One of the best brunches I've ever had. Bananas Foster French Toast should be a nationally protected food. The sun came out and shined right on it for this photo. I think the universe brought me here. Also the service was incredible read more

Mabu Kitchen - french toast banana foster - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We came here to try the burger and it did not disappoint! Pro tip: The tasty sauce that comes with a burger. Make sure you ask for some extra on the side so that you can dip your skinny perfect fries in the sauce. I'm excited how close this place is to our home and we will definitely come back for more tasty meals. The service was impeccable and the ambience is very date night really romantic and intimate! read more

We walked over for lunch at around 1 pm and they were packed from reservations but luckily our party of 2 was able to get seats at the window counter. The menu was pretty interesting with some fusion items and comfort foods. Dutch Baby - They described this as kind of a steamed pancake and it was pretty tasty. Besides being piping hot, it had the best chewy eggy texture and reminded me of a popover. It wasn't too sweet and got most of the flavor from the berries and light syrup on top. Pork Katsu Breakfast Sandwich - This one sounded the most interesting to us and it came with the pork katsu, egg, aioli and arugula. The chicken was crispy and light and I really enjoyed the sweet brioche bun but it could have used a bit more sauce. The thin crisp fries on the sides were nice too. Overall, we really enjoyed their brunch dishes and do want to come back to try some of their other more popular items like the french toast banana foster that ran out that day. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Dutch Baby, Pork Katsu Breakfast Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The ambiance is beautiful, peaceful and I love that they were not afraid to use heat on a cold winter day. Many places are drafty, but this place is nice and cozy. It gives the vibe of being in a friend's home. The service was really nice. The woman was patient and sweet. The food didn't take extremely long. I've had better French onion soup, so that was a little disappointing. It seemed like the soup lacked the depth of flavor that I've had in the past. The cheese was good enough to irritate my somewhat lactose intolerance . My friend enjoyed her meal (I believe it was lamb over a sweet potato mash). I don't eat gamey foods, so I couldn't tell you if it was good or not lol. I would definitely return to try other items. read more

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Found this place whilst browsing brunch options for New Year's Day. What a find!!! This place is small but nicely decorated with lots of vintage mirrors and feels cozy. Service was excellent. We got the English breakfast shakshuka and the biscuits and sausage gravy special to try. Both were excellent. The shakshuka was extremely flavorful with the baked beans and the sausage and bacon was delicious. The biscuits and gravy was complex and not too salty, the biscuits were perfectly done and not dry. Portion size was generous. We got the banana pudding to share to finish off. It's more of a mousse texture, very light and not too sweet. I would recommend it! read more

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3.5 yelps. My husband took me out here to celebrate my birthday, and this was our first visit. Overall, we found the food to be solid, the service was a little miss for us which is why I didn't rate this higher for my experience. Our server was fine, but we didn't find that he was very personable or said many words to us except "any questions about the menu?" , "how is everything" and "you're welcome". The other hiccup was that once desert time came I was excited to try one of the items, however when I ordered it that's when the server informed us they were out of that. He did apologize for not giving us the heads up when he gave us the dessert menu, but it was kind of a bummer way to end the meal since I didn't want any of the other desserts on the menu. The octopus was fantastic, loved the well balanced flavors and perfectly tender cooked octopus. My husbands grits and shrimp were great too, so cozy and comforting. I also very much enjoyed my Veg Shepards pie, so much umami! The side salad was a nice way to freshen up such a rich dish. Would I return? Yes, however I would not go out of my way for it personally. read more

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Small kitchen to table restaurant with limited indoor and outdoor seating. I was able to call and put in a reservation for 10 people a week beforehand and they were nice & accommodating. Its a perfect place for a BYOB brunch. They have small carafes of orange juice for your mimosas. The downside was that the cake cutting fee was $5 per person!! They should have a flat fee for cake cutting read more

