The "How it came to be that I wanted to be a Waffle House Cook saga"

Me, Dave and a buddy of his known to this day as "Black Cloud" went to the Tampa Bay Blues festival in 2005. 

There was a Waffle House in the front part of the hotel parking lot. 

I think it was Saturday night when we got back to the hotel, Dave and I decide to get some Waffle House.

Place is packed.

I mean out the door.

We finally get seats where we can see the cook.

We order, get situated etc and I start watching this guy.

It was like an octopus ballet with spatulas.

I'll make that make sense here in a second lol.

I tell Dave, "Hey watch this guy."

Dave seems unimpressed at first.

"Yeah, he's cooking"

"Look at this place Dave, it's packed, this guys is the only cook, griddle full of food, no tickets, everything's being called out to him, he's getting everything right, nobody is complaining and he's still finding time to clean and stock as he goes."

It's like he was a octopus, like he had eight hands all going at once, only he didn't.

There was a fluidity to his movements.

No wasted effort, every movement had a purpose.

We were just amazed.

We talk about it to this day.

So, fast forward to a couple years ago.

When it dawns on me that when Nicholas leaves for school I can sell the house and leave as well.

Go anywhere and do anything.

So, what has the most appeal?

Take the bike.

A few clothes.

And?

You guessed it, move to Florida and become a Waffle House cook.

Why not?

Go in early.

Get off early.

Ride all day and especially ride all day on days off.

Ride to the beach.

Sounds horrible right?

Fast forward a few more years and an opportunity presents itself to be a breakfast short order cook for a bit.

This place :-).

Between Lewisport and Owensboro.

Happening lil joint early in the AM most days.

Hardcore cigarettes and black coffee crowd mostly.

Truckers, Law Enforcement, Welders, Road Crews, Construction Workers etc.

Early crowd.

I used to stop in and get a breakfast sandwich sometimes when I worked in Owensboro.

Best half-pound cheeseburger anywhere close around.

It's not even close.

Used to pull in and get one of those sometimes as well.

Hillbilly's :-).

If I never get to work at a Waffle House in Florida?

At least I got my apprenticeship :-).

Stepped up to the griddle day one.

Mom ask, "Are ya scared?" right before breakfast rush starts.

I just looked at her and smiled...

"No..."

Never so much as cooked an over easy egg in my life.

Been rockin it ever since.

Love the sign lol.

Well?
Have ya?

Thats well over 15 lbs of bacon incase you were wondering :-)
It's sitting on a rack in a cake pan on a warming plate.
We open at 5 AM.
On this particular day?
By 6:30 I was cooking more bacon lol.
Four pieces on a plate, three to a sandwich.
Bacon and egg, bacon egg and cheese, sausage and egg, sausage egg and cheese.
They sell.
Like crazy :-).
Obviously.

This is the griddle back before we had the warming plate off to the side to hold the bacon.
Eggs and sausage are going into a crock pot for the sandwich maker to make sandwiches with.
Bacon grease, salt and pepper.
No wonder everything taste good.

Just your everyday "Small" Western Omelet lol.
You know, "small" as in bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
Takes two spatulas to get it off the griddle.

Breakfast Menu
Lg plate = two eggs, however you want them, bacon, ham or sausage, hashbrowns, toast, wheat or white and one biscuit and gravy.
Get four of those going all at once on one order with everybody wanting different eggs and dry this and extra butter that and no salt no pepper lightly toasted no tomato and...
Not to mention your bacon pile is running out and the crock pot needs eggs and sausage and theres a call in order for nine sandwiches and...

I think I made my point lol.
Not just anybody could do it.
I'm glad I had the chance to see if I could.

Breakfast Menu

Lunch Menu

I really enjoy a lot of the people there.
I really do.

Love ya Bambi.