These North Carolina Chicken-And-Waffle Spots Are Worth Waking Up Early For
North Carolina has mastered the art of turning breakfast into a full celebration, and nowhere is that more obvious than when you walk into a restaurant where chicken and waffles take center stage.
The crispy, savory crunch of perfectly fried chicken paired with the sweet, fluffy softness of a golden waffle is the kind of combination that makes setting an early alarm feel like a reasonable life choice.
People across the state have been perfecting this pairing for years, and the results range from classic comfort to creative twists that surprise your taste buds in the best way.
More mornings than I care to admit have started with a determined search for this iconic duo, and the payoff has proven again and again that North Carolina delivers some of the strongest versions in the South.
These plates manage to feel indulgent without losing their sense of balance, which explains why they inspire loyalty, debate, and repeat visits.
If you are willing to get up before the sun does, these fifteen restaurants reward that dedication with chicken and waffles that make every sleepy moment feel entirely justified.
1. Dame’s Chicken & Waffles – Durham, North Carolina
Sliding into Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in East Durham at 455 South Driver Street, Durham, North Carolina 27703, I always know I am about to ruin any boring diet plan in the best possible way.
The staff bring out a plate where crunchy seasoned chicken rests on a tender waffle with a generous smear of flavored butter that melts into every square.
I love watching friends stare at the Schmears menu in mild panic before finally choosing one.
They usually start planning what they will try next time before they are even halfway through the first plate.
The portions are hearty without feeling heavy, and the music keeps the room lively without shouting over your conversation.
The steady line at the door on weekend mornings proves that people here are perfectly happy to wake up early if it means starting the day with this kind of comfort.
2. Dame’s Chicken & Waffles – Greensboro, North Carolina
My favorite Greensboro mornings start with me hunting for a parking spot near the brick storefront of Dame’s Chicken & Waffles at 301 Martin Luther King Junior Drive, Greensboro, North Carolina 27406.
Once I step inside and hear plates clinking and waffles sizzling on the irons, I know I am close to that magical combination of crisp chicken, sweet waffles, and tangy schmears that Dame’s has turned into a full blown hobby.
I enjoy grabbing a table near the windows so I can watch people carry out stacked takeout bags.
While they hurry out, I work my way through a plate that manages to be sweet, salty, and a little spicy all at once.
It is exactly the kind of meal that makes you plan a nap you definitely have not earned yet.
Every time I bring out-of-town friends here, they spend the rest of their trip comparing every other meal to this one.
3. Beasley’s Chicken + Honey – Raleigh, North Carolina
Downtown Raleigh mornings feel far more promising when I am walking toward Beasley’s Chicken + Honey at 237 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601.
The second I see the corner building and the crowd forming outside, I know the fryers are in full swing, and the waffle irons are busy.
I always grin when the server sets down a plate where golden fried chicken leans against a Belgian-style waffle waiting for a drizzle of honey and syrup.
The combination sounds simple until you taste how carefully they season the crust and how fluffy the waffle crumb feels.
Everything balances without turning into sugary chaos, which makes it very hard to share.
I usually guard my plate and watch the dining room fill with people who clearly decided that standing in line for this chicken and waffles counts as their morning workout.
4. A Place at the Table – Raleigh, North Carolina
On mornings when I want breakfast to feel good in every sense, I head to A Place at the Table at 300 West Hargett Street Unit 50, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601.
The pay what you can model shares the spotlight with a surprisingly good chicken and waffle plate that has earned real critic praise.
I love grabbing a seat by the big windows and sipping coffee while I dig into a waffle topped with crispy chicken and warm, hot honey.
Volunteers weave between tables, helping regulars and first timers who might be paying with cash, card, or donated meal tokens.
The room hums with the kind of easy kindness that makes you want to linger and clear your plate slowly.
I usually buy an extra meal for someone else as I leave, knowing that breakfast here feeds more than one kind of appetite.
5. Flying Biscuit Café – Park Road, Charlotte, North Carolina
I have lost count of how many sleepy Charlotte mornings ended with me fully awake at Flying Biscuit Café in the Park Road Shopping Center at 4241 Park Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28209.
The walls are cheerful, the coffee arrives quickly, and the menu reads like a greatest hits album of Southern breakfast.
Their chicken and waffles plate pairs a crisp seasoned chicken breast with a big waffle and plenty of syrup.
I usually add a side of their famous creamy grits, because moderation is a problem for future me and not current me.
Families, students, and half awake night shift workers fill the room around me and turn the dining area into a friendly, low-key buzz.
Those early wake-up calls and weekend alarms feel completely worth it once that plate hits the table.
6. Haberdish – Charlotte, North Carolina
When I want to dress my brunch in its fanciest fried chicken outfit, I wander into Haberdish in the NoDa neighborhood at 3106 North Davidson Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28205.
This is a place that treats chicken and waffles as a full sit-down event rather than a quick plate.
I still remember the first time the server slid a platter in front of me, where a crisp quarter bird perched on a beautifully browned waffle with butter and syrup nearby.
It is the kind of dish that encourages you to pause and plan your bite.
Then you forget every plan as soon as you taste the seasoning and the crunch.
With the open kitchen clinking in the background and the patio filling with brunch groups, lingering over this plate always feels like a very legitimate use of a slow morning.
7. Big View Diner – Charlotte, North Carolina
Some mornings, my self-control loses a very polite argument to the Hot Honey Chicken and Waffle at Big View Diner in Ballantyne at 16637 Lancaster Highway, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277.
The glossy diner counter, pastry case, and big coffee mugs already set the tone before the star of the show arrives.
The plate lands with a golden waffle supporting crunchy chicken wearing a sweet, spicy glaze.
