Stopping by Belties feels like a visit to your grandma’s house: comforting and filled with delicious treats.
The drive along Route 151 cuts through Nelson County’s scenic Rockfish Valley. When you reach Nellysford, you won’t be able to miss Belties’ famous farmhouse, drawing you in with its inviting front porch.
Then, of course, there’s the food. Here, it’s centered on the Southern favorite: the homemade buttermilk biscuit. Plus, there are the cows. (More on them later.)
“When John and I started talking, we knew we wanted to create a gathering place and experience with a farmhouse vibe,” says co-owner Scott DeFusco.
John Washburn, a lifelong resident of Nelson County, had a well-earned reputation for knowing a few things about building a locally inspired brand. He and DeFusco had become friends back when DeFusco and his wife, Veronique, would visit Washburn’s Bold Rock Hard Cider—one of the most successful ventures along the Route 151 Craft Beverage Trail. Washburn sold Bold Rock in 2019.
The friends shared an affection for the rural corridor. The DeFuscos’ planned permanent move to the area made it the perfect time for the two to launch a new venture: Belties’ farm café concept.
Scratch biscuits sat atop their list. Handcrafted coffee and the addition of four miniature Belted Galloway cows, a traditional Scottish breed known for their distinct white “belts,” quickly followed. “Cows living out back were an obvious addition to the idea of visiting a farm,” says Washburn.
The Whoa Nelly! is a Belties biscuit with fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, bacon habanero jam, and arugula—with a side of cheesy potatoes and strawberries.
Developing their own scalable process and biscuit recipe was an extended collaboration. The DeFuscos paid a visit to Carrie Morey, owner of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit in Charleston, South Carolina—a star in the biscuit space—in pursuit of practical advice. Washburn’s wife, Robin, a New Orleans-inspired and dedicated baker, took the lead in refining the recipe.
“Once Robin had the recipe down to six possibilities, each with their own mix and measurements of ingredients, we held a gathering in our kitchen to make our final pick,” says Washburn. “The winner was clear.”
The group of friends and family who were there that day became the first of what would be affectionately named the “Biscuiteers.” The result: a square, 18-layer, buttery biscuit with a shiny, crisp top.
Leading the menu are The Nelson and the Whoa Nelly!, which both star fried chicken. The Nelson, stacked with Duke’s mayo, pickles, and hot honey, provides a tangy and sweet crunch. The Whoa Nelly!, layered with fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, bacon habanero jam, and arugula, offers a savory and slightly spicy bite.
Biscuits are also offered as breakfast sandwiches, with gravy, or with butter and jam. A grits bowl and sides like fried apples and hash browns add depth to the Southern-inspired menu. Modern palates will appreciate the yogurt or chia seed–based parfaits and the selection of sweet and savory pastries. The coffee menu features everything from cappuccinos to cold brews, each cup brewed with a vintage machine from Florence, Italy.
After ordering at the counter, visitors have a choice of dining in the fireplace-centered interior, the front porch, or out back in Belties Park. Here’s your chance to commune with Belle, Buttercup, Biscuit, and Babette—the friendly resident belties who mill in and around their red barn. On any given day, you’ll likely find delighted people snapping pics of the famous foursome or coaxing up close visits by giving the cows their best moo.
Visit for biscuits, a caffeine fix, or the chance to hang with cows—just make sure to put Belties on repeat.
Find Belties at 2884 Rockfish Valley Hwy., in Nellysford. Open daily from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Belties.com
The State’s Best Biscuits
To continue your journey to biscuit heaven, stop by these biscuit makers in the Commonwealth:
The Bee and The Biscuit
1785 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach
The Fancy Biscuit
1831 W. Cary St., Richmond
Scratch Biscuit Co.
1821 Memorial Ave., S.W., Roanoke
District Biscuit Company
3401 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Buford’s Biscuits
7 Market St., Leesburg
Biscuit Backstory
Biscuits, today’s fluffy favorites, have quite the origin story. The word “biscuit” comes from
Latin biscotus (twice-baked), originally resembling today’s biscotti and eaten by Roman soldiers.
European sailors in the 16th century ate these flavorless flour-water-salt creations, which sometimes doubled as postcards thanks to their rock-hard consistency. When colonists arrived, Southern abundance changed everything: fresh flour, buttermilk, and lard transformed dense survival food into something delicious. The dough was beaten by hand for hours to create air pockets, producing flatter “beaten biscuits,” but because they were so labor-intensive, their popularity waned. With the introduction of leaveners, and subsequent adoption by the fast food industry (think Chick-fil-A, Bojangles, Hardee’s), they’ve regained their place on the Southern plate.
This article originally appeared in the December 2025 issue.
