Bruxie

Bruxie is a gourmet waffle sandwich stand located in Orange, CA. The menu is on the wall and you order through a window. You find your own seat and get your own utensils and condiments. Nothing fancy, nothing glam.

According to the website,  "'Bruxie' is unlike any waffle offered: the Bruxie is light, crisp, yeasty and not sweet. It's street food that's perfect for breakfast, lunch, mid day snack as well as a dessert or late night treat." Even after reading this, I was skeptical to even try it because I'm not a huge fan of waffles in general. If I do order waffles, I like the soft, fluffy ones. I'm not a huge fan of the thick, crispy type. But since it was a different concept, I decided to try it.

Before I even get into the food, let me tell you that the service was SPECTACULAR! When we were waiting in line, a gentleman walked up to us and asked if this was our first time. I guess we totally looked like Bruxie noobs. So he was asking us what we liked and told us what were fan favorites. When it was our turn we ordered the bacon, egg and cheddar waffle, Brussels waffle, Buttermilk fried chicken and waffle and creme brulee waffle. The cashier (wish I got his name because he was very nice too!) asked us if we wanted to hold off on the creme brulee waffle until after we ate our meal. I thought that was really thoughtful most places will just give you your entire order at the same time. When ordering our drinks, I wanted to get juice for my 2 year old. They don't offer any juices so I asked if they had lemonade. No, they didn't. The same gentleman that I was talking to in line (who i still didn't know was the owner yet) told me he would make fresh lemonade, hand squeezed. WHO DOES THAT? He could've just said "sorry, we don't," but he actually made lemonade for us. I found out a little later the gentleman's name is Kelly, one of the owners. All of the employees were so polite, so nice. I didn't feel like I was just another customer that they were trying to serve and get rid of.

Brussel's Waffe- These waffles were buttered and dusted with powder sugar. I took a bite of these before trying any of the sandwiches just so I knew how the waffle tasted by itself, if it  was going to be heavy, doughy or too thick. I took a bite out of one, and WOW, it was exactly how it was described on the website. They were light and crispy. Not doughy at all, they were very airy. You'd think with the thickness of the waffle that it would be heavy to eat. It wasn't at all. It was a nice 'appetizer' of things to come.

I ordered my bacon, egg and cheese waffle sandwich with waffle fries. They must've sprinkled the fries with crack (figuratively speaking of course, duh!) because I couldn't stop eating them. They were so good.  Was it because they were perfectly fried? Was it the type of salt they sprinkled on  top? I don't know what it was about them but they were perfect. While we were eating the fries, the owner came up to us and gave us a sample of the frozen custard. He said "Dip the fries in it. It's a hit with the kids." I thought that was pretty cool of him. The frozen custard wasn't too sweet. It was thicker than froyo. The kids did enjoy dipping the waffle fries in it.  Ok, onto the sandwich, Tillamook cheddar, mayo, applewood smoked bacon  along with 2 fried eggs in between the waffle. Rather than leaving the bacon in strips, it was cut into little pieces. The bacon was crispy and you got it in every bite. The egg was perfectly made. The yolk wasn't runny but it was still wet.

Bruxie's burger- Two angus beef patties with pickles, mayo, lettuce, cheddar cheese and tomato.  The sandwich wasn't overloaded with the condiments. Words cannot describe what my mouth was experiencing. It was juicy but the waffle didn't get soggy at all. The burger had a good char to it but didn't taste burned.  The patties are made medium unless you specify otherwise.  There was a great balance in flavors between the patties and the waffle.  You get that crunch when biting into the waffle then you get that bite of the juicy burger.  It is definitely a great twist to your typical burger.

Buttermilk fried chicken and waffle- I know that whenever SoCal'ers hear chicken and waffles, Roscoe's comes to mind. Well, don't think that when you come to this place.  If you are craving Roscoe's  chicken and waffles, go to Roscoe's because this sandwich is nothing like Roscoe's. But that's not a bad thing at all. Remember, this is a chicken and waffle sandwich. This sandwich had 2 big pieces of chicken tenders topped with coleslaw and spread with chili honey. The coleslaw wasn't drowned with the dressing. You can taste the flavor of the chili but it was toned down because it was mixed in with the honey. You would think that this would be a heavy sandwich and dry sandwich, but it wasn't.  The chicken tenders were moist and well seasoned and the addition of the chili honey gave it a really different taste.  

The last item, the creme brulee waffle  is a limited item and is  not on their regular menu. . I love creme brulee. It is one of my all time favorite desserts. So I had to try this. Yes, I still had room for dessert. Sandwiched between the waffles were creme brulee, bananas and strawberries. This was TO DIE FOR! Both the strawberries and bananas were bruleed. They had that crispy sugar coating and I could've eaten that by itsef. The cream wasn't too sweet either, but you can taste the caramelization of the sugar in each bite. Some of it even oozed out onto the paper tray it came in. Don't think for a second I let that go to waste either. It was a different take on creme brulee, but dare I say better? Quite possibly. Remember, this is a seasonal item. If you are going there this is something you want to order, call in advance to make sure it is still available.

Although the menu doesn't seem out of the box, the waffles are what really sets this place apart from any other. Everything tasted fresh and made to order. In everything they put out, there is great flavor and the right balance of sweet and savory.  This is one of those places that's great to go to at any time of the day.  From the time I stepped in line to the second I walked into the car, my experience at Bruxie's was amazing. There is something for everyone. This is a definite must try and would recommend this to everyone. To top it off we were again fortunate to experience another act of kindness, Kelly was kind enough to take a picture with my daughter and I.