My Road Trips Aren’t Complete Without a Stop at This Beloved North Carolina Chain

One of my favorite things about traveling is checking out new restaurants. I love the thrill of going somewhere I've never been and trying new foods. With that being said, sometimes I also need the comfort of dining at a familiar location. I have a friend in New Jersey that I try to visit at least once a year, and any time I'm making that long 12-hour drive, I have one tradition I always make sure to indulge in. On my way through South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, I try to time my trip so I can stop at a Biscuitville for breakfast.

I'm definitely not the only fan of this regional fast-food chain. The first Biscuitville opened up in 1966 in Burlington, North Carolina. Nowadays, there are nearly 100 restaurants, spread out over three states. I live in Georgia, and I've got to leave early if I want to hit up a Biscuitville on the way out of town, as all locations close daily at 2:00 pm. However, it's definitely worth the early hours to get these made-from-scratch Southern breakfasts.

This is a simple spot, and I imagine most meals are sold through the drive-thru. Interestingly enough, the chain started out as a pizza restaurant that served biscuits in the morning to maximize profits. The biscuits were made using a family recipe, and they were so popular that they eventually outsold the pizzas, so Pizzaville became Biscuitville.

My most recent visit was on a chilly foggy morning with rain in the air. I was a bit irritable from getting up at 5:00 am, and knowing I had a full day's drive ahead of me to reach the Garden State was not improving my mood. But I've got to say, I felt a little better when I saw that familiar yellow logo!

I feel a bit silly being so enthused with Biscuitville - after all, it's "just" a fast-food restaurant. But the scratch-made breakfast is much higher quality than you'd find at national chains, and I love that the ingredients are sourced from local farmers whenever possible.

The menu here is full of delicious Southern treats, with, of course, a focus on biscuits. You can get them topped with sausage, bacon, egg, cheese, turkey sausage, chicken, spicy chicken, or any combination of such, and there's even sausage gravy available as a topping. You can watch the employees making biscuits right at the front counter (sadly, the biscuit maker was on break on my recent visit), and the company says that a skilled biscuit maker can create 90 biscuits in just 15 minutes.

I like my meal simple, so I usually opt for a plain biscuit with American cheese, then pop it open and add a hash brown. I love the texture of the hash browns here - they're so crispy and not at all greasy like you often find with fast-food breakfasts. The warm, buttery biscuit was the perfect start to my trip, and between it and the coffee, I was immediately put in a better mood.

To find the Biscuitville location nearest you or see the menu, check out the Biscuitville website. The chain has locations throughout Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Long road trips require more than just one stop at a fast-food restaurant in the morning (even if it is an exceptionally delicious one). Check out our list of favorite road trip snacks to make sure you don't get hangry on the highway.