Big Bad Breakfast
5361 Hwy 280, Birmingham, AL, 35242
Big Bad Breakfast Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Birmingham for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Birmingham for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Birmingham for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
5361 Hwy 280
Birmingham, AL, 35242 - Phone (205) 490-7568
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Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 2:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Rebekah S.
After a 30 minute wait outside in 102 degree weather, we are seated. It turns out the hostess didn't mention that the air conditioner wasn't working. I definitely wouldn't have stuck around to eat in the heat, but at this point t it's too late. Our server was nice and attentive and made the nest of it. I ordered the Belgian waffle which is $9. It's one flavorless waffle with half a strawberry and some whipped cream. My boyfriend ordered the big bad breakfast and he liked it. He said the meat was good. I wouldn't go back. It was just too disappointing of an experience. It was over priced and doesn't live up to the hype. There's way better brunches in Birmingham.
(2)Camille M.
A bit on the pricey side especially for the amount of food that you get but the quality is there. I love their bacon and the elvis sandwich. We've only been to this place once and it didn't really leave a lasting impression. We might go back one more time before we move out of state.
(3)Emily C.
At 9am on a Saturday, there was a 30-40 minute wait. But, it's the week they opened, so that's not surprising. The cool thing about this place is that when you put your name in, you give them your phone number and they send your phone a text when your table is ready. My friend and I opted for a seat outside, given that our only options when seated were tall tables and to be honest, those bar stools do not look comfortable for long term sitting (figured we'd be there awhile since it was so busy). All in all, we were at the restaurant for a total of about 2 hours, but our waiter remained attentive to our needs. I got the "Everything" burger - it's a lot of food, but I have seen more ridiculous burgers in my time, so it was an easy challenge. It's a standard burger with lettuce/tomato but comes topped with cheese, chili, egg, and slaw. I had a side of the most perfectly diced home fries I've ever seen. My friend got the Yard Work skillet and added pork belly. When asked what kind of jelly she wanted, she was caught between raspberry and peach - and the waiter just brought one of each. Nice! (FYI, the raspberry was superior.) If this place wasn't convenient to where I already live, I would be hard pressed to make the trip out here, given the variety of breakfast options in Birmingham proper. But I will say BBB has a fantastic menu full of variety and surprises, and maybe it's good they were so busy because I needed some extra time to take in their offerings and make my decision. Also they have breakfast drinks but as of today (6/8/14) they have not yet acquired the proper license to sell. Hopefully that won't take too long! Definitely make time to try this place, and the earlier you can get there (they open at 6am and close at 3pm, every day), the less time you will probably have to wait. Here is the full menu, courtesy of AL.com : media.al.com/entertainme…
(4)Brooke W.
5-stars to the bacon!!! Best bacon I've ever put in my mouth. That being said...the food is good, but not great (other than the bacon). I ordered pancakes, and they came with a huge scoop of butter, as well as whipped cream and strawberries. One of the reasons I didn't give the entire experience five stars was due to the fact they either need a new air conditioning unit or they need to turn the temperature down. It was in the mid-90's outside when we were there, and where we sat was at least 80 degrees, and we weren't even in the front of the restaurant next to the windows. It put a damper on the whole experience. Also, the staff isn't that friendly. When we walked in, the hostess just looked at me and expected me to say what I needed. I understand people have bad days, though, and I'm not really going to a restaurant to experience kindness and a great attitude. Just know that if you're going for a friendly staff experience, you probably won't find it here. Bottom line: I'll definitely go again when the temperature outside is cooler. Be prepared to wait if you're going around lunch as well.
(3)Herb L.
Service is hit or miss. When wait staff is efficient and can multi task your food somehow tastes better in the morning. Otherwise, your morning coffee gets cold, empty, and you're just cranky. My 4-5 visits I had couple of times food was cold or luke warm. But half the times food was spot on. Thick bacons are good and coffee from Octane is spot on when filled and hot.
(4)Amanda M.
Love this place! I have been here three times, and it has never disappointed! The food is excellent, the service is very good, and the prices are reasonable as well. I also like that BBB offers the option of outdoor seating. To be honest, I really haven't branched out beyond The Creole Omelet because it is soooo darn delicious. The eggs are SUPER fluffy and the biscuits and homemade jam are fantastic as well--I seriously don't know how BBB gets their eggs sooo fluffy... my mouth is watering just thinking about it. But I digress, seriously, just go! :-)
(5)Pam D.
