Biscuits n' gravy

I hate to start a new thread off on a negative note, but I just had a really awful biscuits n' gravy experience, and I feel the need to warn everybody. I have a favorite breakfast stop in Schererville Indiana called Round the Clock. It's a 24-hour restaurant that's part of a mini-chain in NW Indiana, and it's on US30 just west of US41. I've always ordered the same thing ( eggs, sausage, home fries and toast ), and I've always enjoyed it. Last Saturday, though, I decided to do something different and ordered the sausage gravy and biscuits meal. Big, big mistake. Not only was it the worst biscuits n' gravy I've ever had, but it was easily among the worst restaurant food I've ever eaten, period. The gravy had no pepper or any other spices in it - totally devoid of flavor. It was supposed to be sausage gravy, but I found only about a half-dozen pieces in it; cubed, no less. The biscuits were even worse. They were the truly awful pre-made frozen ones supplied by outfits like Sysco, and they were almost inedible; I had to force the damn things down. I don't understand how a restaurant that ordinarily serves good breakfasts could screw up on a simple dish like this. 

Sounds like you need a trip to Biscuitville to cleanse your palate.

I was thinking the same thing, Wabbit.I liked Biscuitvilles version( although I make pretty darn good biscuits and gravy!)

Nothing like home made, but as I have one 1 mile away, well ...whats a Wabbit to do!

Wabbit and annpeeples, you're both 100% correct. Biscuitville is JUST what I need. I never go down to Mount Airy without at least one breakfast at Biscuitville. I was wistfully thinking about B-ville as I was trying to force down that inedible swill at Round the Clock the other morning. I just don't get it. I've NEVER had a bad breakfast at RTC before. Sausage gravy and biscuits is such a simple dish; how did they manage to get every aspect of it so wrong? Hardee's is another chain that does a really good version of SG & B. We no longer have Hardee's in Chicagoland, and I truly miss them at breakfast time.   

Biscuits & Gravy are like potato salad,--You never know whart you're going to get. I have a mental check sheet I use in a new or old place where I've never had their B & G:
1. Do you make your Biscuits from scratch or are they frozen?
2. Do you make your gravy from scratch?
3. Do you put lotsa ground sausage and pepper in your Gravy?
4. Is it served piping hot? 
5. As a true B & G Lover, if you were me would YOU order it?
6. If it's not what you said it was, will you take it off my bill?

Problem Solved! Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware!

Thanks for the advice, Foodbme. I sure learned my lesson last Saturday. The lesson that I learned? Never order biscuits n' gravy north of the Ohio River!!!

Foodbme


Biscuits & Gravy are like potato salad,--You never know whart you're going to get. I have a mental check sheet I use in a new or old place where I've never had their B & G:
1. Do you make your Biscuits from scratch or are they frozen?
2. Do you make your gravy from scratch?
3. Do you put lotsa ground sausage and pepper in your Gravy?
4. Is it served piping hot? 
5. As a true B & G Lover, if you were me would YOU order it?
6. If it's not what you said it was, will you take it off my bill?

Problem Solved! Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware!

I usually will simplify the whole procedure.  It is the 'Hash Qualifier',  I will ask the waitron if the hash comes from a can?  One clue is when hash is listed as a side dish only.

If the answer is "Yes", then you can rest assured that the pancake/waffles come from a mix and there is no real maple syrup in the house. The biscuits are from the supplier, with the sausage gravy coming from hell....

mark

this is something i have been struggling with.

I make awesome, learned from my grandpa sausage gravy with lots of pepper and it ohh so good.

Make a nice roux of grease add milk and ta da.

Here is the issue.. I'm opening a concession trailer soon and an event coming soon would allow me to be the only breakfast.

I only have a flat top grill and deep fryers. I was thinking make my sausage on the flat top, then use a powdered mix from Sams and add my own sausage in with lots of pepper flakes. I'm worried what I'll get.

For biscuits, the only way I could figure to provide good biscuits with no oven is to get something set up with the local hardees and see if they'll sell me a bunch in bulk.

Any suggestions? Should I just stick with pancakes and sausage?

Dom

 Sorry to say that even though our conned beef hash is out of a can, some of our home made recipes are very good. You can't judge a restaurant by only one side dish.
 We do make our biscuits with a mix, but it is our mix!
  We make our gravy from scratch with plenty of pepper and sausage!
    We serve everything off our line at at least 140 degrees so I know that it is piping hot.

  David Oberle @ MATSU Family Restaurant, Wasilla, AK

Cannot beat biscuits and homemede gravy with home fries. I do use Grand biscuits, they are as good as I can do and a lot easier.

dtortor1


this is something i have been struggling with.

I make awesome, learned from my grandpa sausage gravy with lots of pepper and it ohh so good.

Make a nice roux of grease add milk and ta da.

Here is the issue.. I'm opening a concession trailer soon and an event coming soon would allow me to be the only breakfast.

I only have a flat top grill and deep fryers. I was thinking make my sausage on the flat top, then use a powdered mix from Sams and add my own sausage in with lots of pepper flakes. I'm worried what I'll get.

For biscuits, the only way I could figure to provide good biscuits with no oven is to get something set up with the local hardees and see if they'll sell me a bunch in bulk.

Any suggestions? Should I just stick with pancakes and sausage?

