Welcome to the first of many articles of Is It Worth It!? with Sloane and Christian.

Today we will be trying three different waffles at three drastically different price points. 

After a basketball game Friday night, we were hungry so we decided to stop at Waffle House. This was Christian’s first time at Waffle House, and his reaction was priceless. He was in awe of the delicious taste of the classic waffle. As we ate, we were struck with the idea of doing a series where we compare the same food at different restaurants with different prices. Our first choice of food to compare was the delicious classical waffles that we just enjoyed, and so our mission to find Charleston’s best waffle relative to its price began.

First waffle, Cheapest waffle, 26 cents:

For our cheapest option we looked to Davis Leath to prepare us an eggo. The eggo cost 26 cents per waffle, and the experience was memorable. Davis surprised us with his impressive chef skills by cooking the eggo in a skillet rather than a toaster. He topped the waffle with cinnamon and syrup. 

Second waffle, middle prized waffle, $3.20

For our next priced up waffle, we used our Waffle House experience where we ordered a classic waffle and topped it with syrup. We attempted to head back to Waffle House to have a more formal judgement of their waffles, however, the unthinkable happened. Waffle House was closed. Yes, you read that right. Waffle House was closed. For any readers confused as to why this is such a big deal, then it is important to be educated on the Waffle House Index. This so-called index is used as a barometer by local, state, and federal governments for how quickly a community will recover from disasters. According to USA Today, If the store is completely closed, you’re in a disaster zone. So one can imagine our shock when we saw that the waffle house in West Ashley was completely closed. The dark lights and shut doors triggered fear throughout our bodies. At first we were worried that something terrible had happened to the world that we just had not heard of yet, but then we found out that the store was closed due to renovations. 

Third waffle, Expensive waffle, $14.00

For our expensive option, we headed to The Rarebit, a restaurant downtown. We went during dinner time, so their breakfast menu was not available for us to order a Belgain Waffle, so we ordered chicken and waffles topped with syrup. 

Christian’s opinion

This waffle adventure was unforgettable, we tried a lot of waffles and had a great time. However, some restaurants shined better than others. Here are my opinions:

When we visited Davis and Mason’s house I was immediately struck by the very warm and inviting atmosphere as we walked in to their kitchen. Even though the Leath’s kitchen can not be compared to a professional kitchen in a restaurant there was an air of professionalism when Chef Davis told us what was on today’s menu. When it comes to the actual eggo waffle I was surprised how Chef Davis made so much out of so little. The eggo was a waffle to remember and the addition of cinnamon was the icing on the cake. The cost of the eggo was also extremely cheap at just 0.26 cents. Unlike Sloane, I appreciated Davis wonderful effort, dedication and last but not least love that was put in to his masterpiece of waffle. Good job Davis!

Next up is Waffle House. My first impression of Waffle House was how much it reminded me of classical american diner restaurants that’s normally seen in american movies. This aspect made my experience at Waffle House very memorable. The waffle itself was a pleasant surprise. I ordered a blueberry waffle and didn’t expect much. But when I took the first bite I was suprised non the less. For a waffle at just $3.20 I must say that Waffle House is worth it!

Last but definitely not least, The Rarebit. Much like Waffle House The Rarebit also managed to impress me with the classical diner atmosphere. However, unlike waffle house the Rarebit managed to seem like a professional restaurant despite the resemblance to a regular diner. At $14, the Rarebit was the most expensive waffle we tried. I have to say that that there is a strong correlation between taste and price in all the waffles we tasted because The Rarebit’s waffle was one of the best waffles I have ever had. The waffle was perfectly balanced between sweet and savory. A clear 10/10, but is it worth it relative to its price?

Sloane’s opinion

Overall, this adventure was fun and I believe that Christian and I had some great waffle experiences. However, the time has come to reveal the results of which waffle was best relative to its price. The experience of eating eggos at Davis and Mason’s house was memorable. Davis put a lot of love into the waffles, and surprised us by cooking the eggo in a skillet contrary to the conventional way of in a toaster. However, I sadly have to rank the eggo last among the three different types of waffles. In second place I have to place the chicken and waffles from The Rarebit. While this meal swept the floor in taste, the price comparative to the taste is what caused it to lose points my personal ranking. I am giving first place to my Waffle House experience. The waffle hit the spot as it was cooked perfectly as it was fluffy and full of taste. On top of that, the service there is very personable while the price is cheap. All of those factors combined perfectly for Waffle House to earn first place among the three different waffles at three drastically different price points. 

Conclusion/ final results

Sloane’s personal ranking

My conclusion is as follows. I can fortunately say that this was not an easy decision as each waffle had its own good qualities. No waffle we tried was unpleasant to eat. In fact, I would say that each experience was enjoyable. However, as the food critic I am claiming myself to be, I must put my final decision in writing: 

1. Waffle House
2. The Rarebit
3. Eggo 

Christian’s personal ranking

My conclusion is that Sloane and I tried three very unique and good waffles. Every waffle had something unique to bring to the table and I honestly think that some other day I might have changed the order of my list depending on how I feel that day. 

1. Eggo
2. Waffle house
3. The Rarebit