Rise and shine, folks! I’m about to shed some light on the latest donut opening in the DFW metroplex. If you haven’t heard of Rise Biscuits & Donuts, they originally opened in Durham, NC in 2012 with a simple mission: to serve “the best dang biscuits and donuts” made with premium ingredients. Find out why I’m a fan below.

**UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2018: Rise Allen celebrated its Grand Opening on April 1, 2017, and I was there two days later to check out the hype. The Allen shop was the first location in Texas, but closed unexpectedly a few months later. According to CultureMap Dallas, the shop had little to say about the sudden closure. In fact, “The Allen closure goes against what are said to be big plans by Rise, which struck a deal with Fransmart, a franchising developer, who claim to be opening 130 stores by the end of 2018, and 1,000 locations nationwide.” Fortunately, the Austin location just opened in summer 2018. Best of luck to them!

CONTACT INFO

Hours and Austin Location:

Web & Social:

 |  |  |  |

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cake Donuts:
• Yeast Donuts: 
• Gluten-Free Donuts:
• Vegan Donuts:
• Non-Donut Food Options:  
• Coffee:  
• Credit Card Accepted: 
• Wifi:
• Indoor Seating: 
• Outdoor Seating:
• Merchandise:
• Order Ahead:  (Click here to order online and skip the line!)
• Nearby Attraction(s): Allen Premium Outlets; Allen Event Center

RISE BISCUITS & DONUTS REVIEW

According to Culture Map Dallas, “Rise was founded by Tom Ferguson in 2012 in the Raleigh-Durham area, where it has seven locations. The restaurants are open for breakfast and lunch only and specialize in the hot foodie trend of biscuit sandwiches, filled with options like ham, sausage, eggs, and fried chicken. There are also some good-looking doughnuts, another big trend. They are organized under categories called ‘old school,’ such as raspberry jelly-filled, and ‘new school,’ such as maple bacon.” Here was the full menu from the Allen location:

The Allen location was run by Ferguson’s brother and sister-in-law, Dax and Brandy Ferguson. I had the honor of meeting Tom in person on my visit.

PROS:

Okay, here’s the deal. All of the donuts I tried were fresh and phenomenal. The light texture reminds me of Beiler’s donuts in Philly, except the flavors were so much better here. One exception: I did not care for the heavy lemon flavoring in the old fashioned donut. Everything else gets two thumbs up though.

I ordered the Glazed, Chocolate Icing, Sprinkled, Cinnamon Twist, Apple Fritter, Crème Brûlée, Pineapple Basil, Oreo, and Cookie Dough Bullseye. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. They even threw in a free Maple Bacon Bar (the manager’s favorite) since I waited for my box a few minutes.

Standouts had to be the Crème Brûlée, Pineapple Basil topped with pistachios and the Cookie Dough Bullseye. Trust me, that pineapple donut was one of those weird combos that just work.

Tom explained that culture is extremely important to the success of the business. They even have adorable wallet-sized cards that outline the company’s mission and values:

And you can’t forget about the biscuits! I ordered a chicken fried steak with pickles, tomatoes and the elusive “Comeback sauce.” Mmm, mmm this biscuit was moist and flavorful. I also snapped a pic of my neighbor’s chicken biscuit, beautifully topped with a fried green tomato, arugula, and pimento cheese:

CONS:

No taste complaints here except for the old fashioned. I can’t speak to the retail space in Austin, but there was much to be deserved about the former Allen space. The indoor seating was just a long skinny row of bar-height chairs. Hopefully, the other locations have communal tables or some outdoor seating.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I’m bummed about the Allen shop closure. Guess that means another road trip to Austin, right? I’d be curious to taste their food again and capture some better photos too.

What’s your first impression of Rise? Comment below on your experience!