When my family and I showed up to a tiny, colorful shack in Federal Hill with “Irregardless” painted on the front, we weren’t sure what to expect. But when I saw four cramped tables inside filled with diners happily feasting on their food, I knew we had come across a gem. A small line was forming in front of the lone cashier counter and the kitchen behind was bustling, constantly grilling a churn of biscuits, eggs and meats. It’s the perfect spot for a Sunday brunch, somewhere you’d come to have a biscuit and enjoy the rare New England sun after.
First opened as a pop-up during the pandemic, Irregardless and its biscuits — baked fresh every 15 minutes — have become a neighborhood staple. Open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until sold out, we were glad to have gotten early in the morning.
A quick glance at the menu was incredibly tempting — biscuits galore in a variety of mouthwatering forms. Eggs, cheese, sausages, thick-slice bacon, all of the above or just plain with gravy. After a long deliberation, we ordered the Fried Chicken & Hot Honey ($11) and the B.A.T., or a biscuit with extra thick-cut bacon, arugula and heirloom tomatoes ($13).
This is the type of food that gets me excited. It amalgamates all the most flavorful, rich and delicious ingredients into one awesome bite. It’s food that makes you smile and drool in anticipation, just by reading the ingredients. Fried chicken with hot honey on top of a thick biscuit was the exact combination I was looking for.
It tasted as good as it sounded. The biscuit itself was slightly dense, but crumbly and an appealing light golden brown. I found the tangy buttermilk flavor to be a bit strong, but it still was the perfect vessel for the hot honey that had collected at the bottom of the styrofoam box. While the fried chicken didn’t have the satisfying crunch I was looking for, the powdered seasoning it’s tossed in made up for it. It was sweet with a bit of a kick, and the chicken itself was tender and juicy. But the spice-laden hot honey was the true star — sticky, addictive and all over your fingers by the third bite. It wouldn’t be a mistake to order another biscuit just to mop up all the sauce.
The B.A.T. was a solid sandwich. The bacon was almost cartoonishly thick and while a little salty, it balanced well with the bitter arugula and the fresh tomatoes. It was much fresher compared to the fried chicken, but I found it less flavorful. By now, we were already past the point of overindulgence, so we ordered a hash brown ($5) and another slice of Howard’s bacon ($5), which we dutifully finished with the little biscuit we had left.
In my eyes, Irregardless provides Providence with a unique breakfast option. With slightly upgraded breakfast sandwiches filled with protein, the menu is very solid for such a specialized restaurant. It’s worth a visit if you’re ever in the neighborhood, and you really can’t go wrong with some hearty biscuits and solid bacon.
Service: Friendly
Sound level: Conversational
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken & Hot Honey, Extra thick-cut bacon
Hours: Friday through Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. or until sold out, Monday through Thursday closed
Price range: Biscuits $5-12, Drinks $3-6, Sides $1.50-6
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes, but cramped
★★★.5/5
