Se7en Bites: So Good, You Might Consider Indulging in the Six Other Deadly Sins

The chicken biscuit special with applewood smoked bacon, an egg, and thyme sausage gravy, served with a side of cheddar chive grits (Photo Credit: Andrew Langford)

July 25 • By Andrew Langford

Everyone has a vice.  Dig deep and with enough self-reflection, you’re able to admit that there’s one thing you know is bad, but just cannot live without.  For the dozens of people that line up outside Se7en Bites between Thursday and Sunday, this may be that “shortcoming.” But with the best affordable meal in town, Se7en Bites makes a damn persuasive case for indulging in gluttony.

This is hardly the first article to sing Se7en Bites’ praises.  Since Trina Gregory-Propst first opened her shop in the Milk District back in 2013, a cult-like following has gone mainstream as crowds wait up to 30 minutes in line on weekends for a chance to sample her southern comfort classics.  These are the perils of being one of the top ranked spots on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but the wait is well worth it - if not for the added caveat that the food comes out quickly once you’ve ordered at the counter inside.  

As is hopefully abundantly clear by this point, Se7en Bites is not a light, low calorie meal by almost any stretch of the imagination, although there are a few salads and smaller plates for the truly uncompromising and the psychopathic.  But in many ways, this is also the appeal of this establishment.  If you limit yourself to a few meals here each year, each feels like a holiday; picture the anticipation of a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast without all the cooking and cleanup.  So save the punishment salads and juice cleanses for the week, because Se7en Bites weekends are for splurging.

The menu itself is fairly straightforward.  It’s split between breakfast and lunch (both served all day), with a long rotating list of weekly specials next to the main counter and a terrific sweet shop that you can visit after you’ve ordered your main.  In short, you really cannot go wrong with anything here.  The southern breakfast plates first put them on the map, as classic staples like biscuits, grits, and pimento cheese were taken to their very highest levels of quality and paired with unorthodox ingredients like mac n’cheese or “potato chip bacon crumble.”  

The lunch entrees follow the same formula.  While this is still not the most ordered portion of the menu, these plates are by no means an afterthought.  Their chicken pot pie is one of their most popular dishes and the meatloaf sandwich has been recommended by more than a few employees.  Really one’s decision to order off the lunch menu is limited by one’s ability to even make it past the breakfast options without already finding five great meals.

A few other breakfast spots in town serve bigger plates, but looks can be deceiving.  With how rich most of the dishes are, there’s a good chance you’re leaving with leftovers and rarely will you have space for dessert.  Which is a shame because their desserts are some of the best in town.  Still, whether it’s a pastry or slice of cake, the dessert counter is nicely set up to package any of their treats to go if you’re looking to continue the fun later or share the wealth with friends.  In addition to this, there are a handful of alcoholic beverages, including a refreshing orange blossom mimosa, that can be ordered with any meal.

Se7en Bites churns through crowds on any weekend, so don’t expect the highly personalized service where a waiter is constantly checking in on you and guiding you through the menu.  Still, the staff is relatively friendly and will happily offer recommendations if you’re stuck trying to figure out what to order.  The only complaint - if there is one to find with this operation - is that Sette no longer exists.  For a few glorious years, Gregory-Propst gave Orlando the Italian equivalent of Se7en Bites with bustling spot in Ivanhoe Village before it closed around the start of the pandemic.  If the crowds at her flagship are any indication, the people want Sette back.

Grinding through meals at Se7en Bites can often feel like an epic gladiatorial struggle between divine southern dishes and the strength of your arteries.  But like any great Roman champion, there’s the thrill of the kill while powering through the plates and the reward of a happy, well-deserved nap afterwards.

Menu Highlights

It’s very hard to find a dish you won’t rave about at Se7en Bites, but here are a few highlights and menu notes:

Minnie Pearl

It’s tough to pick a most popular dish here, but this is probably it.  A fairly honest interpretation of chicken and waffles, the chicken is fried to perfection and the waffles form a doughy sponge with just the right amount of firmness for soaking up the hot honey and vanilla bean syrup.  Fans of sweeter breakfast entrees should stick to this when deciding against other breakfast plates.

3 Little Pigs and the Southern

There are two plates here because they’re the same thing save for the gravy on the 3 Little Pigs.  If crumbled potato chips and macaroni are two things you just cannot accept on your breakfast plate, then these dishes are a happy medium between experiencing the full richness of Se7en Bites’ offerings without becoming too hedonistic.  And for what it’s worth, the gravy on the 3 Little Pigs is probably the best in town.

7th Trimester

Almost all the joy of the last plates, minus the incredible cheddar chive grits, this is another staple of the menu that helped to first put this restaurant on the map.  Adding mac n’cheese and potato chip bacon crumble to a breakfast plate might sound like the creation of a child or someone under the influence of controlled substances, but whoever came up with this dish has made something better than what most trained chefs turn out.

Veggie Morning Biscuit

You may think vegetarian food is boring and light, but Se7en Bites is happy to prove you wrong.  Putting an egg, fried green tomato, and pimento cheese between their signature buttermilk garlic biscuit, this dish, alongside a few other options like vegetable bread pudding, means there’s plenty for vegetarians to enjoy here as well.

The Chicken Sandwich Special

Maybe the least impressive thing on the menu, this has been on special lately, but it doesn’t live up to their regular chicken biscuit, chicken biscuit special, or the Minnie Pearl.  This is by no means a bad dish - it would rank well at most other restaurants - but the opportunity cost is just not there to justify ordering it.

Chicken Pot Pie

Definitely on the Mount Rushmore of Se7en Bites classics.  Nothing against Marie Callender’s, but there’s no way to look at their frozen concoction the same way after trying this version.  The pie crust has that perfect crumble combing a flaky interior with some crisp on the outer edge, while the filling itself is also great.