It's not often my reviews differ in a negative way with the overall Yelp rating. However in this case, it must. Dottie's was hand selected as one of the places we planned to eat when I prepped for our 4 day trip to Helen GA. We went here for breakfast on a Wednesday. Arrived around 10:30AM. Upon arriving, you turn left and get in line - cafeteria style. Grab a tray and order. There is a big sign behind the counter showing the menu. The young woman that took our order and served the food on our plates did not have much personality. Being the first person to interact with customers, she should be friendly. It just sets the tone - good or bad. I ordered a steak cathead biscuit, 2 eggs, grits and hashbrowns. The women tried to steer me to home fries as the hashbrowns would take 10-15 minutes. I stuck with the hashbrowns. The biscuit was good but the steak could have been warmer. It also was not super flavorful. All of the food (other than the hashbrowns) is kept in mass quantities in silver tins. None of it was made to order. The eggs were flavorless - tasted like powdered eggs or something you would get in a middle school cafeteria. The grits were the only item that was served hot. They were okay, nothing great. The hashbrowns arrived and they were barely warm. I am guessing they were made and sat for a while before arriving to my table. They struck me as the pre-shredded kind in a bag like you would get at Costco. My wife got eggs, bacon and toast. She had the same opinion about the eggs. They forgot to bring her toast until we reminded them. When it arrived, it was cold - again, probably sat. I hate giving 1 star to places - especially locally owned places, but this place was simply not good. Trying to end on a positive note, the cashier and food runner were very friendly. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place. read more

We live locally & have eaten here a few times. Each time the service gets worse. We had breakfast around 9AM. The food is good most of the time however the biscuits were way over cooked today and the bacon ran out & we were finished eating by the time they brought it out. This is all after we were moved from our table because it was "reserved" & moved to a terrible table right by the cafeteria line. Speaking of this you come in and they tell you it's cafeteria style and sit anywhere. Really! Then why are they reserving tables? By the way, the party for the reserved table never showed up! We had a party of 5 today & had brought visiting family members with us today. It was embarrassing to be treated this way. We do not recommend & won't be back. By the way, if handicap access is a concern, go somewhere else, they were rude to our handicap relative. read more

Cute outside, run-down inside, friendly service, cafeteria style food, grab your tray and go. Overall: ok and fast breakfast, when other in-town options were super crowded and unavailable. We opted for over easy eggs- (brought to table fast!) the potato hash was very tasty- and the biscuits were huge. The gravy just ok- so come hungry and you'll be satisfied. Masks are mostly invisible. Lol what virus? read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Dry sausage and eggs with cafeteria view - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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Stop by for a souther style breakfast. I had the Dottie's special with sauce gravy and eggs. The service is setup in cafeteria style. The monitor the door to make sure everyone gets a seat. read more

We ate breakfast here this morning. Overall I liked the Experience. It is cafeteria style which is not my favorite but very quick depending on what you order. I had a friend chicken biscuit with cheddar. Overall very good sandwich I wished the chicken piece was a little bigger but flavor was great. They had nailed the fry portion. Biscuits were good. Overall good little breakfast place. It felt like the ordering slowed down the service a little. The vibe was a little off, not sure why. read more

Friendly staff. Quick cafeteria style line. However, food is hotel continental quality at best. The cat biscuit was exceptional and very large - big enough for two or more to split. Eggs were wet and watery - I doused them in ketchup. Hash browns were undercooked and rubbery - almost inedible. Grits were bland - cheese didn't help. Probably won't return next I'm in Helen and opt for trying something else. read more

We love this place!! The cat head biscuits are so delicious. We eat here multiple times every time we visit Helen.

This is one of those places you could easily drive by without a second thought...BUT DON'T. We both got the Bacon Egg & Cheese Cat Head biscuit but we could have easily just shared one (we both ended up saving half of our biscuit). This is a "cafeteria style" restaurant where you order your food in line and get it right away (except omelets, French toast & grits which are made to order). Then you pick you own seat. The food we had was awesome and priced very reasonably. Especially since we'll get to enjoy more later! Our biscuits were $6 each...I took a picture of one on a dinner plate for size reference! They're YUUUUGE!! Go visit Dotties, we're glad it was our last food stop in Helen. read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Bacon Egg Cheese Cat Head Biscuit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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We had breakfast here today and were so impressed. The food was great and Trinica made our experience amazing, she was so welcoming. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing service and food! Even on a busy day we were in line and eating in about 10 minutes. biggest biscuit I have ever had and it was absolutely amazing. so was the hash brown casserole. Will definitely recommend to anyone visiting Helen. read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

The eggs... not my favorite... Regardless the service was great the biscuits were the best I've ever had! Would recommend!!! read more

The cat head biscuits are legendary. If you're a true southerner like me and you appreciate a great biscuit, this is your place. Cheese grits were good also. Eggs over easy were just right. read more

