We came here on a Saturday morning at 11:30 and it was only about half full. I really enjoyed our brunch - we split the shrimp and grits and yogurt and granola. The portions were a little on the small side but prices were reasonable for the size ($10 for the yogurt and $19 for the grits). I also got fresh OJ which felt a little pricy at $5 but was absolutely delicious. I would suggest making a reservation on Yelp since it is a tiny space, but it's also likely they'll have room for walk ins since it seems pretty undiscovered so far. Food was yummy, I especially loved the shrimp and grits. I wouldn't describe the fruit in the yogurt as "macerated," and the dish was too sweet for me once you mix in the honey drizzle, but it was still very good. Several tables were taking advantage of the BYOB situation with some mimosas. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Yogurt and granola - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Seated promptly for our 7 PM dinner. It took close to 50 minutes to get our appetizer. Unfortunately, it wasn't worth the wait. They had only one server for the whole restaurant. He was very friendly, but in over his head. Setting has a nice vibe and we were hoping to really like it. read more

Had a late brunch here on a Thursday. Intimate table, outside in the warm sun. Inside looks classy, cozy, and inviting. Absolutely delicious Croque Madame Mediterranee, shrimp and grits, lattes, and banana pudding dessert - all highly recommended. Feels authentic, with fresh and quality ingredients. French and southern flavors, atmosphere Philly neighborhood-y but could be Brooklyn. I want to go back tomorrow! I want to try dinner! Owner chefs were so helpful, personable, and welcoming. Our new favorite, under appreciated, must return spot! read more

Mabu Kitchen - Croque madame mediteranee, shrimp and grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mabu Kitchen is a solid new southern BYOB restaurant with a cute atmosphere and inviting menu --- but while the food was good, there was nothing particularly great. We had made a reservation for an earlier dinner prior to a Saturday night show and arrived to find we were the only patrons in the restaurant. By the time we left, there were only 2-3 other parties in the space, so for now, it may be a reasonable choice for a last minute dinner. Our server was very friendly, offering suggestions about the menu and remaining chatty and attentive without being annoying. Food-wise, we opted to split a number of options between three of us: - Roasted Brussels Sprouts --- sounded good on the menu, but were a bit oversalted and undercooked - Burrata with Marinated Tomatoes --- probably our favorite bite of the night, served on a multigrain "Philly muffin," with good flavor and varied textures - Slow Baked Cauliflower Wedge --- our waiter had talked this up quite a bit, but we wound up being kind of underwhelmed. The sauces were good, but I found myself wishing there was more of them. - Southern Mac and Cheese --- standard, creamy mac and cheese. It was fine --- nothing exciting. - Ratatouille --- again, standard sliced vegetables with tomato sauce, seemed a bit lacking in flavor - Shrimp and Grits --- probably my second favorite dish, served with lemony grits and well cooked shrimp. Dessert was a better course; we tried the Mud Pie and the Banana Pudding, both of which were delicious (and went well together!). Hard to say whether this was a bad night or a new restaurant still working out the kinks. The other reviews seem to suggest I should give it a try again for brunch, so eventually, we'll see! read more

We have been to the recently opened Mabu Kitchen several times now and it's a great BYOB French/American place. Inside the restaurant is really nice and the food is fantastic. We've tried the duck rillette, chicken and dumplings, beef Bourguignon, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and the desserts are super good. Great food and the prices are super reasonable. Open for brunch and dinner. Highly recommend!! read more

See all

Went for brunch; overall solid american BYO brunch spot that won't have a big wait as its relatively new. Coffee comes in a french press (!!), and their sweet menu is good overall. Chicken and waffles benedict is imo their best menu. ~15-20 a person with slightly smaller portions. Brunch is only on weekends. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Chicken and waffles benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

I had good coffee and such an amazing waffle! Enjoyed it very much. Service was very slow but it was a Saturday morning brunch time and they had a few larger parties. read more

