guy who runs the place was late, having arrived on a red eye. Not a lot of communication and its easy for someone else to get your order before you do. Judging from other reviews, you need to expect possible ups and downs. It’s a great concept but still too rough around the edges to be a regular stop for me.

This spot is about to blow up. They make AMAZING waffles and are in a cute little back alley, away from the tourists and families with kids and strollers that are all over Eastern Market, Dupont, etc. on Sundays. Wonderful, kind owners who are just getting going. They have big plans and are still working out the kinks, so plan to spend some time here chillaxing as you wait for your amazingly delicious waffle, but take some time to talk to the owners while you’re there and you’ll be blown away. These guys are awesome and really want to get to know you. They have an adorable dog, Buddy, and make these amazing handmade mosaics that look so cool (and can be commissioned of anything you want, if you’re into that kind of art– which I SO am now). They have really great stories and plans for the waffle shop… i.e. an artist hangout next to the waffle shack for painting in the summer, so stay tuned.
Definitely a place worth making a trip to post-​Saturday dunkenness. Perfect hangover food that will blow your tastebuds away. Get there before people find out about this place. Bring a date– not a group of 10– its a small place with limited capacity for larger parties at the moment.
CONS:
Currently cash only, no restrooms

I like my waffles like I like my women. Hot, fresh, and dripping in home-​made butter. Well, maybe not that last one. (unless you’re into that — call me). That’s probably why Back Alley Waffles (previously Waffles and Brew) got me all hot and bothered this Sunday with the best damn waffles I have ever eaten. Period.
Run by artist Craig (who produces absolutely baller murals) and his man-​about-​town, Sherman; this waffle shop Mecca produces a select menu with an artists eye for detail.
Each hand-​crafted smoothie and waffle (do yourself a favor and order both) come individually prepared with fresh, locally obtained ingredients, served by the owners themselves, and can easily be accompanied by a conversation about local history, their ongoing art projects, or the weather. The house-​made butter is freshly churned in the shop, and may set you back a few minutes between batches, but is worth the wait.
Located in a reclaimed plumbing whole-​sale store in a tiny historic courtyard called «Blagden Alley,» the location is almost as sweet as the food. Almost. Come early on Saturday or Sunday to snatch a spot in the tiny alley, or dip inside and admire Craig’s original murals which surround the eating area.
Make sure to chat up Sherman to find out his most recent Chai recipe (they are constantly working on it) and definitely snag a iced Chai to cool down before hitting the streets again.
Reports about the service here have to be put in context. This isn’t Mike Isabella’s newest take on American standard fare, staffed by a bunch of «professional» college drop-​outs with ego to spare and 5 years of fine dining experience under their belt (along with an associates degree in underwater basket weaving). No, this is a artist-​run spot that is still working out how to best serve their simple, but well-​made fare. You have to cut them a little slack.
All-​in-​all, Back Alley Waffles rocked my world, and I’ll be back for more hot, buttery goodness soon.

I was excited to try a new breakfast spot. It’s three blocks from my house, well hidden from a lot of foot traffic and has the most important thing — waffles. So, we arrived around 1:00 pm, an hour before the place closes and the cook says he just served the last batch of waffles and smoothies to the previous customers. Mind you, there are only four menu items: buttermilk waffles, smoothies, chai tea and coffee. How is it possible that you run out of ingredients?
We waited for ONE HOUR for these amazing waffles that people keep raving about. Every time we’d get up to leave, the guy kept saying someone was coming with the ingredients from Safeway. Why was he coming from Safeway? And, it only takes 10 min to walk from Back Alley Waffles to Safeway.
The guy arrives with the buttermilk cream to make the special «butter.» By the time he makes the «butter» from scratch, we had waited for more than an hour and only a small waffle. I expected a monster size IHOP waffle. Nope. I could’ve made these waffles at home. The only thing they did was drop this huge scoop of butter that looked like ice cream on top of the waffle. And, you needed it because they didn’t give you enough syrup.
And, here’s the kicker — for one waffle you pay $ 8. It’s not worth it. You can try, but you’ll leave very disappointed. I should open up my kitchen and rip people off for some subpar $ 8 waffles I can make at home with ingredients I got from Safeway.

Tasty buttermilk waffle and yummy smoothies. Brand new spot. Try it!

Perhaps waiting for 45 min for 3 waffles is meant to be part of the experience, but it certainly didn’t deliver for us. The waffle was tasty, but I can get one just as good at Florida Ave Grille. The space has some charm too, but just not worth it for the wait. Very disorganized. Maybe we just caught them on a bad morning, who knows?

This small, multi-​purpose space just opened in mid-​April, and it’s awesome. The waffle was so light and fluffy, and the butter and real maple syrup are perfect toppings. There’s only one kind of smoothie and it’s delicious. It’s the right combination of fresh ingredients. It’s cash only, and opens at 7 AM.