Ali's Chicken & Waffles — Restaurant in San Diego

TL/DR; Amazingly friendly service providing delicious food in an odd location that appears very run down. Fries best to eat immediately, get the Ali sauce plus an extra for home and intend on most likely taking it to go. Mac & cheese is very good at a good price and the original chicken sandwich, which is a better version of a popular one at fast food joints, is likely their best seller. ‐---------------------- Little hole in the wall place that shares the property with a 711 and the actual indoor area with a donut place. I would deduct 1 star however their food was worth 5.

Dining in seating is limited, its obvious that both places are grab and go spots as I believe there were 3 tables total - two 4 seaters and one 2 seater. There were some flies but it seems to be heavy fly season and with their open door its bound to happen. The flies did stay towards the front, where the donut case is.

We did get an order of french fries that were cold and not super fresh however they were thin and cooled quickly so I assume the chef made them first while prepping our other food. We mentioned thier temp and quickly new fries, which cooled rapidly so I suggest you eat them there while hot, as I doubt they'd make it home. If they had thicker steak fries or an in-between size they'd last longer and not dry out.

The original chicken sandwich was great! It reminded me of a higher quality Chick-fil-A or Popeyes sandwich but with a great sauce, the "Ali Sauce", which was also amazing to dip fries in. My kids got tenders, mac and cheese as well as fries. They liked the mac & cheese so much we ordered another to go. My husband got the grilled chicken sandwich and was pleased but not raving as he was when he tried my original. We also ordered chicken sambusas and thought they were tasty, especially with the sauce. We received 3 in an order for $5 and they were approximately the size of a very large dorito chip and quadruple the thickness with the stuffing. Overall a decent value.

Prices were a tad high in my opinion. My 2 young kids shared the combo #1 which had 2 tenders and a smallish/medium sized order of fries plus a sauce at $11.50, mac was a good deal at around $5.25 and sandwiches were $7 each. We are however in a time where things are just more expensive so it is fair for prepared food, just would've felt more justified in a better setting.

Overall, I would go again on occasion but would skip fries and just order the...

The best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had! First time I had these was over pandemic when we ordered for take out. It took over an hour but when we opened the box, I was surprised that the waffles were not soggy from all the steam. It retain its texture, the flavor was semi sweet and I didn’t need to use syrup. That’s how I like my waffles and to me, that’s a major bonus.

The chicken was juicy even though it’s white meat. The flavor in the breading was on point as far as spice levels.

Fast forward, post pandemic, we’ve revisited several times and this past weekend, it was just how I remembered it.

The location shares a space with the donut shop. Parking in that lot is tight, you would be lucky if you found one. It’s also not the best area.

There are a few tables inside to dine in. We ate it fresh and took 30 minutes for our order to come out. Recommend to call in your order.

Prices are reasonable, the combo #1 came with 2 tenders, waffle or fries and a side. The mac and cheese wasn’t super creamy. It was a perfect mix of cheddar and Parmesan.

Ali’s fries were also a nice treat. Similar to carne asada fries with all the toppings. We got chicken instead of shrimp. The spicy chicken sandwich was not spicy. They said next time, to let them know that we want it higher than Thai spice

I also got sambusas, which are similar to empanadas or samosas but different shape. Choice of filling, I got savory. This was not my favorite because of the dried texture. The chicken curry just needed dipping sauce.

Overall, we would come back here...

I decided to visit since I was in the area and I love chicken and waffles. The restaurant is located inside Donut Star, there is a separate counter to the right when you walk in.

We were immediately greeted and my questions regarding the heat levels were answered. I went with the combo #2, medium spice level. For my sauce choice I was going to go with the coconut syrup, however I was told my waffle would come with one so I could choose another if I would like. I went with the chipotle mayo for my sauce.

I drove the 15 minutes home and immediately dug into my dinner. I will be honest the fries were just okay and I probably wouldn't order them again. The chicken was extremely juicy and was very tender, I could easily tear it in smaller strips. The medium had a very nice spice level, the chicken was very good. The waffle was a basic waffle, perfectly cooked and very tasty. What really set this meal apart is the coconut syrup. This syrup is incredible. I really am not a coconut person and usually avoid it at all costs but wow, I'm in love with this syrup. I will definitely be...