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Onward State Reviews Sadie’s Gourmet Waffles

Sadie’s Gourmet Waffles is the latest addition to the State College food scene. Offering a variety of pastries, baked goods, hot drinks, and breakfast goodies, Sadie’s joins a number of downtown coffee shops competing for the attention of the local caffeine addicts. However, what makes Sadie’s stand out is its specialty waffles and cheerful vibe. These waffles differ from those at other breakfast places because Sadie’s uses dough instead of batter, giving the waffles a rich taste.

The waffle cafe opened Saturday morning at 188 S. Pugh St., tucked away beneath an awning just off Calder Way. We sent three of our writers to test out the food. Here’s what they thought:

Megan Fleming — Warm, Delicious, and Fluffy:

I love breakfast as much as the next breakfast lover, so naturally I volunteered to go eat waffles and write about them.

While collaborating with my fellow reviewers on when we would meet up, they told me it was “right by the Skell.” Being a freshman, that meant absolutely nothing to me, and I budgeted too much time to get there so I was the first of the bunch to arrive. After walking in, the first thing I was struck by was the fact Sadie’s doesn’t feel like a restaurant. In my mind, waffles lend themselves to be served in a restaurant-style setting. But maybe that’s just me.

At Sadie’s, the food is served in a grab-and-go style. All of the tables, with the exception of one low table that looks like it belongs in a living room, are high with two stools at each.

You order like you do at Panera. There’s a glass display of baked goods, and the menu mounted on the wall. The workers were friendly and very helpful if you’re an indecisive orderer like myself.

After listening to the story of how the waffles are made using a dough instead of a batter, with magical “pearl sugar” that caramelizes when the waffles are cooked in a legitimate Belgian waffle maker, my mouth was watering. I decided on a plain waffle, which was served sprinkled with powdered sugar and came with free whipped cream! (I opted to get mine on the side, thinking I wouldn’t eat all of it — I did.) I was so hungry I didn’t bother looking the prices, but when the cashier told me my total I’m certain my jaw dropped: $2.95! For a waffle! You can’t even get a water bottle at a football game for $2.95!

The waffle came wrapped in tinfoil in a styrofoam container. The waffle was thick and difficult to cut with flimsy plastic silverware, so I opted to eat it with my hands and dip it in the whipped cream. Kind of like chips and dip, just not with chips and dip.

The waffle was everything one would ever want in a waffle. It was warm, delicious, fluffy, and the perfect way to start your morning. Don’t let the smaller-than-average-sized waffle dissuade you — it’s decadent and I left feeling full but not stuffed like I do after a trip to the Waffle Shop.

I don’t see myself heading to Sadie’s on the way to class, because breakfast is not my most important meal of the day if it means I get to sleep in longer. But it’s a great place for brunch. One major drawback — Sadie’s isn’t open on Sundays, which means it’s losing a prime day for weekend brunch-goers like myself.

The food was good and you can’t beat the price (unless you like the waffles in Findlay Commons), so I’ll definitely go back if I wake up before three on a Saturday.

Melissa McCleery — I Got a Sandwich At a Waffle Shop:

I arrived to Sadie’s late, after my compadres had already ordered. Both got waffles, which made perfect sense, but doesn’t make for a very interesting review. I decided to get something else.

When I walked up to the counter I was greeted by a cheery young lady in a truly excellent baker’s hat. She offered a bubbly “GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO SADIE’S,” which was appreciated and very friendly but honestly a bit much for me at 10 a.m. She gave me the spiel on what they specialize in: waffles. This was pretty fun, as she explained that their waffles are from Belgium, and use a unique dough rather than a batter, which is made with “pearl sugar” that caramelizes in the waffle iron. Yes. Yum.

As tempting as that was though, I went for a bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant. It came out pretty quickly and was a nice way to kickstart my morning. The egg was light and fluffy, which was great because breakfast sandwiches have a tendency to go heavy on the grease. The croissant was buttery and flaky but didn’t fall apart. My only small complaint is that my sandwich was a little light on the bacon, and anyone who knows anything about bacon knows that less is never more when it comes to bacon.

Overall, I liked Sadie’s. The price point is key for the poor college student who spends all their money at The Phyrst like me. My tasty little sandwich was only $3.71, with tax! The employees were kind and friendly, and my breakfast kept me full until late lunchtime. I’m a little bitter they didn’t offer me the caramel cookie sample the other ladies got, but I’ll survive.

Jessica Tully — Once You Go Dough, You Never Go Back (To Batter):

I walked up to the counter and was immediately asked if I would like to try a free sample. Well, OK then. I think I like this place already. If you’re ever offered the waffle cookies with a side of caramel, trust me and just say yes.

It took me a few minutes to decide what to order because there were so many topping options, but I eventually went with the strawberry waffle (with free whipped cream). I was a little surprised to be handed my waffle in a to-go box because I’d been planning to eat in the coffee shop with Flems and Mel. A waffle isn’t exactly what I’d call something that I eat on the fly. But then I looked around and noticed that seating was pretty limited so I guess Sadie’s will be, for the most part, a grab-and-go type place.

I sat at one of the few tables and opened my box. My first reaction was: “Wow, this is small for a waffle.” But after taking a few bites, I was grateful for the size. And wow, do I now understand what the bakers meant when they explained that the dough caramelizes in the iron. The waffles are so rich that I felt full before finishing what I had called a small waffle.

Final thoughts: Now that I’ve tasted dough waffles, I don’t want to go back to batter waffles. I probably won’t be back to Sadie’s for a while though, because I don’t anticipate myself eating waffles for breakfast regularly — but maybe when my parents are in town next, I’ll take them to Sadie’s.

A Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board hearing began on Tuesday in Pittsburgh for former Penn State general counsel Cynthia Baldwin, who is accused of violating rules of professional conduct in her representation of former university administrators during the Jerry Sandusky investigation.