TULSA, Okla. — When Tulsa-native Roy Tillis returned from college in 2016, he noticed a gap in the food scene: chicken and waffles.
"There wasn't a place to eat it, so I kind of started making it in the kitchen," said Tillis. He said his family encouraged him to start his own restaurant.
In 2018, his business, "Waffle That!" began as a food truck. Things took off, and he opened a permanent location a year later.
Its location on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Pine and Apache has sentimental value to Tillis. "I used to stay in this neighborhood," he said, recalling walking past the property daily as a student at Burroughs Elementary, the school just across the street.
Tillis serves a variations of waffle-based dishes with fried chicken. One of the most popular items is "Chicken in a Cone."
"We marinate our chicken in buttermilk for 24 hours so we can get it nice, juicy. It makes it juicy and tender," said Tillis. "We just put love into it."
He's added new proteins like fish and lamb chops, drawing in even more customers.
Tillis said many patrons rave about his syrup. "We make it ourselves. Tastes like no other syrup you've probably ever had."
Tillis credits his commitment to quality as the secret to his success.
"We don't take shortcuts. We're trying to keep it not store-bought, freshly made. I think that's what makes the difference."
Every week, the restaurant hosts "Waffle Wednesays" where customers can enjoy a ten percent discount.
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