Waffles Cafe

8÷30÷15− I really wanted to like the wonuts, I really did. I mean a waffle and donut combo seems like a beautiful match made in sugar heaven for a sweets girl like me, but I can’t remember the last time I was so disappointed.
The guy at the counter mentioned that the wonuts were made offsite at another restaurant about 4 blocks away early in the morning, and were then delivered to this kiosk at the bottom of the Water Tower building. I came at around 9:30am on Sunday (so only a few hours within their opening) and had no trouble redeeming my 2-​coffee-​6-​wonut groupon. I asked. Got them togo so I could do a little more shopping and ended up trying them within the hour.
Maybe I’m being too picky, or maybe wonuts just aren’t for me but they all just made me… sad. Breakdown of the 6 flavors I tried:
Blueberry lemon– Tasted as expected, realized at the end that this was the only one out of my 6 that deviated from the plain fried waffle base in that this had extra blueberries in it.
Mexican choco– I was sort of expecting the waffle itself to be chocolate but it was actually just chocolate dipped. Didn’t seem like there was a lot of spice either.
Cinnamon sugar– I actually picked this flavor last in the lineup thinking that anything fried+sugar+cinnamon = a win, but I was instead disappointed in this one the most. Supposedly this flavor is supposed to be gluten free, but my wonut seemed rather uncooked in the center… perhaps it was under fried? Either way, the middle of the wonut just tasted like… raw dough. =[
Raspberry– This one was visually appealing what with the fresh raspberry, but only the icing really made any difference taste-​wise compared to the other wonuts.
Green tea– Again, it was pretty much just the icing that made this wonut green tea-​y.
Chocolate bacon– Probably the best one in my bunch in that the black pepper in the icing was a cool surprise but still otherwise plain. Even the bacon couldn’t save it for me.
Over all, it was definitely not worth it for me, even with the Groupon. However as a touristy thing to try, I can only suggest that perhaps you stick to more popular flavors like red velvet or birthday cake?

They look adorable but not much in taste, and service is wonky at this location. The whole experience seem to satisfy the teen girls I was with who thought the wonuts were novel and Instagram worthy, but I’m a pass on them.
Playing tourist for a day with my step daughter and her friend, I thought the «wonuts» would be a fun thing for us try. Wonuts, by the way, are waffle donuts.
Located in the basement of the Water Tower mall (all the way around the back by the hotel), this pop-​up shop/​food stand is right by the main doors.
They had about 10 creations displayed on Saturday afternoon but when we went to order several of them, the lone staff member told us there were out. They didn’t appear to have a menu of what was available and the staff member couldn’t list what they had in stock– she just kept pulling out trays from under the counter and showing us what was on them. We had to guess the flavors by the toppings. When we requested the Oreo one, she said «oh, we only have one left– I’ll take it out of this bag that is supposed to be for another lady» and proceeded to take out several wonuts from a bagged up order off to the side. Open apology if this was your order and we took your Oreo wonut.
I used a Groupon to pay and she had trouble reading and understanding what the Groupon was for (6 wonuts and two teas. Says right there). She had to call someone twice to ask them about it and then how to ring us up. She had trouble giving me change when she charged me for tax too. It’s not to say she was mean– she was friendly in a silly way, but didn’t seem to have the training to operate the stand effectively or professionally on her own.
As for taste: My 15 year old daughter and her friend liked the wonuts– they thought they tasted like thick donuts. While I’m not a a master donut chef by any means, my view is that they were dry, too dense, and lacking a distinct flavor. Each wonut tasted the exact same– like waffle batter mixed with vanilla-​ish donut batter (except the chocolate ones, obvi) with the only different being the topping– glazed raspberry icing, cinnamon sugar, or vanilla frosting for the birthday cake one. The toppings looked cute but weren’t fresh and flaked off as we ate them.
I will give wonuts another try, but probably from a different bakery.

While visiting Chicago I looked into getting a few groupons. I saw one for Wonuts and decided to try this. Luckily Waffles café was right in the Water Tower which is a stones thrown from the Ritz (where we stayed). I was underwhelmed by the appearance. Which I’m sure is a fairly common thought of most people who purchase a groupon to the Waffle Café. However, it was still a great deal; 2 coffees and 6 Wonuts for $ 13.
The Wonuts are excellent. I think in some gourmet shoppe somewhere there are probably better, but these are still pretty damn tasty. We couldn’t resist trying one on our car ride home. Red Velvet does not disappoint!
Definitely worth a try !

