I used to eat pretty regularly at a Waffle House in Atlanta. I'd usually show up with some friends in the wee hours, looking for a snack before getting some shut-eye. It would usually be pretty slow in the restaurant, so we'd spend some time joking with the regular late-night cook, named Thomas. We'd always say that we would love to eat some pancakes -- and as any Waffle House devotee knows, you can't get pancakes at the big yellow house. Only waffles. One night, though, Thomas said he had a surprise for us. A few minutes later, a stack of hot, golden pancakes sat before us on the counter. Thomas said that from now on, he would cook us anything we could think of, as long as he had the ingredients, starting with these pancakes, which most certainly were not on the regular menu. Thus began a month-long culinary odyssey through the freezer of our local Waffle House. We started with pancakes and worked our way up to potato hash, sloppy joes, and, finally, butterflied pork chops. It was quite an experience, and ended, sadly, when Thomas was fired. I've never known for sure, but I think it had something to do with our off-menu explorations.
The Christian Science Monitor recently ran an article about the "secret menus" at various fast food restaurants. Apparently, I'm not the only one who has gone off-menu in search of something beyond the usual fare. The article claims that at In-N-Out Burger, the justifiably famous burger chain in southern California, you can order a hamburger "protein style" -- meaning without the bun. Apparently, you can get a McBruschetta at McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), which has toasted tomatoes, onions, and a bun; a Naked Chicken at Popeye's, which has no breading (!); and a Short Cappuccino at Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX), which is served in a kiddie cup.
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