Haberdish — Restaurant in Charlotte

I've been on the hunt for some chicken & waffles which is what led me to Haberdish. It started with a rainy night and the car packed streets of NODA so I found myself doing circles trying to find a spot. Eventually, I found a spot up the road and walked about a block or two to the restaurant. Upon entry, you get this intimate vibe with their low light setting. I can really appreciate this atmosphere if it is done right and they nailed it.

I was deciding on where to sit, and I have started to enact a new rule for myself to sit at the bar if I am solo dining. This is typically a decision that is made upon entry though, and I will gauge it based on how the space is laid out. I find that you'll typically meet someone interesting or have a good conversation with the locals which has been my experience lately. Anyways, I took my seat at the bar, and I started to read through the menu. On the backside, it details a little bit more about the restaurant. This made me love it even more since they sourced and repurposed local materials from the surrounding area which added a lot of character. Eventually, I circled back to the food after taking in all their creative touches, and I stuck with my decision to go with the chicken and waffles.

I am no chicken and waffles connoisseur, but this was by far the best chicken and waffles I have ever had. I chose to go with the white meat which included a breast and a wing. The chicken was juicy as all get out and it had the perfect exterior crunch. The maple butter syrup that came with it was to die for! Although, let's not forget about this waffle. Most places I have noticed typically do the fluffy belgian style waffle, and I personally don't think that style of waffle pairs well with chicken. Haberdish makes this delightful pearl sugar liège waffle which I have never even heard of before. It's a little more dense but in the best way possible. It also had these caramelized sugar chunks incorporated into the batter which were the most delicious surprises. Overall, they managed to perfectly balance the sweetness and savoriness while still allowing each component to shine in its own way. Honestly, they hit this chicken and waffles out of the park!

After eating the best chicken & waffles I have ever had, I didn't really plan on getting dessert. My waiter had asked though if I was interested so I figured why not and ordered the apple hand pies. Make sure to bring a friend if you are going to get these since it came with two decent sized apple hand pies plus ice cream. I was actually surprised that I was able to finish them. These must have been made in house since you could tell they used fresh apples. The inside was a little ooey gooey which I wasn't sure if it was from the interior crust being slightly undercooked but it was still good. It was also accompanied by a caramel sauce so it was sort of a rich dessert. I liked it, but if you had to come here and try one thing, go for the chicken and waffles.

The service was exceptional and you get a warm towel after your meal. I was able to have a great chat with a local I met at the bar and the bartenders were just good down to earth people as well. I would highly recommend coming here, and I definitely see myself dining here again...

I came here around 7:40pm on 12/19/20 with my bf. Upon walking in, I was promptly greeted. There really isn't a defined hostess area but there is a tablet on the wall by the door to see table availability. I waited maybe 30 sec to 1 min. I taken to a heated patio like area. Once seated, the host told me that masks were required even while sitting unless actively eating or drinking. Our waiter was Aiden (maybe misspelled). He came over to take the drink order fairly quickly after being seated. My bf was parking the car, so i just ordered waters, which were brought back promptly. Aiden stated that the whole menu is a la Carte and a southern style restaurant. For drinks, I got the "All I want for Christmas is...". It has bourbon, cranberries. It was okay. Personally, I really didn't taste or smell the maple. My bf got the "Christmas freaking magic" which has vodka, cranberries, lemon ginger beer, and rosemary. Im not a fan of ginger in drinks but this was good. It wasn't overpowering. As an app, I got hush puppies. They have plenty of holiday themed drinks. They were HOT & FRESH when they got to the table. I couldn't even bite into it yet. When I did, after a minute or two, it was good. The otter later was the perfect crisp with a soft interior. They do have scallions on the inside and not just as a garnish. It comes with sweet butter that is delicious! My bf got the deviled eggs. He said that they were good and "refreshing". I don't not eat deviled eggs but the presentation was nice. For food, we got a half fried chicken which is one of each piece. We got this to share. We were contemplating about the smoked chicken. It comes with an Alabama white sauce. Since I didn't know what it was, I didn't get it. I didn't say any pictures Of the smoked chicken on either. Anyway, I got a waffle to accompany my chicken. The chicken was AMAZING and crispy! My waffle was eh. Didn't taste the best by itself. It was a little on the harder side. While it was thick, it kinda was not as fluffy and soft as I was expecting. I don't think I would get it again, personally. It was, only $5 when you get the chicken. The chicken we got come with sauces. We got Bbq and wing sauce. I got the maple and honey butter syrup for my waffle. I got the alabama white sauce to taste it. I did NOT like it. It tasted like vinegar and was wayyyy too strong. My bf didn't like it either. The bbq sauce tasted fine to me. My bf didn't like it. The honey butter sauce has a strong honey taste and was somewhat overpowering. It's really sweet too. The maple sauce just taste regular. Haha. My bf got the Mac and cheese. He forgot to tell the waiter to add the chicken skins, so they brought it on the side and we added it on top. The skins taste good by itself as well. My bf didn't really care for it. I think it was alright. I feel neutral. My bf ordered a Moscow mule drink. He liked it. I tasted it and it was fine. Overall, we enjoyed the chicken, the deviled eggs, and the hush puppies. The Mac n cheese was okay. The waffle was a no go for us, unless it was paired with the maple syrup. The honey butter is okay but maple is better. The drinks were good, not really any complaints there. Aiden...

