Filet mignon at Waffle House? Yes, that used to be a thing along with these other food items

ATLANTA — It opened its door in 1955, and ever since then, Waffle House has become a staple for food-goers across the country for nearly 70 years now.

The first location was opened at 2719 East College Avenue in Avondale Estates by WaHo founders Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner on Sept. 5, 1955.

Rogers and Forkner were neighbors. Rogers worked for the Toddle House restaurant chain while Forkner was in the real estate business. The two men decided that their city needed a 24-hour restaurant, and Waffle House was born.

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“We are not in the food business. We are in the people business,” is what Rogers would always say.

Under Rogers’ and Forkner’s leadership, the chain grew to 400 restaurants by the end of the 1970s. They stepped out of the day-to-day running of the business later that decade. Both Rogers and Forkner died just a month apart from each other in 2017.

Waffle House has become a national treasure since it first opened. It now operates more than 1,900 restaurants in 25 states.

Here’s a look back at just some of the menu items and how much they cost in 1955:

Coca-Cola: 10 cents
Hashbrown potatoes: 20 cents
Waffles: 40 cents
Eggs: 40 cents

Throughout the years, Waffle House kept most of the staples that remain on the menu today, but there are some items that were once offered that have now disappeared.

That include filet mignon. It was the most expensive item on the menu at the high price of $1.50 and was served with a salad, potatoes, and a toasted bun.

For something on the healthier side, how about a pear salad with cheese, at just $0.35?

You could take home a whole pie that was “baked fresh daily in our own kitchen,” for $1.25.

You could also find a variety of soups on the menu from chicken noodle to cream of tomato -- only $0.30.

If you added up every item on the original 1955 menu, it would cost you a whopping $21.85.

A museum now stands where the original Waffle House was located in Avondale Estates. In fact, it was one of the first places Channel 2′s Jorge Estevez visited when he came to Atlanta.

Take a virtual look at the museum by clicking on the gallery below.

GALLERY:

How much do you know about the Waffle House? Let's find out!

It's time for a visit to everyone's favorite late night eatery, the Waffle House!

What year did Waffle House first open? To find out, we're headed to Waffle House, but we're not going to just any Waffle House...

Today, we're headed to the original Waffle House, Waffle House Number. 1. The year was 1955. What city did the original Waffle House call home?

Waffle House The first Waffle House opened at 2719 East College Avenue in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Was the original plan to open a chain of Waffle Houses?

After Unit 1 opened, there were no plans for another unit, but the first restaurant established the Waffle House tradition of providing the friendliest service in town. Unit 2 was opened two years later.

What was life like back then? Name the NFL champs and the President of the United States when the first Waffle House opened.

The Browns were the NFL champs...it has been a LONG time! Eisenhower was the President. About how much did the average home cost back then?

Homes were a lot cheaper when the first Waffle House opened. The average price was less than $11,000. Two men started Waffle House. Name them and how did they meet?

The relationship between the founders began when Joe Rogers, Sr. bought a house from Tom Forkner in Avondale Estates, in 1949. Rogers worked for Toddle House and Forkner was in the real estate business. Why didn't they open a Toddle House?

Since employee ownership was not available with the Toddle House, the idea of starting a business they could own and share some ownership with each other seemed like a good idea.

How much was a waffle at the original Waffle House?

If you guessed 40 cents, give yourself a point, or maybe some hashbrowns instead.

Half of the Waffle House Museum shows off memorabilia from the restaurant's 65 year history...

while the other half is set up just like the original Waffle House was back in 1955.

Speaking of, Waffle House made everything from scratch back in 1955 except for three items...name those items?

Coca-Cola

Heinz Ketchup and...

Post Toasties cereal.

How much did a filet mignon cost at the original Waffle House?

$1.50! I'll take two at that price!

How much did an order of hasbrown potatoes cost you in 1955?

Less than a quarter!

Only the steaks cost $1.00 or more. How much was a Coke?

A coke cost all of a dime.

What's up with Bert's Chili? Is there really a guy named Bert who makes the chili?

Yes, there really is a Bert! Bert has been with the Waffle House more than 30 years. He created his famous chili recipe in the early 1980s when he was working in Dallas, Texas.

Has Waffle House ever offered an all you can eat option?

Yes, there was once an all you can eat menu at the Waffle House.

The cost: was $3.99.

In the mood for some music? Has there ever been any songs written about Waffle House?

Absolutely! There are plenty to choose from!

The Waffle House Museum is open from time to time. Check out https://www.wafflehouse.com/waffle-house-museum/ for more.

Waffle House is the world's leading server of T-bone steaks. How many do they sell in a day?

Waffle House sells more than 10,000 T-bone steaks daily. It's also the world's leading server of waffles, hash browns, eggs and cheese, country ham, pork chops, and grits.

Waffle House serves about 2% of the eggs used in the food service industry.

That's a lot of eggs! Somewhere between 2 and 3 billion eggs since it first opened!

Here are some more photos from the Waffle House Museum.