Dom

I'm thinking a toaster oven or gas grill.  The question is how many and fast will you need them.   The gas grill can be set up to bake with double racks. 

dtortor1 - frankly, this doesn't sound at all promising. As soon as I read the words "powdered mix", all my RF bells and alarms went off. IMHO, you'd probably be better off just dropping the biscuits n' gravy idea, and sticking with the pancakes etc.

dtortor1


this is something i have been struggling with.

I make awesome, learned from my grandpa sausage gravy with lots of pepper and it ohh so good.

Make a nice roux of grease add milk and ta da.

Here is the issue.. I'm opening a concession trailer soon and an event coming soon would allow me to be the only breakfast.

I only have a flat top grill and deep fryers. I was thinking make my sausage on the flat top, then use a powdered mix from Sams and add my own sausage in with lots of pepper flakes. I'm worried what I'll get.

For biscuits, the only way I could figure to provide good biscuits with no oven is to get something set up with the local hardees and see if they'll sell me a bunch in bulk.

Any suggestions? Should I just stick with pancakes and sausage?

Dom

My general rule of thumb---If you can't do it right, don't do it! That being said, IF you can get your biscuits from Hardee's and you can make a decent gravy as you describe, go for it. I'm a big Hardee's Biscuit lover!

My Mom is having the family over Saturday night with fried chicken, fried chicken gravy and homemade biscuits. Along with some good vegies

i agree about the part if I can't do it right...

I was just gonna try the gravy and see if I could doctor it up but if it sucks it sucks and I won't serve it.

If I do, people won't come back for lunch!

Dom

John A


Cannot beat biscuits and homemede gravy with home fries. I do use Grand biscuits, they are as good as I can do and a lot easier.

Wow!!! That looks great

A lot of love goes into those home fries.

I think good gravy depends on how brown the rue gets.

I agree, if the roux is not right, the gravy has not a chance.  I do think the quality of the sausage is quite important also.  When you are lucky to find a place(other than home or mom's kitchen) Tell your friends and let the owners know!

I went to the Carriage house in Enon, Oh a bit ago.  Ive had their biscuits and gravy before and the were quite good.  We got there at noon.  The meny said they were only served till noon, so its part my fault.
The waitress said they had a slow breakfast so plenty was left.  I order the small, which is one large biscuit cut in half.
This time the biscuits were so stale that they were crunchy.  The gravy was about ready to break.  My gues was the steam table ran out of water and it scoched.
There was no sausage in the gravy this time.  Only roughly chopped hunks of hamburger patty.  From the taste, they only made a milk gravy and added precooked burger.
When asked how it was I I told the manager that it was the worst meal I could remember.  Her exact words were "No its not).
That was when we were paying the check.  We never saw our server after she brought our food.  I had iced tea and ran out half way thru my meal.  I could never get a refil.  In fact we went to the counter w/o a check.  The manager had to get it from the server.
britt

WOW! You needed a check after that and paid for it.

I prefer bacon grease to sausage grease for making gravy.
Has more taste in my humble opinion.
Most biscuit gravy in restaurants is a thick white gloop and comes closer to resembling wall paper paste. Good gravy is not white.
For the most part, the biscuits are pretty good, though.

brittneal, I'm sorry to hear about your disappointing biscuits n' gravy experience. After the one I had last month, I sure can sympathize with you. I love sausage gravy and biscuits, and it's a relatively easy dish to make. How is it that so many restaurants nowadays seem totally clueless when it comes to preparing a decent quality B n' G? And canned sausage gravy is even worse. I recently tried both the Campbell's and Mayberry's Finest brands of canned sausage gravy; the Campbell's was mediocre and the Mayberry's Finest was just plain awful. Guess I'll just stick to the gravy in boiling bags from Tennessee Pride. 

DougS


Good gravy is not white.

 
I beg to differ DougS. You can make a good white gravy---Maybe it's a little off white but it can be done!

My hubby makes it with loose bratwurst. Far more flavorful than regular sausage.

Could you make the gravey in advace and keep it warm in a pot or chafing dish?
Can't help you with the biscuits.
 
Cathy

Foodbme


Biscuits & Gravy are like potato salad,--You never know whart you're going to get. I have a mental check sheet I use in a new or old place where I've never had their B & G:
1. Do you make your Biscuits from scratch or are they frozen?
2. Do you make your gravy from scratch?
3. Do you put lotsa ground sausage and pepper in your Gravy?
4. Is it served piping hot? 
5. As a true B & G Lover, if you were me would YOU order it?
6. If it's not what you said it was, will you take it off my bill?

Problem Solved! Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware!

Do you microwave the biscuits ??? !!!

Sausage gravy with bratwurst??? Microwaved biscuits??? Suddenly, I don't feel so good.....

There is no place like home...
The sausage was a local supermarket blend and I used Pillsbury frozen biscuits and recommend them in a pinch


Keeping with the theme of stuff on a shingle, here is a budget version of chipped beef made with Buddig sliced beef.


mark

I'm sitting here eating Biscuits & Gravy as I type. I started with 1# of fresh store made sage seasoned sausage, chopped up and fried in a high side skillet. I used 1 packet of McCormick Sausage Flavor Country Gravy Mix mixed with 2 cups of water. When the sausage was done, poured the gravy mix into the pan, stirring until it came to a boil & thickened. Poured it over some home made biscuits and enjoyed.
If you want a little more gravy, Use a half pound of sausage to 1 packet of mix or conversely, 2 packets of gravy mix to 1 # of sausage.