One could argue that our local cultural identity could be defined by the meat-and-three, or even hot chicken. But there’s no question that a hot biscuit was at the core of our foodway’s most important meal of the day, long before the venerated diners and delightful spice techniques emerged.
Fortunately, all have persisted, and it’s not hard to find a quintessential biscuit in Franklin, Tennessee. One of these might even change your epicurean worldview.
In the heart of Franklin, options abound. Take Biscuit Love, for instance, a concept started over a decade ago from an Airstream trailer in Nashville which now boasts a number of brick-and-mortar locations. From the historic home on 3rd Avenue just across from City Hall, Karl and Sarah Worley’s offering centers on an old family recipe for scratch-made biscuits, with a number of classic and innovative options on the menu. Try the East Nasty with a fried chicken thigh, aged cheddar and sausage gravy, with a side of “bonuts” made from fried dough and topped with lemon mascarpone and blueberry compote.
On Fourth Avenue, Puckett’s Restaurant is a downtown Franklin staple. It started as a country grocery store in the 1950s out in Leiper’s Fork before expanding to Franklin two decades ago, and now has a presence across the South. Known for slow-smoked barbecue, breakfast at Puckett’s includes options to build your own biscuit with pulled pork, brisket or smoked sausage, as well as country ham, bacon, sausage or fried chicken.
Another traditional favorite that won’t steer you wrong is Half Way Market, which served the Southall community on the outskirts of town for 85 years before moving to a larger location on West Main Street. This is the place where locals stop in as early as 5:30 a.m. to grab hot sausage, egg and cheese biscuits on the way to work, and they make them all morning long. Don’t disregard the fried tenderloin or chicken biscuit, but the real sleeper is the fried bologna.
Back downtown, another solid option is Ruby Sunshine on the Square, where the menu centers on brunch, and more specifically, on buttermilk biscuit-based Benedicts with a Creole accent. Think Eggs Cochon with apple-braised pork and Hollandaise, or Bayou Shrimp with Tasso and fried green tomatoes with a piquant sauce. Of course, you can build your own biscuit sandwich or order an old-school biscuits and gravy as well.
Out in Leiper’s Fork, the Country Boy Restaurant is another local legend, recently refreshed but still cranking out hot cathead biscuits, smoked bacon and country sausage as part of a traditional breakfast menu. Pancakes, omelettes and lighter fare are also available.
If you’re in Cool Springs, check out multi-James Beard winner Chef John Currence’s outpost, Big Bad Breakfast. This is the kind of place where you can have fried chicken for breakfast or biscuits and gravy for lunch, should you choose, and they lay claim to the best Bloody Mary in town. Biscuit sandwiches focus on their signature smoked meats, and the menu also offers some unique selections such as the biscuit “crumble,” with bacon, grits, two eggs and tomato gravy.
And then there’s Hattie B’s, long recognized as a contender for the best Nashville Hot Chicken to be found. Their location at The Factory in Franklin has recently introduced breakfast, and they’ve come ready to play ball. Their signature biscuit includes hot chicken topped with pimiento cheese and a drizzle of honey, and it’s as dreamy as it sounds.
There are so many options to start the day, regardless of where you are in Williamson County. Stick with the classics or try a modern take on the biscuit, but don’t miss the chance to sample at least one of these hot, buttery treats in some form as part of your visit to Franklin.
