Waffle House

[Stump Water]

Lifted from Reddit...

 

Waffle House, the reliable, the awful waffle, the canary of Georgia!🍑

I just returned from the holidays in Georgia, visiting my girlfriend, my first time visiting the US also.

 

Anyway, she told me she had to show me something. We pulled up to a parking lot somewhere in Atlanta with a big yellow sign saying “WAFFLE HOUSE”. We walked in and was greeted by the staff yelling “hey yaaaall happy holidays!”.

 

We were seated down in a booth right next to the kitchen. I felt very confused, didn’t really understand what was going on. Why was a place that serves breakfast food open 24h? My girlfriend told me that its not about the food, its about the experience. WH is always there for you, when you need them. Its the place to be after a night out or to cure your hangover. She said “nobody in here is sober.. not even the staff”.

 

All of the sudden the staff broke out singing happy birthday to a colleague while they were cooking my hash browns and waffle. Seconds after two coworkers started arguing over 20$ one of them owed the other. I felt like Jordan Belfort on my first day on Wall Street “I was hooked within seconds”.

 

I’m a big coffee drinker, so I was very impressed by how fast my cup was filled again when I barely got halfway through drinking it. The hash browns were amazing, the eggs cooked perfectly, and the rest just filled me up nicely. Then I walked out of there feeling like sh!+ and stunned by what I just did to my own body. I thought “**** this place, this food is poison!”.

 

The next morning when I woke up, I couldn’t stop thinking about Waffle House. I wanted more. I was obsessed and I didn’t know why.

 

I researched Waffle House and was even more impressed by how they do things! I’ve never seen a company like it, if a war broke out, waffle house would still be open in the crossfire at no man’s land. I call it the canary of Georgia because, if you see Waffle House closed, you better run for your life because something bad is coming!

 

I miss Atlanta. I miss my girlfriend

 

But I miss Waffle House the most 💛🖤

[Pat Riot]

Yes, Waffle House is an experience. I’m happy that you got to try it out. I love the hash browns and their coffee. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

FEMA gauges the severity of a disaster by the # of waffle houses still open.

[Cypress Sun]

Nothing like breakfast at Waffle House to start the day, or end the night. From the four pack a day waitresses "Hey Hon, what'll it be?" to the "Ya'll come back now", it's truly an American experience. I can honestly say that I've never heard anyone play the jukebox regardless of what time I've visited one.

 

BTW - There really is a Waffle House weather index. If the Waffle House is closed, you really shouldn't be out in the catastrophe that is occurring in the area!

[Eyesa Horg]

I worked at one in the early 70s, that place was busy 24/7, especially in the wee hours. Learned how to flip eggs in a pan there, boy that was an experience!  Got fired when the boss found out I had long hair! The girls used to pin it up under my hat! But made the mistake of coming in at 3 in the morning and the boss walked in while I was eating. He told me not to show up later in the day. So went to the Sheridan Hotel and doubled my pay! 

[Yul Lose]

I’ve never been to a Waffle House, I guess when I’m over at EOT this year I’ll have to try it out.

[Yul Lose]

Since it’s a Waffle House does that mean that you can only get breakfast type food for lunch and dinner or do they have lunch and dinner items also? I’m not a breakfast late in the day enthusiast.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

11 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

Since it’s a Waffle House does that mean that you can only get breakfast type food for lunch and dinner or do they have lunch and dinner items also? I’m not a breakfast late in the day enthusiast.

They serve the spectrum of classic diner dishes but are most famous for their breakfasts. 

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

It's been years since I've been there but I always liked it.

Horace

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Yul Lose said:

Since it’s a Waffle House does that mean that you can only get breakfast type food for lunch and dinner or do they have lunch and dinner items also? I’m not a breakfast late in the day enthusiast.

 

 

 

They serve all three meals, all day long. You want breakfast for supper? They'll do it. You want supper for breakfast? They'll do that too.

[Eyesa Horg]

I worked at the one in Ft.Lauderdale. Those menus look pretty close to what I cooked in 73!! However, we served more breakfast food than the other with the exception of lunchtime.

[Yul Lose]

1 hour ago, Alpo said:

 

 

 

They serve all three meals, all day long. You want breakfast for supper? They'll do it. You want supper for breakfast? They'll do that too.

Thank you. My internet is so screwed up that I kept getting an error code and page not found when I tried to view their menu.

[watab kid]

there was a time a bit back when a friend and i traveled to nashville every fall for a sporting clays shoot , i miss that trip , more for the mornings at the waffle house than the shooting , 

[Kid Rich]

A few years back Shirttail and I had our Thanksgiving dinner at a Waffle House somewhere in the south east we were the only folks in the place but the staff certainly made us feel welcome. I love to have eggs, toast and hashbrowns with chili on top.

kR

[Rye Miles #13621]

I've been in exactly two Waffle houses. One in Tennessee with a bunch of us shooters from Ohio and one here in Columbus on the way back from a 3 day shoot. I was not impressed or disappointed. The food was mediocre but the prices were great! I haven't been to one in maybe 10 years. I'd rather Denny's or IHop or Bob Evans to be honest.