I'm glad to see Birmingham has a great breakfast/brunch restaurant. The service is great, friendly and attentive. They make their own jelly, having saying that it does change periodically, so if your just a grape jelly only kind of person you may or not be able to get grape. Food portions are huge. Everything looked and sounded yummy. The coffee here is excellent quality, no Maxwell House in this place. I look forward to coming back here on my next visit back home. From the crowds that keep coming in this place is going to be around for a long time.
(5)Katherine M.
Got in the restaurant on a Saturday morning around 9 right away for a table of two. The oatmeal short stack was delicious, fluffy and sweet. The brown sugar tabasco bacon was okay; next time I'll order regular bacon but I'm not a huge fan of Tabasco. Overall positive experience and would recommend going back.
(4)Abby G.
Is there a rating for less than 1 star? It was certainly a "bad" breakfast, but let's just say we were glad there is a Chick-fil-a close by. We were excited to try BBB and went on a Saturday morning with our 2 children. Our waitress took our order, came back with our drinks and told us she would come back with straws. 45 minutes later we saw her again, waved her down to see where our food was (others who arrived after us had already eaten) and she asked if we wanted a to go cup (what?!?). At this point it was clear she had totally forgotten to place our food order and that we were even there which was totally bizarre. No apology or explanation just terrible service. I wish we could rate it based on the food but the service was so bad we didn't even get to taste it after being there over an hour. The drinks were overpriced too. Don't let BBB start your day on a sour note like it did ours.
(1)Kyler R.
This always a nice place to grab breakfast they don't offer many meat options other than pork but the breakfast is good and it's a nice serving for a reasonable price I recommend stopping here at least once while in Alabama.
(4)Jayme T.
I really liked this place. It's the perfect balance of modern and classic. Great coffee and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, which I love! I would definitely call this place more of a brunch place than breakfast which is great for someone like me. I work weekends and miss out on brunch so it's nice having a weekday brunch option.
(4)Russ M.
I visited for lunch...so, might not have gotten the best impression possible. But, according to other Yelper's reviews my experience is not out of the ordinary. I had the burger served with home fries. The Home Fries were served to me cold...it is a pet peeve for me but I am NOT a fan of cold fries. My burger was ok, just ok. Bun fell apart because burger was too greasy (if they had placed the lettuce under the burger patty it would have given support to the bun). I would like to try breakfast and update this review afterwards.
(3)Colin S.
Great breakfast/brunch place for those who partake in such activities. Service was prompt and friendly. My only complaint was the excessive wait time when there were clearly a half-dozen outdoor tables available. I assume that they were understaffed for post-Iron Bowl brunch, but it's difficult to completely disregard the wait. There were easily ten other groups waiting for seats outside the entrance in the parking lot. I opted for the Creole Omelet, which was generous to say the least. The eggs were well cooked although the catfish was not particularly noticeable. The gratuitous amount of home fries only added to my indulgence. Don't expect to be able to finish the entire meal.
(4)Jim M.
Today was my first time eating here. It was great! I sat at the counter and the service could not be beat. My coffee and water were kept full and a pleasant check on how things were going and tasting. I travel a good bit and breakfast is one of my favorite meals. This place is now one of my favorites! A menu full of original homemade items that were full of flavor. The fact that there is a waiting list to get in all weekend long if further proof of how good this place is. I am looking forward to going back and trying more of their scrumptious looking meals
(5)Andrew M.
Big BAD Breakfast, I didn't know the name of the restaurant doubled as a warning sign. I had the creola which was incredibly disappointing. A very slight under seasoned creole seasoning, with a small cheese quesadilla smothered in egg. The sausage was good, however even a stray cat would be left hungry after that serving size of sausage I received. My girlfriend got the French toast which was too greasy to eat. However, she did have one great thing and that was the bacon, if they have one thing down, that was it. We didn't have anything wrong with our waitress, however, I would barely call her out waitress. She checked on us at the end of the meal to see if we needed refills, when we were finished eating 30 minutes later. Too expensive for what you get. Just get a plate of bacon if you do go there but I still wouldn't advise it.
(2)E B.
Nice setting and environment, service was good. I had the Big Bad Bacon skillet, was very spicy and could have used a little more eggs. My had the creole skillet,she liked it very much. The coffee was the best I've had. I would go again and try a sandwich they looked pretty good.
