It took me a couple of months to make it back to Rise in Columbia, but I’m glad I did.

I started with a Creme Brûlée donut. I had my eye on these the last time I was there, but decided to go ahead and order it this morning. The donut itself had nice flavor. It was a light and fluffy dough. The filling was nice and thick, but not overly sweet. The top of the donut was caramelized, which gave it the Creme Brûlée touch. This was a surprisingly good treat.

I finished it up with some biscuits and gravy. I love sausage gravy, but this was meat free and I wanted to give it a try. I decided to go with a cheddar biscuit instead of buttermilk. The biscuit was topped with the creamy gravy, cheddar cheese and green onions. Not the combination I’m used to, but it’s always good to try something different. Starting with the biscuit, it had a nice texture, but I couldn’t really tell it was a cheddar biscuit since it had all the toppings on it. I will have to go back to Rise again just to try their cheddar biscuits. The gravy had the perfect consistency. It was seasoned well and had a very smooth flavor. The cheddar cheese was a nice addition. There were some bites that were really melty, which was a nice change of pace to biscuits and gravy. The green onions were more than I would have preferred, but they did add an additional layer of flavor and texture. Overall, I would say that this was a good biscuits and gravy. I’d still prefer the traditional sausage gravy, but the flavor combinations and textures were really nice. I could definitely see myself ordering this again along with a donut in the future. The combination of the two is the right amount of food for me for breakfast.

Since this was my second visit, I could see this as something that goes into a regular rotation for me. Maybe every 2-3 months, depending on my cravings. They also have lunch items on their menu, so I would not mind expanding out and trying additional offerings. The staff was different for each of my visits, and on both occasions the staff was nice and friendly, and the wait time for my food was not too long. Eating at Rise is definitely a good way to start the day!