The softly glowing gold facade looks more patriotic and national at night than Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks” painting. You know it, you love it, it’s the Waffle House—it’s always open, never changing. As a New Yorker and a self-professed diehard lover of his city, it might seem a little odd that Anthony Bourdain loved his visit to this place. There are no Waffle House locations in upstate New York or New Jersey, and NYC is home to a semi-famous handful of classic nightspots from Waverly to Tom’s and Old John’s. Some, like the iconic Tick Tock Diner on 8th Avenue, are still open 24 hours a day. Still, Bourdain loved food from Filipino sisig to fast-food mac and cheese (it’s called the “range”), and his first visit to Waffle House impressed his palate.

The famous visit to Waffle House takes place during the Charleston, South Carolina, episode of his CNN series “Parts Unknown.” Bourdain and Sean Brock, chef and restaurant owner, arrived (appropriately) after closing time. As he sat down, Bourdain remarked, “Despite my travels around the world, I am incredibly ignorant of the wonders of Waffle House and unfamiliar with its customs.” But before his meal was over, he was a lifelong fan, revealing, “This is better than The French Laundry, man.”

The 24-hour chain is known for its delicious waffles, which somehow always taste better than the ones we can make at home. They’re also famous for their hash browns, which you can spread, smother, cover or slice into pieces, among other things. It’s a beauty as accessible as it is unassailable, and one that prompted Bourdain to rhapsodize in the poetic way only he could: “It is indeed wonderful, an irony-free zone where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. Where everyone is welcome, regardless of race, creed, color or level of drunkenness. Its warm yellow glow is a beacon of hope and salvation, inviting the hungry, the lost, the seriously drunk across the South to come in. A place of safety and sustenance. It never closes. It is always, always faithful, always there – for you.”

As Bourdain later noted in his field notes on the Charleston episode, “The South is not a monolith. There are pockets of weirdness and greatness…Husk (Brock’s restaurant) takes the culinary traditions of the South head on, using the best of modern techniques, but always always Respect for the originals and their inventors.” In many ways, the same could be said about Waffle House. During the diner visit, Brock shared that his love for Waffle House began in his childhood, as guests can watch the kitchen staff cook. They also offer southern hospitality for a notoriously rowdy bunch, which sparked his interest in cooking in general and proved how iconic this simple diner really is.