(3)Nathan P.
Absolutely incredible. The biscuit had to have been one of the best biscuits I have ever had. It has a sweet taste and comes with peach and raspberry jelly. The shrimp and grits were amazing. Very filling. It does have a bit of heat but was delicious. Great place for brunch. Great atmosphere and great for families or larger groups. They serve Octane Coffee which may have been better than the actually Octane Shop. They do have to-go orders if you don't want to wait. Food did take a bit to come out but it was also during a rush but well worth the wait. I recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Dee B.
Our fav breakfast spot!!! The bacon is amazing!! And the eggs! Staff is very friendly. Food comes out fast and hot. I've never had anything there that wasn't delicious. Even if you have to wait in line, it's worth the wait!!
(5)Courtney T.
This place is delicious! The wait on weekends can be lengthy but totally worth it. Make sure you get a biscuit or two with their yummy jam. And don't miss the bacon!
(5)Johnny B.
Now been multiple times, and at least one thing seems to go wrong every single time. Whether it's the service, the food, or the atmosphere--something is always off. For example, this past Saturday, we put in our drink orders, and the waitress responded, "ok, give me a minute on the drinks." We didn't get our drinks (diet cokes and waters) until a good fifteen minutes later. Waiting that long for waters is unacceptable. On previous visits, the inside has been unbearably hot and the tables grossly sticky. The food is generally of high quality--generally being the key word. The biscuits are dry and on the bland side. The gravy lacks flavor (the sausage gravy seems to have very little sausage in it). My date almost sent her pancakes back because some bites tasted of cleaning chemicals. On the other hand, the spicy bacon is incredible, the grits are pretty good, and my eggs have always been cooked to order. Above average breakfast food for sure, but not worth the drive down 280 if you don't live over there.
(3)Sheri C.
Local, fresh, house made everything!!! Our fave!! Beautiful housemade biacuits, all meats cured in house. Local preserves made from local fruits.
(5)nathan w.
Today was my first time at BBB, and I must say it was very satisfying. I judge a restaurant on three main things: Service Quality of food Atmosphere This place met and exceeded all expectations. I ordered the big lean breakfast, which I recommend. My only complaint is that the coffee wasn't very strong compared to "pikes place" coffee at Starbucks, and seemed more like waffle house quality. Free wifi would also be a plus, but not a big deal. I'd definitely come here again. It's about time we got decent breakfast joint on this side of town besides ihop and waffle house.
(5)Joshua N.
Totally awesome place. Devore is awesome, the bar is great and food was perfect. We own a restaurant and were extremely impressed with this place. And it was really cheap!
(5)David M.
I have never waited so long at a restaurant in my life, even if the food is really good this place has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
(1)Ann I.
Fantastic!!! The service is great and the food is amazing. They even go out of their way to make sure you have a great experience. One time I ordered takeout. When I got it home, I realized they left out the grits. So, I called them. The person on the phone happened to be the manager. He apologized profusely and offered a complete meal on the house next time I came in. Needless to say, I've been back multiple times since then :) A must try is the waffle!!! Yum! I'm not a fan of the burger. It seems bland. But, the shrimp and grits are fabulous!
(5)Drina B.
I really didn't like it here. I ordered the pancakes and chicken sausage. The sausage wasn't good at all. Maybe it was the day I went? The server wasn't pleasant either. Non-engaging. I literally ate half the breakfast I paid for and was okay with that. I might try this place again, but it will definitely be a while before I do.
(3)Rachel A.
Literally the best brunch/breakfast spot Ive been to in Bham. And I don't even like breakfast spots! This place is always packed so be prepared to wait! We were a table of 6. Service was excellent, drink refills were frequent and our waiter checked up on us before, during and after our meal. I got the yard work skillet and added chicken sausage - delicious combo! The biscuit was also seasoned well and melts in your mouth, peach jam is mm mm mm! Also best bloody mary to date in Bham. Definately will be back for more!!
(5)Craig N.
