10 Mistakes To Avoid While Dining At Waffle House

There's no two ways about it: There are some foods that just taste better as a diner-style meal, cooked to order, while you're tucked into a little booth sipping on violently strong drip coffee. That's just what Waffle House promises. Whether you order a waffle (recommended), something else off the breakfast menu, or even one of the lunch or dinner dishes, you're sure to get that cozy diner vibe that's so easy to love. But while Waffle House may seem like a relatively straightforward restaurant, it's still one that it's possible to make mistakes at.

As an avid Waffle House lover who's eaten at the restaurant countless times while growing up in Georgia, these are the biggest mistakes I see people making when they eat at Waffle House. You should try to avoid them so you can ensure a more delicious and enjoyable experience the next time you visit. By knowing what not to do (and what to do instead), you may even see why Waffle House is one of our all-time favorite diner chains. Take a closer look at these potential WaHo mistakes, and you'll be ready for your next Waffle House trip in no time. Then, check out the Waffle House dishes you should never order.

If you're wondering what to order for your first time at Waffle House, or if you just want to get a taste of the best that the chain has to offer, it's absolutely essential that you order the All-Star Special. Sure, there are plenty of other dishes worth trying, but the All-Star Special is a standout because it allows you to try essentially all of Waffle House's breakfast offerings in one go. Of course, this meal comes with a waffle of your choosing, but you'll also get eggs cooked however you like, toast and jelly, and your choice of breakfast meat. For your side dish, choose from hash browns, classic Southern grits, or tomatoes for some extra freshness.

If you don't choose the All-Star Special, you won't get to taste all of those breakfast foods that Waffle House is most famous for. Ordering this meal is a rite of passage for every Waffle House-goer, and it's an experience that you need to have to truly appreciate what makes WaHo so beloved.

If a certain dish is actually in a restaurant's name, you should probably order it. That's certainly the case when it comes to Waffle House's waffles. These sweet cream waffles are super fluffy with a slight exterior crisp that gives them a deeply pleasant texture, and as soon as you taste one, it'll be evident why they're the star of the show at WaHo. While ordering the classic waffle may seem like the way to go, though, for the most delicious meal, you're going to want to consider adding some add-ins to your waffle.

My favorite happens to be the chocolate chip waffle, which, when paired with the salty whipped butter that the restaurant serves, offers the perfect salty-sweet breakfast-dessert hybrid. However, some of the other options are nearly as delicious as the chocolate chip variety. I'm also partial to the blueberry and pecan flavors, which are standouts on the menu. The peanut butter chip is also an option if you're interested in a creamy consistency and nutty flavor.

Waffle House has its very own lingo, especially when it comes to the chain's hash browns. The plain hash browns on their own are solid, but what makes them special is the fact that you can order them with a ton of different add-ins and toppings, making them more interesting and definitely more delicious. If you want your hash browns to be served with sauteed onions, for example, you would order them "smothered." Looking for some cheesiness in the dish? Say you want your hash browns "covered."

You can also get your hash browns topped with chunks of hickory smoked ham (chunked), doused with grilled mushrooms (capped), or served with jalapenos (peppered). Check out the menu to better learn the lingo of Waffle House's hash browns, and don't be afraid to really go wild with the toppings — you might just have the best serving of hash browns you've ever tried.

Waffle House is known for being an exceptionally casual restaurant, with staff serving patrons at all hours and relatively fast service that can get you in and out the door in no time at all. However, that doesn't mean it's a fast food restaurant. Waffle House is ultimately a sit-down joint that you should treat like any other diner. While the service may be faster than what you might experience at a typical fast food place, you can't expect a fast food level of efficiency at WaHo — it's just not that kind of a restaurant.

So, the next time you visit a Waffle House, expect it to take some time for your food to come out, and don't rush the staff. If you really need to eat quickly, consider ordering takeout ahead of time. That way, when you arrive at the restaurant, you'll be able to pick up your food and be on your way in a pinch.

