In praise of Waffle House

[WinterBorn]

I love this video, and I am a huge fan of the Waffle House. Plain good food served to inebriated people all over the south.

I am a foodie. I love to cook and I love to enjoy good food. I also tend to be a snob about my food being better than fast food. The Waffle House is the exception.

Where else can you go at 2am, hammered or stoned, and be served the ideal munchies food?

The hashbrowns are legendary. My go to order is Scattered, Smothered and Covered. I will occasionally add Chunked.
To those uneducated in the mystic ways of Waffle House, this means the hashbrowns are Scattered on the griddle, smothered in onions and covered in American cheese. Chunked adds chunks of diced ham.

The eggs come any way you want. Over easy is easily my favorite, to go with the hashbrowns.

And the waffles? Perfectly cooked with plenty of fake butter and tasty syrup. But the Pecan Waffle is the ultimate waffle. It defies description, especially for someone who's vocabulary is limited by vast quantities of alcohol and/or herbal intoxication.

The Patty Melt is a think of beauty for someone who has just spent 6 or 8 hours driving, with another few hours to go (especially in the middle of the night).

I have even worked up the courage to try Bert's Chili. Not the best chili ever, but passable, especially when spooned over the aforementioned hashbrowns.



FEMA even used (and still does in some areas) something called The Waffles House Index to describe the seriousness of a disaster.

GREEN - Waffle house has power and a full menu. Damages are limited.
YELLOW - Power is out, or perhaps running on a generator. Menu is limited and food supplies may be running low. Damages are serious.
RED - Waffle House is closed. This means the situation is dire and you should run.


In 1996 I was hired to manage a hotel in Jonesboro GA, a suburb of Atlanta. From my parking lot I could see the signs of 3 different Waffle House restaurants. Often I would get to work early, put in a few hours of work, and then take a mid-morning break for breakfast. Tasty, dependable food and always plenty of good coffee. I didn't understand how the 3 restaurants could stay open. Until I was staying at the hotel while my apartment was being painted. After midnight, all 3 restaurants were slammed. Feeding the inebriated masses.

Later, when I was working all over the eastern half of the country as a safety director and trainer, I came to depend on Waffle House for food and coffee as I traveled. It didn't matter the hour, the population of the area, my familiarity with the area, or the weather. The warm yellow glow of the Waffle House sign was always a welcome to a weary traveler.

 

[Auld Phart]

My favorite 3am grease pit.

 

[TNHarley]

When I am drunk, I will eat there. When im not, no way.
I think horrible teeth, body odor and crack addiction is a hiring requirement.
Love the OP, too. Entertaining read.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

And you might be entertained with fights by drunken customers!!

But yeah I love the place myself,they make good old fashion diner food.
It's weird,when I cook breakfast on the Black Stone griddle it seems to come out better than if you used a fry pan in the kitchen.
Especially when making smash burgers.

 

[TNHarley]

And you might be entertained with fights by drunken customers!!

But yeah I love the place myself,they make good old fashion diner food.
It's weird,when I cook breakfast on the Black Stone griddle it seems to come out better than if you used a fry pan in the kitchen.
Especially when making smash burgers.

My blackstone will forever hold a place in my heart
That thing is amazing!

 

[WinterBorn]

My favorite 3am grease pit.

It is the best way to get your cholesterol numbers up at 2am.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

My blackstone will forever hold a place in my heart
That thing is amazing!

Got the big one for the backyard and had to get the small one for the camper after trying it out.
It's great for camping! No dishes to clean,just scrape it off and wipe it down with a rag.

 

[WinterBorn]

When I am drunk, I will eat there. When im not, no way.
I think horrible teeth, body odor and crack addiction is a hiring requirement.
Love the OP, too. Entertaining read.

One of the best things about a Waffle House is watching the cook. They always look rough. Most don't have all their teeth.

But watching them at the grill with a full house is a marvel. 37 things going on, and they can keep track of which eggs are over easy and when the hashbrowns need to be stirred.

And every order is called out by the waitress. The cooks hear it and get started. Not haute cuisine, but a NASCAR pit crew version of a Chef.

 

[WinterBorn]

And you might be entertained with fights by drunken customers!!

But yeah I love the place myself,they make good old fashion diner food.
It's weird,when I cook breakfast on the Black Stone griddle it seems to come out better than if you used a fry pan in the kitchen.
Especially when making smash burgers.

I have cooked on a Blackstone twice and loved it! I will have one of my own.

 

[lg325]

It is a haven for this life long bachelor. The one near my old home had students from a local culinary school working there. The food was always done just right. One of the few places where my T bone steak was done perfect. Nice people good food loyal customers. Peanut Butter Waffle with butter and plenty of syrup, a side of bacon with coffee is one of my favorites to order.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I have cooked on a Blackstone twice and loved it! I will have one of my own.

Makes ya feel like a short order cook.
My theory is all your food gets a little flavor from whats cooking beside it.
In the case of Philly Cheese steaks I know thats the reason. It all finishes up under a dome to finish melting the cheese.
You just cant match it on the stove top.

 

[WinterBorn]

It is a haven for this life long bachelor. The one near my old home had students from a local culinary school working there. The food was always done just right. One of the few places where my T bone steak was done perfect. Nice people good food loyal customers. Peanut Butter Waffle with butter and plenty of syrup, a side of bacon with coffee is one of my favorites to order.

The first time I had their steak I was expecting much less than I got. It was really good. Not Ruth Chris, but delicious nonetheless.

 

[WinterBorn]

Makes ya feel like a short order cook.
My theory is all your food gets a little flavor from whats cooking beside it.
In the case of Philly Cheese steaks I know thats the reason. It all finishes up under a dome to finish melting the cheese.
You just cant match it on the stove top.

And you can cook for 2 or cook for 20.

 

[TNHarley]

I have cooked on a Blackstone twice and loved it! I will have one of my own.

Worth every penny!
Steaks, chicken, breakfast, fried rice, fried lo mein, burgers.. mmmm

 

[The Irish Ram]

There was a little diner in the town close to mine, and after the bars all closed a 2am. the diner filled up and looked kind of like this:

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

And you can cook for 2 or cook for 20.

Love the three burner model for making hot and warm sides to the griddle.
Makes it easy to push your burger patties or whatever else to the side to keep em warm while finishing up something else.
Cooking on a flat top comes easy for me since I'm one of those people who likes to have every ingredient measured and ready before I even start cooking.
The Wife used to bitch about it saying it wasnt necessary until she took up the cooking when my hip and back fucked up,She's now a believer.
She told me the other day that I made cooking look easy and she now understands why I do the things I do for prep.
She has no feel for timing,and she now just lets me sit in my chair and tell Her what to do next.

 

[lg325]

People watching after midnight is one of my favorite pastimes at Waffle House and Denny's

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

People watching after midnight is one of my favorite pastimes at Waffle House and Denny's

That ain't no shit!!
Haven't been to Waffle House in the wee hours in probably 15 years,but I do remember the days....or should I say mornings.

 

[BULLDOG]

The first time I had their steak I was expecting much less than I got. It was really good. Not Ruth Chris, but delicious nonetheless.

The steaks are better than I usually expect from a cut of meat thin enough to read the newspaper through. I guess you get what you pay for. Other than that, and an occasional piece of pecan pie that has turned green on the bottom, I haven't found much to complain about.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

To me, while the food is good, in my opinion, it has gotten way too over priced the past couple of years.

God bless you always!!!

Holly