Every Waffle House Waffle, Ranked Worst To Best

Oh, the Waffle House. It was there for me late nights in college and throughout my twenties. I took my kids there in the early mornings as I got older. It's been a while, but Waffle House and I go way back. As it does for many people. If you know Waffle House, you probably have a good story or two you could share about "that one time."

For those of you who aren't familiar, it's a place worth trying out at least once. I would describe it as having vintage diner vibes. It's dark with hues of the '70s and buzzes with energy and character from both staff and patrons. Plus, you get in on all the action of the kitchen, sitting at a booth or the counter with a view of the flat tops. There is slang and specific rules of the Waffle House that make it even more kitschy. And it's the kind of place you get nostalgically excited to visit when work asks you to rank the waffles. 

When I went back for this ranking, I honestly couldn't even remember exactly how the waffles tasted. So, I had a clean slate to judge from. I went to my nearest House and ordered all five flavors. And I tasted each one with a mission to garner you the best recommendation I could provide of the tastiest waffle to try on your first visit or 101 visit. Here's how they ranked.

Even for fans of peanut butter, I would skip this one. The base is the original WH waffle, but it was scattered with peanut butter chips while still fresh from the griddle. The chips melted a bit against the sides, but not enough to fill the golden pockets. In doing so, the sparsely melted chips developed a thicker and more gluey texture than I would have liked to have experienced on the first bite. It stuck to my teeth and between my gums. It detracted from enjoying the texture of the waffle base, which I was looking forward to tasting.

What I tasted was a sweet assault to my palate; there was no avoiding the peanut butter chips. After adding butter and syrup, it was a frazzling experience for my mouth. It was too much in all the wrong ways. But I knew it was the chips that were making this a bad experience, and not the waffle. I couldn't even taste the waffle from the mouth-tightening sweetness that accompanied the artificial peanut flavor. I don't feel like I should even call this a waffle flavor because you can't taste anything but the topping. It does not represent the fond food memories I had. It easily garners last place.

I have always been a big fan of blueberry waffles, so I had really high hopes for this one. Of all the options, I thought this would be in the top two. But the higher-ranking waffles had much better taste profiles. That's not to say that this waffle wouldn't satisfy a blueberry fan, but it didn't satisfy me.

At first glance, it looked very good. It had blueberry spots that appeared to be part of the batter. Most of the other "flavors" leaned more into topping territory. But these looked to be distributed just beneath the thin, blonde crisp of the waffle. Sadly, they were not real blueberries. Upon tasting them, these were more of an artificial fruit chunk, like one you would expect to see and taste when using a mix you can get at the grocery store. 

It made me sad, as I had looked forward to the burst of the berry and the textures it offered. The texture of the waffle itself was a bit dense, with a drier texture than the other options. I would advise only ordering this knowing what to expect from the artificial blueberry flavoring and supplementing with lots of butter and syrup. The butter and syrup highlight the vanilla and cakey flavor aspects of the waffle and allow it to stand out a bit more than the waffle buried under the peanut butter chips. But it doesn't deserve to rank higher than those still to come. 

My daughter loves chocolate chip pancakes, even as an adult. It's crazy to watch her still get the same enjoyment she had as a kid so many years later. Waffle House's chocolate chip waffle would be right up her alley. I would never let the kids have this much sugar when they were younger, but I know this one would be her go-to. Personally, I never understood or saw the appeal of chocolate chips on my pancakes or waffles, so I had never had one. It all seemed too over-the-top sweet for me. Or so I thought.

The first bite was as I expected — chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. There was no hint of the waffle; the chocolate was so sweet. While I didn't necessarily want to, I then tasted it with butter and syrup. To my surprise, this actually helped level out the chocolate. I think the salt in the butter enhanced the cocoa of the candy-sweet chocolate chips. This offered a richness to come through, the butter to indulge the palate, and for me to enjoy the crispy structure of the waffle crunch into a collapse between my teeth.

I wouldn't get one of these waffles myself, but I will take a bite of my daughter's the next time she orders them at brunch. So, if you are a chocolate fan, enjoy. If you're not, the higher-ranked waffles are the ones I would recommend. They have more to offer as far as classic waffle flavors and textures. 

Although they are very popular in the South, I had never before had a pecan waffle. I assumed that this waffle overall was going to be strange, with a blunt taste and texture that didn't belong. But I was happily surprised with this new-to-me flavor. While, in my opinion, the great taste can only be achieved with the addition of butter and syrup counterparts, that does not keep this waffle from ranking so highly. While I didn't care for it plain, this waffle easily deserves the second spot on the list with all components combined. 

Tasting the pecan waffle plain offered two separate and very different tastes and textures. The pecans were meaty to chew and savory in flavor. The waffle was crisp on the outside with an inner pillowy softness that offered a slight hint of sweet vanilla. These tastes and textures stood separate from each other; they were good but not necessarily complementary. But once the butter and syrup were added, everything came together. The meatiness of the pecan against the sweetness of the maple became harmonious. The vanilla of the waffle reached new heights and was more defined in the swirl of flavors. The butter enhanced and balanced both sides, lulling the savory and supporting the sweet. And the texture was crisp, soft, chewy, and gooey. It was nearly perfect, but it couldn't beat the original.

At first glance, it was easy to see that the classic waffle was going to easily beat its competitors in fluffiness. It was almost bouncy and sprang back from my fork as I cut off a section. All the edges were a dark gold that bordered a lighter yellow waffle crevice. Plain, it had the flavor of an angel food cake — vanilla, a bit of butter, a hint of sugar. But the texture was both soft and crispy, dense and light. I looked at the menu again to see how it described the waffle, and I saw that it's the "Classic Sweet Cream" waffle. I had overlooked that title before. 

Once I added butter and syrup, I achieved new heights of enjoyment. If I were to define what a waffle should taste like, it would have been this. This waffle brought me a symphony of tastes and textures. The salt of the butter enhanced the vanilla and sweet cream. The syrup added an enjoyable, sticky, liquid profile. The texture of the waffle soaked up the butter and syrup, offering soft, spongy pockets surrounded by raised, crisp edges. A spongy, cake-like fluffiness remained ample throughout the middle, holding the vanilla flavor forward. It was perfect. 

I couldn't have asked for or wanted a better experience from my adventure to the way back. But this one is a classic for good reason. Hands down, I'd get this one every time.

All the waffles were tasted fresh, still warm enough to melt chips and make smears of the butter. I sipped to clean my palate between each taste. I took at least two bites of each waffle plain and then two bites with butter and syrup. And I had one goal in mind — discover which one I would recommend overall.

I was looking for a waffle that upheld what I consider to be the definitive attributes of a waffle. A waffle should be golden brown with a crispiness that is more prominent around the edges of each waffle pocket. There should be a lightness to the inside, just past the crust, that covers a fluffy yet dense middle that tastes only slightly sweet. And the middle needs to be ample enough to offer a good chew. Vanilla and butter should be the prominent flavors, albeit subtle. Even plain, these flavors should be present with only the slightest hint of sugar. And a waffle has to be structurally sound enough to withstand butter, syrup, and additions, allowing them to become a part of the experience but not the star.  

If you go to Waffle House, which you should at least once in your life, I highly recommend having the classic waffle. It's what one should go there to experience. (That and the smothered and covered hash browns.) However, I would avoid the peanut butter flavor. Consider ordering one of the waffle flavorings that are on the secret menu! Beyond that, live your best waffle-eating life.