Emma Lynn’s Chicken & Waffles

My first experience with the little chicken joint based out of Byron Center, Michigan started in the winter of 2013.  I heard rumors that the food being shelled out of the window here was next to perfection.

I wanted to explore this.

Now, I am all for experiencing new and exciting foods that will make your eye brow raise, but chicken & waffles?  Who would think of that?

It wasn’t until I walked through the doors of Emma Lynn’s did I truly understand the magic that sits inside the dining room.

Now, I love to find that magic factor of restaurants that just gives them that one thing that sets them apart, or that just makes them special.  For Emma Lynn’s, it’s the owner and the history.

Who would have known that this little chicken joint out of the GR suburbs would be ran by a good down home southern boy who was taught by his grandmother?  Clarence, the owner has been cooking since his grandmother, Emma Hill taught him at a young age.  Since then, he has taken his grandmother’s recipes that they have been cooking for years, moved from Houston, Texas, and opened a restaurant to honor her in Grand Rapids.

Now, these recipes aren’t just a family pack of original recipe KFC chicken.

The staple that Clarence pumps out of the kitchen is the classic Chicken & Waffles.  One waffle, 3 seasoned chicken wings.

What I got from the kitchen really redefined and and expanded my food horizon.

Now as cheesy as this may sounds, I find that experiencing a meal is more than just eating at your scheduled time of the day, or filling up your body for it’s necessary energy.  I find it to be a complete experience.

Food brings people together in ways that words can not.  By sitting in the dining room at Emma Lynn’s and experiencing my meal, I can sit in the shoes of Clarence, and experience the enjoyment that he had as a kid, eating this same food I am eating, that his grandma cook for him.

It brings people together, it brings families together, and it brings cultures together.

My experience at Emma Lynn’s was exceptional.  The love and care that Clarence and his crew puts into their food is more than a product served to customers, it’s art.

From the zesty, perfectly seasoned chicken wings, to the light fluffy golden waffles (that I would confidently say is the best waffle I have ever had), these guys are shelling out perfection on a plate.

Aside from the excellent experience from the meal, Clarence’s gift of customer service is something to be recognized.  This man, if not filling orders, will be in the dining room filling ears with great conversation.  He never forgets a face, is always focuses on customer satisfaction and his love and passion for the law enforcement who frequent his establishment is admirable.

If you are looking for some great home cooked southern food, and some true southern hospitality, go visit the little chicken joint in Byron Center, and grab a taste of Emma Lynn’s.