Guide to hash browns

They may not be Georgia-based Waffle House’s signature or most profitable menu item, but true fans of the franchise will tell you those hash browns in all their crispy glory are not to be overlooked.

Whether you’re new to the Southern diner or just too shy to ask your clearly swamped waitress about the staggering number of possible potato combinations, brushing up on the basics of Waffle House hash brown vernacular will only serve you well on your next visit.

The lingo, according to the restaurant chain, first gained traction in the mid-1980s.

To begin, Waffle House hash browns come “scattered” in three different sizes: regular, large or triple.

If you just want plain ol’ hash browns, order yourself a regular ’browns, scattered.

Itching for a bit more oomph? Ask for hash browns scattered on the grill with any of the following:

The restaurant chain actually claims there are 1,572,864 possible hash brown combos, which isn’t totally a lie. The number considers Waffle House’s four hash brown preparation methods (plain with oil, seared well, steamed with ice or cooked dry), three sizes and 18 additional ingredients (think ketchup, jalapeños, etc.). But if you only consider the three sizes and eight “scattered” hash brown styles above, you might conclude there are actually 768 different combinations available.

“I have seen people have a triple order of hash browns covered with everything you can imagine for breakfast,” Jim Hosseini, executive vice president and former Waffle House manager, told Garden and Gun. “And it’s not like I’ve seen it one time. I see it almost every weekend. I tell myself, ‘They’ll never finish that.’ And then they do.”

CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS All nine versions of the signature hash browns from Waffle House: scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, peppered, capped, topped and country.

■Country: with sausage gravy poured atop ■All the way: Topped with everything above!

■Topped: prepared with Bert’s Chili, a combination of chili beans, Jimmy Dean sausage, tomato, onions and more

■Diced: Served with some grilled tomatoes for juice

■Capped: adorned with grilled button mushrooms

■Covered: with melted American cheese

■Chunked: with grilled hickory smoked ham

■Smothered: sauteed with onions

■Peppered: Spicy jalapeño peppers