Today, there is a political and cultural element to about anything. Certain small, but significant things sharply divide the country. You guys vs y'all. Pop vs Soda, Krystal vs White Castle, or Starbucks vs Dunkin Donuts. However, one that is particularly divisive and polarizing is the breakfast food battle between IHOP and Waffle House.
Colin Woodard studies and writes about American politics, culture, and sociodemographic issues. In his book "American Nations" he divided America into 11 different "nations" based on political geography. Catchy names for these areas such as "Yankeedom", "Left Coast", and "Greater Appalachia" will catch the eye of a political analyst or novice. Where you live could also tell what restaurant is best for you in the event that you crave breakfast food in the morning, and by morning I often mean 1 am or later.
In an era where it is harder to find common ground between two sides, Waffle House and IHOP share some things in common. Both specialize in breakfast foods, both have a diner-esque menu, and both have an extremely loyal customer base.
Recently, on a road trip from Nashville, through the Deep South and into Miami, I spent time in both restaurants' home turf and gave each a test.
IHOP definitely is like a quasi-New York style diner. Bottomless coffee, big portions and you can pay the bill at the front counter, without waiting for the server before you can sign and tip. The music over the speakers is very diverse, with classic rock, pop, contemporary, and R&B. The walls are often decorated with generic paintings, and the seats highly maintained and comfortable. The food is very tasty, and pancakes can be used as a side item for when you are craving something savory, such as an omelet.
Waffle House is a whole different animal. There are a couple people working behind the counter, where most of the seats are, and the cooks serve you the food themselves. The menu is simple and no-frills. Music is controlled by a jukebox which anyone can use. As a result, much of the music that is played ends of being country. One thing unique about the jukebox is that you can play college fight songs too. However, the choices are limited to where you often find locations of the Middle American chain, so most of the fight songs available to play are from SEC schools, along with other big state schools that surround the south, such as Texas, Ohio State, Florida State and Kansas State. The University of Miami misses the cut here, along with other metropolitan colleges like Rutgers and USC.
Other than the jukebox, there are not a whole lot of bells and whistles at a Waffle House. The seats don't have backs, the walls are not decorated, the food is okay and paper towels are a precious commodity in the restrooms. However you do pay what you get for, two meals cost a total of $15. An absolute bargain, but as I said, you get what you pay for.
Both restaurants cater, no pun intended, toward their political base. Twenty-five states have Waffle Houses. Four of them went blue in the 2016 election. According to Woodard, zero Waffle Houses exist in his New Netherland region in and around New York, and zero exist on the "left coast." Together they have a population of 35 million, but not the people Waffle House is looking for. While Waffle House has 99 locations in ruby-red Texas, none of them fall in the sizable, heavily Hispanic and liberal "EL Norte" section near the border with Mexico. So it's clear both places cater to their coalition.
So which one is better? It's almost as cut-and-dry as asking if liberal or conservative policy is better for the country. Everyone has their opinion, and mine is that I prefer IHOP. However, I am not claiming one is better than the other, as Waffle House does have qualities that some people value, no pun intended. Issues like these are deeply polarizing, so the best that we can do is sit in a circle with the opposition and try to find whatever common ground we can. Fans of both restaurants can agree that they love breakfast, so let's eat!