The lady plating your food selection was extremely rude. A lot of sighing and eye rolling when people are simply saying what they would like from the menu. I asked for hash browns and she put home fries on my plate totally ignoring my request for hash browns. The cashier was friendly. The staff in the dining area were fine but yelled at people coming in telling them to move up in line and not leave gaps. Just seems like the staff is miserable and the food is not great. The biscuits were good-that's why I'm giving two stars instead of one. read more

The biscuits are to die for! The rest of the food was decent. Not over-the-top delish, but certainly tasty and the portions were plentiful. The staff were lovely, welcoming and helpful. We ate at a few different breakfast spots while in Helen, and Dottie's Kitchen was our last stop. We decided there was no where else we'd rather have breakfast than here, so returned 3 more times while on our trip. Good food, HEAVENLY biscuits, and friendly service. read more

Complicated process. Rude staff. Dirty. After two bites walked out. Food kept on buffet line. Eggs and bacon not even warm enough to be room temperature. Utensil dirty. read more

We went in a group of 8 this morning, mid Oktoberfest, around 10:30. They were quick to accommodate our party: the food was amazing, and the service was phenomenal. One in our group mentioned that the potatoes weren't her favorite - good but not what she liked the best. One of the employees overheard her and asked what she could replace it with for her, as she wanted her to have a good experience, she said the biscuit was amazing and already more than enough, but we appreciated the attempt to make our experience the best it could be. I absolutely recommend Dottie's. The Cathead biscuits are huge and delicious, the bacon was crispy, and the prices super reasonable. read more

The biscuits were REALLY good. The rest of the food left much to be desired. I wasn't crazy about it being lunchroom style either. The lady at the door was very good at her job of keeping the amount of people vs chairs stable. I would return but only for the biscuits. And for alpine ga, they had tropical bathroom decor. read more

Dottie's Kitchen - a surfboard hanging on a wall - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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I was a little surprised at the quality of food here given the lunch buffet style service but perhaps that bias is unfair to begin with. I think with high enough volume and good attention to quality, freshness, and quantity, well managed buffets can be really good. Even if it's busy, once you get in the nice thing is it goes quickly because it's lunch style ordering. Everything we had here was delicious. We tried the pancakes (taste much better than they look and don't need any syrup as it seems like they are made with a sweetener already in the batter), the biscuits (huge, buttery, and exactly what you'd hope for with this sort of thing), home fries (not super crispy but nice flavor), and bacon. We passed on the eggs as we couldn't tell if they were made fresh and they looked to be just sitting on the warmer for awhile. That being said, I noticed you can order a fresh omelette if you prefer. The price here seems right although it would be nice if they offered any sort of actual "specials" as the one they have, "Dotties," is comprised of a few items that individually add up to basically the same meal price and you don't have an option of not getting a surgery beverage of some sort. The people that work here were all very nice. We did a double take when we figured out the twin waitresses was a source of our confusion at one point. I might be going out on a stupid limb with this but I would like to have one or two healthier options or to see a veggie or two for choices even if you don't go to a place like this to eat healthy. I suppose it's probably also not the type of place where you could get a fresh squeezed juice rather than a fountain drink or bottled juice. They keep their pricing affordable and deliver on what they set out to do and as such I'd recommend Dottie's to others. read more

I totally loved this place you have to try the traditional breakfast ! And service was amazing

Great place to eat! Real biscuits and gravy. Home cooking! You can get breakfast all day. Lunch and breakfast combination! Clean, these women can cook! I recommend this place! Try it, not fancy, but clean! read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Resturant and drive thru window! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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Food was excellent and good comfort food after a long drive. Have to come try the breakfast!

We came to Helen and ate at dotties. Staff was 5 star, great service!!! Very helpful! They had a concealed carry sticker on the door... I guess that means people can have guns in the breakfast joint.... so the whole time I think about being shot during breakfast. Other than that, the food was ok. No lines and it was Labor Day weekend. It is southern food and German FYI... but when you are hungry you are hungry. read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

So the ordering is cafeteria style. This lady puts food on a plate based on what you want. They have a pretty decent menu but if you have diabetes or want Keto do not eat here. The first plate of food was ice cold. The French toast was under cooked. The home fries were over salted and tasted like preservatives. The sausage patty was cold but tasted pretty good. The pancakes were undercooked and cold. When I complained that my whole plate of food was cold they replaced the food with more cold food. I explained that it's cold again. The man looked me in the face and said "it's bread." Is that an explanation for serving undercooked cold food? I said some thing is wrong with your warmer if the food is cold when you put it on the plate. He just looked at me and kind of aghast. I walked away. Then he walked over to my table and said we are gonna make you a fresh plate. A few moments later he brought me a plate of soggy undercooked and slightly warmer onion flavored French toast. He did not bring me hot food. He did not ever recognize that his excuses did not make up for the lake of keeping food at proper temperatures. I will be making a complaint to the health department. Why did the coffee taste like onions? read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Cold undercooked pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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After a disastrous experience at Alpine's kitchen we came to this authentic southern cuisine that save the day. Employees were warm and lovely with full Christmas's spirit. The cafeteria style service made the experience wholesome, the food was delicious, a plus here: they have the best and biggest biscuit ever. By far one of the best spot for breakfast in Helen, definitely a must to visit when I come back again. read more

