We’d heard so many mixed reviews about the Flying Biscuit Café in The Villages that we had try it for ourselves.
We are definitely “breakfast anytime” people, so we headed out for a 1:30 p.m. breakfast-for-lunch. Upon arrival at the eatery, located at 1101 Canal St. in Lake Sumter Landing, there was plenty of off-street parking, as well as the large parking lot behind the buildings.
The first thing we noticed was patio dining. It was much too hot for us to dine outdoors and we were lucky enough to be seated inside immediately. And we were greeted at the front door with a friendly hello.
The restaurant was clean, bright and fresh with lovely, colorful vinyl-coated tablecloths. There was table seating, as well as half-booth seating, and we were told that as soon as the new bar stools are installed, you can opt to be seated there as well.
Our server, Josh, arrived immediately and was very friendly and attentive during our entire experience. No wait for water or coffee refills, as he was always aware of what we needed.
The menu is chock-full of choices named for famous songs. Breakfast is served all day and there are a variety of lunch choices, as well as “specials” to choose from. They even offer gluten-free and vegan items. You can see the menu by clicking HERE.
I ordered the Freebird Cultured Redneck Benedict, which is a split biscuit topped with a crispy buttermilk chicken, two over-medium eggs, chicken sausage gravy and drizzled with maple syrup, served with creamy dreamy grits for $9.29. It was huge! The taste was magnificent (definitely not calorie-conscious) with just the right amount of spices.
The chicken sausage gravy was a real treat, since I never even thought about adding chicken bits to my own sausage gravy. The biscuit was fresh and the fried eggs on top were cooked perfectly.
My dining companion ordered The Ghost in You Classic Eggs Benedict, which is an English muffin topped with Canadian bacon, two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, served with creamy dreamy grits for $9.29. It, too, was a very large portion served with perfectly poached eggs.
The grits were a real surprise, as they were cooked Southern creamy style with white cheddar cheese added. Simply delicious!
Of the many comments we heard from others who have dined at the Flying Biscuit, it seems as if the café’s opening bumps have been ironed out, as we had a delightful experience, great service and delicious food. The prices are what you’d expect for an eatery in the midst of one of the downtown squares in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown – but worth it in our opinion. We are looking forward to returning and trying out some lunch items.
The restaurant’s website boasts the slogan, “Serving Breakfast All Day For 20 Years.” A bit of history explains, “Our first café opened for breakfast at about 7 a.m. one morning in 1993. Settled in a quiet neighborhood called Candler Park on the east side of Atlanta, we sold out of our signature biscuits by 11 a.m. that day.
“More than 20 years later, we are an institution – growing to 25 locations throughout Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Texas. But we always kept that quintessential neighborhood spirit and focused on our Southern-inspired menu of comfort food made with fresh ingredients.”
As I said earlier, a visit to this eatery is well worth it!
