Unearth The Voyage
America has a deep, serious relationship with the biscuit. Not the cookie kind, but the real kind: tall, golden, buttery, and built from scratch. Across the country, certain restaurants have turned biscuit-making into an art form, drawing loyal regulars and road-tripping visitors alike. Some places have been perfecting their recipes since the 1950s, while others arrived more recently with fresh ideas and oversized sandwiches that redefine what breakfast can be.
From Nashville to Portland, the biscuit has proven it belongs everywhere. This list covers 18 restaurants that take their biscuits seriously, whether they serve them plain with jam, loaded with fried chicken, or buried under a river of gravy. Read on to find your next great biscuit stop.
1. Biscuit Love, Nashville, Tennessee
What started as a Nashville food truck in 2012 has become one of the city’s most recognized breakfast destinations. Husband-and-wife team Karl and Sarah Worley built Biscuit Love around a simple idea: make every biscuit from scratch, every single day.
The menu’s most celebrated item is The East Nasty, a buttermilk biscuit stacked with fried chicken tenders, aged cheddar, and house-made sausage gravy. Bon Appetit named it the Best Sandwich of 2015, which is a title that still holds weight around here.
Sweet options include the Bonuts, fried biscuit dough topped with lemon mascarpone over blueberry compote. Multiple locations now operate across Tennessee and Ohio, but the original Gulch spot in Nashville remains the flagship.
2. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, Charleston, South Carolina
Every biscuit at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is mixed, rolled, and baked entirely by hand, a tradition rooted in founder Carrie Morey’s mother Callie White and her cherished family recipe. The King Street location opened in 2005 and has been a Charleston institution ever since.
Guests choose from classic buttermilk, sharp cheddar, country ham, black pepper bacon, and seasonal varieties, then pair them with house-made jams, whipped butters, and jalapeño pimento cheese. Biscuit sandwiches like the Fried Chicken Biscuit and the Charleston Hot Honey Chicken round out the savory side of the menu.
The eatery operates as a grab-and-go spot, making it ideal for a quick but genuinely Charleston culinary experience. The brand also ships frozen biscuits nationwide for those who cannot make the trip.
3. Biscuit Head, Asheville, North Carolina
Biscuit Head was founded in 2013 by Jason and Carolyn Roy, and the name gives a pretty clear hint about portion sizes. The restaurant specializes in enormous cathead biscuits, scooped and dropped rather than cut with rings, which produces a fluffier result with less dough handling.
A self-serve gravy and jam bar sets this place apart from most breakfast spots. Guests choose from five house-made gravies, including pork sausage, fried chicken, vegetarian sausage, sweet potato coconut, and espresso red-eye varieties, then add from a rotating jam selection featuring flavors like cantaloupe vanilla and bananas foster.
Standout sandwiches include The Filthy Animal, loaded with fried chicken, pimento cheese, bacon, scrambled eggs, and gravy. Biscuit Head sources local produce whenever possible, reflecting Asheville’s strong community-focused food culture.
4. Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, Asheville, North Carolina
Tupelo Honey has been a downtown Asheville anchor since 2000, offering a polished take on Southern comfort food made with scratch ingredients and responsibly sourced produce. Its cathead buttermilk biscuits, baked with White Lily flour, are served as a starter called Biscuits For A Cause, and a portion of the proceeds supports the Tupelo Honey Employee Relief and Development Funds.
The two biscuits arrive warm alongside whipped butter and blueberry jam, a combination that reflects the restaurant’s modern-meets-traditional approach without overcomplicating things.
The flagship location sits across from Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville, offering both indoor and outdoor seating. Southern Living and OpenTable have both recognized Tupelo Honey for its contributions to the region’s dining scene.
5. Atomic Cowboy home of Denver Biscuit Co & Fat Sully’s NY Pizza, Denver, Colorado
Denver is not the first city that comes to mind for Southern biscuits, which is exactly what makes Denver Biscuit Company worth knowing about. Operating under the lively Atomic Cowboy umbrella alongside Fat Sully’s NY Pizza, the concept was founded by Drew Shader and has earned Best Breakfast in Denver from Westword multiple times.
The menu is built around mile-high, scratch-made biscuit sandwiches with creative combinations. The Franklin layers fried chicken with sausage gravy, bacon, and cheddar, while the K-Mack goes a different direction with Korean fried chicken, daikon pickles, and sesame aioli.
Everything, from the pickles to the honey butter, is made in-house. The energetic setting suits a breakfast that is clearly designed to be fun rather than fussy.
6. The Loveless Cafe, Nashville, Tennessee
Since 1951, travelers have been pulling off Highway 100 in Nashville for one reason: the biscuits at the Loveless Cafe. Lon and Annie Loveless started serving homemade fried chicken and biscuits from their home, and Annie’s original recipe has remained unchanged for over 70 years.
On a busy day, the cafe bakes up to 10,000 biscuits, with fresh batches coming out at timed intervals. Every guest receives a complimentary basket of warm biscuits with homemade peach and grape preserves upon seating.
