The subtle brilliance of Waffle House

Serving at Waffle House was the worst job that I ever had. The hours were punishing, and the intentionally archaic setup of the restaurant made what should've been a simple job unreasonably difficult. And that's not factoring in the late-night insanity moored into the restaurant's walls that seemingly draws like-minded lunatics into its thrall like flies to a bug zapper. We've all read the headlines of fights breaking out a Waffle Houses across the nation, and I'm here to tell you that I've seen dozens firsthand. During my first day on the job, my trainer was arrested and fired- in that order- for getting into a fistfight with one of our customers. 

After that glowing Yelp review, you're probably asking yourself, "well, why did you work there?" That's an easy one: the food. Working at Waffle House got me discounts on some of the most delicious artery-clogging meals available, and I wasn't going to pass up that opportunity. 

Whenever I encounter people that only know Waffle House from reputation, they poo-poo the establishment. This is a mistake. Even though it's not "clean" in the conventional sense, Waffle House is far from disgusting. In the video above, the late Anthony Bourdain chows down with Sean Brock, a fellow chef, and discovers the wonders of my favorite trashy eatery.