Didn't start off well. Took about 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged our existence. However, once the coffee arrived ( and boy did I need coffee) things started to roll. The coffee is great. Octane coffee is high quality and they even have ice coffee that is REAL ice coffee. I had the creole omelette and it was great. The eggs are kind of a strange texture.....and tried to figure out what they did and I can only figure out they must whip the heck out of it. They are strange in a good way. Light and fluffy and is huge when you consider its only 2 eggs. The grits were awesome. REAL grits....not the instant crap. Smooth and creamy. The creole sauce was excellent. Could put it on anything and it would be great. The biscuit was ok,...i have had better, but they will bring you homemade preserves which are outstanding. Make sure you ask for the preserves. Tops it all off. I will say the name is appropriate for the place. The Breakfast is Big....I didn't eat alllll day long after finishing breakfast about 10 AM. Definitely will be coming back even though it is a bit of a drive for us. I'd venture to say one of the best breakfasts i've had in Bham in a long time.
(4)Maria S.
While visiting family in Birmingham we indulged in BBB and was happy and satisfied with our breakfast experience. Finding it was a bit of a challenge for this out-of-towner, the sign isn't very visible and it's behind the Krispy Kreme, which would've got our business if not for family assistance. Our large group sat on the patio, perfect for the kiddos in our group. Our waiter was informative and patient. Being a curious Texan I tried the Texas Cowboy skillet and the spicy entree measured up! Completely full of flavor. The best part was their pepper biscuit. I could go for those alone. I should've tried their bacon since it's part of their niche, their own hog farm and all. I'd like to see this type of place in a Dallas suburb.
(5)Thomas G.
We had a short wait, sat outside, had great service. I ordered the breakfast special and everything was perfect. Particularly notable was the andouille sausage, biscuits, cheese grits, home made blackberry preserves....ah heck...it was all good. Highly recommended.
(5)Lacey E.
I wanted to try this much hyped place so we drove 20 minutes to do so. The hostess told us thirty minutes and it was 1 hour before we sat for breakfast. Fresh squeezed orange juice was good. Eggs had eggshells and were greasy. The bacon was VERY spicy which was a HUGE surprise to me as it wasn't mentioned on the menu. The biscuit was average. Wait staff was friendly and we had good service. Food came quickly but I won't return.
(2)Jeff T.
I have revisted BBB several times from my original review, things have improved quite a bit. Food is good to very good. Service could be and should be more attentive. Owner is a really nice guy and really cares, much improved
(4)A-V H.
Easily became one of my favorite breakfast spots in the city. Loved the breakfast Margaritas while we waited. Ended up getting a spot at the bar so we didn't have to wait out the hour that was projected. Our service was good. I enjoyed the shrimp and grits with my eggs to the side. The coca cola brine chicken was really good. Piping hot, juicy, and full of flavor! Definitey will be back soon.
(5)Craig S.
Definitely my top 5 breakfast places in Birmingham. I've had their double fried pork belly quesadilla and I have also had their Big Bad Breakfast skillet. Both are delicious and and very well seasoned. The place is lively and simultaneously retro and modern. They serve Octane coffee (local roaster), which a nice touch. Took a while to get our food, but it was pretty busy and I had good company so I didn't notice. The second time was not as slow. The real reason to go is their bacon! Oh my stars it is good! Try their spicy bacon if you like spicy stuff, it is even better. Recommended meal: - Freshly squeezed orange juice - Octane coffee - Biscuits w/ mango jelly - Double fried pork belly quesadilla - BACON! (Spicy if you dare)
(4)Kim M.
Went for the first time on Saturday. Waited about 25 minutes but given it was at 11 am on a Saturday I expected that. Their orange juice is absolutely delicious- just pure squeezed juice, no sugar added. I could have drank 5 glasses of it but at $3 a pop I limited myself to one. I got the creole omelet which was huge. The egg component was at least an inch thick and six inches wide, folded over with crawfish and andouille sausage. Delicious, but I didn't care for the tomato gravy. I also added a side of bacon because I wanted to see what the hype was about. Very delicious. The prices are a bit on the high side but given the ginormous portions I can justify it. This would be a once a month splurge for the family, not a weekly outing.
(4)Kyle L.
Great Food. Love the spicy bacon and the biscuits. Also the home made peach jam was very delicious. The Orange Juice was fresh . Everyone complaining about the long wait., what do you expect on a weekend morning !!!
(5)Derek K.
