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[RBH]

No 24-hour diner chain inspires quite the same cult following as Waffle House. Since its founding in Atlanta some 60 years ago, the restaurant has been elevated to cultural touchstone, now sprawling across 25 U.S. states with more than 2,000 locations.

Slinging humble breakfast fare around the clock, Waffle House inspires deep and unyielding loyalty in diners like few restaurant chains (except maybe Whataburger) can. Is it the cheap prices? The no-frills atmosphere? Those illustrious hash browns that somehow taste better when you’re intoxicated? The waitresses that inevitably call you “honey”? Likely some combination of all of the above, plus a little bit of that inexplicable Southern diner magic — call it the Waffle House je ne sais quoi.

The chain has inspired numerous books, including a first-person narrative from a former line cook titled As the Waffle Burns as well as one by a pastor called — naturally — The Gospel According to Waffle House. The chain, which claims to have sold its billionth waffle sometime in 2015, recently saw both of its founders, Tom Forkner and Joe Rogers Sr., die within just two months of one another. Here now, a look back at the legend, and for fans near and far, everything you need to know about Waffle House.

The first Waffle House made its debut in 1955 in the Atlanta suburb of Avondale Estates. The vision: combine fast food, available 24 hours a day, with table service. Co-founder Forkner once explained how he and Rogers, who were neighbors, started the chain: “He said, ‘You build a restaurant and I’ll show you how to run it.’” They named it Waffle House because waffles were the most profitable menu item (and therefore, what they most wanted customers to order).

Eating at Waffle House for the first time requires becoming versed in a new vernacular — what the hell does “scattered, smothered, and covered” mean? True Waffle House devotees have their hash brown orders committed to memory, but for everyone else, the menu translates each esoteric term: “Scattered” refers to spreading the hash browns out across the grill so they get crispy all around — otherwise, they’re cooked inside a steel ring — and is one of the mostly commonly heard terms thrown around at WH; many also order them “well-done.” The other topping options are smothered (sautéed onions), covered (melted American cheese), chunked (bits of ham), diced (tomatoes), peppered (jalapeños), capped (grilled mushrooms), topped (chili), or country (smothered in sausage gravy). Diners can also just say to hell with it and order them “all the way.”

Like most any other diner, orders at Waffle House are subject to plenty of customization, from the various egg preparations (over easy, scrambled, et al) to those signature hash browns. To ensure order accuracy and kitchen efficiency, Waffle House staff have their own highly esoteric visual coding system. By marking plates with butter pats, mini tubs of grape jelly, and other condiments such as mayo packets and pickles in various, highly specific arrangements, servers are able to communicate to cooks what food should be prepared for each plate. For example, to indicate an order of scrambled eggs with wheat toast, a tub of jelly is placed on a larger oval plate upside down at the six o'clock position. (Good luck memorizing this system unless you actually work there; the rest of us will simply have to look on with awe.)

Despite all his globe-trotting, Anthony Bourdain had apparently never patronized a Waffle House until 2016, when he accompanied Southern chef sensation Sean Brock on a late-night, post-bar feast. No one needs Bourdain to proselytize about the goodness that is Waffle House, but regardless, he had some poetic commentary to offer: “It is indeed marvelous — an irony-free zone where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts; where everybody regardless of race, creed, color or degree of inebriation is welcomed.” (Brock also assembled the ultimate Waffle House tasting menu for Bourdain’s recently launched travel site, Explore Parts Unknown.)

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX_kbIVxl_o

But the fact that Waffle House is literally always open is also part of what makes it so beloved. In fact, its restaurants close so rarely that at least one government agency uses the diners as a barometer for disaster recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency utilizes an informal “Waffle House Index” to determine the severity of a tropical storm or hurricane. In short, if a Waffle House closes that’s a sign to FEMA — and to the rest of us — that a storm was severe. Here are the three levels of the Waffle House Index, which is used to evaluate areas after a storm passes through:

Green: Waffle House is serving a full menu and electricity is on.

Yellow: Waffle House is serving a limited menu, may be low on food supplies, and is likely using an electrical generator.

Red: Waffle House is closed. (Oh shit, time to panic.)

https://www.eater.com/2017/5/2/15471798/waffle-house-history-menu




Just reading through this makes me wish I was back in Atlanta right now. The ultimate comfort food, whether it's 3pm or 3am.

Scattered, smothered, and diced for me.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

Yay Eater!!

I've only been in Atlanta once but never had waffles in anywhere but DC.

 

[novenD]

I went to Waffle House for the first time on Black Friday last year. It was a life changing experience.

Go to WH, GAF.

Go.

 

[womfalcs3]

I went to Waffle House for the first time on Black Friday last year. It was a life changing experience.