Mabu Kitchen - Turkish eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Once again we challenged ourselves to be interested in brunch food. And I'll say this menu had a lot of options we were interested in. I don't totally know the vibe, but I think it's meant to be French. I got the croque madame. It was pretty nice. I do wish the bread was a bit more complex, as the white bread really didn't do the dish justice. The ham also was a bit on the simpler side, more-of a store-bought brand, whereas I felt like maybe it would be more flavorful. Torn between the caesar salad and the burger-talked into the burger by the waiter. It was delicious, don't get me wrong. I didn't love the jam but I can see that being very appealing to some. Love a thin-cut fry. The place itself is quite small. We got a reservation and they do seem like they require it, as we noted many people trying to walk in who were told they could only sit at the counter by the window (despite 3-4 open tables I guess they were waiting for parties to show up to occupy?). Pricing is fair. Parking is terrible but that's no fault of the restaurant. It's BYOB and we definitely regretted not bringing some champagne to make mimosas. Would definitely consider coming back to try some of the other stuff on the menu. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Cheeseburger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Not sure if I happened to go there on an off-day, but my chicken and waffles benedict tasted like it was laced with salt. It was a bit shocking that even the side salad was salty. On the other hand, the other orders for our table (Dutch Baby and The Hot Brown) seemed satisfying enough to wow my friends, so maybe I'll skip the chick + waffles at the next round here. Service was great, in that our waitress was pretty attentive at taking care of our table. Seating was cozy in that there isn't a lot of room between one table from the next, but still sufficiently spaced enough that you're not elbowing your neighboring diners. read more

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A wonderful dinner last night at @mabukitchenphilly, our super lovely neighborhood French-ish gem. Great service from Ryan, as usual. Roasted rainbow carrots, garlic arugula pesto, pecorino, furikake Burrata with baby tomatoes, honey wine vinaigrette, sourdough croutons, dill Prime pork chop milanese, dijon sherry cream sauce, arugula Steak frites--hanger steak au poivre, fries Mud pie--chocolate custard, Valrhona ganache, cookie crust read more

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The restaurant is small and can probably fit 20 people at a time. Seating is very close and one table is almost right in front of the bathroom door. I reviewed the menu prior to visiting the restaurant and wanted to order the shrimp n grits. Unfortunately there were no grits so I was not able to order shrimp n grits! Our waitress suggested that I try the hot brown (herb roasted chicken breast, mornay, pico de gallo, fried egg, pain de mie). It is absolutely delicious!!! read more

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The ratatouille at Mabu makes me think this must be what Remy was cooking in the disney movie Ratatouille! It was so flavorful and light at the same time. I also cannot say enough good things about the shrimp and grits dish we had. It was the perfect texture and flavor profile; and I am someone that was not fully sold on grits for a very long time. This place changed my mind. We sat outside and the weather was perfect and the area was so quaint and quiet I felt like I could sit out there for hours. The server was friendly and knowledgeable about the offerings, also gave us space to just really enjoy the ambiance of the city street. Totally give this a spot on your list of places to go! read more

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Terrific restaurant and evening! I really enjoyed the vibe when I walked in. The restaurant has a great location and great decor. It is simple, yet elegant? A little difficult to explain, but there were two individuals playing live music for our benefit. One on guitar and the other on sax. While I loved the live music, the dining room is very small, so the music is very loud. It made it a little difficult to have a conversation with the people at the other end of our 6-person table. I much preferred the volume of the restaurant after the musicians left. Food was good! I got the potato & leek shepherd's pie that came with a side salad. Really enjoyed both items very much. I would absolutely get this again. Salad was dressed just well enough to not be soggy while also not being dry. The shepherd's pie was hot and carby and lovely. Maybe a little bland, but a pinch of salt sorted that out. Server couldn't have been more kind or patient with us. Outside of the music, I have no real complaints. I'd go back! read more

We visited Mabu with my parents before a show at the Academy of Music. I walk past here all the time but never dined in before! We easily made early reservations for the 4 of us. The restaurant is easily accessible on Pine, so it's a great option for pre-show dinner (and a nice change of pace for other more popular spots like Giorgio). For it's location, Mabu actually has a larger-than-expected dining room. The decor is quaint and fun, with lots of mirrors and art work. The menu is fairly small, but all dishes are French / comfort-inspired. To note, Mabu is BYOB, a great perk! We started with the roasted brussel sprouts, which featured cranberries and maple balsamic - a great combo of flavors and so nicely crispy. For my main, I went for the ratatouille which was solid. It was quite light with the eggplant, tomato, feta, and accompanying crackers, and while it was satisfying enough, I felt like perhaps a baguette would have been a better pairing, and it could have benefitted from maybe one other more pungent spice. Regardless, I did enjoy it and loved the French cuisine. My husband and parents went for the shrimp and grits and salmon dishes, which they all enjoyed! Service was very quick, which was appreciated with our timeline to make it to Broad for our show. Prices were reasonable, and the overall cost of dinner was of course lessened with the BYOB perk. We enjoyed our Mabu experience, and I would love to make it back for brunch or to try other dinner options! read more

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Great little byob restaurant on pine in Philly . Cool interior, good menu everything well executed .and delicious only negative is parking, so go a few minutes early and you'll eventually find a spot. It's well worth it everything is great. read more

