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11 Facts about Waffle House


al mcguire

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I got introduced to WH last year on the road. I love getting up super-early, grabbing the crew van, and finding "hole in the wall" diners like my pops and grandpa took me too when I was a child. I've found some beauties (Hermitage Cafe in Nashville, Dot's Diner in New Orleans, and our very own Pantry Cafe here in Los Angeles), but when there are no mom and pop diners, I don"t mind going to WH.

In fact, one of the most elucidating moments for me about southern culture happened in a Charleston WH last year. At about 0400, there were a group of young white males eating their way out of an obvious drinking bender. As they were paying their tabs, one of the young men peeled off a bill and gave it to the middle-aged, black female server stating in an almost tender tone, "That's for you darlin'". I remember that moment whenever a group of metros, hipsters, or liberals start trash-talking rural or southern culture. The south has a very marked civility about it when it comes to social interactions, and I bought a souvenir to remind me about the moment:

 

WH_Mug.JPG

 

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Edited by atheisticmystic
typo
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In fact, one of the most elucidating moments for me about southern culture happened in a Charleston WH last year. At about 0400, there were a group of young white males eating their way out of an obvious drinking bender. As they were paying their tabs, one of the young men peeled off a bill and gave it to the middle-aged, black female server stating in an almost tender tone, "That's for you darlin'". I remember that moment whenever a group of metros, hipsters, or liberals start trash-talking rural or southern culture. The south has a very marked civility about it when it comes to social interactions, and I bought a souvenir to remind me about the moment:

 

 

It warms my heart to read this. I was raised in southern culture, and it's true. Thanks for the great story.

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It warms my heart to read this. I was raised in southern culture, and it's true. Thanks for the great story.

​Rachel,

I was raised in Southern California suburbia, but to two rural parents: Mom was from Shasta County in (the real) Northern California, and Dad was from Osborne, Kansas. In that mix of rural, and metro-influenced values, I learned to love (and hate) something of both. I'm happy that something resonated for you.

 

BUT...Do you love your hash browns "smothered", "covered" or otherwise...lol?

 

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BUT...Do you love your hash browns "smothered", "covered" or otherwise...lol?

atheisticmystic, I'd take them smothered, but I'll usually order the grits...though they're (likely Borden or White Swan) not as coarse (and good!) as the historical Byrd Mill VA grits my grandma used to mail order. You could stand a spoon up in them.

 

Thanks goes to Al McGuire. Great thread.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Deichen, my band regularly hit up Waffle Houses all over the southeast for about 6 years in the early 2000's. One night, full of the free cheap beer we got at our gig, I decided I really liked the mug, and was going to see if I could slip out with one. Turned out to be no problem. After that, I got progressively more bold with my mug thefts, eventually getting to the point where I would walk up to the register to pay and plunk down my mug half full of coffee, pay the tab, and then hold up the mug and say "thanks ya'll!" while walking out the door. Every mug in my house was a WH mug for a while.

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I think there a few things that would be a HUGE success if they were opened in the UK, and vice versa.

Somewhere like the Waffle House would do great business in the UK (if they used English sausages).

West Cornwall Pasty Company would have lines around the corner in any major US city. 

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Deichen, my band regularly hit up Waffle Houses all over the southeast for about 6 years in the early 2000's. 

​Dude, your band's name was Deichen ? That's trippy...oh wait...I hallucinated a comma where there wasn't one...lol.

Well, I've only got two WH mugs, so if the collection grows, I will definitely refer to it as the "Andy Band Effect" (In fact, If I'm ever in another garage band, Andy Band Effect could serve nicely as a name.

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