For comfort food with a flair, Unconventional Diner lives up to its name.

The restaurant’s location at 1207 Ninth St. NW features funky pop art and bursts of color in a spacious, sleek space. The interior style matches the upscale diner menu, which features twists on classic dishes like chicken noodle soup, a cheeseburger and pancakes.

During weekend brunch, typical diner grub is served alongside dishes like roasted cauliflower and falafel salad, and chickpea shakshuka – a traditional Middle Eastern dish with tomato and eggs. But the dish that will keep you coming back is Unconventional Diner’s chicken and waffles ($18).

The chicken and waffles swaps fluffy batter waffles for cornbread waffles, stepping up the dish to make it even more hearty. A juicy piece of fried chicken and slaw top off the cornbread waffle, while boats of gravy and habanero butter sit on the side ready to dress the dish.

On its own, the cornbread waffle has a fluffy interior and crunchy exterior, serving as the perfect medium for the chicken and gravy. The gravy is extremely flavorful and although it may not seem necessary to the dish, it unexpectedly made the chicken and waffles memorable by bringing out the other flavors on this dynamic plate. Combined with the slight sweetness of the cornbread waffle, the succulent chicken and gravy make for the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

The slaw and habanero butter are just small elements of this meal, but they pack it with unique flavor. Each bite of slaw adds needed crunch and a coolness to the dish and the habanero butter adds a tasty kick to an otherwise mild plate.

If chicken and waffles isn’t your thing, the diverse menu at Unconventional Diner offers options for everyone. For lighter breakfast fare, you can opt for quinoa and chia oatmeal ($9) with coconut milk custard, caramelized pineapple and pecans or a tropicale smoothie ($8) made with mango, pitaya, coconut, yogurt and bee pollen.

During brunch, a slew of affordable brunch cocktails are available and barely surpass the price of non-alcoholic options like fresh-squeezed lemonade ($5), Wild kombucha ($6) and lattes ($5.5).

Mimosas and bellinis that fuse different types of juice with sparkling wine are just $6 each and other cocktails to give you a wake-up call are a dollar more.

For an aptly unconventional take on a hearty diner classic, Unconventional Diner’s chicken and waffles will be sure to satisfy.