Must have showed up at just the right time because the service was prompt and the selection was great. My boyfriend and I got to try several different wonuts all of which were really tasty! The cinnamon sugar was my favorite because it wasn’t as sweet as the frosted ones, although I enjoyed nibbling all 6 that we purchased! We recommended other people we ran into while visiting the city to go over and try them :)

Didn’t live up to my expectations… heavier than either a donut or waffle with less flavor. Texture is not well developed; I was served a fresh batch and the texture felt similar to a stale donut. With that said, the blueberry lemon was my favorite out of the 4 flavors I ordered: Mexican chocolate, red velvet, cinnamon).

Located at a pop up shop stand at the bottom of Water Tower.
Went with a coworker with a groupon and got a large assortment of Wonuts. Didn’t really know what to expect but was open to the idea! Literally tough like a waffle but soft enough like a donut… genius.
Service was a bit slow but I think the one and only worker was having a rough day.
There was a table top counter near the window area with stools to relax on.
I recommend the Oreo and red velvet

Came here to try the wonuts after purchasing a Groupon. The places is really small more like a coffee cart setup. They had different wonuts to pick from. The wonuts are like waffle and donut into one. We got 6 different donuts to try and a latte (lots of options to pick from). Is not something I will eat everyday but is definitely worth trying. Come early while the wonuts are still fresh, if you come later in the day they are not as good.

The wonuts themselves were good, but the service was horrible.
There was a list of wonuts written on the chalkboard, and to confirm, we asked the one lady working at the counter if all of them were available. She said all of them were, except for one flavor, «Gluten-​Free Cinnamon». So we start listing what wonuts we want off the menu. When we come to one, she says, «oh, we don’t have that». (Did she not just say she had everything on the list but that gluten free one?) We pick a different flavor then, and she says «Oh, we don’t have that.» So we go to pick another one, and what do you know, that one isn’t available either… (Three times??)
Then we ask for 2 White Ganaches, only one is available, even though three are on display…
Then this lady throws the wonuts in the box sloppily and doesn’t even close it all the way.
Was so excited to try this place from the groupons we just bought, and the wonuts themselves were good, but just ended up leaving the kiosk angry.

This is located in the bottom of the Water Tower mall.
I went during my work break for a quick treat. They have a lot of fun flavors and the wonuts are pretty good! They have kind of odd hours (close super early on Mondays), but are open util 8 a lot of days of the week. They run out of a lot of flavors pretty quickly so if you go later sometimes there is only one option left.
A wonut is about $ 2-​$ 3 dollars and they are a good size for a person.
The service is a little weird, but the wonuts are good so I would go back.

Although the food was decent the service was strange. Immediately upon entering the empty restaurant the only waitress said «we are out of wonuts» (I thought she said walnuts so wasn’t too concerned.)
We ordered and another pair of diners arrived, same story out of wonuts. My ice tea arrived warm so I asked for a cup of ice. I received a cup filled about ¼ full of ice!
Next set of customers arrived, asked for wonuts and bought four and the waitress asked them if they had enough ice in their beverages and filled up the cups with ice. I thought you said you were out of wonuts by the way?
Anyway, the waffles were huge and tasty and the omelet was decent but not super flavorful.

I was very excited to try this combo of waffle and donut which was a complete disappointment. Thank goodness I got the groupon for $ 12 for 6 wonuts and 2 lattes. I had a bite of the chocolate ganache, red velvet, birthday cake, oreo, and blueberry lemon. I enjoyed the oreo the most because it actually taste more of a donut. The combo of donut and waffle doesn’t work out well. Imagine biting on a greased oily donut with sugar glazed and the texture was crispy hard. Not a fan. My dad enjoyed it and ate the whole wonut. No thanks to me. The latte was a large size by intelligentsia which was very enjoyable.

Thought they were good, gotta have em at least once. But were rather, like a non-​fresh churro. NOT stale. Greasy on the outside, thick & dry on the inside. I will go again but not addictive.

