The thing that makes homogenization work is that it makes people comfortable; you can go to Starbucks in Chicago or Dubai and it will basically be the same thing. While this can be soulless and depressing, it can also come in handy. A hungover breakfast in Tokyo for instance (#eggmcmuffintime). But I also love to discover the regional spots that have yet to fully conquer the landscape. In Ohio this manifests itself in the form of Bob Evans. This past weekend I was in North Carolina and couldn’t miss the always delicious and still privately held regional chain Biscuitville. To me, Biscuitville is the Southern breakfast equivalent of the West coast burger mecca In-N-Out. The biscuit making began in 1966 as a way for founder Maurice Jennings (who owned a Pizza chain called – wait for it – Pizzaville) to do a breakfast business. In 1975 the first full time biscuit operation opened in Danville, Virginia and Biscuitville was born. The rest is history.
Delicious “made from scratch” every 20 minutes right there in front of you, Biscuitville is a tasty destination for anyone visiting North Carolina. The chain (which is at about 52 locations) opens at 6am (now 5am) and closes at 2pm. It serves all sorts of wonderful biscuit-based breakfast food. Go for a fried chicken biscuit and a sweet tea and you will thank me. Shit, everything on the menu is great and terrible for you. Good thing I only go once or twice a year.
I’m from the south and now live in Colorado. It’s impossible to find a decent biscuit place in town. I miss seeing places like this and tea that’s automatically sweetened. It’s a foreign concept west of the Mississippi.
Hey man…where’s the ACL shop…says it will be ready this Fall…and Fall is rounding out pretty quickly:) Just messing around….but I am excited to see what you’re gonna have in there.
Screw the awesome heritage threads, this is my favorite ACL post ever. (“Awww love you too…”) At Duke, we walked through the “bad part of town” — anything off campus — past the illustrious lacrosse house to get to the local Biscuitville. We also had Chick-fila on campus, but Biscuitville is legit on a different order.
Biscuitville and Pizzaville. Oh. No. You didn’t!
I’m going to use the words pizzaville and biscuitville for the rest of the week, and see how long it takes for my SO to slap me.
Where you going, hon?
Biscuitville.
What about Home Depot for the dryer filter?
Nope. Biscuitville.
Will we be able to buy buscuits at the ACL shop?
Great post! Great place. Danville is in Virginia not North Carolina. Enjoyed Biscuitville during my Wake Forest years.
want one, now. yum.
Bob Evans? What about Skyline? Come on, Mr. Ohio!
I grew up right in the heart of Biscuitville country, and after years of living in NYC and SF its one thing I really miss. Its one of the last southern products that hasn’t been “discovered” and ruined. (cough, cough… krispy kreme)
What I’d give to be away from my desk and eating some biscuits with gravy right now! At least the weathers great in NYC today…
There’s a Biscuitville in Lynchburg Va I go to when visiting my parents. It’s always filled with old people and great food.
I was in Raleigh this weekend. Beautiful fall foliage just starting.
As far as biscuits…I lived on biscuits and honey for a few months after I “retired” at 27. Mom’s biscuit recipe (from TX) and honey from our bees…good times!
If I were to open a biscuit place I’d call it…
“BISCUIT!”
And even better…
For Breakfast Hangover Helper:
Sunrise Biscuits (aka “Mamas”), Chapel Hill, NC
For Chicken n’ Biscuits (until 2am or so):
Time Out, Chapel Hill, NC
Aha! So that’s the conspiracy of ACL:
ACL promotes desirable clothing > readers purchase clothing > promote fattening food > readers consume fattening food > previously purchased clothing no longer fits > browse ACL for new clothing > repeat…
Having grown up in NC, Biscuitville represents the new freedoms I found in high school with the introduction of a motor vehicle license. Nothing felt more liberating than skipping second period for a scratch made biscuit & gravy platter and a Cherry Coke. Southern culture has its problems, Biscuitville, however, is not one of these.
Yeah, Biscuitville is dangerous. Look at the size of the folks in North Cackalacky and the proof is in the pudding.
The best biscuits, and dare I say overall breakfast is Loveless Cafe south of Nashville.
I’m getting in my car right now…
I want sunrise. the mouth waters…
John S. — noted and updated.
Nick — Skyline is a Southwest Ohio thing for the most part, not a Cleveland thing which is where I grew up. I do like it though, don’t get me wrong.