The menu also features Build Your Own Biscuit Sliders with fillings like country ham, pimento cheese, and pulled pork. The Loveless Cafe draws more than half a million visitors every year.
7. Pine State Biscuits | Division, Portland, Oregon
Three North Carolina natives, Kevin Atchley, Walt Alexander, and Brian Snyder, moved to Portland craving the biscuits of their childhood and decided to do something about it. In 2006, they started selling scratch-made buttermilk biscuits at the Portland Farmer’s Market, where the lines wrapped around the block almost immediately.
The Division Street location became one of the city’s most popular breakfast stops. The signature Reggie Deluxe features fried chicken, bacon, Tillamook cheddar, and an over-hard egg, covered in a choice of sausage or shiitake mushroom gravy.
Guy Fieri featured Pine State Biscuits on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which only confirmed what Portland already knew. The counter-serve setup keeps things casual and focused on what matters most: the biscuits.
8. The Flying Biscuit Cafe, Atlanta, Georgia
The Flying Biscuit Cafe opened in Atlanta’s Candler Park neighborhood in 1993, and its signature biscuits sold out by 11 AM on opening morning. That early frenzy set the tone for what has become a beloved institution, with individual locations baking thousands of biscuits every week.
The biscuits are served with cranberry apple butter, a detail that has become as associated with the brand as the name itself. Classic plates like the Flying Biscuit Breakfast pair them with eggs, chicken sage sausage, and creamy dreamy grits, while the Biscuit Eggs and Gravy offers a split biscuit topped with scrambled eggs and chicken sausage gravy.
The original Candler Park location maintains the cozy neighborhood character that made the cafe famous. More than 30 franchise locations now operate across the Southeast.
9. Home grown GA Restaurant, Atlanta, Georgia
Home grown GA in Atlanta’s Reynoldstown neighborhood operates as a retro-country diner where comfort food arrives without ceremony and does not need any. The knotty pine paneling and booth seating create a relaxed, no-frills atmosphere that suits the menu perfectly.
The standout item is the Comfy Chicken Biscuit, an open-faced biscuit topped with crispy fried chicken and rich pork sausage gravy. Chef and co-owner Kevin Clark originally created it as a quick staff meal before its popularity pushed it onto the permanent menu. The MICHELIN Guide has since taken notice.
The restaurant serves breakfast all day, and daily specials occasionally include surprises like house-made tamales or Gulf red snapper tacos. Plain biscuits and classic Biscuit and Sausage Gravy are always available for those keeping it traditional.
10. Mama’s Boy Restaurant, Athens, Georgia
Mama’s Boy has been a breakfast and brunch anchor in Athens, Georgia since July 2006, earning Best Breakfast five years running from local alt-weekly Flagpole and a spot on Southern Living’s list of the South’s Best Biscuit Joints. The college-town location keeps things energetic and welcoming for students and longtime locals alike.
Buttermilk biscuits run through much of the menu. The Farm biscuit sandwich layers sweet tea-brined fried chicken, cheddar, an over-medium egg, bacon, and tomato, while The Company Biscuit takes a more adventurous route with salmon cake, goat cheese, and caper aioli.
A house-made honey poppy seed butter and raspberry jam accompany the biscuits and pastries, adding a distinctive touch. The restaurant transitioned to counter service in 2020 but still offers full table service as an option.
11. Big Bad Breakfast, Oxford, Mississippi
James Beard Award-winning Chef John Currence opened Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford, Mississippi in 2008 with the goal of treating breakfast with the same seriousness as a fine-dining dinner. The result is a restaurant that takes familiar Southern staples and adds genuine culinary craft without losing their soul.
Cathead buttermilk biscuits, laced with black pepper, are baked continuously throughout the day and anchored throughout the menu. The Cathead Chicken Biscuit pairs crispy fried chicken with cheddar and house-made sausage gravy, while The Mother Of All Biscuits features a crispy-fried dill chicken thigh on a buttermilk biscuit.
Nearly every ingredient is made from scratch, including signature sausages based on family recipes and Tabasco and brown sugar-marinated bacon. The original Oxford location, with its folk art and red booths, remains the best place to experience the concept.
12. Biscuit Belly – Nulu, Louisville, Kentucky
Biscuit Belly’s NuLu location opened in the summer of 2019 as the brand’s very first restaurant, and founders Chad and Lauren Coulter set out to prove that biscuit sandwiches could be both elevated and genuinely fun. Their Georgia upbringing informed the menu’s Southern roots, while a modern approach shaped everything else.
The Rockwell Supreme stacks buttermilk fried chicken, aged cheddar, sausage gravy, bacon, and an over-easy egg into one ambitious sandwich. The G.O.A.T. takes a different angle, pairing fried chicken with sweet pepper jelly and goat cheese for a compelling sweet-savory balance.
Bonuts, which are biscuit donut holes rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with bourbon cream cheese frosting, round out the menu on the sweeter side. The vibrant NuLu dining room with its geometric tile work keeps the atmosphere playful from the moment guests walk in.