Mabu Kitchen is a favorite of friends who live in Society Hill. No denying our meals were delicious. The experience however, was somewhat below five stars. Though not a fan of kale, my friend insisted I'd love the chicory kale salad. She was right! (I regretted getting one portion to share with T.) Frisee, radicchio, honeycrisp apple, pepitas, poppyseed vinaigrette ..... it worked beautifully. Apparently, one can order the salad as an entree, topped with shrimp. The fish of the night was hake. Our server described it as milder than cod, moist and flavorful. Looooved it! (See my photo.) It was a toss-up between hake or the roasted brick chicken. Based on a taste my friend offered, that too is an excellent choice. The brick keeps the skin crisp and the flesh of the bird moist. Prepared with broccolini and smashed potatoes in pan jus, it's on my list for next time. While certainly good, my husband's confit fried chicken wasn't as "exciting" as the other entrees. Several desserts are listed on the menu, all sounding delish. My friends shared something apple-y. They loved it. T and I went with banana pudding, which may be the best banana pudding I've ever had. So where did the restaurant fall short? It's BYOB without a corkage fee. That's great! But the restaurant is small with some tables one-on-top of the other. During peak hour, it was hard to carry on conversation. Plus the dining room was hot! Did the air conditioner work? Our fish was brought out way before the chicken. (Do we eat, or politely let our meals go cold as we wait?!) There are a few tables outside. Al fresco would be my preference, but my friend said the chairs are uncomfortable, which hurt their backs. When all is said and done, would I return? Yes, in a heartbeat! read more

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This is a wonderful, quaint, byob brunch spot in the city. It's definitely more of an intimate/cozy setting as the space is really small. Nonetheless it's still such a cute spot! We brought our own champagne for mimosas and the orange juice the restaurant provided tasted really fresh. For breakfast I ordered the fried chicken and waffle Benedict which was delicious! It came with a side salad and normally I'm not a huge salad person but the light and refreshing flavors from the salad complimented the heartiness of the chicken and waffle perfectly. I also thought the portion size was perfect--enough to fill you up but not way too much food. For dessert we ordered the churro waffle per our server's recommendation which was sooo good. The staff was extremely nice and attentive and I had a wonderful experience here! Would definitely come back! read more

Mabu Kitchen - Churro Churros Waffle Brunch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Had brunch here while visiting the city. Food was very good. Especially appreciated the pressed coffee. Small space so go early or make a reservation. read more

Mabu Kitchen - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Loved the fried chicken and waffles! Very delicious. Very cute spot and a great byob dinner. It's pretty close quarters so I'd recommend going with a smaller group. The staff was great and super attentive. Loved the overall ambiance. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Had reservations for Valentine's Day in the morning, and because it's a small place we knew to expect it to be busy, but when we arrived there were only 4-5 tables and a few empty ones. It took 10 minutes for us to be greeted and we were sat at the high chairs by the window side by side. All of the other tables were being promptly attended to and it took us 10 more minutes to get menus and water. At that point it was already 20 minutes into our reservation time and the young lady was just going back and forth from the back to other tables and we were feeling racially discriminated against as all the other tables were white couples. We got our Lyft and by the time it arrived the girl came to take our order. We promptly left. Just because it's a small establishment doesn't mean you should accept terrible customer service. This place needs to really reexamine the prices portions and steps of service, as well as educating your front of house employee on not racially profiling and discriminating against repeating customers. Will not be back and could not recommend to any other couples looking for a romantic dinner. read more

Mabu is a charming, cozy, family-owned restaurant located around the ever popular and touristy Center City area of Philadelphia, PA. They serve delicious Southern/New Age American food at fair prices. They also honor BYOB! How awesome! Such a lovely ambiance for a Sunday afternoon. However, Mabu is a victim of being located around Center City because parking over there is absolutely horrendous. So bad to the point where I sat at the table for at least 30 minutes while my friend struggled badly to find parking. Our server was very kind, patient and understanding. Overall, although our time here was short, we had a fantastic BYOB brunch dining experience. We were sad that we didn't get a chance to order something else from the menu before the kitchen closed. We did get two plates of their outstanding Texas style chili poutine ($16), which is what we planned to order before trying anything else. It consists of beef gravy, cheese curds and hand cut fries. We are both poutine snobs so we didn't know what to expect. We were surprisingly impressed from the presentation and also the first bite. Our main issue with establishments that make poutine is when they don't provide enough gravy to cover all of the fries. Mabu surpassed the mark! We also loved the chunks of super tender beef mixed in as well. Highly recommended! We look forward to going back for this dish and to also try some others. read more

