Never Forget This Waffle House Rule If You're Dining By Yourself

Some people might predominantly think of Waffle House as a greasy late-night diner known for its viral videos of customers — and sometimes staff members — fighting. Naturally, for a chain restaurant that's open 24/7, you can occasionally expect some hijinks, especially in the early morning hours. That said, Waffle House is a southern-based chain first and foremost. And, with that, comes some etiquette rules that the restaurant expects its customers to follow. Waffle House calls these its "house rules" and they are non-negotiable.

For starters, Waffle House is a great place for dining alone. There's plenty of counter space, and you're sitting front and center with a perfect view of your over-easy eggs and scattered and covered hash browns getting cooked. That's why the restaurant expects solo diners to use the counter space and leave the booths for two or more people. While this might not be strictly enforced during slower hours — say, Monday at 3 a.m. — you should definitely follow this rule if you're eating solo at the weekend.

Waffle House has several other basic rules that diners are expected to adhere to, especially during busier hours. Unless there is a host or hostess on duty (this is usually only on weekend mornings), you can seat yourself — keeping in mind that solo diners sit at the counter and parties of two or more can find an open booth. If a party of two wants to sit at the counter, you may be asked to slide down a seat or two to accommodate others. It's the southern, friendly thing to do.

One of the best things about Waffle House is that everything is cooked to order. Legendary chef Anthony Bourdain got to experience this for himself when he visited the chain with James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock on "Parts Unknown," and Bourdain later called Waffle House one of his favorite chain restaurants. Because of this cook-to-order process, not every dish will take the same amount of time. The diner next to you might get his over easy eggs, bacon, and waffle before you receive your T-bone steak and eggs (yes, Waffle House does serve steaks). 

This is simply a matter of cooking everything to the right temperature. Waffles and eggs take way less time than a medium-well steak. Keep that in mind, especially during busier hours. So, if you're visiting a Waffle House solo, don't be shy. Grab a seat at the counter, say hello to your waiter or waitress — who, from our experience, tend to be really nice, down-to-earth people — and enjoy the show.