Waffle House

CAJUNLAWYER

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Things That Happen At Waffle House‼️
1. You ask for a cup of hot water to soak your utensils. Or if you’re like me plastic/ To-go cutlery.
2. Your bill is gonna be different EVERY time.
3. You're gonna get that all star.
4. You want your drink in a to-go cup because we know their glasses a lil cloudy and we know they aren't clean all the way.
5. That waffle is gonna HIT every time.
6. That steak, is gonna be over cooked and SUPER thin.
7. That bacon is gonna bacon.
8. Them eggs gonna egg just right with a piece of sliced cheese.
9. Smothered, covered, and chunked. If you know, you know. (Onions, cheese, ham)
10. The staff is gonna be arguing amongst themselves for everybody to hear because somebody didn't show up for their shift.
11. At least 3-5 families of roaches live there, but they're respectful enough not to come out while waffle house has company.
12. The grits been cooking in that soup thing for 6 hours and aren't good, but when you mix it with them eggs, sausage, and a slice of cheap cheese and hit it with some salt and pepper, and stir it all up, it's gonna be a win.
13. The patty melt and pork chop are probably the unsung heros of the menu. Delicious.
14. They gonna add water to that A1 and Heinz 57 sauce to stretch it another week. Gas prices high.
15. The booth is too small if you weigh over 275. It's the bar for us.
16. The a/c is gonna be on 43.
17. You gotta use a napkin to grab the syrup bottle because it hasn't been wiped clean in 3-5 business days.
18. A fight can break out at anytime but mainly between the hours of 1am- 4:30 am so if you love a good brawl to go along with your meal these would be the best times for you to show up.
19. If no Waffle House, go to Denny's-it is just a Waffle House for those who don't want to fight or watch one.
 
I got introduced to Waffle House's in Dothan, AL in my 40s. I'm a fan. I don't believe I've encountered one with the .......uh...........casual... approach to sanitation that Caj mentions. Blame the owner, not the chain.

Do agree on the steaks. Maybe they're making sure it's dead, or maybe anything growing/living on it is dead? Not a practice limited to WH. Never tried the grits.

Worked summers in college at a Howard Johnson's on the PA Turnpike. EVERY eatery got roaches, despite a nightly fumigating that would freak out OSHA and/or Health Department. We weren't supposed to do the counter area when customers were there. Help humor: "Pick up your plate, ma'am, gotta spray." Such employment does enliven your imagination about what might be happening in the kitchen when you eat out. The cole slaw got REALLY good after it was in the kitchen heat a day or two.

Wee hours customers at many 24-7 eateries are.......strange. In some, the fights are considered the floor show. One of the reasons White Castle/Tower (& WH) and other such joints give cops freebies is to cut down on the fights. Come to think about it, the fumigating mentioned above-if it's done- might explain some night shift personnel. They're missing a few brain cells.
 
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We went to Waffle House exactly ONE time. It was the most disgusting, vile place we had ever eaten in. Actually we walked out after a few minutes. GROSS!! How they actually stay in business is beyond me! I would NEVER EVER go back and it makes McDonalds look like a high end restaurant.
 
There are no Waffle House in Michigan.
When I drove over the road years ago I would stop at them occasionally, I thought they were ok.
I wouldn't have a problem going again if I were near one
 
My wife is very hard to please when it comes to restaurant breakfasts. She never had a good meal at Cracker Barrel and refuses to go back. Waffle House it one place she has always received a good breakfast and we always stop at one when we make the drive home to Ohio.
Yes to the All Star Breakfast except substitute Country ham and pay the difference. WH is one of the few places that still has Country ham; most only have the water infused City ham.
 
I used to travel to a particular plant several times a year. The appropriate hotel was a Holiday Inn that didn't have a restaurant. But right in front was a Waffle House.

The LAST time I ate breakfast there (note the emphasis), I had just been served and was eating at the counter right in front of the grill. There were eggs frying, along with bacon and saugage. The grill was full.
I noted that the cook was periodically sniffling and rubbing his nose. Then all of a sudden, he let out a huge sneeze and all you could hear was the sizzling on the grill of the guy's discharge.

He turned around and looked at me with a deep voiced "he..he..he".

I felt so sorry for the few customers in the booths...
 
When I was in college I was in an auxiliary police unit. Our group would be offered extra work not filled by P.D. One of these jobs was 10 pm to 6 am Friday and Saturday nights at a 24 hour restaurant. I was young needed money for college so when the job was posted I usually got both nights as PD officers did not want it and most of the auxiliary didn't want it either.
This was always interesting, as the night progressed the level of intoxication became elevated.
The waitresses did not help the situation, many times after I calmed down a patron a waitress would stir them up again.
I was on a first name basis with the PD area car officers. The officers were offered free meals but would not eat there.
The floors were slick with grease and the food was greasier.
I did this for 1 summer offered an interesting cross section of night crawlers.
 
My bass club used to meet at a local Waffle House before each tournament. It was located right off the interstate so no matter where we were going it was convient.

I could never sleep before a tournament, so I'd always get there a couple/three hours early, order breackfast and set back and watch the show. The bars closed at 0200, and the patrons started to wander over to the WH soon after. It always reminded me of Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars. There was never any real trouble though. Sometimes someone would get loud, and the staff would tell them to quiet down, or get out. The last of the "unlucky" guys would be trying to score before they gave up and shuffled on out.

Never seen one that seemed dirty to me. Food was pretty good. Number 15 is right on though.
 
Always been rather fond of Waffle House. Used to do gunshows all over the eastern US and ate at a lot of them. Saw very few with cleanliness issues (and remembered to avoid those in the future) and would suspect the fault was with the franchise owner or his management crew. Most were clean, with the staff working at keeping it so.

As to the food, saw some variation from place to place but it was generally good and filling. The All Star is still a favorite but a bacon, egg & cheese biscuit with a little Tabasco makes a great quick meal!

Since I mostly drove at night going to and from the shows they were often all that was open (other than some truck stops) and there were some interesting people in some of them at odd hours.......... Can't recall any fights when I was in one but there were a few drunks, guys flirting with the waitresses and occasionally some lot lizards taking a break from the truck stop (who weren't above hitting up any guy there either)... Strangest character I remember was at one in Virginia who was dressed like an extra from a Harry Potter movie.......... Long gray hair, robe with weird symbols and a big floppy hat.......... Finished her coffee then went out talking to herself and started pacing around the parking lot. Decided to pay my bill and headed for the truck and down the road. not going to hang around to see if she was putting a Hex on the place............
 
Waffle House is an oasis for people of the night. Many times over many decades I have answered the sirens calls and beached upon their shores.

Go for the food and stay for the show.

There is a WH 8 blocks from me. The boys and I are regulars and like it there.

PS: I remember when fried eggs came with cigarette ashes.
 
In a waffle house one time...Christmas day 1994...somewhere in Arkansas. Only place open...bringing FIL back to see a real doctor in Maryland. Lotta people...um careful what I ate. Only saw one fight but a cop was there. Cook was smokin Pall Malls...long ash. Big hair and something pink on the waitress. Father in law Age 96...ate everything wasn't nailed down ..Never went back...even for the fights...saw enough of them playing music in the country joints with the 8x8 dance...er... fighting area....with the Slim Jims, pickled pigs knuckles and eggs on the counter. Hadda be behind(of) the bar cause of the fights
 
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