Go to WH, GAF.

Go.

I would like to, but I don't want to run the risk of:

- Being shot by a guy having an argument about Clemson vs. South Carolina that went out of control.
- Having drunk/hungover people sitting next to me. They can get pretty bad.

 

[Xe4]

I used to live in Albuquerque which has one of the furthest west Waffle houses in the country. Boy, at night that place could be sketch AF, but boy was it fun to chill out at.

 

[outunderthestars]

I would like to, but I don't want to run the risk of:

- Being shot by a guy having an argument about Clemson vs. South Carolina that went out of control.
- Having drunk/hungover people sitting next to me. They can get pretty bad.

I have eaten at Waffle Houses hundreds of times and have never once seen any arguments or fights.

 

[Ravek]

I have eaten at Waffle Houses hundreds of times and have never once seen any arguments or fights.

My sister and I would fight when we were kids about what songs to play on the jukebox. That count?

 

[hwalker84]

Smothered
Covered
Diced
Peppered

Also never seen any fights but i did see an elderly lady strip to "Don't cha" by the Pussycat dolls

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

The Waffle House by me had a smoking section up until last year, was like walking into a time machine. Eeehhh it's ok but I got burned out after eating too many times there. Now it's every once in a while for me.

 

[RBH]

Anthony Bourdain visits Waffle House for the first time:


https://youtube.com/watch?v=cX_kbIVxl_o

 

[RBH]

I have eaten at Waffle Houses hundreds of times and have never once seen any arguments or fights.

Same

Guess we've been lucky!

 

[Clefargle]

Waffle house is dope

Pancake house in birmingham stomps it in quality tho.

 

[phanphare]

Anthony Bourdain visits Waffle House for the first time:


https://youtube.com/watch?v=cX_kbIVxl_o

love that video

Sean Brock is a real G

pretty sure I used to frequent that WH in college if it's the one right by the round holiday inn

good times

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

I have fond memories as a young'un of seeing that iconic Waffle House sign at practically every interstate offramp when the family used to take roadtrips, though I've only eaten at one maybe a dozen times in my life.

 

[metsallica]

I went to Waffle House for the first time on Black Friday last year. It was a life changing experience.

Go to WH, GAF.

Go.

Tell them to open one in NY(C) and I will!

 

[sixteen-bit]

Anthony Bourdain visits Waffle House for the first time:


https://youtube.com/watch?v=cX_kbIVxl_o

I watching Parts Unknown on Netflix before it disappears this month. I gotta watch this, lol.

 

[Rocketz]

Sad that there isn't a location in Michigan near me.

Place was the wife and mine's late night snack in college.

 

[jmdajr]

They have one near me. I went once. No complaints really, just not an option is you like healthy food most of the time.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I thought this would be a satire piece about Trumps time in The White House so far.

Now I want a waffle.

 

[Viewt]

One of the handful of things I miss about the south.

Also, Waffle House's level of operation and logistics is legendary, to the point that FEMA uses them (informally) to discern how bad natural disasters are.

 

[emb]

Had no idea this was a semi-local thing. Apparently, half the states don't even have WHs.

I don't eat there often, but it'd feel wrong to not have the option.

 

[HowZatOZ]

When I visited America, and Atlanta specifically for Smite's first eSports championship in 2015 I was absolutely amazed at Waffle House. I'd vaguely heard of it before here in Australia but it was only from movies I think, but I didn't expect what I got at all. Really awesome place with really nice service and the waitresses were really nice and helpful.

Food was super good, not fatty like a lot of the other foods I had try and been led to believe common of an American takeout diet. And having the "real" hash browns was good, I think I chose to have mine scattered or maybe topped with sauteed onions.

I think I left a $10 tip to the waitress. I just kept leaving that wherever I went as I knew fuck all about tipping haha.

 

[Deepwater]

It's truly the Jewel of the South

 

[phanphare]

When I visited America, and Atlanta specifically for Smite's first eSports championship in 2015 I was absolutely amazed at Waffle House. I'd vaguely heard of it before here in Australia but it was only from movies I think, but I didn't expect what I got at all. Really awesome place with really nice service and the waitresses were really nice and helpful.

Food was super good, not fatty like a lot of the other foods I had try and been led to believe common of an American takeout diet. And having the "real" hash browns was good, I think I chose to have mine scattered or maybe topped with sauteed onions.

I think I left a $10 tip to the waitress. I just kept leaving that wherever I went as I knew fuck all about tipping haha.

move the decimal point over one, double that number, and either pay that or a tiny bit less

 

[jetsetnickradio]

I live in northwest Florida and we've got at least 3 Waffle Houses in every town.

