Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken - Winter Park - Winter Park (FL)

5 /5 Lameka Adams: My second visit. I ordered the best dang chicken box! I had mine with a blueberry biscuit, and fries okra and my son had a regular Buttermilk biscuit and French fries both were very, very good. The only thing I did not like was having my sweet blueberry biscuit on the very bottom of the box bc all of the oil & other flavors from the fried food settled into it. Dislike the only place is to sit outside and there are 2-3 tables available. Please download their app & use my code 00QLS and get rewards! Update: today I tried the chicken and grits box, m it was very good. I think this might be my favorite thing here yet. I love grits with a nice consistency. You can also get the grits with bacon or sausage. Go try it!!

2 /5 Meredith Gibbs: The people that work there were delightful. The little tiny restaurant is very cool looking with modern lockers for people that order ahead. The food is mid. I ordered the bacon egg biscuit. The bacon tastes like it was deep-fried in oil and definitely not drained. The place itself reeks of oil, not baking biscuits. This could be because of the small size of course, but the overwhelming scent is grease. We we’ve ordered Big to go boxes for a funeral before and everything was good Today though it was off

4 /5 Penguin 360: It’s a small little spot with outdoor seating. You can see directly into the kitchen prep area and it was very clean. I got one of their biscuit sandwiches which came out in about 5 minutes. Very fresh with good taste

1 /5 Andrew Maher: After hearing enthusiastic recommendations about Rise and their famous chicken and biscuits, I was eager to try this Winter Park establishment thats been in business for over 12 years. Unfortunately, my Monday morning visit left me thoroughly underwhelmed. The Setup Upon entering, I was immediately struck by the lack of seating—there simply isnt any. The ordering area feels sterile and cramped, with a drink self-service station lining one wall and two ordering kiosks at a half-counter. While staff members were present and willing to help, the setup felt more like a ghost kitchen than a restaurant. For newcomers, the ordering process isnt intuitive. The signature chicken and biscuit isnt clearly labeled on the kiosk menu; instead, you see photos of chicken on a bun and must know to ask for biscuit substitution. This might be obvious to regulars, but its confusing for first-timers. The Food I ordered the hot honey butter chicken with cheddar cheese on a biscuit, plus seasoned tots, for $17.41. The food arrived quickly, and we took it to one of the few outdoor tables on the street (note: parking is around back, not obvious from the front). The Biscuit: The sole highlight of the meal. Fluffy and well-made, though it left a powdery film in our throats that necessitated a trip next door for drinks we hadnt ordered. The Chicken: An absolute disaster. Extremely thin, dry, and tough—all crunchy coating with zero chicken flavor. By the time we sat down (literally one minute later), the "hot" honey butter had completely run off and wasnt hot anyway. The Tots: Standard frozen tots, crunchy but barely seasoned despite being called "seasoned tots." Salted, yes, but nothing more. The Verdict $17 for a flavorless, overcooked chicken slab on a dry biscuit (despite the biscuit itself being good) with salted frozen tots is hard to justify. I couldnt finish either item. The chicken was so tough and unappetizing that I didnt even offer the scraps to the crows nearby. I understand most customers order takeout, but I cant imagine this meal improving after a car ride. The experience of eating immediately after ordering was poor enough. Perhaps my visit was an off day, but based on this experience, I wont be returning. For a business thats been around for over a decade, I expected much better. Rating: 1/5

5 /5 B “Real”: UPDATE 11/02: I’m updating my original review because my experience today completely was better! I’m literally writing this from my car after finishing my second visit to Rise and I can confidently say it exceeded my expectations. First, I have to acknowledge the accountability and care shown by the owners. They reached out after my initial visit, took ownership, and encouraged me to give them another try. That kind of communication isn’t something they had to do, and it really meant a lot. It showed me they’re genuinely committed to providing a great experience. Now, let’s talk about the food! I ordered: • A cheddar biscuit with sausage, pimento cheese and egg • Cheesy tots • Wildcard, a bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese on a blueberry biscuit That blueberry biscuit absolutely blew me away. Hands down one of the best things I’ve ever eaten (and I don’t even like blueberry biscuits normally!). The pimento cheese was spot-on, and those cheesy tots were perfectly seasoned and flavorful. I ordered online and picked up my food this time, so I didn’t interact much with the team, but it’s clear they’re working hard to deliver both great food and service. Today’s visit did not disappoint. I’m thrilled to update my original rating. Rise totally redeemed itself, and I can’t wait to come back again soon! 10/ 26: It really bums me to write this because I was so excited to try this place out. I’ll give them another chance, but today just wasn’t their day. They seemed slammed with online orders, which delayed walk-in orders, and I got “order ready” messages, only to still have to wait. The staff was kind and really trying their best, though. Unfortunately, when I finally got my food, the chicken biscuit, which looked great, not sure if it was fully ready. It was like biting into a raw breast, rubbery, slippery feeling as a bit into it, truly inedible. I ended up tossing it, but the biscuit and pimento cheese were delicious. I also ordered cheese grits, but only got a fork and knife, no spoon, and didn’t realize there’s no indoor seating just a few outdoor tables. I’m hopeful that next time will be better, because the flavors seem promising, but this visit definitely fell short of the mark.