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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKeep It Simple And Stay Open: The Waffle House Storm Menu
'The massive flooding in the Houston area has brought much of the city's commercial life to a halt. For those venturing out it can be hard to find a place to eat. The Houston Chronicle posted a list of bars and restaurants that are open in the aftermath of Harvey. It's not a big list. There are some cafes and diners serving up meals, but most of the locations are McDonald's or Waffle House restaurants.
Waffle House, the 24/7 comfort-food chain, is notable for keeping the doors open when hurricanes and natural disasters strike. The Federal Emergency Management Agency even measures the severity of a storm's damage by something called the Waffle House Index. When a Waffle House restaurant shuts down, it's really bad. "Waffle House stays on when the wind's blowing they never close," Philip Strouse, FEMA's private sector liaison, told Yahoo Finance last year.'>>>
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/29/547079242/keep-it-simple-and-stay-open-the-waffle-house-storm-menu?
longship
(40,416 posts)R&K
elleng
(130,153 posts)Last edited Thu Aug 31, 2017, 12:44 PM - Edit history (1)
was Bourdain! See post below.
and thought it was 'interesting.' I've never been to one (I think.)
Warpy
(110,910 posts)I've been there more than once and I can't say that about many places.
elleng
(130,153 posts)'Real' maple syrup, by any chance?
Warpy
(110,910 posts)but the waffles were so good I didn't much care.
They didn't sit like a cinderblock in my stomach, either, which is unusual for waffles at breakfast joints.
Mariana
(14,849 posts)Margarine and flavored corn syrup is what you'll get. The waffles are very fluffy and light. They put quite a bit of sugar in the mix, so they taste sweet. Try one with pecans, if you like them. You can always bring your own real syrup.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)And I'm sure it's not healthy for you.
But it's so damn good.
cally
(21,589 posts)and waitress brought real butter without asking when I ordered maple syrup. Husband's 60th birthday choice.
elleng
(130,153 posts)Would be those of my Dad, the pancake aficionado in the family.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)If you're in the South there's more than you can shake a stick at, but there are some scattered out throughout other areas of the country.
I think the furthest west is Arizona.
elleng
(130,153 posts)60 miles south of DC.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)Well, there's a few northeast of Baltimore and a few more around Frederick. And maybe a couple across the river in Virginia around Fredericksburg.
It might be silly to take a road trip for a Waffle House, but hey, I've done crazier things.
elleng
(130,153 posts)Will keep my eyes open, as I drive to NJ occasionally.
Buns_of_Fire
(17,119 posts)mitch96
(13,818 posts)The counter people go back and forth like you weren't there. Talking about fellow employees, boyfriends, arrests and their kids.. Great fun
I traveled around the US a lot and where ever I go, Waffle House food is always consistent..
Not "haute cuisine" put palatable for a good price..
m
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that my closest friends and I frequently hit the WaHo after a "guy's night"!
For more...I'll let Colbert and my favorite "modern country" singer Sturgill Simpson explain:
elleng
(130,153 posts)KT2000
(20,544 posts)progressoid
(49,825 posts)Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)I love Sturgill Simpson and Colbert so having them together is like double the fun!
ms liberty
(8,479 posts)Love the Waffle House.
Lord_at_War
(61 posts)But, they do make great beer sponges...
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)I'd be ashamed to post here what I order late at night, lol
pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,320 posts)ms liberty
(8,479 posts)elleng
(130,153 posts)FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)Way back in college working as a bartender, there was a culture of late night workers stopping off at the local Waffle House to eat on the way home. Usually at around 3am there would be all us regulars. Bartenders, waitresses, strippers, bouncers, etc. all of the usual crowd.
Waffle House food isn't anything to get excited about, but there are communities of people that eat there in every southern town. It's like the old General Store where you go to hear gossip, stories, who needs help,... Waffle House is a part of southern culture.
FSogol
(45,357 posts)needed some good cleaning with soap and hot water. I always assumed the staff was sticky too.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)I say if they remove statues of Confederate generals in town squares, they ought to replace them with a Waffle House.
No one will protest that.
oneshooter
(8,614 posts)FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)There are plenty of negative things about stereotypical "Southern Culture", but there is also a lot of good/great things too.
Same thing with any culture.
jpak
(41,742 posts)Scattered and Smothered 4evah!
yup
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)I didn't grow up where Waffle Houses existed, and didn't discover them until much later. They're a phenomenon, any time of day or night. You walk in, someone yells "Morning!" at you, and you order whatever it is you want to eat. It gets delivered to you and you eat it, and then you go on your way.
It's not really all that good, but it's predictable and always available wherever you are in the South. Eggs. Sausage. Bacon. Ham. Hash Browns. Grits. Waffles. Toss in a Patty Melt or a thin-cut T-bone or a couple of thin-cut pork chops, and you have pretty much anything you need. All cooked on a flattop griddle with the flavors of everything melded into everything you order.
It's not really all that good, but it gets the job done, quickly and affordably.
You could eat there every day, and some people do. You can change things up with other options, of course, and even have a salad, a burger, a BLT, a tuna melt. Whatever. Well, maybe not vegetables so much, but those aren't really food in the Waffle House world.
Order whatever you want. Eat it, and then get out and do what you have to do, folks:
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)I'll be sitting around and all of a sudden I have an immense hankering for a Waffle House waffle, covered in butter and syrup, and perhaps a side of grits, bacon and sausage.
Shit, I think I just gave myself a craving right now.
Seriously, stopping by Waffle Houses on family road trips (they've got one at nearly every interstate exit in the South) is an all time favorite memory of mine.
And their waffles are so, so good.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Especially smothered with onions, cheese and jalapeños.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)and jalapeños -- scattered, scattered, scattered -- like a potato chip."
BeyondGeography
(39,284 posts)And I must admit it I kinda like it.
gademocrat7
(10,623 posts)There are many here in Atlanta.
csziggy
(34,120 posts)He got to DragonCon, checked into his hotel, and wanted lunch. Rather than get his car out of the garage or try to look for a bus, he walked across the street to the nearest Waffle House. The line for take out orders was a block long and they had one of their workers taking orders and calling them into on a personal cell phone. When my husband got inside to pick up and pay for his order, he realized that there were managers working alongside the regular cooks and servers.
But then everything stopped as an older man strolled through, picked up a plate and proceeded into the back office. My husband asked who it was and was told "That's Joe. He's one of the owners." It was Joe Rogers, one of the two guys who had started the chain.
We eat at Waffle House restaurants often when we are traveling. My standard orders are BLTs, egg sandwich on wheat toast, or pecan waffles. My husband will get either an omelet or a hamburger but he doesn't like the lack of french fries. What I like is that the staff seems always to be in a good mood and friendly, the food is delivered fast and is good, and I can add a 50% tip and still pay less for better food than in many restaurants.