In preparation for our move to Norfolk, VA, for Steev’s newest military orders, I made a couple visits to do some house-hunting. I was alone in this adventure, as said husband was on an aircraft carrier making his way around South America. Oh, the pending rendezvous…it was gonna be sweet!  But I digress…

On my first trip, I asked the realtor who was showing me around where I should eat. Unequivocally and without hesitation, the first words out of her mouth were, “Handsome Biscuit.”

She explained that everything they make is loaded on top of a homemade sweet potato biscuit. Y’all, I’m not a big fan of bread (I know, right? I have no idea what’s wrong with me), so I asked for her next recommendation. She had to think for a minute this time, and I honestly don’t remember what she said it was. But she circled back to the Handsome Biscuit and assured me that whatever I wanted could be prepared sans bread. So I gave it a shot.

When I arrived, the place was packed. Not an incredible surprise, since there are very few seats – only four tables inside, though there’s also an open-air patio with several large picnic tables. It was super loud, super fast-paced, super-duper hipstery… and super efficient. The long line went surprisingly fast and I suddenly found myself at the register, totally unprepared to order. Breakfast? Lunch? It was 11, so I was in limbo.

The guy at the register was nice and patient and, despite the line behind me, acted like he had all the time in the world to help me. He made some recommendations, and I ended up with the Dill Na Na, a frittata with dill mayo and arugula…

On a biscuit.

You read that right. As I’d seen what was coming out of the kitchen, the biscuits looked surprisingly scrumptious. And you eat with your eyes first, am I right?? They were huge and looked fluffy and moist – unlike the dry, crusty wannabes I so often see that look like an afterthought. They were also beautifully, sweet potato-ey orange. If this is really what they were known for, I suppose I had to have the OG.

I sipped on my homemade raspberry lime mint soda while I waited. Delish, and not too sweet – a beverage problem I run into a lot (hello, sickeningly-sweet southern sweet tea!).

Then, the main event…

Out came a yuuuuuuge sweet potato biscuit holding an inch-and-a-half thick frittata with potatoes sliced and layered throughout. It was far too big to pick up and eat with my hands. I popped the top half of the biscuit off and dug in, fork and knife. The dill mayo was otherworldly… so dilly (real descriptive, eh?)! And the sweet potato biscuit… really the perfect density, perfect moisture, perfect amount of sweet potato flavor. With the fresh arugula greens, all together it was waaaaayyyy more than I expected.

Then Christopher came over and asked how everything was. After I raved my ass off about it, he asked if I wanted him to make it even better. Uhhhhhhhh…yah! He called out for some lupo sauce, my frittata took a dip, and somehow, what was already frikkin’ excellent was made even better!! Hot sauce, with a little hint of, almost fruity, sweetness. At least, that’s what I gathered from my tastebuds. Haven’t yet gotten the scoop on the lupo’s ingredients.

I’ve since been back several times and, yes, each menu item I’ve tried has been with biscuit. And, yes, each has been excellent. I just sooooo wish they had more space for indoor seating. It’s always so crowded, I feel like I need to rush through my meal to let the next person have a seat. And I’m a fair weather person so, if it’s cold out, I tend to pass up the deliciousness because I won’t sit outside. So I definitely go through some withdrawal during the winder months. Spring can never arrive quick enough when it comes to the Handsome Biscuit!

If you go

If you ever find yourself in Norfolk, you must eat here. The Handsome Biscuit is located just outside Norfolk’s popular Ghent neighborhood, at 2511 Colonial Ave, Norfolk, VA 23517.  They’re open Tuesday – Sunday for breakfast and lunch, with extended hours Friday and Saturday (all day til 9pm).

I highly recommend the Dill Na Na, Hot Betty and Stevie biscuit sandwiches, their side of greens (watch out, they’re pretty spicy! But they’ll tone it down for you if you ask) and their hash browns – all smothered in lupo sauce, of course. Enjoy!