A side of warm, flaky biscuits instantly enhances any dish and whether you love them drenched in gravy or with a dab of butter jelly or honey, there’s no wrong way to eat a biscuit. There are things that make a biscuit crave-worthy though to look out for, according to says Rena Awada, Owner, Head Chef, Food Blogger and Content Creator at Healthy Fitness Meals.
• Flaky and moist: A good biscuit should be both at the same time. The mark of a perfect biscuit is when you can peel it apart in layers. And when you get deeper, you should find it moist and fluffy.
• Buttery aroma: A good biscuit should smell like comfort before you even taste it. That buttery scent tells you it’s rich, fresh, and baked just right.
• Balanced saltiness: Salt enhances the butter and flour flavors. Too much, and it overpowers. Too little, and it tastes flat. A well-seasoned biscuit is savory enough to stand on its own.
• Slight tang: Yes, I look for this. And I think you should too if you don’t already, If I taste a slight tang, I can tell that buttermilk or cultured dairy has been used. This tang kinds of cut through the buttery richness of the biscuit.
You typically find these characteristics in homemade biscuits, but a few chains actually rival what you can whip up in the kitchen. To find the restaurants with the best biscuits, Eat This, Not That! asked culinary pros where their go-tos are. Here are the top five spots, according to chefs.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel
There’s so many things to love about Cracker Barrel, but one of the greatest things is the hot basket of biscuits and cornbread every table gets with their meal. “Hands down one of the best,” says Chef Rena. “Their buttermilk biscuits are flaky, buttery, and old-fashioned in the best way. They’re baked fresh all day. You get them warm so I recommend drizzling with a bit of honey or apple butter. Pure Southern comfort.” Chef Chelsea Christian, Slightly North of Broad in Charleston SC agrees and says, “They always give you a basket of jelly with these and the butter jelly combo with a little bit of salt is the best flavor mix!”
Red Lobster
Red Lobster
Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits are such a hit with diners that you can buy their mix and make them at home. While customers can’t stop raving about them, neither can Chef Josh Gadsden, High Cotton in Charleston, SC. “Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits…need I say more. They are perfectly garlicky and buttery.”
Hardee’s
Hardee’s
Over the years, Hardee’s has built a loyal fan base thanks to its friendly customer service, generous portions and signature items like its biscuits. “Hardee’s is mostly a nostalgic thing for me,” says Chef Chelsea. “My grandparents in Chattanooga would always have biscuits and gravy on the back deck before I even woke up,” she explains. “To this day when I go I always get a second biscuit and they butter it so it’s crispy on the outside and fluffy and buttery on the inside.” Chef Josh also loves their biscuits and says, “they are made from scratch daily, nice and flaky and always hot.”
Popeyes
Popeye’s
Popeyes might be famous for their chicken, but their biscuits also earn high praises from many including chefs.
“Here’s the thing, nothing’s going to really beat a homemade biscuit,” says Katherine Sprung, NYC, Pastry chef, Founder of Squish Marshmallows. “But, what you’re getting here is consistent.”
She adds, “The texture is really nice, it’s soft, and also crisp at the same time, on the outside, it’s very buttery, and does the job! It’s light but also a little dense, making a smaller biscuit feel a bit more substantial.”
Chef Joe Nierstedt, Katsubo in Charleston, SC agrees and says, “The appeal here is the structural integrity. They achieve that ideal old-school crunch on the exterior—a sign of correct hydration and heat—that breaks cleanly to a soft, buttery, and notably salty interior. It’s a precise execution of a fundamental Southern item, warm and built to crumble in the necessary way.”
Chef Josh is all about Popeyes’ biscuits, too.
“The biscuits are also delicious–I love their crispy edges and to eat it alongside my spicy chicken tenders,” he says.
Bojangles
Bojangles
Known for its flavorful and fresh fried chicken, Bojangles also gets a lot of love for its biscuits. “Bojangles has a fluffy yet flavorful biscuit,” says Chef Rena. “They say the South does biscuits best, and I couldn’t agree more. This chain proves it every time.”
