# When is the last time you ate at Waffle House? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601 "2018-11-16T04:00:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/21 "2018-11-16T13:20:48Z")
It’s been too long, almost a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/22 "2018-11-16T13:42:34Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > [So has Anthony Bourdain.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bct8stbZafI) > > I ate at one less than a month ago. I greatly enjoyed it and wish we had one closer to my location. With that being said, it did seem remarkably overpriced to my thrifty nature. Overpriced? Really? Because when I go, which used to be every other weekend or so, I could get out paying about $8-9, and that was with the tip. I usually get an omelette and a drink. That’s cheaper then the IHOP or other such places I’ve been to. I don’t think I’ve been in a few months, but I do go a few times a year at least. It’s always packed in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/23 "2018-11-16T13:43:22Z")
Ate at my first one in (probably) Tennessee on my way across the country. It will be my last. It was barely food, in my opinion. I-Hop is a step up, although it is still an industrial-food experience. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/24 "2018-11-16T13:48:33Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Ate at my first one in (probably) Tennessee on my way across the country. It will be my last. It was barely food, in my opinion. I-Hop is a step up, although it is still an industrial-food experience. Ihop seems to be getting better though (was there a shake up in upper management?). Heck, even their plate presentation is impressive considering the restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/25 "2018-11-16T13:50:21Z")
Mine was around 2010 or so, driving up from Georgia. I don’t remember what I had, so that means it was acceptable fare. I only remember it because of a young couple with a toddler who were there. I amused the parents to no end by asking the toddler her opinion of the Obama administration. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/26 "2018-11-16T13:55:00Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Overpriced? Really? Yeah, overpriced based on what you actually get for the money. Poor food value if I’m to be precise. A typical WH breakfast is quite simple for me to replicate at home for a fraction of the cost and with better quality. This is naturally true for many restaurants but WH seems worse than most by this metric. They’re fast, convenient, most have rock star level coffee and they’re still nice to you no matter how drunk you are when you need your 3AM hash brown fix. I’ll keep going to WH when the mood strikes and I get tired of the blood just racing through my arteries. ---
**Author:** ![Evin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@Evin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/27 "2018-11-16T14:08:24Z")
I’ve never been, though I see them all over (Memphis, Mid-South area). But I did hear of this curious metric during Hurricane Michael? coverage: > **[Waffle House Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_House_Index)** > > The Waffle House Index is an informal metric named after the ubiquitous Southern US restaurant chain Waffle House known for its 24-hour, 365-day service. This restaurant's drive to always remain open has given rise to an informal but useful metric to determine the severity of a storm and the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery. It was coined by former administrator Craig Fugate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The metric is unofficially used The index is... ETA: punctuation ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/28 "2018-11-16T14:15:27Z")
It’s South Carolina, man. I think I’m required to in the state constitution. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/29 "2018-11-16T14:17:34Z")
None in my area but I’ve stopped at them a couple of times while traveling. As others have said, it’s not great food but it’s relatively cheap and sometimes it’s in the right location when I’m looking for a meal. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/30 "2018-11-16T14:21:26Z")
For me it would have been late August 2016 in Kansas City, MO. After a 10 hour drive to get there from Dearborn (because my North American travel profile hadn’t been set up and I couldn’t fly), it was the only thing open near my hotel that wasn’t Wendy’s or a redneck bar. It was just like I’d remembered it from the previous time I’d eaten at a Waffle House, which would have been in Augusta, GA, in 1991. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/31 "2018-11-16T14:23:04Z")
Here in Alabama and in Florida where I grew up, Waffle Houses abound. When I was in high school, it was a regular late night hang out location. These days, I take my kids there for breakfast every now and then. I’ll agree with the posters who said it is a bit overpriced. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/32 "2018-11-16T14:26:54Z")
I haven’t had Waffle House in at least a decade, but occasionally I’ll have hankerings/fantasies about their double-waffles. Somehow my memory tells me they were just amazing… but I think it’s likely that I’d be disappointed if I do actually come across one again. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/33 "2018-11-16T14:38:10Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m pretty sure I have eaten at one, but I could be mistaken. Would have been back in the 1970s or 1980s if so, or even earlier. Ditto. I can’t be sure I ever did. Now George Webb, THAT I remember! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/34 "2018-11-16T17:01:29Z")
September 2017, in Tennesee. We don’t have them around here but I do enjoy a WH visit when travelling. I don’t get those saying they’re overpriced. It’s a pretty reasonable cost for a hot plate of food. Waffle House is a place I wind up tipping far above the customary 15-20% since that would usually amount to a tip less than $2 which is just insulting for full service at a counter. Lol@ ‘I can make it cheaper and better at home.’ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/35 "2018-11-16T17:09:40Z")
About 18 years ago. I was interviewing at a research lab. My host picked me up at the motel in the morning. Drove several miles to a Waffle House. Drove me back to the motel to pick up my presentation stuff, etc. Then on to the lab. I just kept quiet about the Waffle House right next to the parking lot of the motel. **FtGKid2** worked as a cook at a Waffle House years ago. One of the 9/11 hijackers apparently had been a customer there. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/36 "2018-11-16T17:16:05Z")
> [@digs](#): > > None in Illinois Not quite true: there are a couple in the St. Louis area, on the Illinois side of the border. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/37 "2018-11-16T17:23:58Z")
Probably 2002, on a roadtrip somewhere south of Chattanooga. It was okay I guess…don’t remember anything about it other than mentally checking off the “I’ve been to a Waffle House now” box. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/38 "2018-11-16T17:44:58Z")
Once in 2002 for twenty minutes. That was on my one and only visit to Atlanta. It was OK but I haven’t been back because they don’t have any locations near me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/39 "2018-11-16T17:45:40Z")
I ate at one the last time I was in Georgia, which was 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601/40 "2018-11-16T17:47:45Z")
Never? I think? I’ve been to Denny’s and IHOP many times, but have never gone there to my recollection. That’s probably because it’s farther away than the others. The closest one is about a half hour away and the others are much closer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-at-waffle-house/824601.md?page=3)