A Military Vet’s Waffle Journey Leads to Alaska’s Most Confused (and Delicious) Sandwich
“If it’s funky we’ll find it,” Guy Fieri often says on Triple D. But when he rolled into Anchorage, Alaska, he declared this place went “beyond funky” into “inspirational” territory. Waffles and Whatnot isn’t just another breakfast spot—it’s the culmination of a 21-year military veteran’s mission to cook his way through family tragedy.
Derek Green taught himself to cook when his wife and mother were both battling cancer. His revelation? You can hide a lot of healthy ingredients in a waffle so patients don’t have to take as many pills. After his wife passed, Derek took his waffle creations public, eventually opening this joint that he now runs with his wife Leron. As one customer put it simply: “These are the best waffles in town.”
The Confused Cousin Chicken Sandwich: A Two-Pound Monster
The star of this segment is the Confused Cousin Chicken Sandwich, and confused is exactly right. This behemoth stacks mac and cheese, barbecue sauce, bacon, and crispy chicken between waffle buns—and Guy estimated it weighs in at two pounds.
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The waffle batter alone shows Derek’s health-conscious roots: almond milk, flour, baking powder, two types of pure vanilla, white and brown sugar, a vegan egg substitute, coconut oil, and butternut squash. It’s designed to be both indulgent and sneakily nutritious.
The chicken coating brings serious flavor: unbleached all-purpose flour, adobo, granulated garlic, white pepper, parsley, granulated onion, kosher salt, and a Mediterranean spice blend imported from Israel. Derek double-dredges the chicken through dry flour, egg wash, then dry flour again before frying at 350 degrees for six minutes.
Sous Vide Mac and Cheese? Yes, Really
When Guy asked why Derek doesn’t just melt cheese in a pan “like everybody,” he got his answer: this kitchen uses an immersion circulator. The garlic mac combines Colby jack, sharp cheddar, sodium citrate (to prevent clumping), and heavy cream, all sealed and cooked sous vide. The cheese sauce gets tossed with noodles, eggs, bacon fat, ghee, garlic salt, granulated garlic, and—Derek’s signature—white pepper.
Why the obsession with white pepper? Derek explained that many of his dishes contain turmeric for its curcumin content, and white pepper helps the body absorb curcumin more effectively. Even the indulgent dishes carry that health-first philosophy.
The house barbecue sauce is equally from-scratch: water, brown sugar, paprika, mustard, garlic, black pepper, salt, ketchup, lemon juice, molasses, liquid smoke, and light corn syrup. This gets blended into a house sauce with hot sauce, ranch, and honey.
Guy’s Verdict
Faced with the towering sandwich, Guy admitted he was “actually scared” and asked if he could phone a friend. When told he’d need a pressure washer to clean up afterward, he dove in anyway.
His reaction? “Mac and cheese is delicious. Chicken’s nice crisp on that, nice crunch.” But what really got him was the flavor contrast: “One of my favorite things is that spicy barbecue sauce contrasting with the maple syrup. You get the hot, you get the spice, then you get the sweet. It is a gigantic juxtaposition of flavors and textures. Dynamite.”
Guy even brought along Alaska’s Triple D superstar, Benny Lin from Pagoda Restaurant in North Pole, who praised the crispy waffle, perfectly cooked chicken, and “really nice” barbecue sauce.
This kind of creative, story-driven cooking is what makes Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives special—whether it’s a Lamb Tagliatelle in the lower 48 or “The Flying Jacob” with its unexpected ingredients, the show finds people cooking with heart.
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