With intriguing recipes and picnic vibes, Tia B's La Waffleria is a brunch hot spot

The line for Tia B’s La Waffleria normally stretches out the door, a collection of young families, first dates, college roommates and out of town visitors. Tucked in Nob Hill just one street north of Central Avenue, it’s the kind of brunch place where you might spot trendy women on a bachelorette weekend getaway or a trio of friends in cloaks breaking their fast after attending the Renaissance Celtic Festival in Edgewood.

The restaurant is inside what appears to be an old adobe home. With wooden floors and a fireplace, it looks like someone’s abuela’s house, with incongruous touches meant to make the restaurant feel hip: gray accent paint and contemporary lighting fixtures. Normally, you are lucky to snag a table indoors and are more likely to sit somewhere on the expansive front patio or on the back patio surrounded by bamboo.

But on the overcast Wednesday morning I visited, the line was nonexistent and indoor seating was ample. Still, drip coffees ($3.75 each) and sugar packets in hand, we headed outdoors to savor the cool spring morning. Fancier coffees are available, like a maple or honey cinnamon latte (both $7).

A trio of waffles were delivered before we were halfway through our cups of Joe. The primary waffle menu is evenly balanced between savory and sweet. You can also build your own waffle or — for the waffle skeptic in your party — order an egg scramble. I’ve never been tempted by the latter options, because the waffle offerings are so intriguing.

Where else can you get a buttermilk waffle with deep-fried banana and browned butter bourbon sauce ($11.50); a tostada-style yellow corn masa waffle with pinto beans, calabacitas, chile and avocado ($13); and a potato latke waffle with dill crema, capers and salmon lox ($17)?

My boyfriend and I picked savory waffles. The classic Bacon and Eggs ($13), a buttermilk waffle filled with bacon bits, topped with two eggs and served with maple syrup, was his pick. I think it’s a boring choice given the wealth of options.

I went for the Benitos ($13). The dish has a very New Mexican flavor profile, with dominant flavors of chile and cheese. The buttermilk waffle was topped with gooey, golden-yellow, over-easy eggs and cheese sauce packed with chopped green chile. A sprinkle of red chile powder upped the waffle’s enchilada vibes.

For the sake of a well-rounded review, we also ordered a sweet option: the photogenic Blue Lavender ($12.50). Mounds of fluffy lavender whipped cream dwarfed the blue corn waffle triangles. A moat of blueberry compote surrounded the waffle. But the fresh blueberries on top did a better job of bringing out the blue corn and lavender flavors than the extra-sweet blueberry sauce.

Between the two of us, we managed to eat half of each dish, leaving approximately one and a half leftover waffles for dinner. My boyfriend promised to cook a side of vegetables for our leftover feast, to balance out all those tasty carbs.

Through the years, my love for waffles has never wavered. When I was a small child, my mother tells me that I insisted on placing a topping (chocolate chips or berries) in each square of my waffles. Some of my fondest waffle experiences are as a preteen girl with tangled hair and bad breath the morning after a sleepover. A dining room full of giggly girls passing maple syrup around the table — that last joyous time together before everyone rolls up their sleeping bags and goes home.

What keeps me coming back to Tia B’s La Waffleria is the playful innovation on a classic comfort food, consistently fast service and the ambience of a summer picnic.

With intriguing recipes and picnic vibes, Tia B's La Waffleria is a brunch hot spot