Hello readers, welcome to my inaugural post! And where better to start than the beginning? The Dirty South… the region of the country best known for it’s hospitality, Southern belles, deep-fried everything and sweet tea is also home to me and the Waffle House establishment. This delightful chain has been serving the lone trucker, the wasted college student, and the Sunday morning churchgoers for the past 53 years, 24/7, 365 days a year.

Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, this all-hour diner had been a refuge for friends and myself throughout high school and college. Whether we had just gotten out of a concert or had the after-party munchies, there was only one place to go afterward, especially if it was food someone was craving. This dingy, sticky, and once smoker-friendly place was everything that I looked for in a restaurant and more— great value, hours of operation, and the odd yet friendly wait staff.

So what did I order? The essential element in my Waffle House order was definitely the HASHBROWNS. Quadruple order, scattered, covered, and chunked (they have their very own code for hashbrowns). From there, I would mix it up.. waffles, double-cheeseburger, etc. Screw it. Why not get both. So for those of you keeping score: 4 orders of hashbrowns with cheese and ham, double-cheeseburger, and double waffles down the hatch.

To my dismay, after moving to Chicago I soon discovered that there were none here. And as great as this city is, nothing will ever replace what I had at the House. And whatever you do, never mention IHOP around me.

A Waffle House escapade with sis from back in the day:

Thanks for the memories, WH. And thank YOU for reading.