Ava S.
Yelp
Our last stop for Memphis Black Restaurant Week brought me and the rents to Biscuits and Jams, a breakfast and brunch spot located in Bartlett. It's off of Stage Road in the shopping center across from El Patron. There is parking in front of the restaurant once you enter.
The exterior looks like a house with the mint colored door, porch, and windows. Prior to entering, the housekeeping rules are posted to the left of the main door. I like that everything you need to know regarding timing, tipping, and seating is given to you upfront.
We arrived around 9:30 and it was already a full house! The hostess stand is in front of the bar area, and seating is to the left. The restaurant is clean and well decorated, and the windows provide great lighting. There's even a patio off to the side.
side note: restrooms passed
When you get to the hostess stand, in typical fashion, you give your name but ALSO your phone number as your wait time is sent via text along with a link to track your wait time. We went to sit in the car while I kept an eye on the time, and once your wait is over, you are given confirmation and required to text yes to confirm.
I feel like "waiting isn't guaranteed seating" is a bit of a mixed message, mainly in how it sounds (could just be me), but I'm guessing it means more along the line of the table may not be ready right at that very second to keep from getting antsy. I think the link is good for taking out the hullabaloo of the "how much longer is the wait" situations. You can stay, change your mind, chat, or explore around while you wait for your table.
We got our text and went to our table and noticed the menu is via QR code. I'm a bit on the fence with technology at times. While it's good to be up to date with current technology, you don't want to alienate anyone that may not be as tech savvy. Our waitress did find us a physical menu, and I thought that was nice of her to do.
Our waitress was really nice and very patient. She took the time to not only find us a physical menu, but also went through the menu with us. There are several types of biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and other items to choose from with their own unique names. Our vegetarian/vegan friends are also included on the menu.
She suggested a platter would be easiest to decide on, so all three of us ended up getting platters. The platter has 4 items. Each one does come with a biscuit and eggs, but you can choose the other 2. Dad got grits and sausage, mom got potatoes and sausage, and I got potatoes and bacon. They also have blueberry, strawberry, and peach jam, all homemade.
The food was amazing! Everything tasted fresh, homemade, and made with love. The biscuits were fluffy, the eggs were good, the grits weren't overly cheesy, and the sausage was tender. It very much felt like eating at someone's house.
I consider pricing to portion reasonable. As always, it depends on what you want, but prepare to spend about $10 and up.
The owner even took time to walk around, introduce herself, and interact with customers and we even got to chat with her for a bit. We told her the food was great, and that everything tasted homemade. She said she personally works with her chefs so they learn how to make every menu item, and she told us the rule that she gives her chefs: "Don't burn my food up, don't burn my house down."
I'll give this one a rating: pull up a chair. I really like Biscuits and Jams. Although it is a business, there's a very welcoming and comfortable experience you get from the staff, the food, and the ambiance. This is definitely a breakfast spot worth checking out.