Waffle House

May 12, 2019

When I moved to The South, more than a decade ago, I discovered Waffle House. Initially, for me, it was nothing more than a restaurant that adorned the highways, and byways of the southern states. But as I began to travel these roads I found myself stopping at these somewhat ionic restaurants. At first I was unimpressed. But then I became hooked.

At first I think it was the “sameness”: the sameness of the menu, the sameness of the food itself, and the sameness of the atmosphere. Eventually I began to realize that there was also a “sameness” to the people who ate there, as well as the people who worked there. The is a culture to the Waffle House Restaurants - and it is a subculture of America… a “melting pot of sorts.

In every Waffle House there are “the regulars” and “the transients”. And regardless of the geographic locations, there are similarities that connect them all - in both categories. But what I have come to realize, over time, is the culture of those who work at the Waffle Houses. On the surface, of course, is that language - one that I have come to speak when ordering: "pull one sausage”, hash browns scattered and well done. But below the surface is a dedication - and a competitiveness, especially among the cooks. From time to time I have overheard them in conversation, talking about  how many order they put out on a particular shift. And how the cook at store #537 holds the record for his daily shift. There are bragging rights, as the experienced cooks teach the newbies how to meet the standards - and demands. There is a Pride.

But at night, generally beginning around midnight to 1:00a.m., the culture of the Waffle House changes - much like the creatures of the sea change from day to night. This culture is primarily those coming from clubs, and concerts. Some are patrons of the clubs, while others are performers who just finished a gig. For the most part they are regulars - as is evident by the familiarity of those waiting on them. And the conversations are not limited, as they are during the daytime shifts, between customers. During the nighttime hours the conversations are engaged in by patrons and employees alike - seamlessly flowing back and forth. There are no barriers, except for the physicality of the counter that separates the restaurant from the cooking area.  But the conversations flow easily over them, as if they were not there at all.