Rise Southern Biscuits: The Best Biscuit in SoCal Is Hiding in a Strip Mall
There are restaurants you recommend to everyone, and then there are the ones you almost don’t write about because selfishly, you want them all to yourself. Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken in Thousand Oaks firmly belongs in the second category.
Hidden in plain sight in an unassuming strip mall, this tiny North Carolina import is quietly serving some of the best Southern breakfast and brunch you’ll find anywhere in California.
If Rise were located in Silver Lake, Venice, or West Hollywood instead of suburban Thousand Oaks, there would be hour-long lines snaking around the block every weekend, TikTok influencers fighting over the last biscuit, and reservations booked weeks in advance.
Instead, it’s blissfully under the radar. Part of me wants to keep it that way. The other part knows owner Bill deserves every bit of recognition coming his way.
You might also like: Ventura Taco District: Southern California’s Best-Kept Food Secret
Southern Hospitality Is Alive and Well
Long before the food arrives, Rise wins you over with something increasingly rare: genuine kindness.
Bill, originally from North Carolina, embodies exactly what Southern hospitality is supposed to be. Warm, welcoming, patient, and genuinely excited to help you navigate the menu, he treats first-time visitors like old friends stopping by for breakfast.
There’s no pretension here. No gimmicks. Just people who clearly love what they do and want you to leave happier than when you walked in. And trust me—you will.
A Menu That Knows Exactly What It Is
One of the things we loved most about Rise is that it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Instead, the menu stays beautifully focused on Southern comfort food done exceptionally well.
Think:
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Crispy fried chicken
- Sausage gravy
- Creamy grits
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Fried okra
- Mac and cheese
- Fresh beignets
That’s it. No avocado toast, no acai bowls, no unnecessary reinventions. Just generations of Southern cooking traditions executed with care.
You might also like: Around LA In 80 Flavors: Los Angeles Food Bucket List (A Tribute To Jonathan Gold)
The Biscuits That Dreams Are Made Of
Let’s talk about the biscuits. Because wow.
They’re everything a Southern biscuit should be: impossibly fluffy inside with delicate buttery layers that somehow remain light while still feeling wonderfully indulgent.
They’re substantial without being heavy. Tender without falling apart. Rich without becoming greasy. It’s the kind of biscuit that makes you wonder why anyone ever settled for the hockey pucks served elsewhere.
Even better, Rise offers several varieties beyond the classic. There’s the traditional buttermilk biscuit that could easily stand on its own, spicy jalapeño biscuits, sweet blueberry biscuits, and rotating seasonal specials.
During our visit, the seasonal flavor happened to be Peach Cobbler. To say it was incredible would be an understatement. Warm peaches, subtle cinnamon, buttery biscuit… It tasted like summer in the Carolinas.
Order one. Actually, order two. You’ll thank us later.
You might also like: Dodger Dogs History: A Taste Of Los Angeles Baseball Culture
The Sweet-and-Savory Carolina Combo You Didn’t Know You Needed
One of our favorite discoveries wasn’t even obvious from the menu.
Rise serves fantastic vegetarian breakfast sandwiches, including one built around crispy fried green tomatoes—a Southern classic that deserves far more appreciation outside the Southeast.
Here’s the move: Order the fried green tomato breakfast sandwich. Then swap in (or pair it with) the blueberry biscuit.
The combination of tart tomatoes, savory fillings, and sweet blueberry biscuit creates one of those magical sweet-and-savory bites that somehow tastes greater than the sum of its parts. It’s unexpected. It’s delicious. And it’s exactly the kind of thing we’ll be dreaming about until our next visit.
Don’t Skip the Sides
The supporting cast deserves its own standing ovation. The fried okra is crisp, addictive, and exactly as comforting as you’d hope. The mac and cheese is rich, creamy, and unapologetically indulgent.
And although we somehow managed to leave too full to order the classic biscuits and gravy breakfast this time around, watching plate after plate head toward neighboring tables confirmed one thing:
We’ll absolutely be back.
You might also like: 30 Best Bean And Cheese Burritos In LA (And How The Burrito Almost Saved My Marriage)
Beignets Without the Flight to New Orleans
Just when you think you’ve reached peak comfort food…you notice the beignets.
Available in multiple flavors, these pillowy bites prove you don’t necessarily need to hop on a plane to Louisiana every time a powdered sugar craving strikes.
Sorry, Café du Monde. Rise just made getting a proper beignet fix a whole lot easier for Southern California.
One of California’s Best Hidden Food Gems
Some restaurants succeed because they have million-dollar interiors. Others because they hire expensive marketing agencies. Rise doesn’t need either.
It succeeds because it does one thing exceptionally well: honest Southern food made with care by genuinely wonderful people.
In an era when so many restaurants chase trends, Rise feels refreshingly timeless. It’s the kind of neighborhood spot every town wishes it had.
You might also like: What To Eat And Drink In New Orleans: 9 Iconic NOLA Flavors
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken: The Verdict
We’ll be back soon for the legendary biscuits and gravy, more fried chicken, another order of fried okra, and—let’s be honest—at least one more Peach Cobbler biscuit.
Until then, here’s our advice. If you find yourself anywhere near Thousand Oaks, do yourself a favor: Run. Don’t walk. Find Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken. Order more biscuits than seems reasonable.
Chat with Bill. Stay a little longer than you planned. And maybe… Just maybe… Don’t tell too many people.
Let’s keep this our own little deep-fried Southern secret.
Have you been to Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken? Let us know in the comments or tag @eightyflavors on socials!
OUR TRIED AND TESTED FOOD TRAVEL RESOURCES: Book a hotel with Booking.com. Search for the best flight deals on Skyscanner. Find the best local food tours on Viator. Browse curated conscious group trips with GAdventures. Get your travel insurance with World Nomads.
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. We’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through the link provided, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support in running this blog!
