My town is too small for a Waffle House, so we have a Huddle House. Still, it’s just like you described—can’t get a seat between 6-8 AM.
There’s a Huddle House closer to me than the nearest Waffle House but neither one is very far. The Huddle House was built in a truck stop about ten years ago, was actually nice. Fifties diner decor, black and white tile floor, a lot of chrome, clean, well kept, decent service, OK food for a good price particularly for breakfast. The bane of truck stops has crept in though, sketchy lot lizard types hanging around, I don’t even like stopping in over there to go into the convenience store after dark, the people in the lot all look like they want something. Drug dealers would be my guess or prostitutes. Too bad, they wrecked one nearby dining option and business has slipped badly. Waffle House has a rep for being wild with the bar crowd late nights, fights and shootings, but during the day and evening I’ve never seen one get like that, they’re better managed and more on the ball.