The Big Biscuit

To the untrained eye Independence's Big Biscuit might just be some small time joint across from the once famous Stephenson's. Although, for those in the know when it comes to one of the cities bests finds The Big Biscuit is more like a Mecca for breakfast lovers.

Having arrived for "brunch" at the late hour of 11:30AM I had expected to be seated without much wait, thinking I'd trailed the morning rush, and beat the church rush. NOT QUITE! I entered the parking lot only to find people waiting.... Not waiting for a table, but waiting for a parking spot! Wow, I said, I can't believe this place. This is going to be good.

After locating a prime spot in the parking lot my group and I proceeded through the masses, and placed ourselves on "the list" and awaited our chance to partake in the breakfast of the gods which surely would be forthcoming for our 25 minute wait.

As I waited for our table I noticed something that didn't thrill me. I noticed many of the young pink shirted staff hanging out around the hostess stand, while myself and around 30 others waited patiently for a table. The real problem I had with this was the fact that I could see at least 7 tables that needed to be cleared, and because all the employees were having such a good time chatting, and teasing one another at the hostess station, no one was even remotely concerned about clearing the tables to get all the people waiting seated as quick as possible.

It was at that moment that I began to wonder if this crowd of people I've often witnessed at the location was nothing more than a sign of a staff that couldn't do it's job, and a human race that tends to flock to a crowd, often times without merit. My mind began to race, and be very concerned as the staff's behavior continued. I'm a very inpatient person, and typically will not wait for even the best of restaurants, but I decided to ride it out.

Sure enough after 24 minutes, they called my name and we made our way to the table. (P.S. LINE JUMPERS ARE DISGUSTING.) Once seated we were tossed our menu, and began our next wait. This time it wasn't long but still quite annoying. At last our waiter arrived, and quickly asked what we would like. I was starving by this time, and had flipped a coin between The Mayberry Breakfast or the Big Breakfast. The Mayberry won out, and that's what I chose. The rest of my party ordered, and we started our third wait. This time it didn't take long, and thankfully once the process was underway our needs were met quite nicely.

At last the food made it to our tables, and I have to admit it was love at first sight. It became quickly apparent that the name Big Biscuit refers to the size of the portions. The Mayberry Breakfast (PICTURED) provided a more than hearty serving of sausage omelet, half biscuit and gravy, and potatoes. I was given the choice of hash brown potatoes or home style of which I chose hash browns. While the portion sizes are out of control, my first reaction to the actual taste of the food was that it was really good. It's well prepared, and very flavorful. The biscuits and gravy are perfect. I'm told that the name comes from the size and quality of the dish, and I would say that it's spot on. I was surprised to find that sausage omelet didn't come with cheese, and was an extra charge, but I agreed to the charge as I can't imagine an omelet without cheese. I'm glad I did, it really made the grade as well. Perfect in taste and texture, and more than enough for a small family. I'm not sure how many eggs are involved in the making of this treat, but it's quite large as well. The hash browns were my only real complaint, obviously frozen, and mine not quite cooked. But as Meatloaf says "Two out of three aint bad" My guests also had an overall good experience. While I can't speak to everything they had, I can say that the pankcakes, and the toast are also perfection.

The cleanliness of the location was good, and the restroom condition made the grade. While I can't say that I enjoyed the wait, I will say that with some work, I believe that the majority of the delay issues could be fixed. However, I didn't get the feeling that anyone at the location from the floor staff to the management seemed the least bit concerned about the delays, and I would be surprised to see it change. So if you don't mind a wait, and enjoy a great breakfast, The Big Biscuit could be the perfect spot.

Overall grade: A-

Cost: Mayberry Breakfast $7.50 + Cheese .75 = A little on the high side, but due to the size of portions well worth it.

Side Note: The decoration at this location was also quite interesting. Everything from old movie posters to early 80's sports figures made me smile. With the exception of the country band Ricochet's autographed picture on the wall, I found it a good way to pass the time.

Link: Big Biscuit Website