Sunrise Cafe — Review by Eating With Tod
Memphis, United States — Southern American
A visit to Sunrise Cafe in Memphis's medical district for authentic southern breakfast featuring house-made biscuits prepared fresh daily. The reviewer tried multiple biscuit varieties including bacon and egg, smoked braza, and fried chicken with hot honey, rating the biscuits highly despite preferring traditional UK breakfast elements.
What was great: Biscuits were incredibly light and fluffy with quality ingredients like bacon, cheese, and fried chicken. The smoked braza meat was exceptionally smoky against the buttery biscuit base. Authentic southern breakfast preparation and fresh daily biscuit making.
What could improve: Gravy was not to his taste initially, though it worked better with the biscuit. Did not enjoy grits and preferred a traditional fry-up breakfast with flat white coffee.
The Dishes
The experience began with a detailed explanation of southern biscuits from the owner, who explained the critical difference between American biscuits and British scones. The kitchen prepares approximately 500 biscuits daily using flour, sugar, salt, butter, and baking powder, with the key technique being the avoidance of overmixing to maintain large butter chunks that create air pockets. Three main varieties were sampled: the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit offered a perfect balance of crispy batter, smoky sausage patty, and melted cheese on a light, slightly crumbly biscuit base. The smoked braza egg and cheese biscuit featured exceptionally smoky pulled meat that the reviewer actually preferred to the traditional sausage option. The fried chicken, pickles, and Tabasco hot honey biscuit stood out immediately, with the crispy batter complemented by spicy hot honey that the buttery biscuit absorbed beautifully. The kitchen also served thick, creamy gravy with savory salt notes that worked surprisingly well as a dipping component despite initial hesitation. Grits, prepared from corn, were less well-received and the reviewer opted to skip this traditional southern staple in favor of the superior biscuit offerings.
The Experience
The cafe is located in the medical district and maintains an authentic southern breakfast establishment atmosphere. The owner was enthusiastic about explaining the historical context of southern biscuits, tracing their importance back to pre-Civil War and Civil War eras when enslaved cooks needed to create light, fluffy foods with inexpensive ingredients. The detailed preparation methods and passionate staff created an educational and welcoming environment.
Value and Pricing
Individual biscuits were priced at $7 each, which the reviewer compared favorably to McDonald's pricing at approximately five British pounds. This represented excellent value considering the fresh daily preparation and quality ingredients used in each biscuit.
Notable Moments
She's like, It's a scone. I was like, Well, it's a biscuit.
This exchange highlighted the cultural differences in breakfast terminology between American and British cuisine traditions.
The Verdict
Sunrise Cafe earned a 4.8 out of 5 for authenticity and 4.1 out of 5 for overall taste. While the reviewer scored biscuits highly and appreciated the authentic southern breakfast tradition, personal preference for traditional UK fry-ups with flat white coffee prevented a perfect score. The restaurant is best suited for visitors wanting to experience genuine Memphis southern breakfast culture and learn about the historical significance of this regional culinary tradition.