This is a satellite location at the basement of the Water Tower Place. It literally is a kiosk facing the Ritz-​Carlton Hotel if you come from the backside of the WTP.
I used to manage one of the stores at the WTP, but Waffle’s Café was a new addition since I’ve left my last position. In order to have an excuse to come to the Magnificent Mile, I purchased a groupon for $ 14. This deal allowed us to get two (2) lattes and our choices of six (6) wonuts.
The latte option can be substituted by another coffee or tea beverage, as long as the price is equal or less than a latte. Here were our picks for the wonuts: two (2) chocolate ganache (containing white chocolate); two (2) Mexican chocolate; two (2) red velvet.
We took our wonuts to the plaza next to the WGN since the weather was pleasant enough to sit out. Oh by the way, if you don’t know what a «wonut» is, it’s a combination of a waffle and a donut. However, I personally prefer a «wonut» over a «donut» because the flavors seem to be «soaked in» better with a waffle format. In other words, I often feel the sweeter ingredients and add-​ons on a donut tend to stay «on top of» the donut. A «wonut,» scientifically speaking, has more areas of absorption. If you’re confused with what I’m talking about here, try one of the wonuts in any kind of chocolate flavor then you will get it!
Their wonuts weren’t extremely large, but with three (3) of them in my stomach I was certainly full. My recommendation was the chocolate ganache and Mexican chocolate. They were crispy, not-​too-​greasy, and great for any chocolate lovers out there.
Obviously the prices could be much steeper without an assistance from a groupon. Nevertheless, having a wonut or two is a splurge when you need some type of «pick-​me-​up,» anytime of the day.

First comes the cronut (croissant + donut), then the cretzel (pretzel + croissant), and now the wonut (waffle + croissant)? Okay, I’ve got to try this. Big mistake!
My friends and I shared a red velvet wonut and regretted it after the first bite. It was dense and oily and not worth eating after the first bite. It was sickening sweet. I was hoping for a lighter donut and waffle texture… not the wonut that was heavy and loaded with sugar. Maybe if the wonut was fresh, it may have been slightly better but I don’t think I will want to find out.

Waffle and a donut combo?! Sounds like a match made in heaven right… No it’s not! I’m going to make this quick since it’s not even worth my time and yes I’m never coming back. The wonut was heavy and looked good. I got the red velvet one but when I bit into it all I tasted was oil and a soggy waffle. It tasted horrible and I was afraid for my health if I finished it so I threw it away after three bites. Do yourself a favor and avoid at all cost.

Who knew donuts and waffles go together…
One of my best friends and I went there two days ago to try it out. I went on the safe side and tried their Oreo wonut and the Lemon Blueberry wonut. They were good! That wonut has been on my mind almost all week, that I may go back for more. I have a strange feeling that this is the year of the ‘wonut.’

Wonuts are nothing to go nuts for. It’s a churro, a tasty churro, but it doesn’t live up to the hype. Did not try the regular food.

Pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this outpost located on the ground floor Water Tower Place. Hubby and I split two wonuts. I tried the Peppermint White Chocolate Wonut (square) first, It had the best texture of the two, so crispy and very similar to a churro in crunch and taste. However, it was on the greasy side. Hubby had the Oreo Wonut (circle). It was a tad smaller, but the taste was better. They also serve Intelligentisia coffee.

So I go to Foodlife at Water Tower to pickup lunch and on my way back out I see Wonuts. Whaaatt? Wonuts? Here? Looks like we had dessert as well. I hadn’t had an opportunity to try them yet so… no better time than the present. I bought a few to try them out. The cinnamon sugar tastes like a churro, the Oreo is very rich but good, and the Mexican Hot Chocolate was good but I expected it to have a little more cinnamon flavor to it. All in all… definitely worth trying some more.

I’m starting to think there’s a delicious conspiracy to give me diabetes, with all the donut shops suddenly opening up around me. But while my insulin levels may be suffering, my taste buds certainly are not — especially with the addition of this Wonut kiosk in the area. Originally you could only get these treats at Waffles Café, but they’ve branched out and are trying a wonut-​only location in the Water Tower mall.
I brought a box of these to a meeting and they were a huge hit. They’re in the shape of waffles, but glazed like donuts. And their consistency is somewhere in between both: fluffier than a waffle, crunchier than a donut. The blend of the two makes for a unique, delicious dessert. Especially as all of the gourmet donut options in the area are starting to taste alike.
It’s not perfect though — they are kinda pricey. Also the kiosk looks haphazardly thrown together — and the wonuts themselves sit out in the open on serving plates in the back, not in any display case. Still though, I prefer a wonut over a donut (or a waffle).