Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles: Menu, Locations, and What to Order (2026 Guide)

If you’ve heard people rave about lolo chicken and waffles and wondered what the fuss is about, you’re looking at one of the most talked-about soul food brands in the Southwest. Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles started as a late-night pop-up out of a Phoenix cafe kitchen and has grown into a five-location favorite, known for oversized platters, playful dish names, and a dining room that feels more like a family cookout than a restaurant. This guide walks through where it started, what’s actually on the menu, what regulars order first, and what to expect on your first visit.

The Story Behind the Name

The word “Lo-Lo” isn’t a made-up brand name. It’s Larry White’s own nickname, one he’d carried since childhood while bussing tables at his grandmother’s restaurant. When he started cooking for friends on weekends, the food traveled by word of mouth long before there was a storefront to visit. That grassroots start still shapes how the restaurant runs today: the menu names dishes after real family members, and the “hood classics” framing is a deliberate nod to where the recipes came from rather than a marketing gimmick layered on after the fact.

What Is Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles?

Lo-Lo’s is a soul food restaurant built around one dish: crispy Southern fried chicken piled onto a golden waffle. The brand was founded by Larry “Lo-Lo” White, who grew up working in his grandmother’s Phoenix restaurant, Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe. In 1997, White began cooking chicken and waffles for friends after late-night music sessions, using recipes he’d picked up in his grandmother’s kitchen and inspiration from trips to Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles. The weekend pop-up got busy fast, and by 2002 he’d opened his first standalone Lo-Lo’s location on Yuma Street in Phoenix.

The concept spread from there. Today Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles operates in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, Grapevine (Texas), and Houston, with White also behind Monroe’s Hot Chicken and Brunch & Sip in downtown Phoenix. Every location keeps the same idea at its core: big portions, house-made sides, and a menu that leans on family nicknames instead of generic descriptions.

Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles Locations and Hours

Five Lo-Lo’s locations are currently open:

• Phoenix, AZ – 1220 S Central Ave (the flagship, near downtown)
• Scottsdale, AZ – 3133 N Scottsdale Rd
• Las Vegas, NV – 325 Hughes Center Dr
• Grapevine, TX – 1450 TX-114
• Houston, TX – 3611 Gulf Fwy

Hours vary by location, but most open around 8 to 10 a.m. and close between 8 and 10 p.m., with later hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Weekend mornings, especially brunch hours, tend to draw the longest waits, so calling ahead or checking a location’s wait list option before you go is worth the extra minute.

What Should You Order at Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles?

For a first visit, order the Lo-Lo’s platter, the restaurant’s namesake dish: three pieces of Southern-fried chicken with two waffles. It’s the most representative version of what the brand is known for, and it gives you a real sense of the fried chicken’s crust and the waffle’s texture before you branch out to smothered or specialty versions.

The Menu: Lo-Lo’s Hood Classics

The core of the menu is a section the restaurant calls “Hood Classics,” and this is where the chicken-and-waffle combos live. Portions run large, and most platters come with two waffles rather than one. Signature combos include:

• Lo-Lo’s – three pieces of Southern-fried chicken with two waffles
• KK’s – three pieces of chicken, two waffles, grits, and two eggs with cheese and onions
• Baby Ray – three pieces of chicken smothered in gravy and onions, with two waffles
• Double D’s – two chicken breasts and one waffle
• Sheeda’s Special – one breast, one wing, and one waffle
• Toy-Toy – two chicken wings and one waffle
• Tre-Tre’s – two chicken legs and one waffle
• Lil Amadi – choice of one thigh and one leg, or two thighs, with one waffle
• Nay Nay’s – two waffles, two eggs, and a bowl of grits (no chicken, for a lighter breakfast plate)

If you’d rather build your own plate, standalone waffles, chicken pieces, and catfish fillets are also sold a la carte, and a “Mix It Up” option lets you pair fish and chicken on one plate.

Gonna Tease You: Starters and Sides

Before the main platter arrives, the “Gonna Tease You” section covers appetizers and sides worth ordering for the table. Regulars point to the fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and catfish beignets as the standouts, alongside fried gizzards, fried green beans, fried pickles, and spicy corn fritters. Most of these run in the $7 to $11 range individually, or you can order a teaser trio and split three of them.

On the classic Southern side dish front, expect collard greens, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and grits, all sized to actually feed a table rather than sit as a garnish.

