Here in North Georgia breakfast is clearly defined as country style, with homemade biscuits the ultimate comfort food as the basis of any Southern breakfast. This hearty meal is brought to life with a country sausage gravy, thick slice of country ham, fried hash brown potatoes, a homemade waffle topped with some perfectly fried chicken.
As David and his foodie followers set out to explore the local breakfast options the adventure quickly began looking and feeling very similar to the challenge that they ran into when searching for Forsyth County’s best pizza at the end of 2019 – “it’s complicated, but so much to love!”
Our Favorite Breakfast Spots
Local’s Best Breakfast: Papa's Place (behind the outlet mall)
From the moment you step in this small-town diner, you know you are in good hands. Papa’s Place has been a local favorite in Dawsonville for almost seven years, thanks to Dawn Powell and her daughter Katlin. They have a very loyal customer base and an amazing staff to deliver home cookin’. The waitresses are exactly what you would expect in this part of town, charming and bubbly, with a side of classic southern hospitality. Their menu offers a wide variety of choices which is perfect for this family friendly restaurant. You could find anything from Biscuits and Gravy to a Build-your-own Skillet or an Omelet. You might like to start with an order of the Cinnamon and Powdered Sugar Donuts; they are quite a treat. Alicia, our sever, says the cinnamon ones are perfect for on the go and the powdered for lounging around. David loves to try it all, so he went with the Make Your Own Breakfast and created quite the mix from their list of 30 items. Of course, the Biscuit and spicy sausage gravy was right-on, and the pancakes were light and flavorful. This came as a surprise to us, when David was so impressed with the Fried Bologna that it was gone before the bacon! Our foodie Kali enjoyed the Pecan Pancakes, the pecan flavor was modest, but it was perfect. When Alicia brought us the bill, she suggested getting one of their over-sized home-made cinnamon rolls for afternoon dessert, and she was right – yummy after a few seconds in the microwave. No matter what you get, you will be satisfied and pleasantly welcomed to come back again and again.
Blessed Biscuits and More: Billie's Country Kitchen (Hwy 9 north)
The “Home of the Heavenly Biscuit” and breakfast drive thru that was Kali’s favorite experience. Billie’s Country Kitchen is an adventure from start to finish. James Teeple, who owns the restaurant, asked to start us off with a prayer and the best of wishes. He talked to us about his eatery and the community engagement with it. He hangs pictures of retired veterans from the ROMEOs, a group of retired old men who go out to eat every Friday and have a desire to solve the world’s problems. Not only do the vets love being there but the staff enjoys having them in too. “I’m not here to get rich, I am here to give the “bomb food” and hope.” Is how James described the goal for the business. He seemed genuinely interested in having this conversation with us, which speaks volumes on why this slice of heaven is so beloved. This joint was immensely popular before COVID-19 hit but unfortunately, they have had to close the dining room for now.
The experience was fantastic, and the food was the “bomb”. David got a chicken egg and cheese breakfast sandwich which was gigantic. The biscuit itself was amazing, it was buttery and fluffy and did not all crumble apart - cooked to perfection. The bacon was thick with a slight smokey after taste which was pleasing, good bacon is important when David is on his food adventure. Kali’s favorite was the Brown Sugar Biscuit, it practically melted in your mouth. Every flavor there popped and danced together beautifully. All the warmth that James creates accompanied by the amzaing food made for a new favorite for a “Blessed Biscuit”.
Don’t worry if you don’t see the big pink pig up on the roof, owner Darin Muenchow and the staff at Big D’s are still smokin’-up a bunch of that southern-style homemade country breakfast. The menu is quite extensive, and breakfast served daily until noon. The Pick and Build Platters are a perfect way to combine your favorites. The huge pancake, fluffy with a buttery flavor is a must. Along with a couple eggs sunny side up, biscuit to soak up the yolk, and accompanied with their thick-sliced smoked bacon. One of their biscuit bowls, like “The Hearty”, with 2 made from scratch buttermilk biscuits smothered with gravy and choice of meats or hash browns, is another tasty way to fill up the tank. Big D’s is known for their true Deep South barbecue, so you can’t go wrong with their meats. David got a little creative and ordered one of their famous homemade buttermilk Catheads with pulled pork, egg, cheese and a couple slices of pork heaven did the trick for a satisfied Fountain foodie!
This is a great place for country comfort. A hidden gem tucked back off Hwy 53 next to CrossBridge Community Church. Their homemade biscuits are moist and perfect for combining with egg, cheese and their special sausage or David’s 2nd favorite is country ham. The fried Tater Wedges are a tasty companion to your breakfast, or a big bowl of their cheese grits “powerful goodness” as one of our foodies followers described. The pancakes are the size of the plate, another made from scratch item that is just the right batter for hot off the griddle pleasure. The coronavirus has created a number of concerns, so their restaurant as suspended dine-in, but in response they are providing Covid convenient drive-thru service, along with their southern hospitality. At J&S Kitchen look forward to being greeted with a smile from the friendly staff and caring family that makes their restaurant our Favorite Biscuit Pickup.
Best Breakfast Buffet: Country Cafe (Hwy. 53 east of Ga. 400)
A welcoming and pleasant country café store sits at the corner of War Hill Park Road and Hwy 53. If you are looking for lots of breakfast choices, this spot provides an extensive southern style buffet along with Mexican breakfast dishes daily until 11am. The scrambled eggs were loaded with flavors from the red and green peppers to the onions and tasty cheese. The crunchy thick crust French toast was another favorite from the buffet. The thick-cut bacon, country-fried steak along with the sausage biscuit and gravy were a few other items that made the buffet a good choice. Kali enjoyed the presentation and flavors of huevos a la Mexicana. Scrambled eggs combined with chopped tomatoes, green chili peppers, onions lightly fried and with a Mexican twist. Served alongside refried beans topped with Mexican cheese and flavorful Mexican rice. Plenty of other choices too, so bring your appetite for dine-in or takeout at the Country Café.
