ROSCOE’S HOUSE of Chicken and Waffles is close to Garden Grove geographically, and not far from heaven, food-wise (OC Tribune photo).

By Jim and Marilyn Tortolano

Ignore IHOP. Confound the Colonel. If you want great breakfast food or chicken, head for Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles on Harbor Boulevard, just south of Orangewood in Anaheim.

Only a few hundred feet from the border of The Big Strawberry – we like to call that area “Greater Garden Grove” – is a true gem of an eatery with waffles, omelets, fried chicken, sausage, grits and a host of other far-above-the-norm taste treats.

Open about two years at that location, Roscoe’s is part of a regional Southern California chain with other restaurants in Los Angeles, Inglewood and elsewhere. It has a reputation for authentic and delicious Southern-style food with excellent service in a casual atmosphere.

We have visited the local Roscoe’s twice and each time found the cuisine delicious and, oh my, plentiful. Marilyn’s favorite is the Jeanne Jones omelet dish, which comes with a huge, gorgeous waffle. The omelet itself is stuffed with chicken and would be perfect if it wasn’t too large to completely consume.

Jim has had the Obama Special (three chicken wings and a waffle) and the Carol C. Special (a waffle and a huge chicken breast) and pronounced them both sublime. Same problem as with much of the Roscoe’s food, though: if you didn’t bring a huge appetite, you’re going home with a doggie bag.

THE JEANNE JONES SPECIAL: bet you can’t eat it all (OC Tribune photo).

The menu does not stop with chicken and griddle fare. There are sandwiches, burgers, salads and a wide assortment of drinks, both sodas and beers. The atmosphere is laid back and friendly, and even when crowded –which is most of the time – the food comes back to you hot and fairly quickly.

A couple of caveats. This is a popular place not far from a host of hotels and the Disneyland Resort, so get there early. Parking is at a premium. Secondly, if you’re a Bill O’Reilly/Rush Limbaugh kind of guy, you may be a tiny bit uncomfortable with the large portrait in the lobby of the Obama family, a dish named after the 44th president, and big photos of Dr. Martin Luther King and Muhammad Ali on the walls.

If so, that’s your loss. Good food knows no politics. Great food – like what they serve at Roscoe’s – makes you forget politics entirely.

Roscoe’s in Anaheim is located at 2110 S. Harbor Blvd. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday’s from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Prices are moderate; dress informal.