Recently I've been living out a long-time dream. A Waffle House just opened in town! In fact, it's open right now, no matter what time, or what day you may be reading this, even if it's Christmas day. It's the only local dining room that's open past midnight, it's the only restaurant in town that offers breakfast all the time, and it's the only place that serves up that heavenly, ever-consistent Waffle House menu. It's also probably the closest we'll ever get to classic diner culture in these parts.
I've been a Waffle House enthusiast since I discovered it over two decades ago and I finally have one to call my own. In honor of the occasion I purchased some authentic Waffle House plates on ebay (seen above). Don't be confused by the sketchy logo, this plate design is legit, however it's been discontinued. Which brings me to the point of this post, that is, to celebrate this former alternate Waffle House logo that was featured on their second generation china. Could there be a better use of the internet?
By the way, I was able to determine the era thanks to the Waffle House Museum of Avondale, GA...
I guess that puts it in the silver age of Waffle House china.
So go ahead and have a good look at the logo...
How would you describe it? YES, spooky! That's exactly what I love about it. I cannot help but read it in a wavering ghost voice... "Waaaaaaaafffffffle Hooooooouuuussssee! Beeewaaaarrrrre! Weeeeeeooooooo!"
This fascinating logo has always been one of the great Waffle House mysteries to me. I have many questions...
1. Why didn't they use the standard letters-in-boxes logo from their sign?
2. Who drew it? An employee's nephew? I must say, it looks to me like a first try. The letters are of uneven height and spacing, and the line work is inconsistent and unsure. Not to judge, I could say the same thing about my own drawings. And yet this was accepted and reproduced and buried by hashbrowns hundreds of thousands of times. Is it intended to have a primitive charm? Or is it genuinely primitively charming?
3. Why does it look scary like that? My theory is that maybe it's supposed to resemble maple syrup. (While their main logo echos the design on a waffle.) But I don't know, what do you think?
Well I certainly do miss the logo. At least I did before I got my own set of plates. Say, you don't think Waffle House would think it odd if I brought my own plates to the restaurant and transferred the food onto them do you?! Gotta go!
glad to see you blogging again. SYRUP!
ReplyDeleteOk, now that is weird, apparently the Waffle House by my home didn't get the message about the new plates because I got my breakfast served on a WAFFLE HOUSE O' HORRORS plate just a few weeks ago!
ReplyDeleteLoves me some Waffle House!!!
I believe you're right about the syrup. The lettering does look spooky, but it also looks like globs of thick, sticky goodness.
ReplyDeleteNice post.
I recently visited Fayetteville's newest Waffle House. They definitely tried for a kind of retro diner vibe there. There's also a retro-ish Hog-chasing-waffle-with-fork motif that kind of adds to the charm of the place, but I definitely like the Spooky Waffle House font!
ReplyDeleteKirk - always seem to be on the same page. I, too have a set of plates and the small bowls... I've always been amazed by the Haunted Font...
ReplyDeleteYum, "wafles". ;)
ReplyDeletethanks prof! My time away hasn't been by choice. I've missed it so.
ReplyDeleteMr. Macabre- glad to hear there are still some out in the wild.
Dan- thanks and thanks for supporting this theory.
Jody- that Fayettville one is amazing. I've never seen a WH integrated into an area like that. I'll remain skeptical about the inclusion of the hog until I see it.
David- Oh, man that just makes me want to expand my table setting. And how fun would it be to use Waffe House menus as place mats!
Chris- Thank you for pointing out my shameful title mispelling error. Though it will live forever in the url to that post. Yes, just like a ghost.
If you would, please proofread the rest of the blog and give me a full report. There's lots of shame to correct.
Man.. I've had many a steak and eggs with grits over the years in the wee hours of the morning after I got off of working B-shift! If they have a good short order cook.. you're set!
ReplyDeleteSpooky font for certain! My guess is it's a really off-model attempt based on their original signage seen here:
ReplyDeletehttp://lauraturning30.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/waffle-house-museum-123rd-new-thing/
and here:
http://championnewspaper.com/waffle.html ).
Your new china is a great find! Do you have a laminated menu, too?
Brian O.
Brian, I believe you have found the solution! And no I don't have a menu...yet! I did just get another WH item that I shall share later.
ReplyDeleteMissed you, Kirk! Glad to hear from you again. In honor of this post, I took my three year-old daughter to Waffle House tonight for her first time. Unfortunately, they did not have the Spooky Ecto-plasmic lettering; but it was still an epic outing nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI will soon e-publish a Christmas e-book with a Waffle House as a setting.
ReplyDeleteSo how about last night i drop my phone in water and put it in a bag of grits and it's working just fine ..lol
ReplyDeleteI just found this when Googling "Waffle House Plate" as I attempted to explain to my teen son why I said "Waffle House" in a ghosty voice. I am so glad to find I am not the only one!
ReplyDelete