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Small, cozy, sometimes with live acoustic music. Recommend getting a reservation if you're bringing people. One of the few BYOBs in center city! Forgot to bring one? There is a foodery right down the block. Parking is not free and generally pretty hard to find, if you happen to go down further towards south Philly it becomes 2 hr neighborhood parking so it should cover your dinner. Highly recommend the chicken and waffles, portions are huge! We shared a steak and that, with leftovers to take home. Service is okay, they don't really come by to check on you. I had to ask for ice and glasses when I brought a wine... weren't very knowledgeable with that, otherwise everything else was okay! read more

Mabu Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I've dined at Mabu a few times previously and have had wonderful experiences. The food, ambiance, and service have always been great. My most recent experience, though, was disappointing. My friend and I arrived for an early dinner reservation on a Friday night. As we were being seated, we were told by Ryan that another party had reserved our table for a 7:00 pm seating, so the sooner we could order, the better, because we needed to be gone by 7:00 pm. We decided not to order appetizers/starters in an effort to save time and placed our entree orders quickly. Ryan was polite, but his behavior throughout dinner made it obvious that he was anxious for us to leave. Because we had half a bottle of wine left after our dinners, we ordered dessert, which in retrospect, we should have skipped. Halfway through our desserts, Ryan gave us a friendly reminder that we had to be gone by 7:00 pm. We wolfed down or packed up what we couldn't finish, paid, and left by 7:00 pm. I am a conscientious diner and am highly considerate of the fact that I'm "renting" the table. I appreciate the need to turn tables and am aware that parties of two only are given 90 minutes to dine at Mabu; however, given how disconcerting our entire experience was at Mabu, I am not eager to return. read more

Incredible. The place we were planning on going ended up being closed on a Saturday morning! So we looked at a map of places with high reviews and Mabu was right around the corner. So glad we went! We arrived on Saturday around 1 PM with no reservation and there were two tables for two available so no wait! Small place and very intimate, maybe 8 tables and a bar top at the window seating 4. The server was so friendly and kind. This place is BYOB. I loved my shrimp and grits with an egg on top - loved that it was in more of a white / butter sauce. I don't particularly like red sauce. The breakfast sandwich was also incredible. We ended up getting the apple pie dessert also which was decisions. Warm and with crème fresche on top! Getting the food was a little bit of a wait - 30 to 40 minutes. 3 tables must have arrived just before us as we watched their food come out. Well worth the wait though. If you want a hearty, quality brunch in a cute aesthetic (lots of exposed brick) I would add this to your list! There was a small outdoor side eating area with 2-3 tables. read more

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Great neighborhood spot. BYOB, friendly servers and lovely inside. For large groups (we were 6) beware they might put you outside even though it's a million degrees Great foodz, desserts, and drinks. Unfortunately didn't take any pics D= read more

If I had to summarize the food at Mabu in one word it would "hearty". For instance, we ordered the Shepherd's Pie. That's not nouvelle cuisine, right? But extremely tasty. "Roasted Duck Confit" was fabulous meat; it more or less fell off the bone and was, eh, ?succulent? Ratatouille was also to full satisfaction. Ambience: good choice of music, but the place is a little dark. We asked and got some candles to light our table a little. read more

Mabu Kitchen is a great brunch spot. The space is small and cozy. Our waitress was very accommodating during our dining experience. The food came out quickly after our coffees and tasted good. My Pork Katsu breakfast sandwich was good-- the egg and crunchy Katsu has a good texture combination in my opinion along with the bread. However, I think there's an opportunity to make this dish a bit more flavorful. My fiancee raved about the Croque Madame. I had a bite and loved the runny egg and cheese-- the accompanying salad complimented the dish well. The highlight item was the churro waffle that the waitress recommended as a dessert. We all said we would take "a few bites" but it was so delicious that we ended up devouring it. The waffle had the perfect crunchy texture with a good combination of sweetness, cinnamon, and chocolate. Above all the ambience and vibes are wonderful especially if you are looking to catch up with friends in a cozy environment. Mabu Kitchen is a great location for brunch with friends. read more

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Great when going for a pre-show dinner. Reservations are probably a good idea as the restaurant is quite small-- hole in the wall size but with a fine dining ambiance. Great service despite their seemingly being only one waiter for the whole restaurant-- who was also the host and busser. The food was great-- only thing we didn't find worth it was the special appetizer of the night(a salmon dip). read more

