Since its opening in December, the Atlanta location of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit has brought a taste of Charleston’s Southern cuisine to the streets of Virginia Highland. For years, the neighborhood has housed a constantly shifting variety of unique shops and restaurants, and Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, with its quaint atmosphere and tempting treats, blends seamlessly with its surroundings.

The bakery’s owner, Carrie Morey, opened Callie’s Charleston Biscuits in 2005, selling packaged, frozen biscuits which grew steadily in popularity. Morey then expanded her business to include Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit shops in Charleston and now Atlanta in her effort to offer grab-and-go versions of her hand-made biscuits, baked straight from her mother’s recipe.

A warm aroma of freshly baked biscuits instantly comforted me as I stepped into the small storefront of Callie’s on the corner of Virginia and North Highland avenues. The shop’s décor was homey — the high open ceilings, off-white reclaimed wood wall, granite countertops and big front windows streaming natural morning sunbeams created a rustic atmosphere.

The restaurant was crowded, as expected on a Sunday morning, and the limited seating made for an uncomfortably crammed wait in line. An open kitchen occupied half of the 900 square-foot shop. As I stood in line, I watched Morey direct her staff, hands coated in flour as she mixed a batch of biscuit dough.

When I reached the register, I ordered a variety of biscuits, including the traditional buttermilk with blackberry jam, the lemon poppy seed Sunday special, and the signature peach biscuit, which is a flavor unique to Atlanta.

As I waited, Morey came from the kitchen to inform me that there was a long wait for peach biscuits and politely asked if I wouldn’t mind substituting my order for another item. Although I had been excited to try this specialty, I took Morey’s advice and ordered the cinnamon biscuit instead.

By the time my food came, my companion and I still had not managed to secure any seats at the long counter along one wall of the restaurant. We waited in the packed space again, biscuits in hand, until two seats opened.

Ready to finally try our food, we each lifted the lids on our boxes. I was surprised to find two more biscuits than I thought I ordered. It was not until later that I realized most of the menu consists of biscuits sold in pairs for $3 or $4 or in triplets for $5; the daily specials, which include several savory options such as the Friday chicken biscuit and Thursday crab cake biscuit, are sold individually.

The first biscuit I sampled was the traditional buttermilk with a homemade blackberry jam filling ($3.50 for two). It had a pleasant golden-brown color and a good amount of jam, but the middle of the biscuit was denser than I had anticipated.

Unfortunately, the biscuit seemed just a tad undercooked; rather than crumbling or flaking, the center’s consistency was slightly doughy. My companion commented that her egg and cheese biscuit also seemed undercooked. If anything, the jam made up for its texture. A perfect mixture of sweet and tart, the fresh preserves perfectly complimented the biscuit without overpowering its flavor.

Next up was the cinnamon biscuit with a cinnamon-sugar filling ($4 for two). Although it was noticeably smaller than the buttermilk biscuit, its sprinkle of raw sugar and faintly crackled, glazed coating looked appealing.

As I bit into the treat, I instantly noticed the contrast between its satisfyingly crunchy exterior and the moist buttery center. The biscuit’s pastry effortlessly melted in my mouth and was perfectly cooked. Although the sweet biscuit had the potential to be tooth-achingly sugary, I thought the filling had just the right blend of saccharine and spice.

Lastly, I sampled the lemon poppy seed Sunday special ($3.50 for one). Although larger than the other biscuits I tried, it definitely was the most expensive individual item. That said, my favorite part of this biscuit was the exquisite lemon zest, sugar and poppy seed topping. As a huge fan of anything lemon-flavored, I would have preferred a stronger lemony flavor in the biscuit pastry, which tasted scone- or cake-like.

With lines reaching out the door most mornings, Callie’s seems to be what everyone is talking about in Virginia Highland. Unfortunately, the shop’s tight space is in no way equipped to handle the crowds it draws. Customers were packed inside like sardines, waiting endlessly for counter space, so the small restaurant is really only prepared to handle takeout orders.

Though I found the shop’s menu a bit pricy for the size of the biscuits, I did come away with extra to take home. Callie’s offers a unique array of biscuit flavors, fillings and toppings ranging from sweet to savory with daily specials that mix up the bake shop’s options enough to make me consider returning.