There's a brand-new restaurant on the West Side that would be Leslie Knope's dream come true: The S'waffle Shack. You're thinking, "A whole restaurant dedicated to just waffles?" Yes, but also - craft sodas.

 
Located directly beside Dem 2 Brothers And a Grill, The S'waffle Shack is painted in the same light turqouise color as its neighbor. The interior has a large counter directly ahead, a menu on tv screens and a small space where they may add a table or two in the future. 



The menu is large - with the craft sodas actually taking up the majority of the space. I don't know if "craft soda" is a term, but it's what I've been dubbing it. The restaurant takes a base: Sprite, Cola, Tea, Mr. Pibb, Fanta Orange, Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Lemonaide, Mello Yello and more. But then there's a bajillion combinations of those with toppings like pineapple, peach, strawberries, ice cream, cotton candy, lavender, coconut, english toffee, raspberry puree, almond, passionfruit, mango puree, blue curacao, green apple - and so. much. more. I did not study up beforehand, so I randomly picked the "Myrtle Beach" based mostly on its name: Mello Yello with strawberry, pineapple and I added cherry. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but it was delicious. It's like a virgin cocktail. It's like a pop but with natural flavors added. It was good - but of course very sweet. 



There are also a good bit of combinations when it comes to the waffles. First of all, you can get one, two, or three. I wasn't sure how big they were, so I went with two. Heed my warning: They are big. I ordered a "Berry Cheesecake S'waffle," which has cheesecake filling, whipped cream and choice of berry - I went with raspberry. 



These are large, homemade waffles that are nice and crisp. Of course, once you enclose them in a takeout box or drench them in tons of delicious whipped cream (which is also homemade!), the clock is ticking down to sog town. So, be mindful. AKA, eat them immediately for best satisfaction (duh). Mine was indulgent and delicious. Lots and lots of sweetness with just a hint of the tart berry. And my waffle held up just fine for a while that added a nice textural base. I would love to see them add some savory waffles - maybe a scallion and potato or topped with pulled pork. But otherwise, I love the creativity, the massive amount of combinations and just the fun novelty of this unique place.

Grade: A