We Asked Southern Chefs Their Favorite Waffle House Orders—Here's What They Always Get

The golden lights of a Waffle House hold a special space in the hearts of chefs, cooks, and food industry workers in the South who are seeking a fresh, hot meal when their shift ends.

"Our whole back of house team has a lot of respect for how many plates of food a single cook at Waffle House can crank out at 2 a.m. on a Friday night," says Joey Edwards, executive chef of Three Sisters Lodge. "Watching their flat top fill up with pancakes, burgers, and steaks is either anxiety producing or awe inspiring for someone who works in kitchens."

After all, the mighty open kitchen is often the last stand for a quick yet balanced and inviting meal when most other kitchens are closed. We talked to Southern chefs who know a thing or two about ordering at Waffle House—and while you can't go wrong, we learned that the perfect ticket is truly an art form developed after many years of practice.

Their orders are an inspiring blend of the classics, with a few interesting twists.

Extra-Crispy "Scattered" Hash Browns

You can't go wrong with the All-Star breakfast, which always includes a waffle in addition to two eggs, toast, and bacon or sausage. Don't forget that you can ask for your hash browns "crispy" or in Waffle House lingo "scattered." Here are a few of the All-Star faves:

• "I'm a total classic girl! All-Star Special, over-medium fried eggs, crispy, scattered and smothered [hash browns], toast, bacon, and [a] pecan waffle. And coffee of course." - April McGreger, Chef, Master Preserver, and cookbook author
• “Two eggs over easy, grilled biscuit, bacon, hash browns extra crispy with jalapeños and a slice of cheese.” – Sara Bradley, Chef/Proprietor, Freight House, Paducah, KY
• "Scattered, smothered, and peppered [hash browns], two over-medium eggs, and the basic salsa they have on every table. A coffee in the morning or iced tea in the afternoon." - Cheetie Kumar, chef/owner, Ajja, Raleigh, NC
• My favorite order is scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese, and a side of hash browns. It has everything you want in it, it's piping hot, and is very comforting." Scott Franqueza, Executive Chef/Culinary Director, High Hampton, Cashiers, NC

Pecan Waffles

The illustrious pecan waffle is a recurring favorite among Southern chefs, and for good reason. It's the only waffle order that actually incorporates the topping into the waffle rather than on top, the pecan waffles yielding a delicious toasty flavor and crunch throughout.

• "I have had quite a few late-night trips to Waffle House, and my go to was always pecan waffles, usually with over-easy eggs, hash browns, and coffee of course. I don't know why, but I always have to have that pecan waffle and I have been in many arguments about its superiority to the peanut butter waffle." - Alex Eliades, Bread Craft Bakery & Cafe, Roanoke, VA
• "I always get a pecan waffle with lots of butter and syrup, and an order of hash browns! The pecan waffles are the best—sweet and crunchy. Wish I could have one right now." - April Franqueza, pastry chef, High Hampton, Cashiers, NC
• "I used to love getting a pecan waffle “for the table” but, alas, the gluten." - Cheetie Kumar

Dips And Tricks

This is where things get technical. You can take a chef out of their own kitchen, but you can't take the knack and know-how out of the chef. Consider creating a well of ketchup to dip your hash browns into (rather than drizzling the ketchup overtop them), and legend has it some folks have smuggled their own toppings.

• "I dip my hashbrowns in ketchup—you cannot put the ketchup on the hash browns! Then I get an unsweet tea and sweeten it with the maple syrup." - Sarah Bradley
• "I have been known to bring my own jam or maple syrup!" - April McGreger

Chocolate Milk

Coffee gets the spotlight at Waffle House. While it's true that a bottomless cup is a no-brainer to cut the syrup and starchy grease of crispy fried potatoes, chocolate milk is an unsung item on the menu. But when you're already wide awake and eating at an unusual time, there's something special about the icy, chocolaty sweetness that hits the belly just right.

• "It's always related to being up early fishing. The chocolate milk is just so ice cold and velvety. It's a superior balm for the stomach butterflies that come with those anticipatory early mornings. Oh, and of course hashbrowns all the way." - John Stokes, Tarasque Cucina and Panino Veloce, Oxford, MS
  

Good Gravy

The gravy is not to be missed, whether it's on biscuits or across the whole platter.

• "I like to order a side of biscuits and gravy with two scrambled eggs, a side of hash browns. Sometimes dessert with a black coffee and cream." - Francisco Garcia, Chef/Owner, FOKO, Louisville, KY
• "My go-to order is a Texas Patty Melt. It always hits. And don't sleep on getting your hash browns Country Style (with gravy) and topping with a little hot sauce." - Joey Edwards, Three Sisters Lodge at Blackberry Mountain, Walland, TN