The Buttered Biscuit — Restaurant in Bradley Beach

Please let me start this review off by saying that I've been working on it for a long time. Why? Because the people that own this restaurant are some of the best people I know and I want to do them justice.

I used to live upstairs from The Buttered Biscuit. I know, lucky right? The thing is, I didn't start out as a patron. We were neighbors. And Dave and Liz were the BEST neighbors. Always warm and cheerful, kind to my little girl and always inviting us in. Finally, we went. After that first taste of hot coffee and FRESH food, we were lifers.

The Buttered Biscuit IS the best place on the Jersey Shore to get breakfast. From the smiling and committed owners to the quick and personal servers, the place radiates camaraderie and community. You truly feel like you are with friends and family even when dining alone.

Now let's get to the food. I've tried almost everything on that menu, even the delicious specials that they come up with. EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL. The pork roll sandwiches are stacked high with meat on perfect rolls dripping with cheese. The blueberry muffins are bursting with fresh berries and just sweet enough to drink with their smooth and balanced coffee. The breakfast burrito is packed with savory ingredients and so big it's hard to finish but so good you feel like you have to. The Ho Cakes are gigantic corn cakes griddled to perfection and served with sweet jam- terrific balance of sweet and buttery with incredible texture. The Cali Crab is piled high with real crab meat and so perfect for a setting so close to the beach. Omelettes at The Biscuit are a force to be reckoned with: the asparagus and Swiss, broccoli and Vermont cheddar, bacon and onion, and veggie are all SO incredible it's nearly impossible to choose once you've tasted them all. The meatloaf is LITERALLY amazing. Just order it. Seriously. Corned beef hash is redefined by Dave. It's fresh, real meat with texture and flavor that are out of this world. Get eggs benedict on top with the hollandaise sauce and you'll think you've reached nirvana. You must be wondering about the pancakes by now. OMG. That's the only way to describe the generously portioned, perfectly cooked, scrumptiousness of the pancakes at The Buttered Biscuit. What about french toast, you ask? Call out of work, cancel your plans, and prepare for the most indulgent, delightful, magical carb experience you have ever had. Stuffed with anything from strawberries to nutella or pumpkin and cream cheese, these bad boys will send you over the edge of culinary bliss and right back into bed with their decadence. More of a simple breakfast person? No problem. That's why my daughter always gets her “usual,” The Big G. Eggs cooked impeccably, real, fresh potatoes with spot on seasoning, and a biscuit or toast. GET THE BISCUIT. Liz makes biscuits that are so perfectly buttery that can stand alone or be eaten with the fabulous cinnamon butter or jam that are always served.

Please go to this restaurant. Please taste everything. Please get to know the servers because they are so wonderful. Most of all, please thank the owners, Dave and Liz McAllister. Thank them for bringing energy and life to the corner of Main and LaReine. Thank them for having great character and never cutting corners. These people and this restaurant are truly remarkable and worth any trip made to visit even if you only make it once. (Though I doubt anyone only...

You're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, and you're not supposed to pick a restaurant because of its name. Oh well. The Millennial Chum and I stopped here for brunch after a weird/uneven town-wide yard sale in nearby Ocean Grove (which had like 10 yard sales despite the fact that that town was tailormade for such an event; maybe they'll figure it out next year). I can always get down for a buttered biscuit, and both of us were in a plant challenge that required us to eat 30 different plants in a week so the app section promoting the grapefruit and pineapple helped seal the deal for us.

The location is super convenient though it was definitely busy midday on a sunny, hot Saturday. We secured parking about 100 yards away (we initially parked near the train station but weren't convinced that we wouldn't be towed during the meal despite it being the weekend) and were pleased to find zero wait for either indoor or outdoor seating. Since some of the outdoor tables had shade, that's where we went, right on the sidewalk for some primo canine chum viewing.

We split the aforementioned appetizers, the grapefruit and pineapple. Great optics, especially for the pineapple, and there's something about cold fruit during a heat wave that hits differently. That said, both of us felt the grapefruit was an unfortunate miss; the caramelized sugar is burned, basically like a Creme Brulé situation, and the tang of the burn doesn't mesh well with the acidity of the grapefruit, in my opinion - it basically doubles down on a really intense flavor. I'd suggest they maintain the sugar to balance it out (it's the right idea), but leave the mini blowtorch at home. The pineapple was better; little on the tougher side but I'm not sure there's a way to avoid that when the pineapple is made-to-order like this. The inclusion of the strawberries on both was clutch though.

In the least surprising development of the day, the biscuits were the star. I got the Eggs Oscar (Eggs Benedict with crabcake and asparagus), which was decent. I wouldn't have gotten the asparagus if we weren't in the plant challenge, especially if I'd known they were chopped into the dish like this, but they weren't bad, just crunchier than I prefer (and that's on me). The almighty biscuit was perfect, and the hollandaise wasn't utilized too heavily, which to me is always the downfall of that dish. Surprisingly, the crabcake was kind of a non-entity here - I could barely taste it so I'm not sure if it wasn't a big portion comparatively speaking or if it just got drowned out by the other flavors. But by far my favorite part was when the Millennial Chum last minute ordered a single biscuit to split, which we applied with cinnamon butter. Heavenly.

The service was very good. Our waitress was clearly busy (understandably so) but stopped by regularly and was friendly/engaging, good-naturedly teasing us from time to time. The food came out pretty much immediately, and I don't recall a wait time for really anything; a well-oiled machine in most respects. Also, we were both visibly stunned at the bill - $4 apps? In a Jersey Shore town during summer? Truly wild.

Lot of solid intangibles here, and at the very least I've found a biscuit that rivals Roy Rogers (RIP) for the...

The Buttered Biscuit is hands down my favorite brunch spot, not only at the Jersey Shore, but EVER.

This place used to be a tiny - I'm talking maybe 10 table - restaurant, that has recently expanded but didn't lose it's homestyle recipes and amazing, friendly staff.

You are always greeted with a smile and leave with nothing but a full belly and a pleasant experience.

I've been going here for years now and I typically get the same items (guilty - lol), but I can tell you that I have NEVER been disappointed.

We always start with a fresh fruit bowl that they top with granola and yogurt. Where ever they get their fruit from, I need to know. It's always juicy and as fresh as could be.

Dave's Homestyle Corned Beef Hash (Dave is the co-owner, the other is his wife - both as sweet as can be) is to die for. They make a dish that includes the hash, poached eggs, asparagus, poached eggs, swiss cheese, and hollandaise sauce. Is your mouth watering yet?

Another favorite of mine is the Buttered Biscuit Scramble. It's this awesome egg dish with bacon, goat cheese, and other deliciousness.

They have breakfast burritos, stuffed french toast, pancakes the size of California.. the list goes on.

For lunch - which I don't get all that often because I'm more of a breakfast person - they have wraps, sandwiches, and salads. I'm telling you, you can't go wrong.

Don't forget their delicious, fluffy biscuits that they serve with jam and cinnamon butter - YUM!

Oh! And save room for their grilled crumb cake. Yes, I said GRILLED CRUMB CAKE. It is pure heaven!

If you're ever in the area of Bradley Beach, make sure you swing by. Be prepared to wait, because there always is one. But be sure that you know it will be worth every...