The food was subpar at best and obscenely expensive. My family of four ordered very few things and our bill was $70. $4 for one piece of sausage Never again! Go to Huddle House!! To say I'm furious is an understatement. The prices are clearly posted but we didn't realize everything was A-la- carte until it was too late. read more

Country cooking is outstanding. Some of the best I've had in the area. Breakfast is great as well and those biscuits are worth the trip by themselves. read more

The food was fantastic- my friend and I both had a chicken biscuit. The chicken was seasoned so well and nice and crispy. He got the gravy which I stole some of and it was delicious as well. The biscuits were fluffy and butter and grits were good as well. The service was a little tough around the edges, but still very nice people- they're just very busy and have a specific system to help regulate the flow of things. It's smaller on the inside but things move pretty quick for people getting up to open up tables. You join the line to order, get your food, and pay cafeteria style. Typically tables open quickly and actually a good bit of seating unless you're a bigger party might be a bit harder. Definitely would recommend and really the line moved quick and was a good quick turn around if you're not looking to sit for a long time. read more

I got the famous cat head biscuits with bacon and let me tell you they did not disappoint very tasty, bacon was crispy, & staff was friendly & welcoming! read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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Looks like a mom and pop restaurant upon arrival! Breakfast was secured by going through a type of buffet line with employee giving you the food in large amounts. Eggs, biscuits, gravy and fried tenderloin was above average! Tea was excellent also! Environment was clean! Only issue the line got long to get your food! Employees working hard! I would come back if I lived here and can recommend it to you! read more

The food was great , the service was great and the ambiance was very down home. Good old southern hospitality and great southern cooking

We can't speak on the food as the attitude prior to getting any was so bad we decided to find somewhere else to eat. As we were leaving another group told us we were lucky we didn't have to deal with the cashier as her attitude was worse. Stay away, save yourself the frustration and go down the street to Cimmi's Country Cafe. read more

So worth the early morning wake up and 45 min drive across the mountain. This place has incredible southern soul food. Chicken Fried Steak, Country Gravy, Home Fries, Bacon, Tater Tots, Smoked Sausage & the Best BIGGEST Biscuits. That's just what we ordered. Ate it all and loved every bite!!!! Definitely recommend this local gem and will be back again. Friendly service and super clean place. read more

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Great southern food with great southern hospitality. The biscuits were to smite for, and the brown gravy was also excellent. I would happily go here again. read more

This definitely seems like a place where the locals go for good, southern home cooking! They are only open for breakfast and lunch. I was a little worried because it was more like cafeteria style which I didn't expect; items were being held at the counter where you ordered but you couldn't even see what things looked like as the dishes were covered. At least what we had was fresh and not cold or old.. Some signs inside indicated that they were known for their biscuits which were pretty large. I ordered a biscuit sandwich with ham, egg and cheese. The eggs were scrambled which isn't ideal for a breakfast sandwich but it was tasty. My friend was very happy to get some country fried steak with gravy and a few sides. Prices were very reasonable! I am still confused by their menu and maybe moreso how it is presented. There were lists of items available for days of the week.. so things rotate, okay. Then there were some breakfast items, the biscuit options, etc. and sandwiches available for lunch on weekends. ..but they did have other things. It just took us getting up to the counter and the girl rattling off what they had. Soo its kind of like whatever they have they have, and I feel like the variety and them having something you really want may be hit or miss. I'm sure some people enjoy this type of restaurant, but I would rather go in knowing their menu, even if they have just a few set items and other things that rotate. OR update a chalkboard or something daily with what you have so we can start deciding while waiting in line. I still recommend visiting for a proper breakfast and/or southern lunch while in Helen. The inside was comfortable and nicely decorated. read more

Dottie's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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Great spot for breakfast! Prices are reasonable and quality of food we had was great! The menu is flexible on making the plate you like. Definitely a revisit when able read more

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Great breakfast. Large portions. It was pretty busy but they were working hard to get people through the line quickly. The cat head biscuits are huge and very tasty. read more

Delicious southern food! I went on my way out of Helen after spending a fun weekend there and was delighted! The food reminds me of traditional southern cooking, there's a wide variety, staff is nice, and service is quick. The food is all reasonably priced, and you must try the french toast. The environment is nice as well, gives a sweet old fashioned mountain southern vibe. read more

Breakfast was good. Simple cafeteria style. Flat style biscuits. I enjoyed my meal. Not too crowded.

Great, large portioned breakfast. Definitely large sized biscuits! Staff and crew are great, but they just need to keep in mind that when the sign says open at 8am for breakfast, that doesn't mean the staff shows up at 8...Otherwise, we will be returning next time in Helen. read more

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Disappointed. Heard the "cat biscuits" were great. These drop biscuits were large but nothing special. Had the Chickenfried steak, eggs and cheese grits.The steak was like leather, grits with cheese disappointed. Would not stop here next time in Helen. read more