A new biscuit and brunch spot to open in the former Pizza Joint location near Columbia

A new restaurant that specializes in biscuits and brunch is headed for Forest Acres.

Vicious Biscuit, which has a number of other locations in South Carolina and elsewhere, is planning a restaurant for 3246 Forest Drive. That was formerly the home of Pizza Joint, which closed in 2021.

Vicious Biscuit owner George McLaughlin told The State his company has signed a lease for the former Pizza Joint building, and remodeling of the space will begin soon. He is hopeful for an opening in the fall.

The Forest Acres location near Columbia will be the seventh Vicious Biscuit site, following spots in Mount Pleasant; Summerville; Wilmington; Charlotte; Boone, NC; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Vicious Biscuit is known for its menu of breakfast and brunch items including, of course, various biscuit dishes. For instance, one offering is the Sea Biscuit. That’s a buttermilk biscuit with fried shrimp, Thai chili slaw, yum yum sauce and cilantro garnish. There’s also the Silence of the Hams, which is a buttermilk biscuit with smoked ham, white cheddar cheese and an egg fixed your way.

“Vicious Biscuit has put the fun back in brunch,” McLaughlin said. “That’s pretty much what we are. Everything is built around the biscuit. It’s a massive, fork-and-knife biscuit. We also have some not-so-Vicious menu items, with some healthy options. And we have our own jam and butter bar. It’s one heck of an experience.”