A new restaurant with celebrity ties dedicated to chicken & waffles has opened in Dallas: Called Johnny's Chicken & Waffles, it was founded in Atlanta by reality TV star Crystal Renay with her ex-husband, singer Ne-Yo and Karlie Redd (VH1’s Love n’ Hip Hop). They debuted the concept in 2020 in College Park, Georgia; then opened a second location in Arizona in 2023.

Dallas is the third. It opened on May 24 at 1326 Botham Jean Blvd., across the street from the Dallas Police Department. The space was most recently Monica's and previously Cedars Social. The restaurant is from a team that has previously brought ventures such as The Ainsworth in Plano.

Chicken & waffles — by now a brunch staple across the U.S. — originated in Harlem at a place called Wells Famous Home of Chicken and Waffles, but was not made famous until Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles opened in southern California in 1975.

Johnny’s menu takes a mix-and-match approach: You choose from a list of chicken options and a selection of waffle flavors, so you can customize your chicken-and-waffle situation to order.

• Chicken comes in choice of whole wings, tenders, Buffalo wings, or a combo
• Waffles comes in choice of buttermilk, pecan, red velvet, or strawberry

Their other big signatures: mac & cheese which you can order with chicken tenders, fried shrimp, or fried lobster tail, for $29.95; and cocktails served in mason jars, including standard brunch cocktails such as bloody Marys and mimosas as well as margaritas, espresso martini, and a strawberry lemonade with cognac.

They also have entrees like Cajun penne pasta, brioche French toast stuffed with cream cheese, fried shrimp basket, catfish & grits, and salads like a kale Caesar. Most items are priced between $21.95 and $29.95.

Sandwiches include a Nashville hot chicken, a Buffalo chicken wrap, and a "Texan melt" with chicken, bacon, Monterey jack, and BBQ sauce on Texas toast. That's how to win over the locals.

Inspired by the Ne-Yo connection and Atlanta's buzzy music scene, they make music a decorative theme with platinum albums on the wall from famous Atlanta musicians like OutKast, Ludacris, and Usher, both at the original in College Park and at the Dallas location, too.

There's also the obligatory Instagram-ready photo stand with greenery and a neon sign that reads “Everyday I’m Wafflin."

"Anyone who appreciates music will love the ambiance we created in our dining room, with awards and plaques from Ne-Yo, and some of our closest friends," says Renay, who is the creator of the menu. “Who doesn’t love delicious soul food, while listening to some amazing music!"