There are a lot of thorough reviews on this place already, so I won't repeat what I've already seen here. But I would like to add I've been twice, and I think the place is very good, ALBEIT poorly named. The name "BBB" demands large portions. "BBB" serves AVERAGE to SMALL portions. I've never left hungry, but I know people who have. The OJ-- now that's something I have to mention. I've never seen OJ that color. I think it's Tang. I swear it's not OJ-- unless they are caramelizing it in a sauce pan first?!? And why is it so expensive if it's not really organic fresh-squeezed?? The "large" is a 8-oz shot glass. Again, I think it's "cut" with something like Capri Sun lol. The staff-- I hate to say this, but this chain also owns Taziki's and must pull from the same pool of ADHD over-stimulated kids for all its restaurants. My grits came with a complimentary 8-inch black hair (I'm blonde) and literally you could see it from 5 feet away. This staff missed it-- a pretty big fail. Anyway, change the name, get realistic on your OJ, and look at each and every meal you serve with an eye to consistently & presentation and you will probably have a good restaurant here.
(3)Jennifer S.
Not impressed. Nothing fancy about this place except maybe some of their offerings, but overall, it's just another breakfast joint. I ordered the big bad breakfast, your typical 2 eggs, meat, carb & bread plate. I asked for my eggs scrambled, dry, but they came out runny. I chose their "special" bacon, that was so spicy, I couldn't eat it. I'm from LA, I love spicy food. That was a bit much. I also chose their hashbrowns, which were not hashbrowns, but more like home fries, little chunks of potatoes sauteed with onions. They would have been better if not overcooked so much. My friend specifically asked for their mild bacon instead of salty country ham on the eggs Benedict, & guess what? She got country ham. Maybe it was just the cooks in the kitchen our the waiter, but I know of much better breakfast places where the food is as advertised.
(2)Bill R.
We've eaten here four times so far and have really loved it. The servers have always been thoughtful and attentive. All of the food has been fantastic. The pork belly quesadilla is layered with interesting flavors and is just the right size. The burgers are perfectly executed. Don't miss the bacon. It's just a bit spicy and goes great with everything.
(5)Gene B.
Great food, as long as you've got time to spare. Don't plan on a quick meal here, at least not on the weekends. The times I've been, it seemed like they were short handed and as a result, service was very slow. Had the service been better/more timely, I'd have given 5 starts. The food is excellent, my favorites are the Brulee'd Grapefruit and the Eggs Benedict.
(3)Wes D.
Pros: food was delicious. Service was ok. Cons: paid $7 for a mimosa that came in a tiny flute... Felt very ripped off. If also took a long time to get the check -- which may be a big part of the reason why we waited FORTY minutes for a table. I'd prefer Rojo for brunch every time.
(2)Sak L.
The biscuit was delicious, as was the peach preserve. I didn't care for the chicken sausage, but everything else was good. Service was great even on this busy Easter Sunday.
(3)Robin C.
Shrimp and Grits....yum Big Breakfast Skillet....yum Belgian waffle a little soggy and served with strawberries after we asked for them to be left off Will definitely go back
(4)Nic G.
Had heard a lot of great things about Big Bad Breakfast from friends so I had to try it. BBB lived up to everything. Great atmosphere and fantastic food. I had the Creole Omlette and it had the fluffiest eggs I've ever had.
(5)Charles H.
This is our second time here and will be our last. The first time was horrible but we gave them the benefit of doubt and gave them a second chance. Second time was worse. It took almost an hour to get our food after we ordered. The waiter, Luis, forgot us several times. Our drinks ran out and another waiter filled our drinks for us. The food came out finally by some other waiter and was luke warm and all very bland. When our food arrived, we asked Luis for jelly for our toast. We never received it. Finally when we were done, I asked for the check and said when was our jelly coming out. We are very disappointed in this place and will never be back. Our opinion, Find somewhere else to go if you want breakfast/brunch.
(1)Andrea M.
Today we decided that instead of our usual breakfast spot we would give Big Bad Breakfast a try. Wow! What a great choice! The wait was about 25 minutes, but was worth every minute. We ordered the steak and eggs and were blown away by the quality and quantity. The steak was cooked to perfection and well seasoned. My only complaint was that I wish the home fries had more seasoning & onions. The tomato gravy is a must have and the homemade jelly was amazing. Our server, Meredith, was attentive and informative. By far the best waitress I've encountered in Birmingham! I think BBB is going to be our new go to spot since it cost us less than Over Easy for better service & food.
(5)Michael C.
If I was rich, they would make my breakfast every day. Unfortunately I'm not and can only afford it on special occasions. My motivation to make more money lies within the bowels of this restaraunt
(5)Heather G.
