14 Wildest Things To Have Ever Gone Down In A Waffle House

There are several truths surrounding the popular food chain, Waffle House. It was born from deep Southern roots, with the first restaurant having opened in Georgia in 1955. Every location is open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, and even during natural disasters. The chain also has its own record label, Waffle Records, that creates the music available on the jukeboxes in the establishments across the country.

Waffle House serves, on average, 145 waffles every minute, and has its very own intricate ordering style for hash browns. But whether you like your waffles scattered and smothered, or covered, chunked, and capped, there is no shortage of entertainment, drama, and out-of-the ordinary occurrences within Waffle House walls everywhere. From weddings to misdemeanors, here is a running list of the many wild things to have earned the iconic diner-like institution quite a controversial reputation for rowdiness and scandalous viral moments.

It's not what many would expect as the backdrop for one of the most important days of their lives, but some choose to seal their marital fate with a good old fashioned WaHo wedding (that's what regulars affectionately call Waffle House). Instead of a traditional ceremony followed by the obligatory throwing of rice at the newly minted married couple, some couples like to jump way outside the box. One wedding officiant performed such nuptials not once, but twice, at the same WaHo location. They said it was the real deal complete with all the wedding fixings like pictures of the happy couple placed around the restaurant, champagne toasts, gift bags, personalized swag for the guests, and obviously waffles.

While it's certainly not common, weddings and sometimes even professional wedding photos, do take place at Waffle House. Simple searches online, and many a Pinterest board, reveal a variety of ways the beloved food chain is tied into tying the knot. You can use the catering offered at a venue of your choice or book the full-fledged event on site at your local WaHo. Maybe it's nostalgia, a personal connection, or just wanting something unique. It also doesn't hurt that there's far more bang for your buck for those trying to maintain a tight budget.

Brawls are so commonplace at Waffle House locations across the country and almost everyone seems to have a story of one they have witnessed. For one man, his breakfast order always comes with a side of fistfight. A concerned girlfriend shared her story on Reddit, a treasure trove for truly unhinged Waffle House content. She turned to Reddit users for some advice on her boyfriend's rage directed toward a Waffle House cook.

It usually goes down like this. Her boyfriend orders his eggs, is never satisfied with how they come out, and then proceeds to fight the cook. It's not a one-time occurrence and has turned into such a consistent problem that she is contemplating if she should scratch the eatery off the list for good. Is he hangry or just really invested in his breakfast? We will never know, but he keeps going back for more eggs, and fighting with the cook responsible for making them.

He's not just a cowboy, baby. Kid Rock is on a short list of celebrities who have thrown down more than just waffles at the restaurant chain. That's right! The egregious fights between slinging waffles and hash browns at all hours, is not just an occurrence reserved for the locals. At an Atlanta Waffle House following a nearby performance, Kid Rock and his entourage once got into a physical fight with a male patron, and the famous musician is the one who started it. 

Kid Rock kicked things off by throwing the first punch, and was subsequently arrested with his whole crew before being released later that day. He did not get off completely unscathed and his actions resulted in some pricey legal repercussions. His outburst at WaHo landed him an order to pay the victim $40,000 through a civil lawsuit. Those were probably the most expensive waffles Kid Rock's ever had.

The connection between Waffle House and Reddit stretches far beyond the rabbit hole of stories available from patrons and employees about wild antics at the restaurants. Every startup company has an origin story, but few have ties to Waffle House.

The story goes that Alexis Ohanian, a student at University of Virginia at the time, decided to skip out in the middle of taking the LSAT and essentially abandon his future law career. Once he surveyed the room of fellow test takers and saw a sea of unhappy faces all around him, he simply got up and left. Little did he know that his existential crisis would be the catalyst for innovation and would take off like wildfire.

He was hungry, headed to his local Waffle House, and it was over that meal that he came up with the idea for Reddit. Ironically, Reddit has since become a repository for some of the wildest Waffle House lore in existence. There are various threads detailing the raucous fights, as well as memorable moments, and even secrets from staff members and patrons.