I took a big trip up to the Shenandoah National Park over the summer. On the way back home, I wanted to see if I could find a good place to stop for lunch. Boy, did I find it! Haberdish is a place that has received national acclaim, and that good ol' Southern food was right up my alley. So we made the pitstop.

Such a beautiful vibe inside. Post-modern industrial Southern. Very modern hipster. Huge garage doors that open up to the patio. And the weather was gorgeous on the day we came, allowing the natural summer breeze to waft the delicious scents everywhere, increasing my already ravishing hunger. Time or order some food.

To get started, we ordered the obvious Biscuits & Fixings (two housemade biscuits with bacon jam, sweet tea butter, & our seasonal fixing). You Need to order this. Even if you think it'll make it too much food, it doesn't matter, order this. I'm so sick of "Southern" placed rolling out the Pillsbury and calling their biscuits homemade. These were homemade. So fluffy and layered and soft and delicious.

And those weren't even the best part. The accoutrements are always what I look forward to most. Bacon jam is always amazing, and this particular one has huge, luscious strips of the bacon, oh my. Sweet tea butter, the perfect amount of fatty sweetness. I don't remember what the other one was, but I think it was some sort of berry cream cheese. All of it so good.

For my main event, I had to get the Chicken & Waffles (choice of fried tenders or fried de-boned thigh, pearl sugar liege waffle, maple syrup). I got it with a half chicken. And oh man, I can't seen a fry on a chicken this good for a long, long time. You could tell they were professionals because the breading was actually seasoned. It was crisp, not oily. Juicy and tender meat inside.

As for the waffles, the pearl sugar waffles aren't my favorite. If you're going to offer five options of chicken for this dish, at least give me the option to have the more traditional college cafeteria super fluffy waffle. That's my waffle. But as far as pearl sugar waffles go, this one wasn't bad. It had a nice taste, and the pearl sugar made it to where no syrup was needed. Good stuff.

I also got to try a couple of sides. And these were bangers.

First, came the Sweet Potato Dumplings (brown butter, sage, mascarpone & parmesan). Oh my goodness. Infinitely soft pillows of sweet potato with an inherent creaminess form the mascarpone. Like perfect little gnocchi, with some good char on some of the sides. Just a lovely little side dish.

And then, the Mac & Cheese (creamy three-cheese mornay sauce, baked cheese top). Creamy, creamy, creamy. If you like creamy, this is the mac for you. And it's not just overcooked mush, either. The noodles maintain their shape and texture. You get some more nice texture from the baked cheese on top, too. Very good dish.

Overall, looking back, it seems like I Really loved this place. And I did. I couldn't find any faults anywhere. From the building itself to the food to the fine server we had, I had a great time, and if I'm ever within 50 miles of Charlotte again, I will...