A Chicken-Loving Legend
Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n’ Waffles Profits from its Uniqueness

What do Jessica Simpson, Oprah Winfrey, Snoop Dogg, LeBron James, Bruce Willis, Whoopie Goldberg, Usher and Justin Timberlake all have in common? They’re all rich and famous, true, but the point here is that they’re willing to stand in line just like anybody else — at least when that line is the one in front of Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n’ Waffles. “Someone came in last year and said, hey, you got LeBron James standing out there on the sidewalk waiting in line. But that’s just how it is. I said, ‘When he gets in here, we’ll treat him real nice.’” That’s J. J. Keno of Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n’ Waffles, the legendary Los Angeles hotspot. Keno won’t tell his title and won’t discuss ownership; one of the more charming things about Roscoe’s is the notion that everyone gets treated equally, and they don’t like titles. 

Get in Line
If you want your chicken and waffles, you’ve got to stand in line. It’s worth the wait. Once you get inside, you’re not a customer but a part of the Roscoe’s family. “That’s how we look at it,” Keno explains. “We had Bruce Willis’ people call up saying he wanted 60 dinners for all the people on his set. He needed them in one hour. I said, ‘Man, I got a dining room full of people. I can’t just shut down and ignore these people.’” Before dropping more names and recounting star-studded encounters there’s a question that has to be answered. Why in the heck do people stand in line for Roscoe’s? And chicken and waffles? Seriously? Yep, as serious as a heart-attack. Roscoe’s first opened in Hollywood 1975 on Sunset and Gower. There are now four more locations. The Hollywood locations stays open until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Here’s where the chicken and waffles combination became made a name for itself. The bottom line is this: The pairing is simply delicious. It’s a perfect match of salty and sweet — a plate full of Southern-style savory goodness that brings the best of breakfast, dinner and supper to the table all at once. The waffles are made with a carefully guarded, private recipe. They’re perfect. The syrup is made just for Roscoe’s. The fried chicken, or Chix, as it gets billed on the menu, is a crispy, mouth-watering delight. Put together, it’s something that’ll cause people to stand in line and maybe even slap their grandmamas. Speaking of grandmamas, Keno says, “We fry the chicken up in a frying pan, just like grandmama. Everything we do is fresh and prepared by hand, the old-fashioned way. Grandmama would be proud!”

The Menu
Roscoe’s offers freshly squeezed fruit drinks, soft drinks, beer and light wine to quench thirst. Patrons may order a 1/2 Chix prepared Southern-style with two waffles. The 1/2 Chix is available smothered in gravy and onions as well. Other sides include greens and candied yams, cornbread, biscuits, giblets and rice, hand-cut French fries and grits. There’s also Stymie’s Choice, which is smothered or fried chicken livers or giblets, grits, eggs and biscuits. Or guests may order E-z Ed’s Special, which is a chicken liver omelette. But whatever you get, make sure there’s a piece of chicken and a waffle, and if it’s 3 in the morning, and you’re just returning from a club, perhaps add a beer to nurse. And now, to help customer’s prevail over the sleep-inducing side effects of their terrific food, Roscoe’s has just starting making its own energy drink, Pit Bull.

Big Praise
How good are the chicken and waffles? Oprah finally did something on Roscoe’s because so many stars kept naming the place as their favorite. Quincy Jones celebrated 50 years in entertainment there. Snoop Dogg took David Beckham to Roscoe’s as a way to say thanks for teaching his kids to play soccer. “It’s all just more than a blessing,” Keno says, chuckling. “You know how people say that their reputation precedes them? Well, here at Roscoe’s, I can honestly say that as big as our reputation may be, our food supercedes our reputation!” And the proof is right on the plate, for those lucky enough to be able to find out for themselves what all the chicken-andwaffle fuss is about.