Waldo's Chicken & Beer — Restaurant in Franklin

New(ish,) overrated, and still trying to make its way in the world, Waldo's signage implies you're visiting a bar. There is a bar. Alcohol is served. But, it's not a bar you're going to frequent. Why? Because it's too small and too busy. (And the hundreds of apartment units across the road don't even have tenants, yet.)

The Friday night dinner rush is just ramping up as we arrive and the rotisserie / fire roasted chicken is already sold out. Not a good situation, but it'll get a pass as restaurants are still dealing with pandemic-inspired shortages of able staff, supplies, etc. If it's missing on a future visit I reserve the right to revoke the pass.

Planted in a space tighter than some spots where millions of burgers have been sold, Waldo's has a decidedly fast food footprint that offers overflow to outside picnic tables, but expects no one to hang around too long. Quick turnaround is necessary for that small space (a solid miss for hopes of being inviting or successful as a neighborhood bar.)

Unlike burger joints, there are some good flavors, tasty salads, over-salted soggy fries made from good tasting taters (so you may not mind the sog,) and other items yet to be tried. If you're a fan of Carolina-styled vinegar-based barbecue sauces, you'll enjoy the 'cue. The honey mustard sauce leans toward that tang, too, but I enjoyed it.

With fried chicken being the only option, I went for the tenders. The fry is a scant floured coating with just a bit of crunch, but it holds up well to the super-moist meat (it should make a great sandwich.)

Your mileage may vary, but my cocktail was a pint glassful of crushed ice and nary room for a straw or a cocktail. Lesson learned? Check! Based upon the size of the tenders I received, the gate allowing chickens from the parking lot to the kitchen is sized for runts. Three small tenders does not a meal make. One tender might make a nice, albeit small, slider. Size also seems to matter in other customer opinions. It does raise a wonder for how long the bone-in mains may have been out of the egg before chatting-up...

Having been to Waldo's twice before, I had high expectations and unfortunately, they were not met this time around. We stopped by at 8 pm on a Monday right after the gym. We wanted to go through the drive thru, but it appeared it was closed (2 cones were in it) so we went in. Turns out it was not closed, and they just have those cones there to keep people from using it as a driveway (or something). This is confusing and inconvenient. Maybe they should have a "drive thru is open" sign. Anyway, I ordered 1/4 white chicken, white beans and mac and cheese. My son and daughter also ordered meals, and our total was over $50. For chicken....Anyway, we sat down to wait and after a few minutes, the cashier guy came and told me it would be 10-12 minutes for my quarter white fried chicken and asked did I want something else instead? Like, did the cook not want to make the chicken? I told him I would wait. Then, about 10 minutes later, the cashier comes and says they are out of white beans, so what other side did I want? This was super disappointing because I love their white beans. So I ordered the tomato and cucumber salad. He also asked if I wanted one more side to ease my disappointment so I said collard greens. When we finally got out of there (took almost 30 minutes), my chicken was way overcooked and super greasy. I felt sick all night and most of the next day. I didn't get my extra side. Overall, a very dissapointing experience. I may give it another try once I can start thinking about their chicken without feeling queasy, but I would not recommend this place later in the evening, as the quality was sorely lacking. My kids both enjoyed their meals, though my daughter said the chicken in her salad was...

We went to Waldo's last night for the first time. (Was Not Impressed).

The young man who took our order last night was GREAT! He was so kind, patient, and just had a friendly and outgoing attitude.

The atmosphere was not the greatest. The place was packed. It was almost impossible to find a seat, as there is not much seating to begin with, and the music was way too loud.

When the food came out, they had messed up my order. I tried to get the employee's attention, but he must not have heard me over the loud music. My wife then brought my food to the kitchen, and they corrected it and brought it back minutes later.

Final complaint I will make is that it cost almost $50 for 2 people. For glamorous fast food. Food that is served in a basket, sides served in a plastic cup, soda served in a plastic cup that you have to bring to the counter yourself for a refill, and oddly real silverware and a real glass for beer.

The food was nothing spectacular. I could have gotten a chicken sandwich that tasted similar at Wendy's.

$43 for 2x Chicken Sandwiches, 1 soda, 1 beer, and 20% tip - for fast food - is crazy!

We spent $55 at The White Alligator the night before, and that was an actual sit-down restaurant (albeit with the same refill policy - where you have to bring your cup up yourself), but the portion sizes were huge, and the place was somewhat glamorous compared to the loud-music fast food vibe that Waldo's emits.

Needless to say, I don't think I'll be going back to Waldo's...