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

See all

Amazing experience at Mabu for New Year's Eve (and my husband's birthday !). We had the four course special menu and every single course was DIVINE. To start was a delicious cauliflower bisque, then I had some glazed carrots, the best coq au vin Ive had in a decade, and finished with a phenomenal creme brulee. My husband had the rack of lamb and said it was so tender and flavorful -he was definitely covertly trying to lick his plate. Ryan, our server was excellent as well. We are so happy we celebrated here!!! read more

Our food was nice! Could've used a touch of salt, but there is some provided at the table, so this is no problem! I'm sure this is very appealing to those who don't like a lot of salt, so it's an understandable move! As well, the atmosphere was cozy and intimate. What REALLY made this place great was the service! Our server, Ryan, was absolutely amazing. He was very friendly and pleasant to chat with and seems to truly take an interest in the people eating at the restaurant. He was very knowledgeable and was attentive without being overbearing. This place was nice- but Ryan made it amazing! read more

I have only gotten take out so I can't really speak on the dine-in experience. I have tried the smash burger, salmon, macaroni and cheese, cod frites. All were tasty dishes. Only thing my partner and I didn't like was the sauce base for the salmon dish. Every time I went to pick up the food, the service was friendly and attentive. Glad to have different varieties in the neighborhood. read more

So, I'm afraid my review diverges some from other Yelpers. I really want to find more "go to" restaurants in center city since I visit Philadelphia often. I only have a Thai restaurant at the current time. Unfortunately, this will not be another favorite. I'm sure getting a liquor license is difficult and expensive, but it does add to the meals enjoyment. And a BYOB situation doesn't help someone eating alone. Anyway, started with the beat salad. It was unremarkable but perfectly acceptable. A nice pile of beets, nothing unique. The duck confit cassoulet was where they lost points with me. Duck confit is an amazing thing, but when you bury it under the strong flavors of this cassoulet, it just because a protein source. Duck, chicken, turkey, who would know? And that's a big loss in itself. There was a hot dog shaped half a sausage (chorizo?) buried in with the beans. Actually, pretty spicy overall. Hate paying $60 for a meal (including tip) and leaving disappointed. read more

Mabu Kitchen - Duck confit cassoulet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Reservation made. Arrived on time. Server could not find the reservation. Finally brought the reservation I-pad out to show me....it was there, under "already seated". Server indicated we could be seated at a table next to the door....it was 30 degrees out. There were other tables for two available but we were told they were "taken". We left and are not likely to be back. I would leave zero stars if I could. read more

The weather may be wintry, but warmth, comfort and friendly service radiate dependably from this intimate, romantic BYOB. I think I just had my 18th visit there. I have eaten every single dish on the menu. They keep getting better. Speaking as someone who was born in the south, a New York expat, a lifelong Francophile and a snobbish foodie who is not easily impressed, I say EAT HERE ASAP. This place will charm you. I'll probably bemoaning with pleasure in the back corner read more

The food was mediocre. Not bad and not great. My fish wasn't totally fileted properly and there was a big, tough chewy spot down the middle of it. My friend ordered fish too and they came back with chicken. He took a bite out of it not realizing it was chicken and decided he wasn't going to be happy with it and asked them to please give him what he asked for. They came back and said since he took two bites from the chicken he was going to be charged for both dishes. That kind of a put a pall over the rest of the evening for us. There were three other people in the restaurant on a Sunday night so I guess it's a gutsy move to dick over your customers when business isn't exactly booming. I think it's a pretty safe bet that Mabu won't be here by next year. read more

LOVED the chicken and waffles Benedict that was recommended by the waitstaff (see pictured). I know the pork katsu is the viral meal (and it was also very good), but there's a lot of awesome options on the menu. The balance of the light salad with the Benedict was really phenomenal! read more

