MESS Waffles, Etc. is a new casual dining restaurant offering visually appealing comfort food, though the prices may be a little high for some college budgets.

The Aggie-owned and operated restaurant specializes in dishes such as chicken and waffles, French toast and macaroni. It was originally operated as a food truck from 2014 to 2017, but opened its brick-and-mortar location at 170 Century Square Drive in College Station at the beginning of the month. However, due to the restaurant’s recent opening, they currently have a limited menu.

The restaurant is located on a small corner with few other surrounding storefronts. However, the large windows, wood and marble accents and white honeycomb-textured walls make the limited space feel clean and modern instead of dark and cramped. There is also plenty of seating and table space if students want to study while having breakfast or a midday meal, including a covered and lit seating area outside.

I ordered from the weekday breakfast menu. Although I had to wait a few minutes because there was not someone at the register when I first arrived, the service overall was attentive and friendly. After I received an order number and sat down, both plates came out within 10 minutes.

One thing MESS Waffles does consistently is deliver well-presented food. The pictures posted on their social media and menu closely reflect what is actually served. The Nutella Waffles are topped with sliced bananas, drizzled Nutella and powdered sugar. They also provide the option to add vanilla ice cream on top for anyone  in the mood to make it more of a dessert. The four waffles were thinner than I expected, and the dish was also served a little on the cold side. However, even with all of the sugary toppings, the waffles were not overwhelmingly sweet, and I was able to finish the plate.

The chicken and waffles is one of MESS Waffles’ staple dishes. It comes in snack, regular and plus size and can be topped with maple aioli, honey mustard, spicy honey or maple syrup. I ordered the snack size topped with maple syrup, which is half of a large waffle with one piece of chicken. The waffle was light, fluffy and thicker than those in the Nutella Waffle dish. The chicken was lightly breaded and juicy. Although the amount of black pepper in the breading could be considered a little spicy if eaten by itself, the chicken nicely complements the sweetness of the waffles.

My total for two plates with small serving sizes was about $13. The prices for the entrees on the menu range from $5 to $13. While regular drinks are around $2, their fresh-squeezed orange juice and mimosas can exceed $6. For a college student on a tight budget looking for a large and filling meal, MESS Waffles will probably not be their first choice. 

However, the restaurant is a good place to have brunch with friends or to have a snack and study in a relaxing setting. The location on Century Square also puts the restaurant within walking distance of several other shops near campus.

MESS Waffles provides delicious and Instagramable food if you are willing to pay the price.

Meagan Sheffield is a biomedical sciences freshman and 

Life & Arts reporter for The Battalion.