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Do you love Waffle House or Huddle House?

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Do you prefer Waffle House or Huddle House? Let’s compare apples to apples, or in this case: waffles to pancakes.

What do the words scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, peppered, capped, topped, and country mean to you? If these words make you hungry, you are a true Southerner. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me educate you.

A white plate with a brown squiggly border plate of crispy hashbrowns topped with a slice of yellow American cheese in front of a small pile of pickle slices
Scattered, smothered, and covered hashbrowns from Waffle House

All these words are related to hashbrowns, specifically, Waffle House hashbrowns:

If you ask for your hashbrowns...Your hashbrowns will include…
Scatteredare scattered on the grill
Smotheredsautéed onions
Coveredmelted cheese
Chunkedhickory smoked ham
Dicedgrilled tomatoes
Pepperedspicy jalapeno peppers
Cappedgrilled mushrooms
Toppedchili
Countrysausage gravy

Waffle House is a true Southern institution though there a few scattered as far north as Ohio and as far west as Arizona. However, down here in the South, especially Georgia, Alabama, and Florida; there is a Waffle House every couple of miles in whichever direction you travel. New Jersey has greasy spoon diners, the South has Waffle House.

a white coffee cup with the Waffle House lettering logo and the word coffee on a dark gray table with a plate of cheesy hashbrowns in the background
Waffle House coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee

Why do we love our Waffle Houses so much? The food is delicious, cheap, and greasy.

Waffle House and Huddle House are similar in many ways- both restaurants were started in Georgia. Most locations of both are open 24 hours a day. Both offer breakfast round the clock. Both are mostly scattered across the southern United States. As of 2021, Waffle House has 2100 locations in 25 states and Huddle House has 339 locations in 23 states (when this article was first written in 2013 Waffle House had 1700 locations and Huddle House had 430).

a large golden waffle with a sprinkling of chocolate chips on a white plate with a brown squiggle pattern border in front of a silver napkin dispenser with a pair of glass salt and pepper shakers
Waffle House Chocolate Chip Waffle

Let’s compare the two iconic establishments- first of all, Waffle House does have those famous hashbrowns. Waffle House is also popular with the waffle crowd. And they don’t do pancakes.

Four slices of thick French toast topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on a white plate with a maroon and green stripe border
Huddle House French Toast

Huddle House doesn’t really have a signature dish though they do offer waffles as well as French toast, pancakes, and omelets. They offer hashbrowns as well and there is a section on the menu with stuffed hashbrowns. Stuffed with ham and cheese, bacon and sausage, or prime rib tips.

a column of crispy hashbrowns with a slice of melted American cheese at the edge of a white plate with a brown squiggly border in front of a metal napkin dispenser and a set of glass salt and pepper shakers
Waffle House cheese hashbrowns
an up-close photo of hashbrowns topped with a slice of melted American cheese on a white plate with a maroon and green border
Huddle House cheese hashbrowns

My personal opinion? (I mean, since you asked…) I prefer Waffle House hashbrowns only because they are crispier and less oily tasting. However, Huddle House has French Toast with Strawberries and Butter Pecan Praline Pancakes.

a white plate with a maroon and green striped border holding a large golden pancake sprinkled with chocolate chips and large dollop of butter
Huddle House Chocolate Chip Pancake

I have had the chocolate chip pancakes at Huddle House and the waffle with chocolate chips at Waffle House. Both are delicious and hit that sweet spot craving.

Thick bread sandwich with bacon, egg, and cheese on a white plate with a large slice of pickle in front of the sandwich and a small pile of pickles behind the sandwich
Waffle House Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on Texas Toast with extra pickles
a large piece of toasted bread with bacon, egg, and cheese on a white plate with a maroon and green striped border
Huddle House Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich

Both restaurants also offer a variety of omelets, egg platters, and breakfast sandwiches. I love the bacon, egg, and cheese Texas toast sandwich at Waffle House (I eat it with extra pickles). And while Huddle House doesn’t offer breakfast sandwiches on their normal menu, you can ask and they are more than happy to make you one.

a big double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and yellow cheese beside some crispy hashbrowns and melted cheese on top on a white plate with a maroon and green striped plate
Huddle House Huddle Burger

Breakfast is served all day and night at both places, but so is lunch and dinner. Want a cheeseburger at 7am? No problem. Have a fried egg craving at 10pm – you can go to either place.

a pile of golden fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeno poppers on a sheet of Huddle House imprinted paper with a large plastic ramekin of ranch sauce
Huddle House Huddle Up Appetizer Sampler

When it comes to lunch and dinner, there are more noticeable differences between the two restaurants. Huddle House offers appetizers like chicken wings and fried shrimp. Waffle House does not. I love the Huddle Up Appetizer Sampler with fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and french fries. Closest thing to an appetizer at Waffle House is a cup of chili.