How Much Does Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles Cost?

Lo-Lo’s sits in the mid-to-upper range for a casual soul food restaurant. Individual sides and starters typically run $7 to $13. The signature chicken-and-waffle platters land between $15 and $30 depending on portion size and location, with the larger combo plates (three pieces of chicken plus multiple sides) pushing toward the higher end. A single waffle or one piece of chicken can be ordered on its own for around $9 to $10 if you want to keep the check smaller. Reviewers on delivery platforms and Yelp consistently describe the food as good value for the portion size, even when the per-plate price feels steep at first glance.

What Regulars Order (and What Gets Mixed Reviews)

Across delivery apps and review sites, the three-piece Southern fried chicken platter and the Lo-Lo’s combo consistently rank as the most-ordered items, alongside the fried catfish fillets. The chicken’s seasoning and crust get the most consistent praise, and the sweet-and-savory combination of maple syrup over crispy chicken is the reason most first-time visitors come back.

Feedback is less uniform on consistency between locations and visits. Some diners report perfectly crisp chicken and fluffy waffles, while others have run into soggy waffles or chicken that tasted like it needed a fresh fryer batch. As with any high-volume kitchen serving large combo platters during a rush, timing your visit outside peak brunch hours tends to improve the odds of a hot, freshly fried plate.

Kool-Aid on Tap and Sweets

Part of what makes Lo-Lo’s feel different from a typical brunch spot is the drink and dessert menu. Kool-Aid is served on tap in red and blue, a nod to the restaurant’s Southern soul food roots, alongside standard sodas and juices. For dessert, red velvet cake and banana pudding are the two most talked-about options, both sized for sharing.

How Does Lo-Lo’s Compare to Other Chicken and Waffles Spots?

Chicken and waffles has two well-known regional lineages: the Pennsylvania Dutch version, served with stewed chicken and gravy over a plain waffle, and the soul food version that took off in Harlem in the 1930s and later in Los Angeles through Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles. Lo-Lo’s falls firmly in the second camp, and White has been open about Roscoe’s as a direct influence during his early trips to Los Angeles. What sets Lo-Lo’s apart from that lineage is the sheer number of combo options, the family-nickname naming convention, and the Kool-Aid-on-tap detail that ties the menu back to White’s own upbringing rather than a generic Southern brunch formula.

Is Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles a Chain?

Yes. What started as a single Phoenix restaurant in 2002 has grown into a five-location group across Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, all under the same ownership and menu concept. It isn’t a national franchise on the scale of a fast-food chain, but it has expanded well beyond its original single-location roots.

Does Lo-Lo’s Have Vegetarian or Lighter Options?

The menu is built around fried chicken and catfish, so vegetarian options are limited, but a “Light ‘N’ Lean” section on the menu offers smaller, less heavy plates, and sides like collard greens, fried okra, and fried green tomatoes can work as a lighter meal when ordered together. There’s no dedicated plant-based chicken substitute at this time.

Do You Need a Reservation?

Most locations operate on a walk-in and call-ahead wait list basis rather than formal reservations, especially for weekend brunch. Popular locations like the original Phoenix restaurant and the Las Vegas location near the Hard Rock area can have wait times of 30 minutes or more on Saturday and Sunday mornings, so arriving right at opening or checking in ahead by phone is the best way to skip the longest lines.

Tips for Your First Visit

• Go for the Lo-Lo’s platter first. It’s the most representative dish on the menu and the best way to judge whether the fried chicken style works for you before ordering a specialty combo.
• Order a side to share. The fried okra and catfish beignets are consistently mentioned as standouts and pair well with any chicken-and-waffle plate.
• Avoid peak brunch hours if you’re short on time. Saturday and Sunday late morning tend to have the longest waits across every location.
• Bring an appetite. Portions run large enough that two people can often split one Hood Classics platter comfortably.
• Check the location’s hours before heading out. Closing times differ by city, and some locations stop serving certain menu sections earlier in the day.

Whether you’re chasing the original Phoenix flavor or trying a newer Texas location, Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles delivers on the promise of its name: crispy, well-seasoned fried chicken, fluffy waffles, and portions built for a real appetite. Start with the classic combo, save room for a slice of red velvet cake, and you’ll understand why the brand grew from one late-night pop-up into five restaurants across three states.