Bad Grampa approved and delicious to boot. Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen is not your average breakfast shop. One of the most recognizable stops on Franklin Street, their fame goes beyond just a biscuit.
Chapel Thrill!
Sunrise Biscuit kitchen is a cornerstone establishment of the renown Chapel Hill in the Better Carolina. Boasting the only drive-through in Chapel Hill proper is quite the title and one that has continued to keep Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in business for many years.
Chapel Hill is best described as well manicured suburbia meeting high end education thanks to UNC Chapel Hill. This breakfast establishment is a bit un-polished but still fits this esthetic. I also recommend checking out Morehead Planetarium and the Maple View farm ice cream.
Now Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen is a small building with probably the smallest possible footprint you can imagine. There are however a handful of parking spaces if you fancy the walk-up window but I recommend going through the drive through at least the first time you visit. If you do decide to park, you actually have to go past the line and take the second turn to get to it.
There is only enough room for a few cars in line around the building. With the high popularity, the line regularly wraps on to the street. Do not be surprised by some added traffic in the area. On the upside, it is easy to know when you have found the restaurant.
Its A Drive Through *Shrug*
There is not much to write home about this quaint little establishment other than its claim to fame. Back in the 1990’s Chapel Hill enacted a ban on new drive throughs that did not apply for special permitting. The result is that only select locations have drive throughs. The Chapel Hill location of the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen pre-dates these rules and has since skirted the ban.
Between it notorious reputation and great breakfast foods, Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen has made quite a defiant name for itself. It has also made an appearance in Bad Grampa the movie. One of their now signature sandwiches is named after it. The general vibe of the establishment is simplistic Americana. Truly no frills and speedy service. True hallmarks of American fast food.
Who Knew Grampas Tasted So Good?
As you might imagine, the food is focused around biscuits. I tried their marquis Bad Grampa biscuit just to say I did. It was quite good and filled me up and then some. Kaitlyn tried just a simple egg biscuit and was satisfied with the result. It made me happy to see that they also had a ” Good Gramma” biscuit to counter the Bad Grampa.
There is the standard assortment of biscuits and other hand held breakfast items you might come see throughout the south. There are also some lunch items too but we did not bother to try them. It seemed rather counter intuitive to get lunch at a place that has “biscuit” in the name.
Do be warned, the drinks are limited. If you think you are going to get a super deluxe coffee drink, you will be sadly mistaken.
Bad Grampa Said YES!
The part that makes Sunrise Biscuit stand out the most to me is the drive through exclusive service. In a land of highly manicured city planning, Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen stands out as this bastion of rebellion. Unpolished and delicious it dares the town to try to stop it.
Overall
Great food, fun story and speedy service. The long lines do make us think twice about coming again but we were fully satisfied and loved the energy. There are very few things I love more that a great story behind the food I eat. Definitely worth checking out on a trip to Chapel-thrill.
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