Giving the terrible service one star is generous! Service is slow and oblivious that customers exist. Have been here one hr and still no food. After waiting this long anything would taste good. The only thing that helps me cope is the booze. That is if you can get someone to make you a drink! HELP we are so hungry and starved for attention!
(1)Kristie F.
We stopped here on our way to FL. Well worth the trip. Husband and I had skillets. His was good and meaty. The veggies were local, fresh and tasty. Pancakes were generous and fluffy. Service was attentive and friendly. Love the decor with local artist's works. We will definitely go back!
(5)Daniel L.
I agree with several of the other reviews I have read about this place. First of all, the food is delicious. I had a skillet and would get it again. We also tried the pimento cheese BLT and it was phenomenal. The service time was the only aspect leaving something to be desired. It is still a new restaurant, so the systems are still getting the kinks worked out. It took a long time for us to get our beverages and a little while to get food, but the managers came by to check on us and make sure we were being taken care of. I would definitely come back.
(3)Brooke J.
The food at Big Bad Breakfast is great. I had the French toast with bacon. French toast was delicious and bacon was spicy and thick. Coffee was great. Mimosa was refreshing. My friend had the shrimp and grits which I tasted and were delicious. However she didn't enjoy the Bloody Mary. The service was good. They were packed but the bar is first come first serve so we snuck in there. Otherwise we wouldn't have stayed for the 40 min wait. Overall it was good and I'd recommend it. Great breakfast spot on 280.
(4)Luke D.
The food here is great. All the servers I've had have been very helpful and prompt, even when they're slammed on Saturday morning. Nice atmosphere too. Very different from your standard breakfast place, in a good way. The meals are priced competitively to other breakfast places. It's not too pricey. I recommend the big bad breakfast plate!
(5)Priscilla W.
Wow. Talk about great food! The service was great, the menu was diverse, the bacon was the BEST (and I'm not a big bacon fan), the biscuits were like momma used to make but better... and the bathroom was clean. I can't wait to ride through B-ham again so we can stop in. Hmmmm may just drive down for breakfast one day...yep..that good!
(5)Jenna H.
My family and I had brunch here on a Saturday. We knew it would be busy, so we anticipated the wait. We were sat about a half hour later. While we were waiting my husband ordered a Bloody Mary. It tasted mainly of tomato juice, so we did not order another. When seated, we order a screwdriver, which was fabulous with the fresh squeezed orange juice. Our server was friendly, but a bit forgetful at times. He seemed to forget when we would ask him for something. Anyway, the main reason I am writing this review is to tell you about the shrimp and grits! I order shrimp and grits many of the places we go because I am a HUGE fan, but this one set the bar pretty high. First of all, the shrimp are sautéed with Tabasco (I'm their biggest fan, seriously I should be paid for my obsession). Second, they add tomatoes which adds a fantastic burst of sweetness to the dish. Next, they add their house made bacon. Oh my gracious, it's divine. Finally, this flavorful, slightly spicy mixture sits on a bed of creamy grits and a FRIED EGG. Wow, the yolk mixed in with the shrimp and grits just blew my mind. I didn't realize adding a fried egg to shrimp and grits could elevate the flavor as much as this did. This dish is one I will definitely return to eat. So, if you're a shrimp and grits fan, this is the spot. Oh, they also have great house made preserves.
(4)Lisa C.
Ate on Sunday for brunch. We were told it would be a 45 min wait, so we left for 20 mins to run an errand. When we came back, we had already been called,and they were 5 names past ours on the list. We started with an appetizer of the Andouille sausage. It was fantastic! I had the pancakes with bananas. Very light and fluffy. My husband had the Big bad Breakfast plate. He loved the bacon, but thought the gravy was a tad spicy for him. (however I really liked it). I was not quite sure what to make of their biscuits. Great service and very tasty food. I am glad we tried it.
(4)Jeremy B.
I ordered the signature breakfast platter. The hash browns were extremely salty, the sausage patties were overly spicy, the coffee was awful and the service was suspect. I was given silverware but with no spoon. I was seated and not asked for my drink order until 5 minutes after (being generous). The positives were the server was very polite and the atmosphere was very clean and well designed. I agree with some who posted that with some time this place can be a good restaurant. I hope they ask the customers for feedback on how the food taste in the near future.
(3)Dell B.
