Are you with me? I love Waffle House. And I bet you are with me. I have never had one single person say to me, “I hate Waffle House.” Not one.
I began thinking about why we love it so much, and I came up with these ideas. I’m sure you could add to the bare-bones reasons I will present here. Maybe for fun you should add yours to the comment section at the end of this article. If I get several, I will follow this article with your additions. Thanks.
Please notice, I will add a “pastoral reflection” at the end here. Please read all the way to it, as well. Again, Thanks.
O.K. Here’s why I love Waffle House.
Right off the bat, I love it that there’s plenty of close-to-the-door parking. I don’t think of that every time I go, but in thinking about it for this writing, I appreciate it. No matter the weather, it’s a quick few steps to get inside.
Speaking of getting inside, two things come immediately to mind about getting in the door. One, the friendly greeting the wait staff and cook staff call out from wherever they are, “Welcome to Waffle House!” I know it’s a company requirement, but it’s nice nonetheless.
And two, getting in the door of one Waffle House is like getting in the door at all Waffle Houses. They’re basically all built and arranged the same. I love the familiar setup of the tables, booths, and counter stools. It just feels like what it’s supposed to feel like.
Now, let’s put first things first. The coffee. I love the trusted taste and temperature of the coffee. It tastes like what coffee is supposed to taste like, and the steam rising off the top of the cup is a rush for sight and smell.
The next part is a component that means something to some, very little to others, and yet appeals to both. What’s that? The menu.
What appeal it has to both groups is that it never changes, at least extremely rarely and ever so slightly. What Waffle House cooks and serves is so comfortably predictable, and it’s amazing the uniformity of presentation in Waffle Houses throughout the country, at least in the states that are blessed to have them.
To the one group, the menu is cherished because it presents in such clear, even picture form, the choices to be made, and it gives the customer the opportunity to make that critical decision about hash browns smothered, covered, chunked, diced, or peppered, or all of the above.
To the other group, the menu is absolutely unnecessary because the folks in this group know exactly what they want without ever needing even a quick glimpse at a menu. I’m one of these.
I love it that the food comes out with uniformity of presentation as I mentioned above, but I also love it that the food has the dependable and repeated quality, taste, and texture every time. Our hats off to the cooks. Amen.
Whether it’s your waffle plain or pecan, or your eggs any way you want them, or your bacon the way you ordered it, or your sausage links or patties, or your grits piping hot just like you like them, no matter, what you order is exactly what you get. Every time. No bait and switch. No change to a “new way” of doing breakfast. Stable, steady, and steadfast. That’s what I love about Waffle House.
However, there are several more reasons, and they are the same ones who call out, “Welcome to Waffle House” as I walk in the door.
Yes, the wait staff. These people are quite something. Sure, there are probably the rare crabby ones, or the good ones having a really bad day, but by far the common experience is with a waitress or waiter who is kind, patient, helpful, and efficient.
As you know, the way they convey their tables’ orders to the cook staff is quite unique, as they stand to the side and call out a long list of food and special instructions.
I ask this of you. The next time you’re in Waffle House, thank your waitress. Encourage them. Commend them. And don’t hesitate to tip a little extra if at all possible. They make the whole Waffle House Experience seem like a good home-cooked meal. I love it.
Yes, indeed, I love Waffle House. I bet you’re with me.
Now, a short “pastoral reflection.” The familiar, friendly, dependable, predictable experience of Waffle House is a good parallel to the way I believe our churches need to be and continue to be. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the same today as it has always been. It doesn’t need tweaking or a shifting to conform to the pressures of changing cultural attitudes.
Many churches seem to have changed their gospel to fit culture. That’s sad. So I say, Churches, hold strong to the Absolute Truth God has given us in the clear pages of Sacred Scripture. Please don’t offer watered down egg white fufu quiche. Stick to scrambled with cheese, smothered and covered, grits, bacon, and a pecan waffle. I think you know what I mean.
Yes, indeed, I love Waffle House. Amen.
[Dr. Justin Kollmeyer, a thirty-eight year resident of Fayette County, is a retired Lutheran pastor. He offers his preaching and teaching ministry to any church or group seeking or needing a Christ centered, Biblically based, and traditionally grounded sermon or teaching. Reach him at [email protected].]
