It always fascinates us to see restaurants develop a cult following. When people typically think of the phrase “cult following,” they apply it to movies, bands, television shows or occasionally novels. Restaurants develop cult followings when they offer something new and exciting to customers. When GoldBurgers opened in Newington, residents developed a love for their savory burgers, terrific staff and creative specials. The word spread fast and GoldBurgers quickly earned the reputation as one of the best burger places in Connecticut. Since its opening a couple of years ago, The Sloppy Waffle has started to earn a similar reputation as evidenced by almost 2000 likes on Facebook and an endorsement from Bob Kaufman, the founder of Bob’s Discount Furniture. Would The Sloppy Waffle develop the same “cult following” that GoldBurgers has? We had to find out for ourselves.
The Sloppy Waffle
B+
Location: 2551 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111
Atmosphere-9/10: The Sloppy Waffle has a certain charm about it in both its interior and exterior. When we entered the restaurant, we noticed plenty of decorative pictures on the walls along with signs detailed with humorous sayings. Several restaurants down south decorate their interior in a similar fashion. During the spring and summer months, customers can sit outside and enjoy their waffles under quaint little tables with red umbrellas. On a sunny, Saturday morning, it’s a picturesque place to be.
Service: 8.5/10-The staff members at The Sloppy Waffle always have a cheerful disposition and try their best to satisfy customers. While the restaurant can be quite busy and sometimes understaffed, we were never dissatisfied by their attempts. One fact about The Sloppy Waffle that we found interesting and somewhat strange is that they do not accept credit cards. Instead, they have an ATM machine in the lobby to make up for the trouble. This works to both The Sloppy Waffle’s advantage and detriment. The cash only policy will remind some customers of a more innocent time when most restaurants were of this mindset. For younger customers, the historical resemblance will be lost upon them.
Price/Selection: 8.5/10-The Sloppy Waffle offers a unique selection in terms of their specialty waffles. When customers open up the menu, they are often taken by the variety and the creativity of the waffles. Some of the more unique selections include chicken and waffles, apple cobbler, chocolate lover and s’mores that are gluten free. The restaurant also offers eggs, burgers and an option that allows you to build your own waffles. In terms of the price to portion ratio, the waffles tend to be smaller than some customers would expect for what they pay. The waffles, however, are quite filling with a side of eggs, bacon or sausage.
Taste: 9/10-We have visited The Sloppy Waffle several times since their opening two years ago because we have been consistently satisfied by their entrees. While some Yelp and Facebook users would beg to differ, we consider their specialty waffles to be delicious in terms of their taste and texture. We were especially taken by their chicken and waffles dish along with their s’mores waffle. The chicken and waffles dish impressed us because of how well the staff succeeded in replicating a southern favorite in a New England Kitchen. The s’mores waffle was so delicious that it inspired us to go out to Price Chopper and buy ingredients to make the real thing.
In a nutshell: 35/40-Despite a few kinks, we wouldn’t be surprised if The Sloppy Waffle becomes a Newington classic and earns a cult following. The restaurant has improved since its humble beginnings and we expect it to continue to improve as long as it maintains its dedicated staff and has a presence in Newington. As the town of Newington continues to transform into a hot spot for hole in the wall restaurants, it’s nice to see The Sloppy Waffle contribute to that reputation.
CT Snapshot 