Mabu Kitchen - Chicken and waffles Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Came here for dinner a week ago, overall it was decent but nothing special. Server was super nice and friendly with a big ole smile. Brief menu but hit all the highlights. We had the bread and duck for appetizers. Bread was great as was the herbed butter. Duck was fine - the pickled onions and pickles really added flavor but the duck itself actually didn't taste like much. I had the baked sea bass on top of zoodles and split the ratatouille. The ratatouille was fine, standard veggies with tomato sauce but not overly flavorful. Same mostly to be said of the bass - the celeriac puree was quite tasty but the fish itself was relatively bland as were the veggies. Prices were reasonable all things considered at this moment in history. We had ordered the scallops but were told they were "funky" and no longer being offered, but they stilled charged us for it. Also forgot to bring water for a while and forgot someone's drink order. Overall was really hoping this was a go to new neighborhood addition, but we were super impressed unfortunately. They're still new it seems so hopefully it'll get better. read more

A small, beautiful spot with excellent food. Got the smash burger and it was 10/10. We ended up coming back for brunch over the weekend which was as delicious as dinner was. The place is BYOB and they are happy to bring out glassware. Highly recommend for a date night or small group of friends. Make reservations! read more

HIGHLY RECOMMEND this wonderful little restaurant! My boyfriend and I were drawn to the romantic ambiance at first, and were delighted that the food lived up to the atmosphere. We got the scallops, chilled asparagus soup, steak, ratatouille, and banana pudding. The chef really knows their way around vegetables-- everything was fresh and flavorful. The steak was tender. Banana pudding was delightful. You'd be remiss if you didn't try this neighborhood gem read more

Mabu Kitchen - View of the window from our table - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Just had a great lunch with friends at Mabu - it has recently opended for Brunch and Lunch and is well worth a visit - and of course their dinners are great. So what made the meal special? Everything! From the coffee press to the very fine Chicken Sandwich, the burgers and the salads- finished off with an excellent dessert. Grace, our host, was a joy to speak with as she told of the decision to open in Philadelphia rather than any other place (yes, there is a Mabu - a small town on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia Canada)- makes me happy to be able to walk over to this fine neighborhood restuarant. Go there -- any time and enjoy the ambiance of a small local place to eat! read more

The Instagram photos of Mabu were compelling, bringing us in for a visit. And I am happy to report that the visit was well worth the 25 minute walk! The space is quaint and cozy, nice and dim and relaxing. The ambiance is spectacular in my opinion. It's a perfect place for a date, or a small group even where you actually want to have a conversation and hear one another. Onto the food - it was spectacular. Everything we had was quite tasty. The crispy brussels, the chicory salad, confit chicken with a delicious scallion waffle, burger, shrimp and grits, and saltine crust lemon tart - all delicious and worthy of another visit which will be happening soon. The menu has so many items that we wanted to have, but knew it would be overkill as there was just two of us. I think that next visit will be happening sooner rather than later! The staff was great, very attentive and friendly. And we certainly love the fact that it's BYOB as well. We really can't wait to come back and continue to add this into our rotation of places to frequent. read more

Had a wonderful Saturday brunch at Mabu. The menu is eclectic, but also served with a fridge flair. In all seriousness, it was difficult to choose what to order; everything sounded good. And what we did order was done to perfection. Service was friendly, efficient, and could not have been better. The only downside was the noise level, which made conversation difficult, but the food made up for it. read more

I was really excited to get a reservation here with some out-of-town guests but ended up pretty disappointed. This place is small & BYOB, there was a party of 20 twenty-somethings having their boozy brunch, so we could hardly have a reasonable conversation at our own table. Service was EXTREMELY slow because the kitchen & wait staff were not prepared to accommodate this large group as well as their normal clientele. I know, it's not fair to judge a restaurant by their guests but frankly the restaurant should've turned down the large group because they are clearly NOT able to accommodate that sort of group along with their other patrons. Food was decent but not as impressive as I expected based on the reviews. read more

This place is great, I've been coming here since they opened. Owners are amazing people, place is set up great, and food is solid for all meals, not just brunch. Definitely a great addition to amazing washington square. read more

Food was good, but portions are small. Very limited menu. Make sure there is something on the menu you would want to eat before you try the restaurant. Service was too rushed. read more