Wonderful, intimate atmosphere. Started with the beet salad and carrots, both fabulous. Had the octopus as my main, excellent! Finished with seasonal special dessert of bread pudding with cherries. BYOB and have a delightful evening! read more

I got the hot brown and a decaf americano. The service was amazing. It is a small restaurant so definitely think about making a reservation, especially if you are thinking about going at a popular time. Would go again! read more

Mabu Kitchen - The Hot Brown Brunch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Beautiful food, outdoor seating available. GF options are clearly labeled. Excellent breakfast options. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Shrimp & Grits Lunch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Almost don't want to write this because this place is so good and I don't want it to get "discovered"! It's a warm, neighborhood place, and you can see, smell and taste from every dish that the folks in the kitchen really care about freshness, flavor and originality. We've had dinner a couple of times already, so here are my picks for "must have" menu choices. For starters, the Cauliflower Steak, Brussels Sprouts, Beet Salad and Burrata are our go-to's. For mains, the Smash Double Cheeseburger, Cod Frites and Fried Chicken gotta have 'em. For dessert - the apple gateau is a must! Really super casual vibe, the owners are the chefs and really lovely people. Go! read more

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My second visit to this BYOB for dinner. Wonderful service (attentive), food was high quality and superb flavor. We got the pork chop (HUGE), chicken confey, duck confey, and the cod. Beautiful presentation. The Basque cheesecake was terrific, not too sweet and great texture. Also had one of the best octopus dishes I've had in Philly (and I've tried almost all of them). It's a tiny space with outdoor option which is great in good weather (tables are a bit unsteady because of the slanting sidewalk). Packed with folks so I recommend going early and making reservations. read more

Sheer perfection in every way. The place is adorable; typical Center City Philly row house, with a great eclectric vibe; the service was delightful, and the food was amazing! We had the Dutch Baby (best I've ever had anywhere!), and the Bananas Foster French Toast. Trés Bien! My only complaint is that we went on a Sunday, instead of a Saturday. Had we gone on Saturday, we would have been able to go back on Sunday! Well worth the trip from New Jersey, and we can't wait to go back! read more

Came here for brunch on a Saturday morning around peak brunch hour, and the restaurant got progressively busier while we were there. The atmosphere was nice and cozy, and the service was great. The food didn't impress me though. I got the poutine dish, and the meat was way too dry. I also tried some of the pork katsu sandwich. It was fine but nothing to write home about. I don't think the crunchiness of the katsu pairs particularly well with the soft egg, but it's a cool idea nonetheless. A fried or sturdier egg would probably fare better from a texture perspective. Overall, a very solid experience! I would recommend checking it out if you're in the area. read more

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Mabu Kitchen is a cozy lil BYOB restaurant on Pine Street that serves brunch and dinner. The space is super cute and intimate -- perfect for a date or a get together w friends! My friends and I went for brunch, and I got the pork katsu breakfast sandwich. It had super fluffy eggs, crispy fried pork katsu, arugula, and this super delicious aioli. The bun itself was also so good! I also choose to get it w/ the side of herb salad, which had a super refreshing and delicious vinegary dressing. Of note, the service was quite slow if you are dining in, so definitely go when you have the time! read more

Mabu Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cute place in Philly. I want to come back and sit outside when weather is nicer. Service is awesome. Their banana pudding is a must get.

Highly recommend -- my new fave brunch spot (if only this spot was in my neighborhood) -- small, quaint with a solid, hearty range of elevated brunch dishes. You won't get a bad dish here! Highlights: - shrimp & grits: my fave version of this in the city. Not too heavy and well balanced - Dutch baby pancake: light and delish - croque madame: substantial and delish, one of my fave versions in the city - pork katsu breakfast sandwich: perfectly fried pork cutlet with a yummy sauce, get the salad on the side, the vinaigrette is good! - banana pudding dessert: just yum and presentation is in a cute jar It's a small place but they easily accommodated a group of 8 of us for a bday party. And BYOB so bring your own bubbly to make mimosas -- they even supplied fresh squeeze OJ! read more

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Very cute restaurant in the neighborhood. I love how intimate it feels when you're there for dinner. Our waitress was also awesome considering it was her first day. Food was decent. My only complaint was that Brussel sprouts was too acidic tasting? Maybe needs to be balanced out with more salt? I have no idea as I'm not a chef. The ratatouille tasted very fresh and was presented very nicely. In general I would return and can't wait to check out the brunch menu. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Ratatouille - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fabulous, intimate setting, amazing food and the staff are so attentive. BYOB in Center City. Great menu! read more