“I don’t even need to taste these, I can tell what they are by looking at them.”
So began Atlanta chef Eddie Hernandez’s visit to the G&G offices for a biscuit taste taste. The Taqueria del Sol founder was the first of several chefs to stop by during the recent Charleston Wine and Food festival, and he was feeling bullish about the day’s challenge.
Watch the chefs take the test:
To get their take on the taste and quality of fast-food biscuits, we asked them to blind-taste three different options—Bojangles, Chick-fil-A, and Church’s—and guess where each originated from. (Their choices spanned McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Hardee’s, Wendy’s, Church’s, Popeyes, KFC, and Bojangles.) Initial reactions to the assignment ranged from Durham Saltbox Seafood Joint chef Ricky Moore’s fiery, “Bring it on, I was raised on biscuits!” to Houston baker Joy Wilson’s tongue-in-cheek, “I don’t really eat fast food biscuits, because…why would I do that to myself?”
The chefs didn’t disappoint in the guessing: Hernandez did indeed nail all three—and was the only chef to do so—but they all excelled in the commentary. (Below, read their at-times complimentary, analytical, and savage thoughts on everything from texture to butter usage to crumb.)
As for ranking them? Shuai Wang of Charleston’s Jackrabbit Filly favored Bojangles, and both Moore and Hernandez championed Chick-fil-A. Church’s received enthusiastic endorsements from Charleston food writer and chef Amethyst Ganaway and Sunny Gerhart (the chef of Olivero in Wilmington), and generally took the prize for best-liked.
Here’s how the biscuits stacked up:
Bojangles
Polarizing Bojangles took some heat for its lack of moisture but won a margin of praise for seasoning.
“Tastes like a lard or Crisco biscuit instead of a buttery biscuit…I like to make them with Crisco or lard because fat melts better than butter.” —Shuai Wang
“It’s feeling cardboardy, stiff, it’s hard to pull apart, not a great sign…if this is someone’s mom’s biscuit, I’m sorry.” —Joy Wilson
“This is more cake-like, not as flake-forward.” —Ricky Moore
“It’s a little bready, little stiff, it’s dry. I’m trying not to choke…that’s why I think it’s a Popeyes biscuit.” —Amethyst Ganaway
Chick-fil-A
Butter was the word most repeated during Chick-fil-A’s analysis. The biscuit won praise for its layers and flake, took a hit for lack of seasoning, and was repeatedly confused with KFC.
“This one looks fluffier, creamier…it has some butter in the middle of the biscuit, which is good.” —Sunny Gerhart
“This one is a little more dense, but I can see more butter.” —Amethyst Ganaway
“Really good, flaky, not too buttery.” —Eddie Hernandez
“I like the way it separates. I can add honey if I choose to, I can add some fatback, collard greens, baloney…” —Ricky Moore
Church’s
That shiny glaze of honey on top was a key visual cue, sweetness was the defining flavor factor, and perhaps most importantly, everybody liked it.
“If you wanted to have a cupcake but a biscuit at the same time, this would be it.” —Joy Wilson
“This tastes like a drop biscuit instead of a layer biscuit.” —Shuai Wang
“It has a nice texture, the crumb is a little bit airier, not too dense.” —Sunny Gerhart
This is the biscuit of my dreams…and I’m actually going to eat this whole one. We can talk trash about Church’s chicken, but the biscuits you can’t miss.” —Amethyst Ganaway
If you have strong options on biscuits yourself, vote in the Best Biscuit Bracket.
