Sweet As Waffles officially opened to the public at Stemma Brewing Company in June of 2021. For the owners, Nate Brown and Graham Berkwitt, the grand opening was the culmination of a vision several years in the making.
It all started with an idea that came to Brown while on a year long vagabond throughout the South Pacific in 2015. On his return, he pitched the idea to Berkwitt and they began taking the steps to create Sweet As Waffles. Three years later, in 2018, they drove down to Oregon to purchase the trailer that would eventually become its storefront.
Now, every Thursday through Sunday you can stop by Stemma Brewing Company to see Brown and Berkwitt dishing up tasty treats to the Bellingham community.
“We spent so long planning and building this thing, where we talked about what we were going to do and how we want things to come out and look like and now it’s like, ‘Alright, we’re actually doing it’,” Brown said.
They offer a wide variety of both sweet and savory waffles, all from house-made ingredients and jam-packed with unique topping combinations. They like to get “weird” with the recipes, all of which are crafted from their own creativity.
One of Berkwitt’s favorites is the Canadian Quesadilla (Full $10 or Mondo $17). The dish is a grilled cheese waffle sandwich, filled with three types of melted cheese, lathered in pesto cream cheese, and topped with candied bacon and arugula. He says the dish is their take on the well-known “chicken and waffle.”
“People really come back for this sandwich,” says Berkwitt. “It’s something no one’s really had before.”
For all the sweet-tooths out there, there are plenty of options to satisfy a desire for sugar. You’re welcome to take the traditional route with the Home Base ($6) — one waffle with maple syrup, whipped cream, and your choice of a topping. Alternatively, go a bit bolder with a dish like the Baker Blast ($8), a favorite for both Brown and Berkwitt.
If you’re looking for a (sort of) healthy option, try the It’s Okay, It’s A Salad ($9). The dish comes with pesto cream cheese, tomato, and mozzarella on a bed of arugula and topped with a maple- balsamic dressing. You can order it as is or get creative with the toppings. Brown said he adds ricotta, candied bacon and goat cheese– thus making “the ultimate salad.”
As with any dish, don’t be afraid to get weird with some personal modifications. Pick from the wide range of extra toppings including Oreos, gummy worms, coconut shavings, or Kit Kats.
“We’re like a candy shop on wheels, basically,” Brown said. “It’s super nice to kind of be a little bit creative, and we try to give the customers that creative freedom.”
As for the future of Sweet As Waffles, Brown said they hope to “get a little bit weirder.” What exactly does that mean? “You’ll just have to see, man.”
2039 Moore St., Bellingham, sweetaswaffles.com
