The Old School Southern Breakfast Chain That Will Make You Forget Waffle House

When you think of breakfast in the South, the 24-hour Waffle House probably comes to mind — even Anthony Bourdain loved the chain. But it turns out there are a handful of old school breakfast chains you forgot about or didn't know existed, and one is pretty comparable to Waffle House's iconic dishes. It's called Huddle House, and while it's mostly Southern-based, it has locations as far north as New Jersey.

The restaurant was first opened back in 1964 by John Sparks in Decatur, Georgia, and through the years, the chain has grown to more than 400 restaurants — most of which are franchised by individual owners. If you've been to one, you might have noticed diner-inspired decor, which is the look of many restaurants that were opened after the early 2000s. The chain offers plenty of breakfast options, including a variety of breakfast platters like biscuits and gravy or two eggs with a ribeye steak. The Big House Breakfast options are even larger servings, offering three eggs with each meal and a variety of meat choices. Another savory dish is the "Fluffed and Stuffed" omelet section, which is made with ultra-fluffy eggs filled with a selection of meat, cheese, and veggies. And for something sweeter, customers can opt for sweet cakes (pancakes) or golden waffles, which both come with a selection of sweet toppings.

Huddle House offers all kinds of dishes, including lunch and dinner entrees, just like Waffle House. Many people compare the two restaurants — not just for their names but also for their similar styles and menus. When one Reddit user in the r/Georgia subreddit questioned what Huddle House is, many of the responses compared it to the iconic 24-hour chain. "Huddle House is Waffle House with a deep fryer," one user wrote.

Someone else compared Huddle House to Denny's, suggesting that it's more similar to the Denny's style and vibe because it lacks the "culture" that Waffle House has. (What other chain restaurant has its own museum, right?) People have also joked about the similarities between the two restaurants, suggesting that Huddle House is "the lunch version" of Waffle House, and that the two are similar enough for Huddle House to be considered an "off brand" version of Waffle House. Based on various threads of consumer opinions, it seems that Waffle House is generally more widely liked than Huddle House, but there are at least a couple of dishes that rival the waffle chain.