Louisville, KY (The Joy of Food) — When God closes a window, he will lovingly remind you that Waffle House’s doors are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The prices are low, the service is friendly, and the menu is straightforward and simple, making this iconic, no-frills place something that self-professed fans (and pot heads) keep coming back to.
So much of Waffle House for me is terroir. It’s being in the muggy, humid south, where the thick air everywhere is perfumed with a perfect mixture of sweet magnolias, propane, and pork. Where you’ll feel you’ve entered a time machine back to the 1980’s because there’s a jukebox in the corner and you’ll hear diner lingo like ‘chunked’ and ‘peppered’ to call in orders. Where it’s okay to take your time and walk to your stool with an exaggerated gait, slow down your manner of speaking, and stuff your face with 7,500 calories of artery-clogging junk food. All for $1.29 plus tax.
Half of the states in the U.S. are fortunate to count a Waffle House within their borders. There are over 2,100 locations, most of them in the south, most of them within ten feet of any highway exit. The round-the-clock availability has led to an urban myth that Waffle House doors have no locks; I checked, and they do.
On a Saturday morning, the place will be packed with what can be perceived, surprisingly, to be many sober people, including but not limited to, hyperactive children. The lights are bright and the kitchen is active with a full roster of cooks turning around dine-in and take-out orders with ease.
The food is everything you’d expect in a no-frills place like this, done surprisingly well despite the low prices. To sample a little of everything, get the All-Star Special which comes with two over-easy eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, and sausage. It would be easy (and cheap) to order the whole menu here.
A waffle at a place called Waffle House is a must, which you can douse with some table-side syrupy glop. As someone who was not raised in the U.S., I am unfamiliar with such syrupy goodness ways and therefore I stick to plain butter, which melts nicely in every crevice.
Even with a wait list, you will be seated and served in record time. When they say good food fast, they mean it. The customer service and food pacing at Waffle House, at least at this location, is what some pricey high-end places can only aspire to, but cannot deliver. It runs like a well-oiled machine.
The warm, comforting fluorescent yellow hue of the Waffle House sign beckons when one is near. Well-known as a place of refuge for the heavily stoned or drunk (or both) to fall asleep in their plate of eggs, it is both familiar and heartening for the millions who walk through its doors. Waffle House is indeed awesome.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
Leave a comment below or get in touch with me via my About page.
I like eating at Waffle House. Too bad they don’t have any here.
Speaking of breakfast places – this is one where I would definitely visit if we had it in the area! So great and the entire meal is about 20 cents ha ha. I look forward to Waffle House whenever I travel.
They have a reputation for staying open during natural disasters. Very impressive. Breakfast is the best meal of the day!
Indeed, and the recent closures for the pandemic were heartbreaking, forced to offer take-out only or limited dine-in like so many businesses across the country. I’d eat breakfast more often with a Waffle House near lol.