ACL
You people have lost it.. As a native North Carolinian, Bisquitville, Sunrise Bisquit Kitchen, and esepecially Time Out are some of the nastiest, unrepresentive fare this area has to offer. It’s great to romanticize from afar, but up close it seems ridiculous. Jeezus, I’m suprised no one has brought up f’in Bojangles yet..
Oh, and DavidH, your comment epitomizes why all of Durham tends to despise Duke students.. Wow, you da’ man for walking a few blocks off your campus to eat fast food. Respect. Even past the Duke lacrosse house? Damn son, you so crazy! Glad to hear you’re back in Connecticut or New Jersey..
Dont talk about my Bojangles, Stevie……
JUST SOME GUYS HAVIN A GOOD TIME, HAVIN A GOOD TIME. WHO INVITED STEVE?
THAT GUY IS A CUNT.
Loveless Cafe is pretty great, but if we’re talking Nashville, I gotta go with Pancake Pantry.
I grew up a Chapel Hillian, so while I am very proud to see Biscuitville on ACL, I innately prefer Sunrise Biscuit or Time Out. (Especially at 3am…) Haven’t found a good biscuit place in Philadelphia yet…this is making me homesick.
I am thoroughly impressed. Looks like one hell of an establishment. Someday I hope to ingest this biscuit sandwich at the magnificent biscuit-ville. I have an unhealthy (x2? lol) obsession with regional fast food…
P.S. I officially love the word “Biscuit”.
that is all.
Yeah, Time Out was the greasy spoon back in the day after a late night of drinking. The poster inside with Chris Webber is classic.
Highlight of my young life was finding a man stuck between the double doorways of a Biscuitville in Durham. A testament, perhaps, to how amazing the place is and also a rather rough moment for my views on Southern folk. I understand now that this was an isolated incident of obesity.
Skyline, I’ll note, is also available in VA and perhaps still in DC’s Union Station Food Court. As such, not as regional as Biscuitville.
Off topic I’m also fond of Zaxby’s.
Fried chicken biscut? You wasted calories on fried fucking chicken when country fucking ham was everywhere!
Tintin — trust me, I enjoyed more than what was pictured! ha!
Americans and their breakfasts….
Not familiar with Bicuitville, but Bob Evans is also quite prevalent in Michigan and we would go there during college and also while visiting my grandparents in that state.
Gotta throw another vote to Time Out!
Also, Bojangles gets a *BIG* nod for me … I will have a cajun biscuit combo with free iced tea and extra seasoning on the fries! While it is not as regional as Biscuitville, I always feel at home when I see my first Bojangles after returning from the UK.
@ Steve – Bet that you are one of those hated Carolina fans … btw, I was a Duke student that lived and worked in Durham. Having come from Western NC, I loved Durham and would rather live there than either Chapel Hell (oops, I mean Hill) or Raleigh.
I will also throw in a vote for Bojangles, simply because of the amount of ridiculous nicknames for it:
Bo-nanny’s, Bo-Jo’s, Bojangles (pronounced “Bo-HAN-gless”), Bo-Bo’s, The Boje…I could go on…
That business card advertising guns reminds me of a time we were at a flea market outside of Asheville and saw some feller doing a wholesale business selling rifles and shotguns out of the back of his pickup. Great looking biscuits. Looks like one would need an exercise program to go with. I like these regional posts.
Grew up in NC, but currently live in NYC. I dream of cajun filet biscuits from Bojangles’ every single day.
BoJangles and Biscuitville! Yes!
Wow a lot of people familiar from the triangle area on ACL. The rivalry doesn’t stop even when discussing biscuits.
I recently lived in Durham, and went to UNC, and my biscuit joint of choice was Bojangles. Cajun Filet, fries and sweet tea. Timeout is one of those places you have to enjoy after a few drinks.
A well-made chicken biscuit is culinary perfection. Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen, Biscuitville . . .
Even the McDonalds in NC make transcendent chicken biscuits. Best thing on their menu, by far.
wow! memories! this is the exact biscuitville that a couple friends and I caught the “itis.”
Bojangles, Hardees, Popeyes * nods *
I would argue that Friendly’s is moreso the Ohio local breakfast chain. And don’t forget King’s and Eat N’ Park in PA.
OMG. As a hungover yankophile, this is making me want to cry. I’m touching the screen. This place looks like some kind of utopia. Amaze.