Huddle House

You’d think, if you’ve seen one Huddle House, you’ve seen them all. For the most part, that’s true. The one located in Ripley is the exception to the rule. It has always been cleaner, had friendlier staff and better quality food than others I’ve been in.
The exception to that is their waffles. They have a weird tast, like a fortune cookie batter. It is very off-​putting, especially when you add syrup. To quote them, «Our Golden Waffle batter recipe is top secret. That’s all we’re authorized to say about it».
To Each Their Own.

We always try and find the Mom and Pop joint in any town we find ourselves. We found ourselves in Ripley MS, hungry at 0800, and said Mom and Pop joint was not to be found. Ok, its possible we didnt know where it was…
At any rate, you may be able to imagine the horror I experienced when the friend we were with suggested that we go into the local Huddle House. Really? A greasy spoon? I mean, those type joints arent known for their cleanliness, most of the food is forgettable at best, and service could hardly be called… service. HOWEVER, were not in Kansas anymore Toto.
Those stereotypes will not honored at the Huddle House in Ripley MS. Upon entering, youre greeted with a 50’s diner theme, complete with music and vinyl seats on the chrome framed bar stools. The sheen on the stainless splash board demands a double take simply because youve never seen the like in a «greasy spoon» before. There was zero build up on the gaylord, none. In the food business high volume usually means cleanliness suffers, while I suppose that store could just have all sorts of time for cleaning due to lack of production, the precision in the execution of my $ 4.99 breakfast plate leads me to believe that they have all the production practice they need.
We were well greeted by wait staff, she was attentive and quick with the coffee. The table was clean, no crumbs on it, the seats, or the floor. We all decided to get the New Years Breakfast, which is 2 eggs, hashbrowns, either 3 pc bacon or 2 sausage patties, grits and toast. You can add a waffle for 99 cents, and we all did. Additionally, I added sauteed mushrooms and onions to my browns, and specifically requested that they be sweated with the browns. My eggs were scrambled, Krista’s were over easy, and our friend’s were over med. I dont think we got our second cup of Joe down before our plates were on the table.
The food was spot on, pure and simple. I have nothing negative to say about the preparation of our plates. The eggs where just right, my hashbrowns were exactly what I asked for, and the waffles were crisp and creamy at the same time.
By this time, I realized that we were on the yellow brick road, so I started payin very close attention to what was going on in the store. What I saw was a manager that actually did his job, and a staff that actually did theirs. The compact efficiency they work under is a testament to a work ethic that abounds throughout the operation. It is a total joy, I mean it warms my heart, to see that kind of passion. It is very clear that those that work there are truly interested in providing their customers the best possible service and dining experience. I can think of a number of places that would do well to take some lessons from that Huddle House, CR and his staff.
If there was something to fuss about it would be:
Too much butter on the grits
The wait got the over easy and over med egg orders to the wrong customers at first.
And thats it!!!
Even the condiment bottle caps were clean… the stainless behind the counter was spotless…
As we left, I caught the manager (CR) outside. He was pullin weeds out of the flower beds before he went home. I think he was surprised by my assessment of his store, he shouldnt have been… great job!!!
Unlike Dorthy, we found that our «Wizard» in the land that wasnt Kansas actually was the real deal. Not the blowhard so many have become, he was just the guy that wasnt too good to pull weeds on his way to the truck…
As we prepared to return to «Kansas», the lesson is that passion is found anywhere… all we really need to do is be brave enough to ride out the storm and find it. Good Job Huddle House…
If ever you find yourself in Ripley, stop by for some breakfast and experience a place that truly wants you to enjoy spending money with them.

It was a nice surprise to find a «chain» restaurant that cares. It was obvious when we walked in the door, several of the staff immediately greeted us with «good morning». The food was good, the service was good. And having breakfast with Greg is always good…
Greg noticed that the ketchup bottle was even clean… you know how they get that dried up, old ketchup around the rim… these ketchup bottles were cared for,… cleaned. It’s not that difficult of a task, but it makes a statement. The syrup bottle was even good to go, without sticking to the table or your hands.
The person running this place, and the staff did a great job. And we look forward to stopping in next time we are in the area.