Burnside Biscuits

I was saving this review because I had submitted it for a Time Out New York food critic competition.  But since I haven’t heard back from them, I’m guessing I lost (now is the time to shout “she was robbed!”) so I’m sharing my review with all of y’all:

We Southerners living in NYC guard our culture tightly and are like bloodhounds, sniffing out any restaurant serving food that reminds us of home. The latest Southern-fried spot to earn our attention is Burnside Biscuits in Astoria. At first glance, it’s like dining in a country kitchen, filled with mismatched wooden chairs and damask wallpaper.  But a peek towards the kitchen reveals a wood burning oven covered in shiny mosaics, copper lamps, and subway tile. This sort of new school/old school vibe is tailor-made for the hipsters of 30th Avenue. That’s right – hipsters ain’t just in Brooklyn anymore, folks!

The cocktail list is primarily edited to the classics, like the Old Fashioned ($12), which is made with peanut-infused bourbon for a slightly earthy flavor. I also tried the Salty Dog (vodka, grapefruit juice, bitters, and a salted rim, $10), which looked like a cotton candy confection fit for a tween’s birthday party but was refreshing and, thankfully, not as sweet as it appeared.

As we tucked into our main courses, everyone at our table agreed the chicken was moist. Then everyone agreed “moist” is a shudder-inducing word that should not be spoken again. Though moist juicy, the chicken was brined, which creates a flavorful skin but one crisps up differently without the same crunch as the country-fried style. Fried chicken is nothing without its partner in crime, and I was pleased to find the biscuits were large and fluffy on the inside. When it comes to biscuit toppers, the gravy had a nice consistency and plenty of sausage but needed salt. The pimento cheese and honey butter, however, were perfect.

Beyond chicken and biscuits, the seasonal pickle plate ($10) and baked crispy potatoes ($8) are great starters to pass around the table. The green goddess dressing is a nice, herby alternative to the heavy aioli normally seen accompanying potatoes. Burnside’s version of a Caesar salad ($13) is made with collard greens instead of romaine and green goddess dressing instead of the classic. Me thinks that’s not really a Caesar, but whatevs. While nice and herbaceous, the dressing lacked salt (this seems to be a theme here). Parmesan, the one Caesar-like ingredient they included, could have solved this issue, but there was barely a sprinkle on the plate.

The standout item on the menu, however, was not at all Southern-inspired. Their broccoli roast ($9.50) with Carolina curry dry rub, sharp cheddar, and cider vinegar sauce was unreal. Broccoli is widely detested by kids, but this dish would get any child in America to eat their veggies. If there was ever an argument for a broccoli emoji, this is it.