Beloved Pico-Union brunch joint Gritz N Wafflez is expanding to Koreatown, bringing southern Creole dishes to the neighborhood’s diverse culinary landscape. The new store will be on 3183 Wilshire Boulevard next door to Subway, closer to Shatto Place.
Grits N Wafflez’s new location is part of the Wilshire Vermont Station mixed-use development featuring high-rise apartments and a variety of restaurants and retail on the arterial street level and an internal plaza leading to the Wilshire Vermont Metro station housing the red and purple lines. Commuters and residents of Wilshire Vermont Station welcomed Panda Express recently, and many will be happy to see an independent restaurateur enter the space that has typically been occupied by chain restaurants and franchises.
The menu features southern classics like fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits, with innovative dishes like collard green dip made similarly to artichoke chip and peach cobbler French toast. Breakfast quesadillas can be ordered with catfish with a side of buttery grits, or you can get just the grits in a plethora of different styles ranging from plain to sweet and lightly fried. Waffles can be sweet or savory, ranging from simple vanilla bean to cheddar and herb.
Per the Gritz N Wafflez website, founder Jurni Rayne came to Los Angeles from Dallas in 2014 after starting her career in hospitality at a young age. She went from a server to restaurant manager with a dream of opening her own restaurant, using recipes handed down from Mama Zula. History and modernity come to life in every tasty bite of po’ boy and grits.
A definitive opening date is not known at the time of writing; the Koreatown location is estimated to open in early 2025.
