The Country Ham Biscuit at the Hardee’s in Emporia, Virginia

I have a strong preference for locally owned restaurants, and I rarely eat at fast food places. I am, however, a sucker for country ham biscuits. On my way down to North Carolina to eat barbecue I had to make a pit stop in Emporia, Virginia, and decided that Hardee’s would be a good spot. I glanced at the menu and saw that they served country ham biscuits. So I got in line behind three guys from a work crew.

Let me first say that the cashier, Laquecia according to the receipt, is a human dynamo. In contrast to the usual somnolent fast food employees, she seemed to be handling everything, and doing so with remarkable efficiency. When my turn came she greeted me with a smile that actually looked genuine, and took my order for a country ham biscuit, and after handling a few orders that had just come up, handed me the biscuit.

It arrived hot on a cat head biscuit — a large biscuit, at least four inches in diameter.

I lifted the lid to check the engine and was impressed by the country ham.

A taste revealed that the ham tasted quite good, nice and salty and hot from the griddle. The biscuit also was impressive, with a nice almost but not quite crumbly texture and a nice buttery flavor.

My hat is off to the Emporia Hardee’s — the one at 101 Market, just off the interstate. Usually breakfast biscuits at McDonald’s, the only other fast food biscuit I’ve tried, come on smaller biscuits. I may have had country ham on a small biscuit at a Hardee’s in North Carolina during a barbecue trip years ago. The ham always has been actual country ham, but there hasn’t been as much of it. Well pleased, I proceeded down the road to the parking lot at Parker’s and met with John Shelton Reed and Allan Parnell, who greeted me with a bag of corn sticks to tide us over until we got to Wilber’s.

Travel is filled with culinary surprises. I often find great food in the unlikeliest of places, like the Hardee’s in Emporia. I’m not saying that the Hardee’s country ham was nearly as good as that at the Oak Level Cafe, but as often is the case, the circumstances of that particular stop militated strongly against a detour. If you like country ham, the Hardee’s at Emporia. definitely is a good place to stop. If you come across other good country ham biscuits, at other Hardee’s locations or elsewhere, fast food or no, please let me know.

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