A  half burger with bacon, yellow cheese, green lettuce, and tomato on white toasted bread facing the camera on a white plate with a brown squiggly border
Waffle House Bacon Cheeseburger

And speaking of french fries, at Huddle House you can order fries or hashbrowns with your cheeseburger; at Waffle House your burger will come with hashbrowns. And if burgers are your thing, both restaurants have decent ones – as good as any other greasy diner around.

Other lunch and dinner offerings at Huddle House include ribeye steaks, country fried steak, and fried shrimp dinners; where at Waffle House you can enjoy a T-bone, sirloin steak, or a pork chop.

a man in a gray tee shirt in the background pouring syrup on a large white plate with a golden waffle on a white plate with a brown squiggle border on a gray top table with a red booth cushion behind the man
Waffle House Chocolate Chip Waffle

Both restaurants offer a counter where you can sit and watch the food being prepared on a grill. Both places are quick, cheap and greasy. Both joints can be crowded at times and get loud. However…and this is a biggie… where else but Waffle House can you listen to  Waffle Do Bop and 844,739 Ways to Eat a Hamburger piping out of the jukebox?

a golden biscuit sandwich with a large overflowing cooked egg next to a pile of crispy hashbrowns on a white plate with a brown squiggly border
Waffle House Egg and Cheese Biscuit

When I first wrote this article in 2013, Huddle House wasn’t willing to swap out the meat on an egg platter for a Vegetarian, and most management were very strict on substitutions of any kind. I haven’t run into that restriction in quite a while. I think as people have had to adjust their diets for various reasons, places like Huddle house have become more flexible as well.

a graphic with a left side picture of a hand holding a Styrofoam cup with the Waffle House log on it and right side picture with a hand holding a Styrofoam cup with the Huddle House logo on it with the words Waffle House or Huddle House and a question mark in the center of the two photos

There is great debate over whether Waffle House is better than Huddle House, or vice versa. To me, although similar concepts, they are actually quite different. My only reason for preferring Waffle House to Huddle House is because of location. I have 5 Waffle Houses within 10 miles of my house, while the nearest Huddle House to me is over an hour drive away. And I just don’t think there is anything more comforting than a giant plate of scattered, smothered, and covered with an extra side of pickles. Which do you prefer? Waffle House or Huddle House?

For more information visit the website for Waffle House here or Huddle House here

Looking for more Southern food? Try these recipes:

Shirley Poteet

Wednesday 7th of July 2021

Waffle House although recently went to Waffle House & ordered an omelette & the cook said “I Don’t Know How To Cook an Omelette “!. That was a first for me!! ?

Harvey Castleberry

Wednesday 12th of May 2021

In Alabama Waffle House is far more greasy and not as good. I love Huddle House always consistent with meals. All Good. Not so with. W F

Leslie Spotts

Saturday 1st of May 2021

Our Huddle House in Wetumpka, Alabama is very accommodating. You can order on the menu anyway you want it. Not allowing changes or in a food item can trigger allergic reactions and neither restaurant wants that.

John

Thursday 28th of April 2016

Not to bash anyone but the plate presentation in the pictures is horrible. Im a rock star for waffle house and we dont send out food that looks like this.

David Johnston

Sunday 24th of January 2016

Hash browns are not generally eaten with breakfast in the South. Both restaurants have grits on their menus. Waffle House grits are usually outstanding. Hash browns should be eaten with lunch or dinner choices.

Harvey Castleberry

Wednesday 12th of May 2021

@David Johnston, Hash browns sre eaten only for breakfast in Alabama. You can eat them anytime though . Just my point of view.

marcus ulven

Friday 4th of August 2017

I slap my my hasbrowns on top of my omlete everywhere I go. I love hashbrowns for breakfast. I have eaten waffle house all the time. me and my girls will be trying huddle house tomorrow on our way back to Illinois. menu seems a lot bigger and I just hope the burgers are as good as waffle house.