This Is White Castle's Most Underrated Menu Item

White Castle may be known for many things — their famed sliders, being a hard-to-reach destination for certain stoners, and recently even their successful take on a vegan slider with the help of Impossible Foods. Breakfast isn't usually one of them.

We're here to tell you that you're missing out on some serious contenders for your mid-morning hangover drive-thru slot. Or really, any time slot, since they jumped on the "breakfast all day" bandwagon back in 2015 (via White Castle). White Castle has a limited, yet strangely delicious, breakfast menu.

The Original Slider with Egg & Cheese is just that: the classic beef and onions (no pickle) with an egg and a choice of American, jalapeño, or smoked cheddar cheese. The onions are nicely caramelized, and the choice of cheese is a rare privilege. The Breakfast Toast Sandwich, while we can't in good faith recommend the caloric bomb of their combo version (two sandwiches with a choice of bacon or sausage, Hash Round Nibblers, and a small coffee), the sandwich is simple and delicious.

No one asked White Castle to serve waffles, let alone actually import them from Belgium (via Food & Wine), but the lengths to which fast-food chains will go for your dollar know no bounds. And — hear us out — their waffle-based breakfast items are actually pretty good. The waffles on the Belgian Waffle Sliders are fluffier than you'd expect, with a hint of syrup flavor to temper the salty combo of egg, choice of cheese, and bacon or sausage. The Chicken & Waffles Slider, made with the title ingredients, plus a swipe of "country gravy" and bacon crumbles, is an equally pleasant surprise — soft waffles, crispy chicken, adequate heft – and worth purchasing.

But the real sleeper hit? White Castle's Breakfast Slider — a time-honored classic combo of bread, egg, meat, and cheese. Just a tiny breakfast sandwich, you say? Nay! White Castle's take on the ubiquitous compact breakfast won "Best Fast-Food Breakfast Sandwich" on Serious Eats for its freshly cracked egg ("it's so real!") and crispy bacon. It even garnered praise from Business Insider, who described it as a "fast-food standout."

With fewer than 400 locations as of 2018, compared to McDonald's near-14,000 (via Fortune and USA Today), a lot of White Castle's mystique probably has to do with its scarcity. But if you do find yourself near a gleaming white-and-blue facade — try a breakfast sandwich. No need to let their morning-themed offerings be a mystery, too.