The design of Waffle House is iconic — a small glass rectangle trimmed with red and yellow and topped by a flat roof. Per the chain's spokesman Pat Warner, its shoebox design is a result of commercial real estate ordinances in the 1960s that based land costs on how much of the storefront faced the road rather than total square footage, and its blueprint hasn't changed ever since.

Despite its long wait times and overcrowded entryway, there's something comforting about Waffle House — and Warner says that has to do with its open-kitchen design. While it might mean less dining space, eating at Waffle House means you have the luxury of watching your food transform from a random spread of ingredients to a full-fledged All-Star Special.

Not only can you track the process of your order, but you also get to know the hard-working chefs and back-of-house workers, who are often overlooked in the service industry. So next time you're pouting over the minor inconveniences caused by the architecture of the chain, consider that its snug design is part of the timeless charm that brought you there in the first place.