South side residents don't have to drive far for the southern favorite chicken and waffles.
It tops the menu at J and K Heritage Museum Cafe, which opened Tuesday in the well-worn restaurant space adjacent to theΒ Afro-American Heritage Museum on South Park Avenue.
The restaurant serves chicken-and-waffles, a la carte or by the plate, with prices ranging from a couple of dollars to $7 or $8 for a plate. Chef-owner James Williams, a retired military dietician, also has plans to serve smoked meats, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, hot wings and other traditional Southern fare, most of it created in consultation with Charles Kendrick.
Kendrick knows a thing or two about Southern cuisine. The retired pharmacist founded his namesake Mr. K's Barbecue 17 years ago in the small space where Williams has set up shop. It was a way for him to satisfy his love for traditional Southern barbecue while also raising money to keep the doors open to this museum,Β which he co-founded and operates withΒ Standman Blair.
Kendrick's son Ray now runs the Original Mr. K's BBQ further down on South Park Avenue in the old Snuffy's BarΒ and Grill near East Valencia Road.
Β "We've got one chicken and waffles restaurant in Tucson, May's Counter," Kendrick said. "It's about time the south side had one."
J and K's replaces the short-lived OlΓ© Rico Mexican Steakhouse, which was open a few months from late 2014 to early this year. A Caribbean restaurant also made a short run at the space in early 2013.Β
Williams, who resurrected the iconic Jack's Original BBQ on East 22nd Street in early 2013 and kept it open an improbable 14 months before closing it for good in April 2014, said his primary goal is to help Kendrick keep the museum open. The Afro-American Heritage Museum is home to some rare and compelling historic artifacts that chronicle the African-American experience in Tucson, from relics of the Buffalo Soldiers, the African-American calvary unit that fought during the Civil War, to the area's role in the Civil Rights movement.Β
"We want to try to bring history to life in Tucson," he said.
Kendrick said the museum is open whenever he is there and admission is free; donations are always accepted.
J and K Heritage Museum Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 1830 S. Park Ave.Β
