I’ve eaten my way through Tennessee, chasing flaky layers and buttery crumbs, and here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: the state’s most legendary biscuits don’t come out of a Nashville kitchen.
They’re baked 200 miles west in Memphis, at a diner on Summer Avenue that’s been splitting cathead biscuits since 1968. Bryant’s Breakfast has earned every bit of praise, racking up local awards and national mentions while quietly feeding generations of Memphians.
The line snakes out the door most mornings, regulars order by muscle memory, and the debate over which biscuit reigns supreme never stops. If you think you know Southern breakfast, you haven’t met Bryant’s yet.
Meet the place: Bryant’s Breakfast, Memphis
On Summer Avenue, the neon flickers on before dawn and trays of hot, split-open biscuits parade out of the kitchen…