Donnie Wahlberg Visits Waffle House Restaurant - Leaves Awesome Tip For Employees

Donnie Wahlberg, an accomplished actor and singer, has shown his appreciation for wait staff across America. As a founding member of the famous boy band, New Kids on the Block, and brother to well-known actor, Mark Wahlberg, Donnie Wahlberg is no stranger to the public spotlight.

The 47-year-old actor also stars in the drama series, 'Blue Bloods'. However, despite his fame, Wahlberg can’t resist the simple American pleasures of a good Waffle House.

Now, Wahlberg is being praised for leaving an enormous tip for the serving staff at a North Carolina Waffle House. Normally, when people leave large tips for waiters and waitresses, their generosity only comes to light after the grateful staff speak post a photo on social media.

However, this time, Wahlberg has decided to personally speak out about his decision to leave a $2,000 tip at the N.C. Waffle House.

After his meal (steak, grits, bacon and eggs), Wahlberg managed to take several photos of the check and the smiling employees at the Waffle House, posting a ‘collage’ photo on Instagram.

The acclaimed singer and actor captioned the photo: “My mom waited tables, and my dad tended bars-- for years! So, when I walk into a #WaffleHouse, and the staff treats me like a king, you better believe I treat them like queens! Thanks to the team at @wafflehouseofficial Charlotte, NC!”

During his dinner, Wahlberg also decided to film an 11-minute long Facebook live video with the staff at the Waffle House, cheerfully chatting with the servers and giving out free tickets to his upcoming ‘New Kids on the Block’ concert.

One customer at the restaurant, John Katsoudas, expanded on Wahlberg’s generosity, writing: “Donnie also gave every worker backstage passes and front row tickets for tomorrow's concert. I happened to be there while he was there.”

Unsurprisingly, Wahlberg’s random act of kindness is not going unnoticed and social media users are full of praise for the positive actor and singer. One Facebook user, Maria Palacios, spoke about how special Wahlberg’s tip really was, commenting: “Heart of gold Donnie. Heart of Gold. You just helped them with something amazing. They're there not because it was their life dream to servers at The Waffle House but Because they decided to go make an honest living, and one day an angel comes and helps them out a bit. That's why we love you donnie - stay golden.”

Another Facebook commenter, Kimberly Marlow, was similarly grateful to Wahlberg, writing: “You, your wife, and your whole family are such upstanding individuals! Such an inspiration to people everywhere! I am sad to be missing you in Georgia Friday night but my husband has to go play Army so I had no one to go to the concert with me and I won't go alone. Super bummed about it. Keep on keeping on Donnie.”

Wahlberg’s generosity at Waffle House locations is fast becoming legendary. Last month, the 'Blue Bloods' star dined at a Maryland Waffle House, leaving staff a $500 tip for their “awesome service.”

Source: MarketWatch, People
Photos: Donnie Wahlberg/Instagram, celebrityabc/Flickr, Yelp, Donnie Wahlberg/Facebook