My first restaurant job, I learned to cook on a griddle. Much easier for many things and you can have several things going at once: keep the bacon warm in the corner, hash browns, onions, peppers, eggs, pancakes, French Toast, etc. There's a reason restaurants use griddles. They also have higher sides so home fries, onions, etc don't spill over the edge. The surface only gets grungy when you try to cook on a dry surface. If you mess up, clean off the stuck stuff with your razor blade right away. Find a good diner and watch the short-order cook for awhile--it's a learning experience. Pay attention to the tools s/he uses.
Flame broiled steaks? Use the gas oven broiler or th grill on the side.
Flat griddle cooking for beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEYU7U7Y8J0