[Warden Callaway]

I worked with a guy that loved to go on business trips to Athens Georgia because he loved the Waffle House. We'd fly into Atlanta and rent a car. Had to stop at first Waffle House we came to. We didn't have Waffle House in our area at that time. We got one in town but it didn't last long. The place is a barbecue place now. 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

My partner and I stopped in the Columbus OH Waffle House after an ambulance transfer.

We were both starved out and I always wanted to eat at this well known restaurant.

As I recall, it was truly superb.

(In honesty, that may have something to do with that ancient Chinese proverb: "Hunger makes the best sauce!")

[Old Man Graybeard]

Waffle House is a true culinary delight that has to be experienced to really be appreciated….or unappreciated…

[Ozark Huckleberry]

Waffle House Disaster Index

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

16 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

Since it’s a Waffle House does that mean that you can only get breakfast type food for lunch and dinner or do they have lunch and dinner items also? I’m not a breakfast late in the day enthusiast.

 

The flip side to the menu Alpo posted.

 

Edited January 7 by Sedalia Dave

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

3 hours ago, Kid Rich said:

A few years back Shirttail and I had our Thanksgiving dinner at a Waffle House somewhere in the south east we were the only folks in the place but the staff certainly made us feel welcome. I love to have eggs, toast and hashbrowns with chili on top.

kR

Whisperin' Bill Anderson's Waffle House Christmas from a while back:

 

 

Edited January 7 by Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770

[Stump Water]

4 hours ago, Kid Rich said:

A few years back Shirttail and I had our Thanksgiving dinner at a Waffle House somewhere in the south east we were the only folks in the place but the staff certainly made us feel welcome.

 

Around here you can't get in a WH on Thanksgiving day... or Christmas or New Years day either.

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Whisperin' Bill Anderson's Waffle House Christmas from a while back:

 

 

Boy, they're help had long hair!!

[Alpo]

The blond(ish) woman sitting on Bill's left. She looks kinda/sorta familiar. Is she famous?

[Mossy Horn Gent]

Waffle house used to offer all you can eat from the breakfast menu for a reasonable price.

[Will Kane]

5 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Whisperin' Bill Anderson's Waffle House Christmas from a while back:

 

 

I’m happy to learn Whispering Bill is with us “Still”.

[Cypress Sun]

The Waffle House that used to be on Cleveland St. in Clearwater, Fl always had some "interesting" people in it about 2:30am in the morning, myself not included.

One morning in 1978, I was having some breakfast and guy that was shaved bald on half of his head, long stringy dirty hair on the other side, came in and ordered a steak...raw. Not rare, raw. The waitress dutifully asked if he at least wanted it heated up...no and no sides either. He ate this raw, tough breakfast steak in it's entirety while proclaiming his dedication to Charles Manson. Still one of the strangest things I've ever seen in an eatery.

At least he didn't play the jukebox.

 

I just looked to see if the WH was still there, it's not. Don't know when they closed but it was probably because Scientology took over most of downtown Clearwater and surrounding areas. Even back then, they didn't patronize any businesses that weren't Scientology owned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

9 hours ago, Alpo said:

The blond(ish) woman sitting on Bill's left. She looks kinda/sorta familiar. Is she famous?

 

Most of the people in the video should look familiar.

 

Kid Rock, Tanya Tucker, Gretchen Wilson and Jeannie Seely Cameo in Bill Anderson’s “Waffle House Christmas”

[Alpo]

Once upon a time, if there was a group of people in the picture and in the caption it said who they were, it would list them in the order they were in the picture. That's for people like me that didn't know who they were.

 

 

Kid Rock, Tanya Tucker, Gretchen Wilson and Jeannie Seely Cameo in Bill Anderson’s “Waffle House Christmas”.

 

Okay going by that, the guy in the red shirt is Kid Rock, the man with the hat on is Tanya Tucker, the woman in the red shirt is Gretchen Wilson, the woman in the white shirt is Jeannie Seely and the woman in the Waffle House uniform is Bill Anderson.

 

Or, we will assume that everybody recognizes Whispering Bill, so that means that the guy in the hat is Kid Rock. The woman in the red shirt is Tanya Tucker. The woman in the white shirt is Gretchen Wilson. And the woman in the Waffle House uniform is Jeannie Seely.