After hours, Waffle House runs bring out some real characters. It likely has something to do with being open for 24 hours that lures in late night bar hoppers looking for something to combat the alcohol in their systems. One figure that has gained newsworthy notoriety is Halie Booth, who was appropriately nicknamed Waffle House Wendy following a fight while working at the restaurant.

One night a brawl broke out, as it often does, inside a Waffle House. Waffle House Wendy jumped right in and got involved in the action, which appears to be another common phenomenon among Waffle House employees. As things escalated, she was not having it. She channeled her inner warrior and effortlessly threw salt and pepper shakers at drunk patrons who were throwing fists. She didn't stop there in her effort to defend her Waffle House's honor. Her reflexes were so good that she dodged a chair thrown right at her, as if she's been in this scenario before. Perhaps it's this kind of commitment to Waffle House that has the makings of employee of the month.

One of the hallmarks of Waffle House is that each location is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even on holidays and many times during natural disasters. Because the restaurants are always ready for business, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has tapped Waffle House as a national barometer during natural disasters.

There is even an official Waffle House index that categorizes the severity of natural disasters. According to Waffle House's site, green means the full menu is available and damage in the area is limited. Yellow means the menu is limited, food supply is low, and power is likely coming from a generator. Red means the restaurant is closed and there is severe damage and unsafe conditions in the area.

In the face of weather emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, and other harrowing conditions, Waffle House does not back down. Many locations become a welcome refuge providing stability and the opportunity for hot meals when people are displaced and without power, food, and water. There's something to be said for a restaurant chain that caters to people when they are truly in need and becomes a legitimate guide for a government organization. Waffle House for sure has some street cred.

It's not all scuffles and alcohol-fueled interactions at Waffle House. There is some good left in the world and it's evident when restaurant patrons proactively step in to offer help. Sometimes, the good in humanity makes an appearance and that's exactly what happened when an employee was stuck short-staffed.

With a packed house and only one staff member to handle everything, a group of patrons stepped in and got their hands dirty. Some went right into the kitchen to help cook and execute on orders. Others began bussing tables and cleaning to help turn over tables and keep things moving. There were more who jumped in to become impromptu servers and took orders from waiting patrons. People saw a solo staff member drowning in responsibility, and instead of watching his struggle from afar, they really stepped up and showed a masterclass in kindness and good deeds.

We already know Reddit is a hotbed of Waffle House stories from the deep trenches. Whether they come from patrons or employees, they all prove there is rarely a dull moment at WaHo. One reddit user told a tale about customers coming in requesting whipped cream but the restaurant was fresh out. In a show of exemplary customer service, a staff member stopped what they were doing, volunteered to make a whipped cream run, and soon after returned with the goods.

Two girls from the group that requested the topping, took it with them into the restroom and what happened next was likely not expected by the staff or onlookers just there to grab a quick bite. As the ladies emerged from the restroom, they were completely naked except for the DIY bikinis they had fashioned from the sweet contents in the whipped cream can. It was reminiscent of that iconic whipped cream bikini scene from "Varsity Blues" and probably a moment those patrons will never forget.

Everyone has that one friend. The one who always seems to bring the drama, especially when they've been drinking. They are the friends who embody all the embarrassing stories that wedding toasts are made of. A Reddit user details one of these scenarios he witnessed during a night at Waffle House after drinking. 

He talks about how his very drunk friend was at risk of being detained by police for his unruly behavior. As they were trying to apprehend a clearly inebriated man, his friends watched in amazement as he led them on a chase. Not the kind of police car chase you see on television, rather he rivaled the agility of an NFL player. 

While police were working hard trying to nab him, he treated the restaurant like his own personal NFL training facility. He expertly bobbed and weaved his way through narrow spaces and somehow managed to get away unscathed when the police eventually gave up. Safe to say, this story will make the rounds in that friend group for years to come. Maybe even at a WaHo wedding.

