For example, on one of our last road trips, we stopped at one of those Panera Breads. Big mistake. Menu items were pretentiously described (Napa Almond Chicken Salad sandwich) and way overpriced. It took people in line up to five minutes to decide what they wanted. Then you had to sit down and wait for it to be made. Finally we had to walk over to the pickup area to grab it because the waitstaff were overwhelmed. It was $32 for a breakfast for two. Coffee was self-serve and awful. Not even very hot.
Waffle House is always no-frills and super friendly. After taking your order, the waitress walks to a certain spot on the floor and screams your order at the line cooks in some kind of code. Within minutes, you get simple solid food that fills the belly. Breakfast for two more around $15 and while the coffee is rather pedestrian, it's super hot and always consistent.
Also, Waffle House is ranked number one in this survey and I agree 100%.
It’s not merely about being snobby or “down to earth”. It’s the food. It’s cheap. And I mean, it tastes cheap. I’d prefer a waffle from frozen Eggo (previously Aunt Jemima) over WH. For God’s sake, the item they specialize in should be real good!
I’m not against the whole concept. I draw the line when the food is very poor.
I eat many cheap places, including fast food. I don’t care about the price, just the quality.
The Panera by me (Urbandale, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa) has a drive-thru and is hardly more expensive than fast food places. Great food and plays host to numerous conservative causes.
Michele Bachmann is a friend of the owners and I’ve seen her there several times, unpublicized.
Coffee isn’t great, but I’m an espresso guy.