A first visit in a dog's age to South Carolina brought us to Clemson's Waffle House. Tim, our Clemson host suggested we eat there. He proved to be the perfect guide to a long-overdue gastronomic and cultural experience.
Tim had us at "waffle' but we enjoyed the entire event, from the arrival in the parking lot to our server Ashley's departing exhortation to "come back as much as you want."
For reasons we'll need to learn more about sometime in the future, Tim informs us that the Clemson Waffle House, like most in the chain, is set at a jaunty angle to the street. The parking lot features a skillfully painted orange tiger paw, the mark of Clemson's athletic teams. Upon entering the establishment we also noted the orange palette of the wait staff uniforms, which we learned is a special feature of Game Day attire.* Our visit occurred on the day of the Clemson-Texas Christian University game.**
We arrived-mid morning for breakfast. Unlike The University of Iowa, where football contests are scheduled for 11 a.m. to curtail students' pregame festivities and consumption of adult beverages, Clemson plays in the afternoon, and we were seated without delay. We learned afterward that the morning the day after games is the busiest time for the 'House.'
Once seated we were treated to richly illustrated and smartly designed laminated menus that double as placemats. How sweet it that?
After a careful and thorough examination of the menu, along with much deliberation with Tim and Debra, a comfort food specialist sans pareil, I ordered the 2 pork chops and eggs, with wheat toast and 'covered' [with cheese**] hashbrowns. The latter can also be 'smothered' [onions], 'chunked' [ham], 'topped' [chili], 'diced' [tomatoes'], 'peppered' [jalapenos], 'capped' [mushrooms] -or 'scattered all the way.' We'll leave a description of that final option up to your imagination.
Debra and Tim both went with Fiesta omelets, a tasty south of the border concoction. Tim elected to smother his hashbrowns. Bottomless coffee and diet Cokes completed our selections.
The food and service were terrific. And having spent much of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area where the finest eateries pair small portions with high prices, we found the prices jaw-droppingly low, and the fare bountiful.
The Waffle House chain has somehow managed to combine fast food efficiency with the charm and comfort of old-fashioned diners. No small trick, and likely tied to notions of southern hospitality, a more leisurely pace of life and, alas, low wages and a lower standard of living.
Tim informs us that as part of the opening of a Waffle House, they bury the key to the door in the cement walkway out front because "it will always be open."
We look forward to a return visit.
* You'll observe in the pictures filed with this review that Tim sported an orange aloha shirt in keeping with Clemson's Game Day 'solid orange' dress code.
** For those of you keeping score, here's a recap of the game: http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292690228
**Tim, a brilliant chef in his own right, did comment that the 'covered' option for hashbrowns could be improved with a choice of cheeses. At present, American cheese is the sole offering on the menu. I'm not sure what he had in mind, but a sharp cheddar might in fact make for an interesting alternative to the classic choice currently available.