Brunch at this Charlotte restaurant is perfectly ‘improper.’ Here’s why it works

The tweak The Improper Pig made to a coveted Southern brunch dish might be considered sacrilegious in some kitchens, but the result is a delicious argument for bending tradition.

The Charlotte-based restaurant, which opened its flagship location in Plaza Midwood earlier this year, is known for its blend of American barbecue and Asian cuisine. It recently began offering brunch at its Rea Farms location on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., with plans to expand the menu to its other locations in the future.

I went to a media event there on National Brunch Day on Sunday morning to try some of the brunch options. Honestly, I was expecting more barbecue.

The menu features a Brisket Biscuit that was delicious — slow-smoked brisket served on a warm, buttermilk biscuit and topped with scrambled eggs, melted white American cheese, crispy pork bacon and pepper jelly. The juicy slab of brisket was roughly double the diameter of the plush biscuit, and the flavors mingled well.

Diners can also add pulled pork, sliced andouille sausage or smoked brisket to any plain waffle or pancake for an additional fee.

You can expect novel takes on traditional brunch fare — like the Buttermilk Skillet. It’s a buttermilk pancake baked in a butter-coated cast iron skillet until golden brown and served with butter and maple syrup. I’m betting it was the butter that made the bites with those crispy edges that much more satisfying.

The skillet also comes in peach cobbler, chocolate chip and blueberry variations, sure to sweetly induce sleep by the time you get home.

The Breakfast Burger, an Angus burger topped with crispy bacon and a pan-fried egg; and a smoked tofu bowl for vegetarians and vegans, featuring bell peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms, smoked tomatoes and pimento cheese over jalapeño cheese grits, are among the menu’s more distinctive offerings.

Alongside its more unconventional offerings, the menu also features time-honored (and elevated) breakfast favorites.

Steak and eggs with two four-ounce center-cut sirloin medallions and two eggs served your way. Chicken tenders piled on top of a fluffy Belgian waffle. Crispy bacon, scrambled eggs and melted cheese between a buttermilk biscuit.

And biscuits and gravy.

The warm gravy seeped into the buttermilk biscuit pieces just enough to create a divine equilibrium between damp and drenched. With scrambled eggs mixed in, it was like eating a deconstructed breakfast biscuit, with every bite curated for the perfect balance of flavors.

But something about it was off.

When the trance from the first bite wore off, I took a second one and noticed it was the gravy. It had a meatier taste than I was used to and more resembled that of brown gravy.

According to the menu, the dish comes with “scratch-made hamburger gravy” — not sausage gravy.

Sausage gravy is deeply rooted in Southern breakfast culture, particularly in the combination of biscuits and gravy. Historians trace the dish’s roots to Southern Appalachia, where its inexpensive ingredients — sausage, pan drippings, flour and milk — was enough for a filling meal among working-class communities. Over time, biscuits and sausage gravy have become a staple, appearing at restaurants and community gatherings, along with home kitchens.

Everyone in my family always uses sausage gravy, and not just for biscuits. It’s the preferred garnishment for toast, eggs, grits and hash browns. Plus, if I’m feeling adventurous — and no one can see me — I’ve been known to eat sausage gravy a la carte.

The hamburger gravy, though, was excellent. I’d describe the flavor as less sodium-forward and more beef-centric — the same way a burger tastes different from a bratwurst.

Was it better than sausage gravy? That’s not something I’m willing to admit on the record, especially when everyone with access to the internet, including my grandmother, can see this.

But biscuits and gravy will be my go-to at The Improper Pig going forward — along with a side of butter.

Location: 9855 Sandy Rock Pl A, Charlotte, NC 28277

Cuisine: Brunch, barbecue

Instagram: @improperpig