13. The Alabama Biscuit Co., Cahaba Heights, Birmingham, Alabama
Jonathan and Meredith Burch launched The Alabama Biscuit Co. in 2013 after searching for a healthier version of the Southern classic they loved. What began as a stand at Birmingham’s Pepper Place Market turned into a brick-and-mortar restaurant that same November, built around organic sprouted spelt flour, buttermilk from grass-fed cows, and pasture-based fats.
The Alabama Biscuit is the signature item, topped with roasted pecans soaked in maple butter sauce. Other creative options include the Goat Cheese, Pecan and Honey Biscuit and the Almond Butter and Jelly Biscuit made with house-milled almond butter and organic blueberry jelly.
The dining space uses reclaimed materials throughout, including tables made from a storm-damaged black walnut tree and a central slab of Alabama white marble from Sylacauga. The restaurant also sells house-milled spelt flour and biscuit mix for guests to take home.
14. Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, Chicago, Illinois
Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits has been a Logan Square staple since founder Michael Ciapciak opened it in 2012, and the name is a playful nod to Nancy Sinatra’s song. The cafe built its reputation on pies and biscuits made entirely from scratch, baked fresh daily without shortcuts.
The biscuit menu covers several directions. The Sweet Biscuit arrives with rotating seasonal jam and sweet butter, the Savory Biscuit is served with pimento cheese and pepper jelly, and the Gravy Biscuit uses a sage, black pepper, and fennel preparation. The BLT Biscuit and Bacon Biscuit round out the savory options.
A Pie Garden out back with picnic tables offers outdoor seating when the weather cooperates. The cafe has expanded to additional Chicago locations and a commissary that supports a wholesale baking program.
15. Maple Street Biscuit Company, Savannah, Georgia
Maple Street Biscuit Company was founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 2012 by Scott Moore and Gus Evans, with a mission to bring comfort food with a modern twist to communities across the Southeast. The Savannah location fits naturally into a city known for its historic squares and deliberate pace of life.
Biscuits are baked fresh all day, and the menu centers on hand-breaded fried chicken as the star ingredient. The Five and Dime layers crispy fried chicken, thick-cut bacon, sharp cheddar, and a fried egg, all topped with a choice of spicy sausage or shiitake mushroom gravy. The Squawking Goat, featuring chicken, crispy goat cheese, and signature pepper jelly, was highlighted on Food Network’s Food Paradise.
Bonuts, cinnamon-sugar biscuit donuts with caramel dipping sauce, are a popular way to end the meal. The brand emphasizes community involvement alongside its menu, which has helped build a loyal following across the Southeast.
16. Vicious Biscuit, Charlotte, North Carolina
Vicious Biscuit arrived on the Charlotte brunch scene with a clear mission: boldly revolutionize brunch, one biscuit at a time. The family-owned brand was founded in 2017, and its Charlotte location at The Arboretum quickly developed a following for its generously portioned, scratch-made creations.
Biscuits here are made daily without eggs, which gives them a distinct texture. The Fat Boy stacks fried chicken, signature pimento cheese, and hot honey on a buttermilk biscuit, while The Vicious uses a cheddar jalapeno biscuit as the base for maple sausage gravy, cowboy candy, and a maple syrup drizzle.
The Sea Biscuit takes things coastal with blackened shrimp, low country gravy, and white cheddar stone-ground grits. The restaurant also curates its own playlist and pays close attention to interior design, treating the overall experience as part of the appeal.
17. Biscuitville, Greensboro, North Carolina
Biscuitville was founded in Greensboro in 1966 by Maurice Jennings, who discovered early on that biscuits outsold everything else on his menu by a wide margin. Since 1975, the company has focused exclusively on Southern breakfast, baking biscuits from scratch every 15 minutes throughout the day, often in full view of guests through a dedicated biscuit window.
The menu covers all the classics. The Country Ham Biscuit, Sausage Biscuit, and Fried Chicken Biscuit are perennial favorites, while the Spicy Chicken and Honey Biscuit uses all-natural, locally sourced chicken drizzled with local honey. The BVL Ultimate Bacon Biscuit layers four strips of bacon, a fried egg, and two slices of American cheese on a freshly baked biscuit.
Biscuitville uses locally milled flour and buttermilk, and the original family recipe has not changed. With locations across North Carolina and Virginia, it remains one of the most distinctly regional breakfast institutions in the American South.
18. Screen Door Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
Screen Door was founded by Louisiana natives Nicole and David Mouton, who opened the original East Burnside location in 2006 with a commitment to Southern hospitality and locally sourced Pacific Northwest ingredients. The Pearl District location followed in 2021, bringing the same approach to a more urban Portland setting.
The Chicken and Biscuits hotplate is the clearest expression of what Screen Door does best: crispy fried chicken smothered in country pork sausage gravy, alongside a buttermilk biscuit and breakfast potatoes. A vegetarian mushroom gravy option is also available. The Fish n Grits plate also includes a buttermilk biscuit as a companion.
ABC News named Screen Door one of the Top Ten Restaurants in the Nation in 2012, and the Cooking Channel recommended it for the best Southern breakfast on the West Coast. As a final stop on any biscuit tour, it makes a strong case that great Southern cooking has found a permanent home in the Pacific Northwest.