 

No? But that's the way they're listed in the caption.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here. The woman in the white shirt is Tanya Tucker. But I haven't seen Tanya Tucker since she was about 30, so I don't know. As for Jeannie Seeley - I don't have a clue. Occasionally when I hear her name my brain transposes that into Jeannie C Riley, who I have heard of.

[watab kid]

i just remembered something else about the waffle house experience , in the back hall near the restrooms there was always posted a current copy of the 'health inspection report' , while it was seldom a glowing testament it was always entertaining to read , it never deterred us from eating there , 

the staff was not just personable they were entertaining , i enjoyed seeing them year after year and they remembered us too ,  

[Sidekick]

25 minutes ago, Alpo said:

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here. The woman in the white shirt is Tanya Tucker. But I haven't seen Tanya Tucker since she was about 30, so I don't know. As for Jeannie Seeley - I don't have a clue. Occasionally when I hear her name my brain transposes that into Jeannie C Riley, who I have heard of.

The woman in the red shirt is Tanya Tucker.  Jeannie Seeley is in the white shirt and Gretchen Wilson is in the Waffle House uniform.

Edited January 8 by Sidekick

[Maddog McCoy SASS #5672]

I was down in Clarksville, Tn about a month ago and stopped at a Waffle house. The sign on the door said carry out only. When I went in, there was only one guy working and running the whole show and said most of the staff was out sick and he would not have any help until the morning ( was about 7pm). I said I need a place to sit down and eat and he directed to the next Waffle House, one about 3 miles south on the same road or one about 5 miles north on the same road. I was going to be headed north anyhow and I stopped at the next one and got a T-Bone steak, Chili and about 5 lbs of hash browns loaded with ham, cheese and grilled onions, I passed on the jalapeno peppers. It was a good meal and I liked it. I usually find one when I am traveling south to shoot a match. I think the the closest one to me is in Louisville , Ky or by St Louis, MO, on the Illinois side of the river off I64.

Edited January 8 by Maddog McCoy SASS #5672

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

One of my favorite Waffle House experiences was back in 2018, on my first road trip back to Ohio. I stopped for breakfast in Tulsa on the way home. 

The waitress was a slightly older woman for a waitress, (50ish), and had been on duty all night, so when she stopped to take my order, she just sat across from me in the booth while she did so. As I ordered, she commented on my selections, either agreeing with them, or telling me what she would have instead. It took several minutes to place what would normally be a 30 second order. And we had a nice conversation. 

Just remembered another Waffle House from the same trip. Supper in St. Louis Mo. The place wasn't busy, it was about 8:30 at night, only two employes working, a couple nice black girls. There was only maybe two other customers in the place, so they weren't busy. They were conversing loudly, just having a good time at work, (I know, against policy most places), talking about what they do off duty. 

One was telling about the clubs she went to, and told the other about picking up guys. She said one of her favorites was to go up to a guy and accuse him of owing her mother back child support! I was laughing too hard to hear whether it worked or not. 

[watab kid]

2 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

One of my favorite Waffle House experiences was back in 2018, on my first road trip back to Ohio. I stopped for breakfast in Tulsa on the way home. 

The waitress was a slightly older woman for a waitress, (50ish), and had been on duty all night, so when she stopped to take my order, she just sat across from me in the booth while she did so. As I ordered, she commented on my selections, either agreeing with them, or telling me what she would have instead. It took several minutes to place what would normally be a 30 second order. And we had a nice conversation. 

Just remembered another Waffle House from the same trip. Supper in St. Louis Mo. The place wasn't busy, it was about 8:30 at night, only two employes working, a couple nice black girls. There was only maybe two other customers in the place, so they weren't busy. They were conversing loudly, just having a good time at work, (I know, against policy most places), talking about what they do off duty. 

One was telling about the clubs she went to, and told the other about picking up guys. She said one of her favorites was to go up to a guy and accuse him of owing her mother back child support! I was laughing too hard to hear whether it worked or not. 

funny, now that you mention your experience it comes back to me that we had a similar experience in that the waitress was older [should be retired] and was very personable , also she was there year after year , we knew her name [ive forgotten at this point] but id recognize her and remember if i went back i think , she almost knew our orders when we visited once a year , the big tips might have helped but she was great , 

 

we brought her a gift one year because it was going to be an aniversary of her employment there , she had been there 30 years IIRC , i recall that because i was getting close to my 30 year mark at the company i worked at [made that before they retired me too] anyway , i kinda miss those shoots , and as i said as much for the waffle house as the shoot , 

[Warden Callaway]

Funny, I think someone did a study and found that waiters have the best memory of any group of people.  When we made a long hall delivery,  we'd start out at about 4:00pm. We'd stop for breakfast at a cafe in Licking.  We only made this run every couple months and didn't always stop there.  But the waitress got to remember what we ordered,  "You want your eggs over easy and substitute biscuit instead of toast."  That's right.