The Waffle House ‘Secret Plate Marking System’ to Keep Track of Your Order [Video]

Ever been to a packed Waffle House and marveled at how they're somehow able to keep track of everyone's orders? Turns out, they have a "secret system" of sorts.

If you've ever been to Waffle House, even if it's not that often, you've certainly noticed the server and kitchen lingo when it come to orders.

Just hash browns alone carry their own special language at Waffle House. Hash browns can be scattered and smothered, covered, chunked, diced, capped, country, and more.

If you're really hungry? Your hash browns can be "all the way" which means "you'll get all eight toppings served on scattered hash browns" according to mentalfloss.com.

Obviously Waffle House's server/kitchen lingo is sort of a verbal shorthand to help keep things moving fast.

But, there's actually another kind of shorthand used at Waffle House to help keep track of all of the orders flying around.

Waffle House Secret Plate Marking System

In a video posted to TikTok by Waffle House cook @hotsoupandcracker, he goes through the strategic ways cooks place things like jelly, cheese, pieces of shredded potato, and more to indicate what was ordered and how it should be prepared.

It's pretty slick and honestly a bit fascinating.

As the server calls in the order, the cook starts marking the plate. In a super busy, hectic environment, the cooks can marking multiple plates at a time. This is a much quicker way than stopping to write it all down, and the cooks don't have to try and memorize 15 complicated orders all at once.

Waffle House even has an official plate marking chart cooks must memorize when hired.

From MSN.com -

For instance, a jelly packet placed vertically at the bottom of a plate means the customer wants scrambled eggs. The same packet, placed at the top of the plate, means the eggs should be cooked sunny-side up.

That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Waffle House's "secret" plate marking communication.

A jelly packet on top of a mustard packet means the customer wants an extra egg.

A jelly packet turned horizontally, and placed near the top of a plate, means the customer wants an omelet with ham.

A right-side up mayo packet means a darker waffle. If the butter packet is upside-down, the customer wants a pecan waffle.

MSN.com has broken down many more of Waffle House's secret plate marking system, and you see the list HERE.

The marking system is something that reportedly began in the early days of the restaurant by cooks, and it works so well Waffle House adopted the system for all of its locations.

Check out the video below and...well, see you at Waffle House!