This drive-through stand in the Wynnewood Village shopping center opened several months ago, and it didn’t take long for me to give in to the seduction of a new fried chicken place. Pairing fried chicken with waffles is a trend that’s said to have started in Harlem in 1938 at the Wells Supper Club, which served hungry partiers coming out of jazz clubs early in the morning. But probably the most famous chicken and waffles place is in California: Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles. Dallasites are familiar with the odd couple, which is on the menu of the upscale Victor Tango’s on Henderson, and is a staple of the down-home Big Mama’s Chicken and Waffles in Lake Highlands.
I tried Jo Jo’s around noon on a weekday, and I ordered two pieces of dark meat chicken with a waffle and sweet tea. This is not a meal for Weight Watchers. Even though I was the only one in the drive through lane, it took about 15 minutes for them to get my order ready, which I took as a good sign. And I was right. My chicken was hot and freshly cooked to golden brown. It wasn’t too greasy like some fast-food chicken, and it was seasoned just right with salt and pepper. The huge belgian waffle was hot and fresh too. They give you a serving of pancake syrup, but I am a syrup snob, so I didn’t use mine. I ate both pieces of chicken, but couldn’t get halfway into the sweet, spongy waffle. It was a huge, sinful lunch for under $7. Maybe it’s not a meal you could have every day, but for a treat, Jo Jo’s doesn’t disappoint.
