Avondale gets a new hangout with Angel’s Biscuit Co. and Emily Pizza & Bar
by Stephanie Barna | Contributing Writer
What do you get when you combine Southern biscuits, Detroit-style pizza, crafty cocktails, and one fancy burger that’s only available to 10 lucky people each day? A spot that has a little something for everyone, no matter what time you stop in. Angel’s Biscuit Co. and Emily Pizza & Bar recently opened in Avondale with a clear mission: become a welcoming destination for the entire neighborhood, even the kids.
West Ashley resident Angel Powell is the Angel of the biscuit company. This is her first foray into restaurant ownership, but she’s helped promote restaurants, including Emily, for years as owner of South City PR. She and Howard Greenstone, a partner in the Brooklyn-based Pizza Loves Emily organization, have worked on multiple PR projects together. When he came to town to scout a new location, she somehow found herself agreeing to be a part of it.
“At some point in our conversation about doing PR for the restaurant, he jokingly said we should call it Angel’s. Two weeks later he sends me a business plan and says, I want to have a local element, a dual concept, and I’d like to do something with you,” says Powell.
Her first instinct was to decline. She’d never wanted to own a restaurant. “But, you know, when things align. First of all, I would follow him off a cliff. Anything Howard says to do, I will always do. And being in business with him is a joy.”
She had plenty of ideas to contribute too. She wanted to put out food that was excellent and something that she cared about. Biscuits was a natural for her, as a Southern gal from a family of bakers. The restaurant also needed to be kid-friendly and affordable.
“I wanted a space where everyone could go to hangout,” she says. “Moms can come in after drop-off. Kids can come in after school. Neighbors can come at night to drink cocktails. I wanted something that felt approachable.”
The menu shifts over the course of the day. Starting at 7 a.m., Angel’s serves up a full menu of housemade biscuits and breakfast sandwiches until noon, Wednesday through Friday, and then on the weekend, if you hit that sweet spot between noon and 2 p.m., you can choose between Angel’s breakfast and Emily’s menu.
The Emily side of the equation opens at 4 p.m. during the week. The evening menu includes snacks like Asian buffalo wings, waffle-fry nachos, crispy mozzarella sticks, and harissa cauliflower with Greek yogurt. The pizza is Detroit-style, deep-dish and square, with three bases to choose from: red, pink (i.e., vodka sauce), and white. In addition to house specialties like the Big Ang (vodka sauce, cheese, sausage, and banana peppers) and the Big Hawaiian (cheese blend, pepperoni, bacon, pineapple, and pineapple-chili glaze), you can build you own with toppings from Calabrian chilis to Nashville hot chicken.
They also have some “handhelds,” including that aforementioned burger. The Emmy Burger is special, made with high-quality, dry-aged Pat LaFrieda ground beef, cheese, and caramelized onions. They only offer 10 per day for practical purposes.
“The meat is very expensive and it’s a very particular temp time — we want every one of them to come out of the kitchen perfect,” says Powell.
For the bar program, Powell tapped bartender extraordinaire and West Ashley resident Megan Deschaine to create an elevated but casual cocktail menu. Her philosophy is simple: “Cold. Fast. Familiar. Affordable. Better than it needs to be.”
Drinks range from the Momosa with citrus vodka and passionfruit to the more exotic Chokehold which mixes Cynar (an artichoke-based amaro) with tonic and lemon. They also have a slate of dirty housemade cream sodas and boilermakers, including the Burn Notice, which is a local LoFi Mexican Lager and a shot of Calabrian chili tequila.
The Emily crew loved Deschaine’s approach to cocktails so much they’ve hired her to bring the same bar philosophy to their other restaurants, with the location in Avondale being their priority to start.
“She’s so good,” says Powell. “The idea is you can come in and get a great drink with friendly bar service — nothing is too precious.”
In the first month, Powell says she’s been at the restaurant almost every day. “I love the energy of restaurant openings. I’ve had a blast being there and greeting people. I want the neighborhood to know I’m local.”
She’s already hosted a Halloween party and has plans in the works for a fall festival on Nov. 21 that will encourage everyone to visit all the restaurants and bars in the Avondale area. “We want to be really communal and encourage people to go to all the spots.”
Angel’s Biscuit Co. & Emily Pizza & Bar is located at 835 Savannah Hwy. For more information, call (843) 883-2002 or visit angelsandemily.com or follow Angel’s & Emily on Instagram: @angelsandemily.