There is something incredibly satisfying about cutting through both layers in one forkful and knowing you picked the least boring option on the menu.
The surrounding tables buzz with families and regulars greeting the staff by name.
Early shoppers quietly plot their day while I remind myself that this is exactly the sort of neighborhood diner people keep returning to for years.
8. RedEye Diner – Charlotte, North Carolina
Uptown Charlotte has a lot of shiny distractions, but near the Epicentre area, my internal compass keeps swinging toward RedEye Diner at 210 East Trade Street Suite C149, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202.
Twenty four hour service plus excellent chicken and waffles is a combination that never stops sounding smart.
I love that their menu leans into wings and waffles with options like two or three jumbo wings beside a thick Belgian waffle.
It is perfect for mornings when I want a serious crunch with my syrup.
I grab a booth, watch night owls and early birds shuffle past each other, and settle in.
The staff keep my coffee topped off while I quietly celebrate the fact that someone bothered to make this much comfort food available around the clock.
9. Early Girl Eatery – Downtown Asheville, North Carolina
In downtown Asheville, my ideal slow morning starts with me wandering to Early Girl Eatery at 8 Wall Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801.
The line of folks waiting for tables usually tells you everything you need to know about the kitchen.
I feel a little triumphant when the chicken and waffles plate arrives with its crisp fried chicken, fluffy waffle, and a drizzle of syrup that ties the whole thing together without overpowering the savory parts.
I always try to grab a window table so I can watch the city wake up while I sip coffee.
Then I quietly debate whether I have room for their biscuits too.
It is painfully easy to turn a simple breakfast stop here into a full-on brunch marathon that sends you rolling back out into the mountain air.
10. Sunny Point Café – Asheville, North Carolina
West Asheville mornings hit differently when I snag a spot at Sunny Point Café at 626 Haywood Road, Asheville, North Carolina 28806.
This family-run spot has a garden out back that grows ingredients for the menu, which I love.
The plates coming out of the kitchen somehow keep getting bigger, especially at breakfast.
I still remember ordering their take on chicken and waffles and realizing the waffle itself could practically double as a pillow.
The chicken stayed shatter crisp and juicy under a gentle blanket of syrup.
I was very glad I had walked there instead of driving, because the line on weekends can stretch down the sidewalk, and everyone in it looks completely convinced that this breakfast is worth the wait.
11. Cast Iron Kitchen – Wilmington, North Carolina
When I am near Wilmington and the morning feels too quiet, I head to Cast Iron Kitchen at 8024 Market Street Unit 7, Wilmington, North Carolina 28411.
The décor leans rustic, the coffee arrives hot, and the menu reads like a love letter to Southern breakfast favorites.
Their chicken and waffles plate has earned plenty of local chatter for good reason.
I like grabbing a table where I can watch servers glide past with cast-iron skillets, biscuits, and tall stacks of pancakes.
Meanwhile, I focus on a waffle topped with crunchy fried chicken that holds its texture even under syrup.
By the time I walk back out into the coastal air that suddenly feels much friendlier, I have completely reorganized my day around digestion rather than productivity.
12. Rooster & The Crow – Wilmington, North Carolina
Downtown Wilmington’s Riverwalk area hides plenty of distractions, but I always drift toward Rooster & The Crow at 225 South Water Street, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401.
This spot leans into playful comfort food, and the menu lets chicken and waffles share space with other Southern staples.
I remember sitting at the bar one chilly morning watching the kitchen send out plates stacked with honey butter, fried chicken, and waffles so fragrant that people walking past the open door actually slowed down.
They would lean in just enough to peek inside while pretending not to stare.
My own plate tasted even better with that kind of audience outside.
It quickly became one of those places where you can satisfy a serious craving and still feel a little cool for having found it.
13. Fork N Cork – Wilmington, North Carolina
I originally visited Fork N Cork at 122 Market Street, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401, for their burgers.
One look at the brunch board convinced me to pivot straight to chicken and waffles.
The plate that landed in front of me came with a crunchy fried chicken portion resting on a waffle that somehow stayed airy and crisp under the syrup.
There was just enough spice in the seasoning to wake up my taste buds faster than my coffee could.
The cozy downtown dining room buzzed with a mix of locals and visitors trading recommendations.
Everyone seemed to have gotten the memo that brunch here is not an afterthought but a full commitment.
14. Uptown’s Chicken & Waffles – Fayetteville, North Carolina
If you are serious about the chicken and waffles life, Uptown’s Chicken & Waffles at 1911 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301, feels like walking into a clubhouse built for people who live for this combo.
The menu leans all in with multiple combo options, sweet potato waffles, and even bacon cheese waffles for mornings when restraint has clearly taken the day off.
I love watching the dining room hum with music, conversation, and servers carrying plates that make every table go quiet for a moment.
That silence usually hits right when everyone takes their first bite.
It does not last long, because people quickly start comparing what they ordered and planning what they will try next time.
I always leave, already promising myself another visit the next time I pass through town.
15. Miam Breakfast House – Winston-Salem, North Carolina
In Winston Salem, my go-to move for a slow start is to roll into Miam Breakfast House at 828 South Stratford Road, Winston Salem, North Carolina 27103.
The bright interior, pastry case, and friendly staff set the tone before I even open the menu.
I always grin when I see chicken and waffles sitting among the photos of red, white, and blue waffles, omelets, and benedicts.
It means I can balance pure comfort with just enough pretense of variety.
I settle into a booth, listen to the low chatter of families and couples mapping out their day, and relax.
Then I work my way through a plate where crunchy chicken, fluffy waffles, butter, and syrup all get equal attention, and I am very glad their hours give me a generous window for calling this meal either breakfast or lunch.