Top 50 Series: 13- Breakfast at The Waysider

The waitress looked over her shoulder at us as we walked through the front door from the screened in porch. "Ya'll just sit anywhere, Sweetie," she directed towards me. We weaved through the tables crammed into the tiny house-turned-restaurant and found a 4-seater in the corner.

The font used on the sign outside and the style of furniture would have fooled me into thinking it was a German restaurant like the one my mother, sister and I used to frequent in Texas, but there was no mistaking that The Waysider Restaurant served nothing but very, very southern food. As we sat down, I noticed we were seated by a framed picture of Nick Saban blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Framed newspaper articles and Alabama paraphernalia covered the walls of the entire space, providing an interesting, but maybe overwhelming, decor. Even a picture of former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson and his father dining at our exact table was hung and we sarcastically remarked about our good choice of seating. Potted ivy snaked from hanging baskets from the ceiling, giving the place an even more distinct 'grandma's house' feel.

The waitress that greeted us came over to give us tiny glasses of water and stated that her name was Dixie. Fitting, I thought, since she referred to me as "sweetie" and even "honeybunny". I was in the mood for pancakes, which isn't unusual, and ordered coffee, blueberry hotcakes and sugar-cured ham.

While waiting for our food, I glanced around the room and was taken aback by the mix of people seated at 9 a.m. A group of post-menopausal women with their collars popped, for some reason, sat at a table for eight and handed birthday presents to the head of the table. A duo of men in their early-thirties that gave off the vibe they'd be into Dungeons and Dragons sat in the middle of the room eating out of steaming bowls. A lone older man clad in a golfing shirt and black sandals with white socks sat reading the newspaper. He was obviously a regular because the waitresses knew his name and he didn't find it rude to yell out to them across the room, holding up his empty plate, when he ran out of biscuits. Finally there was the college-aged couple, looking around as curiously as we were.

We received our food quickly and were not disappointed. The pancakes were the perfect ratio of fluffy to dense, the blueberries were fresh and the ham was so perfect it had to have been fried by my Mawmaw.

I left so stuffed I came back home and napped for two hours. I believe The Waysider is perfect for tourists looking to experience a little bit of Tuscaloosa, but it's also a staple for regulars- like the man with black sandals and white socks.
 
I will officially cross out 13. Have breakfast at The Waysider
One down, 49 to go!
 
Love, H.