Waffle House… It’s a fantastic place after finishing the second shift at Honda in Marysville. The coffee is always solidly good, and you can get a pretty decent T-Bone with your grits and eggs if you ask. Pretty blissful at 2:00AM…
Wow thanks for such a great read! Throughout college I was that midnight Waffle House guest and I was always glad to have a warm waffle, hashbrowns, and a smile after writing papers all night. It is true 9pm and 2am are the same regardless of time.
I've always been drawn to transient places where no one is from but everyone belongs. I've always felt that Waffle Houses and neon gas stations were the Cathedrals of the transient and pilgrim. This wonderful piece helped me synthesize my faceless feelings on the Yellow Tiled Eden. Thank you.
"Yet what is important to realize is that the Bible Belt the franchise is home to is not only a region of fervent belief, but also one of suspended disbelief. Only in a willing naivety to the arbitrary, or even deceitful, status of the world is one able to experience the Edenic magic of this dining experience— and maybe even life itself in the South. Hyper-awareness does not position you above others and their tastes, it actually renders you toward a more Fallen state."
This. This right here. I felt that in my bones. One of the most true things I've read outside the Bible.
It was Coffee Kettle when I was young & rambunctious. No WH in the nearby town where my brother & I and friends went to shoot pool & drink. Coffee Kettle...The Bowl of Chili & a cheeseburger was delicious on a belly of beer. Lovely read.
"The glow of its sign is a symbol of salvation, a yellow ember of life amidst the sun-less dark, erect like a crucifix along the American highway. The energy at the restaurant at this time teems like crickets on a Southern summer night. You are reminded just how alive things are out there during the stillness of when you are typically asleep. A rebel yell so many have learned to tune out."
As I was reading this, I had to constantly ask: 'is this sincere, or mockery...?' But as far as I can tell, this was written with absolute sincerity - and bravo to you for doing so!
I'm a Brit who is now living in the US for the third time in his life, and from my very first trip here 28 years ago I fell in love with Waffle House as I was falling in love with my future-wife. Once my immigration cleared this time (took 28 months...), the first thing my wife and three kids did was take me to Waffle House. It is the only chain restaurant in the United States worth visiting.
I would like to add to everything you say here how wonderful the staff are in pretty much every Waffle House. Most waitresses and waiters seem to be putting on a show of being upbeat just for the tips. That's not the read I get on the Waffle House crew. They're working a tough job, but they genuinely want everyone to have a great dining experience while they're there. Maybe the pieces of silver play into that dynamic, but it still feels sincere in a way that I do not get from other US chain restaurants.
Anyway, kudos for writing this! I'll include this in the monthly Bazaar at Stranger Worlds (a round up of interesting essays I share with subscribers).
America will reinvigorated by pieces like this. We have a culture all our own and it is Heaven. Well done my friend.
Brilliant article. I've always loved the Waffle House and now I know why. Thank you.
Early Waffle House nationalist hours. Whomst up? 🍳🥓☕
Fantastic piece. Coffee houses and breakfast places are dear to my heart.
Christianity. Tasty. Filling. Open All Night.
Waffle House… It’s a fantastic place after finishing the second shift at Honda in Marysville. The coffee is always solidly good, and you can get a pretty decent T-Bone with your grits and eggs if you ask. Pretty blissful at 2:00AM…
Wow thanks for such a great read! Throughout college I was that midnight Waffle House guest and I was always glad to have a warm waffle, hashbrowns, and a smile after writing papers all night. It is true 9pm and 2am are the same regardless of time.
I've always been drawn to transient places where no one is from but everyone belongs. I've always felt that Waffle Houses and neon gas stations were the Cathedrals of the transient and pilgrim. This wonderful piece helped me synthesize my faceless feelings on the Yellow Tiled Eden. Thank you.
https://www.wlbt.com/2018/09/21/man-who-brought-pet-snake-into-waffle-house-tells-his-side-story/
"Yet what is important to realize is that the Bible Belt the franchise is home to is not only a region of fervent belief, but also one of suspended disbelief. Only in a willing naivety to the arbitrary, or even deceitful, status of the world is one able to experience the Edenic magic of this dining experience— and maybe even life itself in the South. Hyper-awareness does not position you above others and their tastes, it actually renders you toward a more Fallen state."
This. This right here. I felt that in my bones. One of the most true things I've read outside the Bible.
Beautiful.
Beautiful
This is truly beautiful. I've always been strangely drawn to waffle house, and I think you put that feeling into words.
It was Coffee Kettle when I was young & rambunctious. No WH in the nearby town where my brother & I and friends went to shoot pool & drink. Coffee Kettle...The Bowl of Chili & a cheeseburger was delicious on a belly of beer. Lovely read.
These lines...wow...
"The glow of its sign is a symbol of salvation, a yellow ember of life amidst the sun-less dark, erect like a crucifix along the American highway. The energy at the restaurant at this time teems like crickets on a Southern summer night. You are reminded just how alive things are out there during the stillness of when you are typically asleep. A rebel yell so many have learned to tune out."
Well said.
Dear author,
As I was reading this, I had to constantly ask: 'is this sincere, or mockery...?' But as far as I can tell, this was written with absolute sincerity - and bravo to you for doing so!
I'm a Brit who is now living in the US for the third time in his life, and from my very first trip here 28 years ago I fell in love with Waffle House as I was falling in love with my future-wife. Once my immigration cleared this time (took 28 months...), the first thing my wife and three kids did was take me to Waffle House. It is the only chain restaurant in the United States worth visiting.
I would like to add to everything you say here how wonderful the staff are in pretty much every Waffle House. Most waitresses and waiters seem to be putting on a show of being upbeat just for the tips. That's not the read I get on the Waffle House crew. They're working a tough job, but they genuinely want everyone to have a great dining experience while they're there. Maybe the pieces of silver play into that dynamic, but it still feels sincere in a way that I do not get from other US chain restaurants.
Anyway, kudos for writing this! I'll include this in the monthly Bazaar at Stranger Worlds (a round up of interesting essays I share with subscribers).
With unlimited love,
Chris.