Alex Eats Too Much Favorites: Wise County Biscuits & Cafe

One of my favorite breakfast spots in Pittsburgh is Wise County Biscuits & Café in the North Side. I’ve been a long time fan of this great breakfast spot ever since they were slinging biscuit sandwiches at farmers’ markets all around Pittsburgh. And that says a lot since I don’t go out to breakfast very often. They moved to a permanent location, created a cute classic café and expanded their menu to include a lot more southern style comfort food.

I originally met James and Lena, who run Wise County Biscuits & Cafe, when I was working downtown and they were regularly at the Market Square Farmers Market. I would gladly get a sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit or a bowl of biscuits and gravy for lunch. The early days of Alex Eats Too Much feature plenty of photos of their sandwiches. I fell in love with these buttermilk biscuits that were dense but still a little airy, and the rich butter flavor. Later on, I would stop by other farmers market for breakfast just to get a biscuit sandwich. We later learned we were neighbors for a while when I started ordering packages of biscuits to bake at home. Those biscuits were a big part of my diet and my growth on Alex Eats Too Much.

Fast forward a few years, and Wise County Biscuits & Café opened, becoming a fixture of the North Side. They regularly have a line during peak hours, but tables will open up quickly. The walls are decorated with vintage cookware and a quilt made by a local artist. There is also a small shop where you can buy biscuits to take home, as well as other ingredients used in the store.

The most important part is the food. The menu now is so much larger than it was at the farmers markets. My favorites are still a sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit or a bowl of biscuits and gravy, but they’ve added so many great items too. For years, I would tell James he needed a fried chicken biscuit, and it’s now on the menu. They added a fantastic corned beef hash with a biscuit. My mom got the veggie grit bowl and loved it. All the sides are fantastic, but I love the grits with cheddar and butter the most. I also recommend getting the Cinnamon Sugar Biscuit Bites to share with your table for a nice sweet treat.