I wish I would have found Mabu Kitchen sooner! Food is delicious! Desserts were soooo good.

we had an excellent dinner this evening at Mabu Kitchen. I had the beet/citrus salad and the ratatouille as my entre. my spouse had the scallops as an appetizer and the fried chicken entre. we split the lemon tart. everything was delicious! the outdoor table was perfect. great weather, great breezes, terrific service. and it's a BYOB! lovely dinner. highly recommended. read more

Pretty place but with some issues. The service was generally slow both times we went. The male server didn't take our large appetizer plates off the table and expected us to take the entree plates and put them down ourselves, on top of the dirty plates I guess? We had to ask him to remove our other plates first. Thrn he forgot silverware. The temperature was very warm (supposedly the ac was as good as it gets). There was only one other couple there when we mentioned it and they were hot too. At brunch, the baguette we ordered was warmed up in microwave, making it spongey and hard to chew. The Caesar salad was delicious put very small for the price. The best feature is the adorable atmosphere. The male server really needs to be trained. read more

Absolutely scrumptious food! I had the duck confit with Lima beans, mushrooms, and sweet potato purée. So delicious. I followed it up with banana pudding and a café con leche. Very tasty! Great mix of French and Southern food. I will be back! read more

See all

We had the bread with jam and butter, French toast, breakfast katsu sandwich, and lattes. Everything we had was yummy. I even ordered a 2nd latte, which I rarely do. Service was friendly, and accommodating of our kids. We had a mistake with my order (supposed to be paired with a side salad, and was given fries -- which were quite yummy, but not what I ordered). The place is styled as a small French bistro -- didn't transport me to Paris, but was a nice enough place to spend a morning for brunch or a cup of coffee. read more

The food was great, service was not. Nothing too bad, but I came in without a reservation right after they opened on a Saturday. I was the ONLY customer but you could sure tell they weren't happy I didn't have a reservation. Sat in the worst table, right in front of the door and I do mean right in front, with my back to the street. In front of the door. The first reservation group came in five min later and the next didn't come until I was leaving....so why the awful seat? Was also very hard to get anyone to come over. Took twenty mini to be able to give my order because the waitresses just sat in the kitchen chatting. You could hear them in the seating area. The hot brown is really good though read more

Really good. Loved the chicken and waffle dish and shrimp and grits. The scallop app was awesome. Everything on the menu sounds great. Need to come back to try. Waiter was oddly pushy so lost a star for service. read more

Great neighborhood spot for brunch. BYOB.. very small interior so reservations on weekends are a must.

Went for brunch! Cute ambience outside on alleyway in great part of center city. Love that it's BYOB and service was great.

The cutest little hidden gem. And they're BYOB! I've been for both dinner and brunch and both menus do not disappoint. The service is friendly and knowledgeable, and the ambiance is cute and cozy. read more

Love this out of the way spot. Delicious food and great service. We enjoyed that it was BYOB and we were able to eat outdoors. We had brunch with an extended age-range of family members. Everyone was thrilled with their order. I look forward to visiting again. read more

We highly recommend Mabu! We were in Philly for a few days before heading to Jersey for a wedding and had a lovely, late dinner at Mabu Kitchen. The food was delicious, including a shout out to the desserts! We had a nice chat with one of the owners and you could tell that the restaurant is a labor of love that shines thru the food. It's a BYOB - which is one of things that we find very special about small restaurants in Philly - with no corkage fee. We highly recommend - and we're particular! read more

Returned for a second visit . . . BEST burger I've had in ages!!!! And my dining companion said their chicken & waffles was great. Really nice place, excellent service. Super all around and great value also! read more

Lovely atmosphere. Food amazing! Everything we ordered was great . Def going back!!! read more

Great food and service. Will definitely be on our list of best byob's in Philly! The Banana cream pudding was amazing! read more

Waited over an hour for food and it wasn't fully cooked so only ended up eating the fries. The restaurant was also pretty empty. The servers were apologetic, but not a great experience and wouldn't return. read more