They're okay. A lot of times they undercook the waffles, so they'll be really spongy and I prefer them to have a bit of a crunch to them, but their cheesy eggs and cinnamon raisin toast with apple butter jelly are on point.

The food is also really cheap and they're open 24 hours so it's hard to complain.

Denny's is still the GOAT 24 hour breakfast chain, though. Unfortunately, I have to drive 30 minutes to get to one, whereas Waffle House is right down the road.

 

[jstripes]

We went to Virginia Beach a couple of years ago, and had to choose between Waffle House and IHOP.

After checking out both, we went to IHOP.

 

[Jarrod38]

One of these I'm going to have to go at night so he how different the crowd is.

 

[BobTheFork]

It's truly the Jewel of the South

I actually agree. The best part of the South.

 

[Makonero]

Smothered, Peppered and Country baby.

Great place to go super late when you can't get to sleep or need to stay up for a flight.

 

[Barzul]

I fucking love waffle house, because no matter what small tiny southern town you go to, there's always a waffle house nearby.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I don't think these exist in California.

Sometimes I wonder if a place like this would succeed if it were founded now. Like, obviously, new restaurants open and flourish all the time, but would a place like this, which tries to set itself apart by its service instead of its food, fair well?

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

I don't think these exist in California.

Sometimes I wonder if a place like this would succeed if it were founded now. Like, obviously, new restaurants open and flourish all the time, but would a place like this, which tries to set itself apart by its service instead of its food, fair well?

It's super cheap, fast, simple, and tasty. It's also always open. It kills any of the other similar offerings like Denny's or IHOP in pretty much every one of these ways, too. I think it would definitely be successful.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

I can't even remember how many times I've gone there as a junior/senior in highschool with my older friends late on a Saturday night to sober up over some breakfast sandwiches before heading home.

My go-to's were:
Sausage egg cheese breakfast sandwich
Triple plate of hashbrowns w/ketchup
3 scrambled eggs
Waffle

Pick any two of those and combine them. That was my minimum amount of food I'd order.

Living in Houston though is hard as far as WH locations go. You won't find any in the city for some weird reason. You have to go out as far as the belt way or further out to find any locations.

 

[itwasTuesday]

Jumping off the interstate at 3 in the a.m. you know something is open, cleanliness might be a second thought.

Working 24 Hours Straight in a Waffle House by Bon Appe'tit
https://youtu.be/cuCUYnzI9gU

 

[Watevaman]

We went to Virginia Beach a couple of years ago, and had to choose between Waffle House and IHOP.

After checking out both, we went to IHOP.

Biggest mistake of your life.

 

[HStallion]

I miss not having a Waffle House near me anymore, I live in central Jersey, as it was one of my main stops when drunk or high. Cheap, fast and good. You can't beat that, especially at 3am.

 

[pa22word]

Biggest mistake of your life.

Yup. That's equivalent to checking out someplace called Big Joes Greaseburgers on the corner and going to McDonalds instead because the former looked like a hole in the wall.

Guess what bros, hole in the wall with cars out front means good food. Especially down south.

 

[Zackat]

We went to Virginia Beach a couple of years ago, and had to choose between Waffle House and IHOP.

After checking out both, we went to IHOP.

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes

 

[Culex]

Between them and Krystal's, I really miss the southeast.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Waffle, toast, bacon, and a cherry coke and I'm good to go.

 

[2Smashed4U]

I fucking love Waffle House.

Most devious thing I ever saw at a Waffle House was a couple banging in the bathroom on a Valentine's Day once, and even that's just love am I right?

 

[daveo42]

During summer break my group of close friends would go there once a week to shoot the shit and eat some great greasy ass food. One friend ate entire chocolate mouse pie at one such meeting. We egged him on to finish it after he ate half of one on his own.

I have eaten at Waffle Houses hundreds of times and have never once seen any arguments or fights.

Go to one by a college and you'll see them way more often than you will at one in the sticks or by a truck stop.

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

I feel far behind for never trying this.

 

[Raven117]

Waffle House....when you are in the position that you want a Waffle House....is incredible. (Yup, that's circular)

 

[Zukkoyaki]

Those hashbrowns are life

 

[Applesauce]

The best hangover food, Patty melts and hash browns

 

[Haly]

Need to try this sometime...

 

[Into the Light]

Whats better and why

Cracker barrel or waffle house?

Ive never been to either.

 

[HStallion]

Whats better and why

Cracker barrel or waffle house?

Ive never been to either.

Cracker Barrel is a safe space for old white folks. Waffle House is where the enlightened everyman eats.

 

[Into the Light]

Cracker Barrel is a safe space for old white folks. Waffle House is where the enlightened everyman eats.

What does that even mean?