What do you do when you are caught naked, canoodling in a car in the Waffle House parking lot? You get dressed as quickly as possible, even if it means improvising and making bold fashion choices. That's what happened to a couple caught loitering in a Waffle House parking lot, who rivaled each other's top scores when blowing into the breathalyzer. They were reprimanded by the police to get dressed and get off the premises.

As if public intoxication and inappropriate public displays of affection weren't enough, the booze clearly got the best of the woman from the pair. While rushing to throw her clothes back on, she tried to squeeze her foot into a cheeseburger thinking it was a shoe, like a sloshed Cinderella. No pickles were harmed in this attempt at food forward fashion, and hopefully the couple found another place to spend sexy time together. It just goes to show you that the excitement is not always inside your local Waffle House. Sometimes it doesn't even make it inside from the parking lot.

Change is really hard for some more than others, literally. People who are creatures of habit like what they like and do not welcome adjustments to any part of their routine. This was the case for a man who is a regular at his Waffle House in Jacksonville, Florida. Because inflation is alive and well, yes even at Waffle House, there were price increases and he was the opposite of okay with it.

When he was informed that his sausage biscuit was 50 cents more, he did not take it well. He was accustomed to paying $1 for his breakfast sandwich, and the price hike from $1 to $1.50 was just too much for him to accept. He went ballistic and took out his frustration on the front doors of the establishment. His biscuit heartbreak over that 50 cents led to him busting through the front door, scattering shards of glass everywhere like confetti. Maybe Waffle House should consider adding increased security when future price increases hit its menus.

It's undeniable that Waffle House employees are just cut differently based on all of the stories that make up the chain's digital footprint. In many of the threads circulating online about its flagrant restaurant fights, there are also accounts of employees getting right in the center of the action. They don't sit and watch while patrons disrespect their WaHo with squabbles and other mischief. They get right in there, just like the chain's national treasure, Waffle House Wendy, who was highlighted earlier.

What's more entertaining than a fight breaking out at the restaurant? A fight breaking out while a Florida influencer is on the premises. He did what influencers do best, and began narrating the events as they unfolded, like a professional referee calling a boxing match. Just like any good fight, there is usually at least one standout moment that gets streamed in instant replays across ESPN.

In this situation, it was the moment one employee was so dedicated to the cause that she pulled off her own wig with zero hesitation and came in hot to defend Waffle House's honor. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear wigs and will not hesitate to throw it off to throw down in the name of waffles.

So many things can be celebrated over breakfast. Birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, pregnancies, graduations, and every other special occasion has likely been commemorated at a Waffle House somewhere. It may even be the scene for a debrief with friends to spill the tea while you pour the syrup over a stack of waffles.

One of the wildest Waffle House celebrations involves none of those occasions and instead is all about a murder acquittal. A man who had just been cleared of murdering his spouse's lover was looking for the perfect spot to celebrate the occasion with his spouse. He went all out and hit up Waffle House for some smothered and covered hash browns to properly recognize his freedom.

As soon as his not-guilty verdict came through, the exonerated Florida man pulled out all the stops for a WaHo celebration with his Mrs. Apparently waffles taste as good as freedom.

The most common stories that make the rounds about Waffle House involve varying levels of physical violence, from restaurant guests and employees alike. The abundance of Waffle House fights in locations everywhere runs rampant. People hanging at a WaHo have definitely seen some stuff, and just when you think it can't get more ridiculous, it usually does.

Sometimes it escalates way past an old-school fist fight. On one occasion, a table of guests decided they were going to skip out on their bill. Here's the thing, Waffle House employees have already shown time and time again that they are more than willing to serve as modern-day vigilantes. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to anyone that an Oklahoma WaHo staff member tried to thwart the mini crime spree happening on their watch. That's when things got dicey and one of the bill ditchers chose violence and stabbed the employee, who luckily didn't have life-threatening injuries when transported to a hospital.