When you've finished ordering at Waffle House, your server is going to set down an itemized bill that will have everything you ordered on it informing you how much your meal is going to cost. If WaHo were like most restaurants, then you'd just put down your card or some cash and wait for your server to grab it and ring you up. But at WaHo, that's not how you're going to pay for your meal. After you've finished your food, you'll need to take that bill up to the register and pay for your meal there.

I actually like this method of paying, because you don't have to wait around for your server to bring your card back — you can simply get up and go when you're ready to leave. Just don't make the mistake of sitting around at your table waiting for your server to let you pay, because you might be waiting there for a long time if you do.

When you go to any kind of sit-down restaurant and enjoy a meal, you're expected to tip. Some resources might suggest that you tip anywhere from 10 to 20%, but here's the truth: 20% is the minimum expected tip. That's true at Waffle House just as much as at a more upscale restaurant. After all, tips account for a significant percentage of most servers' pay, so not tipping that amount means that they're not getting paid fairly for their labor. Whether you think that's a fair setup or not is beside the point — that's how it works.

So, the next time you visit, be sure to tack on 20% to your order as a tip. You can leave this tip in cash or on your credit or debit card. Of course, if you got especially good service, feel free to tip more than 20% — it'll surely be appreciated (but not expected).

You know those restaurants that are only open three or four days a week and require you to plan ahead every time you want to dine there? Yeah, Waffle House is not like that. You don't even have to make sure that you go at a certain time of day to be able to get your breakfast fix. Most Waffle Houses are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The whole menu is available all the time, which means you can snag yourself breakfast at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday or 10 a.m. on a Saturday just the same.

It's a mistake to assume you have to visit Waffle House in the morning to really appreciate what the restaurant has to offer. In fact, sometimes, I like going late at night even better (even though some consider it the worst time to visit Waffle House), since it tends to be less crowded and because WaHo makes for an ideal post-drinking meal. And yes, an All-Star Special does taste just a little more delicious at midnight.

Something that sets a diner apart from other types of restaurants is the fact that many of them have a jukebox, and that's definitely the case at Waffle House. Head to your nearest Waffle House location, and you'll see that the jukebox is ready and waiting for you to DJ while you enjoy your meal. This is a quintessential part of the Waffle House experience, so why not to choose a song or two while you're there?

These days, you don't even have to go up to the jukebox to play the song you want to hear — just download the Touchtunes app, and then cast your music straight from your phone to the jukebox. Of course, you shouldn't dominate the playlist — let others choose the music they want to hear as well. But since this is such a fun part of the WaHo experience, you're going to want to try it out for yourself.

When it comes to the All-Star Special — or several of the other offerings on the Waffle House menu — you'll get to choose between two carb-based sides: hash browns and grits. They're both delicious and both worth a try, depending on what you're craving, but if you're not from the South, you may be hesitant to try the grits. After all, they're not quite as ubiquitous or widespread as hash browns, and some may not know what to expect before trying them for the first time. But don't let your hesitation prevent you from tasting one of the best dishes on the Waffle House menu.

Like hash browns, grits have a rather neutral flavor base, but once you add butter, salt, and pepper (along with hot sauce and other toppings of your choosing), grits can be seriously delicious. (Others prefer their grits sweet, so you can always use a packet of sugar if that's what you're going for instead.) This is a classic Southern dish, and since Waffle House hails from the South, it's a great place to give them a try. Nowhere near a Waffle House? Try making your own creamy grits at home.

If you're going out to eat alone, Waffle House is a great place to do it. Nobody there will care if you're by yourself, so you don't need to worry about being judged, and you can go at any time of the day or night to get your fill of breakfast food. But there's one big mistake you can make as a solo Waffle House diner: Sitting at a booth alone. Booths are designed for two or more people, so by taking up a whole booth by yourself, you may be forcing bigger groups to wait for a seat while you finish your meal.

Instead of snagging yourself a booth, take a seat at the counter if you're by yourself. Not only will you find yourself seated next to other solo diners with whom you might be able to strike up a conversation, but you'll also have a front-row seat view of what's going on in the kitchen, which is fun to watch if you don't have anyone to chat with.