To be perfectly honest, I’m not much of a dessert guy. I might indulge in a warm bread pudding or a lemon tart every now and then, but desserts usually aren’t my bag. Breakfast, on the other hand, is perfectly acceptable (and desirable) at any hour of the day. And one of the best breakfast foods of all time has to be the waffle.
It is through this marriage of convenience and decadence that we found ourselves at Off the Grid Waffles. Located at 2665 Kingsway across the street from Norquay Park, Off the Grid gives off a vibe that almost feels like a bubble tea joint with a dash of hipster thrown in for good measure.
A few places are popping up around town to demonstrate that waffles aren’t just for breakfast anymore. For instance, there’s Just Waffles on Hastings and, up until about a month ago, you could enjoy a “waffle sando” at Miura on Main Street.
Similarly, the menu at Off the Grid tries to strike a balance between sweet and savory. If you’re looking for something a little more hearty, you can order one of the pizza waffles, which are exactly what you think you are. Top a waffle with anything from smoked salmon to pulled pork for $7 to $9.
But we already had dinner and our only objective that night for Off the Grid was to satisfy our sweet tooth. With more of an Asian influence, the “sweet” menu generally isn’t going to be quite as rich and decadent as what you might find at a more “western” dessert place.
If you’re looking for something a little different, you might consider getting one of the waffle shakes. Available flavors range from brownie to mango to Oreo and they cost about $5 to $7.
From the “Waffle Overflows” menu, we ordered the hot matcha latte ($6). They aren’t kidding with the overflow. Topping the green tea latte itself is a generous helping of whipped cream plus a wafer, along with a waffle wedge on the side dusted with powdered sugar.
The glass mug is quite large and can be shared between a couple, as we did. The matcha flavor is pronounced without being overbearing for a not-too-sweet treat. You’ll also notice that every bar-style table gets its own Jenga set to keep guests entertained.
In addition to the matcha latte, we also got a banana Nutella sweet waffle ($7). From what I can gather, these are meant to be Belgian-style waffles, like what you might get at Cafe Medina. However, unlike some other liege waffles that I’ve had, this one didn’t have larger sugar crystals on inside and the exterior of the waffle wasn’t quite as “crisp” as I would have preferred.
On the bright side, the four waffles are accompanied by quite a bit of sauce and sliced banana, so you won’t be wanting for more flavor.
While I’ve had better waffles and I don’t anticipate we will be regular customers at Off the Grid, I am pleased to see more unique options like this pop up in the Collingwood area. And based on Addie’s expression, it’s probably safe to say that they’ve got at least one young fan.
That hot matcha latte looks legit. I wonder if there’s something like that around here. Not a big fan of waffles but they look good.
You might be able to find something similar at a bubble tea place.