Here in Richmond, Virginia, there are endless food options to choose from. That’s all thanks to the creative minds of business owners in the area. Southern food is very common in these parts of town, so maybe that’s why there are not one, but two restaurants in the city who primarily focus their menu around biscuits: Early Bird Biscuit Company and The Fancy Biscuit.
Early Bird Biscuit Company is located in The Fan at 119 N Robinson St. The place is known for their buttermilk biscuits, coming from the owner’s very own grandmother’s recipe. They also serve other old-fashioned pastries like homemade pop tarts and Blanchard’s coffee. Upon walking in, the place is decorated in a modern, yet old-fashioned way. There are a couple of tables to sit in for dine-in and they also do to-go. They also have a little refillable water station that I thought was cute. It’s yellow and bright inside so it made me feel happy being there. It wasn’t busy at all and it only took about 5 minutes to wait for my order to be ready. You order at the front and then wait for your order to be called. There’s no hostess or waiting for seating. It had a quiet, coffee shop feel. It would be a good place to go do some homework for a little or grab a bite before class with a friend.
I ordered their unique biscuit flavor of the day, which was a cinnamon honey biscuit. Every day, they offer a new, unique biscuit flavor that they announce on social media. I follow their Instagram, so I get to see what the new flavor is every day. This biscuit was so delicious and big. It was wide, crunchy on the outside and yet fluffy on the inside. It was one of the best biscuits I’ve ever had and definitely unique. The glaze on it soaked into the bread which made it even more tasty. I also got a ham biscuit with Virginia cured ham. It tasted good but it was a little dry, so I wish it had come with at least some cheese or some sort of spread. I would definitely go back to try a different sandwich or one of their homemade pop-tarts.
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The Fancy Biscuit is located uptown in the Fan at 1831 W Cary St. They are known for their biscuit sandwiches and are actually owned by the same people as Shyndigz. They even share the same spot with Shyndigz’ to-go location. The place is small when you walk in and there is usually a line to order. You order at the front of the restaurant and then find a table to sit at yourself. They also have a cute little water cup station, but the water here is infused with lemon. The place is busy and packed often, so it is a little loud.
The biscuits here are smaller than Early Bird Biscuits’, but just as flavorful. They taste like a soft, regular and old-fashioned buttery biscuit. What really makes their biscuits shine are their quality ingredients and unique combinations. They even have a biscuit with goat cheese and apples on it. I ended up ordering The Big Poppy, a fried chicken biscuit with a mustard poppy sauce and pickles. It was so freaking good. It was probably the best breakfast biscuit I’ve ever had. The chicken was perfectly crispy and juicy. It wasn’t dry at all and the poppy sauce went well with the biscuit. I also ordered fried cheesy grit tots. They came with a dipping sauce that was super yummy. I usually don’t like grits that much but the tots were addicting. I would definitely come back to the Fancy Biscuit to try a fancier sandwich than the one I got like the shrimp and grits or even one of their mimosas.
After trying both biscuit places, I feel like I know which one is best for what. Early Bird Biscuit Co.’s biscuits are more unique and taste better than The Fancy Biscuits. However, The Fancy Biscuit’s flavor combinations make the overall biscuit experience a more flavorful one. Early Bird Biscuit Co. is best as a coffee-shop type place to meet up with a friend or grab something to go. The Fancy Biscuit is a good place to go if you wanted to meet someone for brunch or to get some drinks. Overall, they are both excellent biscuit joints and I will definitely be visiting both of them again.
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Image credit: cover,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, image 6 by Jasmine Medrano-Guevara