Bidding Farewell to the School Year at Biddie Banquet

 

Maybe this is becoming a tradition! For the second year in a row after South Carolina State University's graduation ceremony I enjoyed a fine lunch at my favorite Orangeburg restaurant. 

Biddie Banquet, bastion of down home cooking, is conveniently located for me on the way to Interstate 26 at 220 John C. Calhoun Dr.  Yelp reviews here. 

Commencement began at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 9, and ended a few hours later.

I usually get the fried chicken- always so good- but since I had KFC chicken a few days ago I wanted something else. I was hoping for the chuckwagon steak with gravy but it wasn’t on the menu this day. So I went for the fried pork chop. This was by far the biggest pork chop I’ve ever had. And it was excellent, very moist and tasty. 

For $13.25 I had all this. Along with the meat, the plate comes with three sides. I chose mashed potatoes, Cajun rice, and Cole slaw. 

I misunderstood the three sides part this visit. Dessert is included in the $13.25, as is that Southern favorite- sweet tea. But dessert counts as one of the three sides.

Halfway through the meal I asked the server about dessert, a chocolate chip cookie. My past visits here dessert has been different pies or cobblers. 

She explained the three sides deal and kindly gave me the cookie at no extra charge. I gave her an extra tip for her quality customer relations. 

Good Eats In Orangeburg!

This being the last week of classes at South Carolina State University I treated myself to my favorite lunch place in Orangeburg. 

That would be the place with the very distinctive sign out front (though the chicken- or is it a rooster- has lost some of its luster since I last dined here pre-pandemic a few years ago.) 

Biddie Banquet is located at 220 John C. Calhoun Dr. not too far off Interstate 26 (if you're passing by).

This is a quaint place that does not seem to have a website. Unusual for the times. So I'm linking what Trip Advisor says about it. 

I first learned of Biddie Banquet three or four years ago when then Charleston Post and Courier food writer Hanna Raskiin included the establishment in a big spread she did about where to find the best fried chicken in South Carolina.