Mamma "Mamma B" B.'s Profile

I visited for my first time Saturday night and was pleased with the service, food and value.  Since the closing of Vi's some years ago, I have been on a mission to find a comparable place.  This is the closest I've gotten.  The fried rolls were tasty, but still fell short of the fat, fresh fried crispiness of Vi's rolls.  I also had the fresh rolls, as these are benchmark items for me when trying a new Vietnamese place.  They were very good, though would have liked a bit more mint or something in there.  The dipping sauce was great!

Now, for my favorite Vietnames dish "Bun" which is cold rice noodles, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, bean sprouts topped with your choice of meats and a fish sauce dressing & crushed peanuts.  Their version was good-especially the grilled pork was yummy!  Overall I give it four out of five because it is not quite as good as Vi's was, and I think I like the Zao version better with its fried shallots.

I will be back to try their famed "Cubed Beef" which is made with filet mignon.  After trying a few more items I may bump them up a star because it was more like a 3.5 and I will definitely make this a regular spot.

Negatives:
Parking
It's a little run down, but not dirty

I really couldn't find anything to complain about...which is rare.  It is self-service, but in such a small place it works.  I really love two kinds of coffee--Illy and Mr. Espresso.  They have Mr. Espresso-help yourself from the hot pot and they know how to make it.

I had coffee, scrambled eggs (hands down the best I've had in a restaurant) crisp, thick sliced bacon and potatoes.  The potatoes were lightly grilled baby yukon golds with a generous amount of fresh herbs.  Simple yet tasty.  I also had the toast and special jam.  Yum.

I will definitely make this a regular destination on Saturday mornings.  Maybe even try a special or one of their omelets.

These guys are the best!  I will continue to buy Hondas ans Acuras just so I can come here!

Solid food, nice environment, nice staff.  The food was decent...nothing mind-blowing, but good, large portions and a great spot to take children!

The only things I can complain about...
The chicken tenders were overcooked
The fried food needed more seasoning/salt, a bit bland (chickent tenders, fries, zuccini)

Pleasantly surprised & pleased by their EXCELLENT service!  After reading it was NOT a good place for kids I was hesitant to take my two hungry girls--one sleepy and one hyper at 7 pm.  There is nothing better than pleasant, accomodating service when you arrive with hungry children.  Our waiter was very knowledgable and "got it" that I just wanted to sample some small plates (I'd had a late lunch) without attitude or trying to steer me toward a pricy entree.  Because I don't drink alcohol, I sometimes get attitude because I'm not ordering wine-not the case here.  

We enjoyed . . .

The kids pasta for $5 my ten year old was inhaled within about 3 minutes, she could have ate more but the shells with cream sauce was definitely a good choice.

The six year old settled on the crushed potatoes with olive oil and garlic--and loved it.  I even got her to eat a few of my brussel sprouts which she initially turned her nose up at when she first tasted them, then asked for more.

Robiola--soft cheese with cranberry relish, very tasty.  My only complaint would be the crostini reminded my of dull, bland communion wafers (a brush of olive oil and Kosher salt would solve the problem).  

The risotto crochetti were tasty enough, could use a little more punch though.

Their fried olives--which have my fave olive--Castelvetrano--rolled in breadcrumbs and fried--think I prefer a plate of fresh ones but they were definitely good.  

All were satisfied at this point but after being joined by a friend and his daughter who had just finished tutoring at Kumon, both of whom were graciously accomodated, we enjoyed a hearty dessert offering.  Two orders of Bombolini, vanilla and chocolate "kids size" gelato.  The espresso sauce with the Bombolini was not too well received by the others though I enjoyed it alone for its unique flavor.  The gelato was delish.

Total: $49

Two thumbs up for our waiter!  Definitely will be back to try their entrees . . . and for small bites with the kids too.  Hopefully there will be something that moves me to give them that 5 star update!

Nothing fabulous...nothing horrible...odd service.

I have worked nearby for about 3 years and avoided this place due to the constant emptiness and mediocre reviews.  But today, I was craving Italian!  So I crossed my fingers and walked in.  Completely empty & well past any possible lunch rush...eye longed for one of the big plush booths with a great window view.  No luck! I was told that those were only for parties of 2-4 people, I looked around, glanced at my watch.  No luck...she stuck to her guns and seated me at a tiny table for two.  Aside from the booth thing--her service was excellent.

I ordered the polenta fritte and linguini carbonara.  The bread was average-the same type they serve at nearby Persimmon & Piraat (sam owner/manager apparently) and the whipped "butter" was kinda nasty.  The polenta was yummy though could have been a bit more golden and crispy.  The pasta was good, full of bacon perfect for this bacon-lover.  The to-go box/bag was, well, oddly cheap and ackward for a restaurant this nice.  Lunch for under $20 with leftovers would almost make me wanna give an extra star...but then I start thinking of the booth thing!

This spot on Grand Ave. opened recently.  The service was great and the food was tasty.  Nothing was fabulous, but nothing was horrible.   I would recommend if you like this type of food--I am waiting to add another star or two pending my next visit.

Highlights
Very bright and cheerful space with a great open kitchen.  Bright colors & very clean!  My favorite thing, oddly enough, was the grilled red onion that accompanied my Kafta Beef Kabob ($11).  Also, the Cucumber infused water (served standard) was a refreshing change if you like that sort of thing.  The basmati rice was light and flavorful and the meal was well prepared, attractively presented and decent portion.

Room for improvement
The dining room has too many chairs which makes it look odd.  The tables are really only suited for two and look cluttered when set up for four.

Identity
First of all-change the menu in the window out front-it is UGLY and uninviting!  I think the ethnic identity was a bit confusing...though I am no expert on middle eastern cuisine, I do know what a Kabob is.  The server mentioned "Afghan" in our conversation about menu items, but nothing on the menu stated this.  There was fried calamari, baklava and a "Persian Burger".  The decor also would not have suggested to me that is was a middle eastern place-some of the artwork maybe.  I think they just need to tie things together a bit-pick a theme and stay with it.

Look forward to visiting in a few weeks to see how things are coming along!

FYI: If you're looking for great Chicken and Waffles...head over to Merritt Bakery! For $7.50 you can get two WHOLE pieces of chicken and a golden delicious thick crispy waffle...and the syrup is inluded and warm!

First of all...Zac S.: would you happen to be the "young gentleman named Zachary"? Readers beware of the first couple of reviews- especially any that are 5 stars.

This is a real review by a real patron.

Friendly service at door for my take out order. Dining room was empty. Not to accurate on the information provided. He offered a sample of the brisket to me, which is apparently their specialty, and I will say it was the best thing I tasted. He said the 2 meat combo for $18.95 was "at least a pound of meat" and more than he could eat. Wrong. This was maybe 8-10 ounces of meat at best. 1.5 charred hot links and a medium pile of over-boiled/baked (defnitely NOT BBQ'd), shredded breast meat doused in sauce. I also got him the beans (which he hated and I thought were OK) and macaroni & cheese (he hated and I thought would have been good with a little more salt).

I had the tri-tip sandwich, which was not bad, but not good enough to ever order again. The fries with it were a sad, limp, unsalted mess! It was overpriced for the quality at $14.95

This brings me to the main issue- price/value. The menu is just too ambitious I think for them t do any one thing well. Side note- my boyfriend was PISSED about the food vs. price. He gave them 3 months to go out of business because "Black folks around here know good BBQ and this isn't it".

Wish there was a zero star rating. Zero for installation...zero for customer service....zero for billing department! They suck- do yourself a favor and call Bay Alarm!