Review: Biscuits and Gravy

What makes good biscuits and gravy? 

Staring down at the laminated menu my eyes fixate on the few things I don’t want to make myself at home. The classic Biscuits and Gravy look back at me asking me “Will I be your favorite?” I must know how this restaurant compares with the last. “I will have your biscuits and gravy, please,” I say.

I must know, will they provide enough gravy for the size of a biscuit? Will the biscuit be crisp and fresh or will it suck all moisture from the surrounding gravy? It’s important to have fresh and flavorful breakfast, this isn’t SOS (shit on a shingle) this is a restaurant quality meal I’m paying for. 

This is a mission to find great biscuits and gravy in the heart of the Willamette Valley, choosing three restaurants with high praise in the Linn-Benton area. One restaurant in each of the connected towns of Corvallis, Albany, and Philomath. There must be standards of a restaurant quality meal but also a blissful uniqueness to each plate. My personal taste has developed over a lifetime yet these three meals were invested with a review in mind and within a four-month span.

Brick and Mortar in historic downtown Albany is a local favorite. I am seated by a hostess and given water in a short-stemmed glass with ice, my beverage order is taken right away. I get a fantastic fresh cup of coffee and am provided with sugar and cream to fix it how I prefer. 

Soon my meal is on the table in front of me, a dinner plate full of fresh thick biscuits and topped with white gravy speckled with hints of crumbled sausage, garnished with flat leaf parsley. This plate hides nothing, it’s an honest easy-to-palate breakfast, not much spice. A sturdy base to start your day. The biscuits may be more than the gravy can handle, as this ratio is biscuit heavy. Nothing is overpowering and yet I have enough to eat before my plate is empty. 

Dizzy Hen in Philomath on 13th and Main is a diner anyone can feel comfortable at. As I walked into the building, out of the rain, staff had already been called to action, helping the elderly couple get to a safe seat to avoid slick wet floors. I am greeted and offered a booth or a seat at the diner bar. I opt for the bar as I’m alone and like to people-watch.

Once I’m comfortable on my stool a server takes my drink order. I get a house coffee and let her know I am here for their version of biscuits and gravy. Now I can’t be sure if they served me their finest plated breakfast but when I report that my plate held the perfect proportions of biscuits and gravy, it’s coming from a balanced opinion. 

This plate of breakfast held another joy, potatoes. Homefries (red potatoes in eighths) seasoned and sautéed to a caramelized crispy at the edge. No ketchup required yet a perfect vehicle for it. Back to the biscuits, they were a refined smooth dough, baked and crispy on the exterior, not too chewy on the inside. Gold medal on the biscuits.

Good gravy with uneven chunks of slightly spicy sausage gave the smooth white gravy an interest when eating. The seasonings were noticeable and pleasant. Garnished with flat leaf parsley. I almost cleaned my plate and felt full for the majority of the day.

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Walking into the Old World Deli has always reminded me of Tudor, England, as if this is where a renaissance festival should be held. While no royalty greeted me, the whimsical surroundings of the old world village and murals above me did. 

I ordered at the register. Breakfast is only served until noon here and I had missed it once before. The chef JD Monroe took my order, giving two options, sausage or mushroom gravy. “I always cater to my veggie friends,” he said. For thorough assessment I asked for both and was handed a giant playing card for the server to find me. 

I found my own seat and logged onto the WiFi to get my morning emails done. It wasn’t long until Chef Monroe let me know the mushroom gravy was just finishing up and they would be freshening up the biscuits for me. They are made fresh every morning at 7a.m., a time of day I am not. 

My breakfast plate was a happy oval of two-thirds biscuits and gravy and a side of scrambled eggs. Plus a side of mushroom gravy. The seasoned sausage gave a punch of flavor inside its thick soup of white peppered gravy, on top of warm fluffy topped biscuits with a thick crispy bottom.

The mushroom gravy held savory flavor and excellent thickness. The mushrooms were sliced lengthwise and happily identifiable. If they had been minced beyond recognition I could have sworn this gravy was fit for a carnivore. I will be craving Chef Monroe’s mushroom gravy once every two weeks, at least.

These three choices for B&G are but a few selections in the search for the best. All three held their strengths and weaknesses.

Comment below if you have a recommendation or review.

At A Glance:

Best Biscuits and Gravy

Restaurant: Brick and Mortar, 222 W 1st Ave. Suite 4, Albany

Hours: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. weekdays 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. weekends 

Menu: Breakfast, lunch, bakery

Prices: $4- $25

Websites: brickandmortarcafe.com

Restaurant:The Dizzy Hen, 1247 Main St., Philomath

Hours: Wednesday- Sunday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Menu: Breakfast

Prices: $6 - $12

Websites: thedizzyhen.com

Restaurant: The Old World Deli, 341 SW 2nd St., Corvallis

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Menu: Breakfast until 11 a.m. Lunch Deli all day

Prices: $1.50 - $13

Websites: oldworldcenter.com