Restaurant Review: Pine State Biscuits

Joshua Jones

If you want to get out of Seattle for a getaway weekend but want to have a good old southern style breakfast then this place is for you!

     A couple months ago, my partner and I were watching one of Food Network programs, “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives” and they showed this restaurant, Pine State Biscuits in Portland, Oregon. They discussed about how the owner of Pine State Biscuits is originally from North Carolina which is known for great biscuits and how he wanted to bring and share it with anyone in Portland. My partner and I decided to stop by and check it out while on the way to Central Oregon to visit my relatives. When we arrived, they had really long line of people waiting for their turn to order.  We spent little over an hour of waiting for our turn to order.  
     I decided to test their basic biscuits to see how good it is by ordering to build my own biscuit sandwich: bacon, egg, and cheddar cheese which is my favorite biscuit sandwich while I was growing up.  Morever, when I took the very first bite of that biscuit sandwich, I was in heaven! Let me tell you why it is that good because it is very rare that a restaurant can actually make a biscuit perfect instead of burning it or leaving it too dry. The biscuit was very soft and melted in my mouth.  The way they made the egg for my biscuit sandwich was also perfect and very well seasoned.  The bacon was very well cooked and moist.  I couldn't stop eating after I took a first bite. Well done, Pine State Biscuits!

     I also tried my partner's dish, the "Reggie Deluxe" which had fried chicken, eggs, bacon, cheese topped with gravy.  I was blown away by how good their gravy is and it bought a lot of memories when my grandma Mary (she used to own a diner before) used to make the best gravy in the whole world.  Pine State Biscuits made exactly same gravy as my grandma made.  They nailed it!  I also loved their fried chicken because it was moist and well seasoned not too greasy or dry.

     I rate this restaurant 4 1/2 stars.  I highly recommend for you to check this place out.  You have to be prepared to wait longer because of long line due to limited seating area space.  Pine State Biscuits has two restaurants in Portland area but newer one is little bigger than original restaurant.  The one we went to is the newer location on Alberta Street.