Waffle House Family Restaurant

By ERIN SHULTZ
Tribune lifestyle editor

February 03, 2006 12:35 pm

— It’s an undeniable fact that Belgian waffles or blueberry pancakes taste better at 2 a.m. It could be the rebelliousness of eating a morning meal in the middle of the night.
It could be that Belgian waffles just feel classy. They’re foreign, after all.
It could be that you picked breakfast over a “sensible” choice like a sandwich.
It could just be that they taste that good.
At Waffle House, 807 S. Reed Road, (MAP) it could be all of those things.
One of the area’s few 24-hour establishments, Waffle House has been serving up piping hot breakfasts as well as home-cooked favorites for 15 years.
Owner and manager John Timme said the place sees its share of night owls as well as regulars.
“Those guys are here every morning,” Timme said, pointing to a table of men surrounded by coffee mugs.
While the restaurant is part of the Indiana chain of Waffle Houses, it’s not affiliated with the large Waffle House chain common in the South, he said.
Either way, you wouldn’t know it from the interior or the restaurant’s attitude. Adorned with gingham curtains, plaid wallpaper and wood paneling, the restaurant is cozy and feels like a mom and pop shop.
Timme said that’s the way he likes it. For the last 15 years at the U.S. 31 location, he’s gotten to know his regulars and the community.
“It’s Waffle House Family Restaurant,” he said. “That’s what we try to do — include family.”
And while they’ve got a huge selection of breakfast items (make sure you try their heaping omelets — they’ll stuff them with nearly anything you can imagine), they’ve also got a full menu full of home-cooking favorites.
From prime rib to specialty sandwiches, it’s all there. Make sure you try Waffle House’s Swiss steak, ham and beans, meatloaf, beef and noodles or potato soup. They’re all entirely homemade.
“A lot of times people will come in at 5 at night and order a breakfast, or people will come in at 8 in the morning and order a spaghetti dinner,” he said.
Chrysler and Delphi workers with rumbling bellies can grab a good meal at any time of the day, he said.
The best part is that you’ll leave with a full stomach and a full wallet. Their breakfast special is $3.99 for two pieces of bacon, two sausage links, two pancakes and two eggs.

Erin Shultz may be reached at (765) 454-8587 or via e-mail at erin.shultz@kokomotribune.com