Great food, but staff reminded me that I was definitely in South. Blacks in the kitchen all servers white. Whoa, this was a reality check. good food, but a little off putting with the staffing dynamics,
(3)Ashley D.
Tried to have a BLT today at noontime. The sandwich looked fine but the plate had not been washed & was covered in grease,food. & jelly. The underside of the plate was crusted with food when I handed the plate to the waiter. The Mgr arrived back in less than 30 seconds with the sandwich on a different plate. She stated that it was a new sandwich I refused to eat the food after it has obviously been contaminated & I'm shocked that they would allow such a situation to occur. Very disgusting !!!!!
(1)Christian S.
Kitchen is working well considering its new. Even if the food wasn't hardcore, I'd still be coming in for the coffee & music. Give this venue another month & I bet it'll be the perfect breakfast place. Bacon is spicy, which I love but might not be the best for kids. Omelets are so fluffy it's like they have air pumped into them. The Big Bad Breakfast plate is tons of food for the $: 2 eggs, choice of meat, choice of starch (home fries or grits), side of gravy (3 to choose from), & biscuit or toast.
(5)Leann R.
THEIR BACON IS EVERYTHING. It's thick, cooked to perfection, AND SPICY. I loved it!! I got a stack of pancakes with my bacon and was not disappointed. Their coffee is great too.
(4)Steve A.
Waited an hour for a table and waiting another hour for the food - still not served! Typically a management problem. Hard to rate the food if it never comes! ... Food arrived after an hour and a half, the staff was courteous and comped the meal. The food was good, but they maybe just need to work out a few kinks.
(3)D Lamar F.
First, let me declare that Egg Harbor, a Midwest chain, is the standard bearer for breakfast dining. Compared to EH, I think BBB was nearly as good. Ours was a party of 4. We got 3 BBB skillets and an oatmeal pancakes. The food was properly prepared and very good; we were pleasantly pleased with the Octane coffee and the spiciness of the food. The andouille sausage was a particular hit. While there was a wait to get our table, service was excellent. We intend on returning soon.
(4)Pearce C.
New Year's Day at the Triple B! After discovering this breakfast-bistro-with-an-attitude earlier this year, it has become our go-to place for a breakfast out. Today was just as large a crowd as usual, but we only had to wait about five minutes for a table for two (this was around 10am). When it comes to breakfast for us, it's all about comfort food. My wife always orders the Buttermilk Short Stack with a side of mild bacon. I tend toward the Cahaba Lily Omelette (fresh herbs, shallots, and cheese; I hold the tomato). The omelette comes with grits or hash browns (small diced, fried, with a side of ketchup), and an order of bacon. I always add a single blueberry buttermilk pancake on the side. Their buttermilk pancakes put everyone else's to shame, and that includes some out-of-town places like The Pancake House in Gatlinburg. They're perfectly cooked, generously sized, and the blueberries appear to be fresh and gently folded into the batter at the last minute. The blueberries pop in your mouth... The omelette is surprisingly delicate, nothing like what you'd get at a Huddle, Omelette, or Waffle House. Be forewarned: if you don't specify MILD bacon at order time, they WILL give you their spicy version. Having said that, though, if you find yourself unable to handle the spicy, just ask the wait staff... our first time, they cheerfully substituted an order of mild bacon at no extra charge. Either one is seriously great bacon! Yes, it's looks a little pricey at first blush, like The Egg and I, but the portions are huge (unlike Egg & I). We always get to-go boxes and end up with a second meal. I haven't encountered a better breakfast in Birmingham yet. Here's hoping these guys keep the terrific food and great service coming.
(5)Brittani V.
Food was very good but pricey. Breakfast for my husband and I was $30+. Coffee is $2.50 a cup. No refills. They do serve Octane Coffee though. They have fresh squeezed orange juice and it was delicious. Biscuits were fantastic.
(3)J T.
How do you serve cold eggs and sausage? Well this place mastered that fine art. Might have been a good breakfast otherwise. Went at 11am and was not that busy. Good coffee with total of $12.00 wasn't as spendy as it looks. Should have sat outside though as it was stuffy inside the dining room. It's a toss up to try it again as it is local to me. Miss the gyro place that used to be in this spot though!
(3)Kam W.
Big Blah Breakfast. The coffee was good but just warm. Had to ask for hot coffee. That's about the best thing I can say.
(2)Cory M.
Forgive my earlier "hangry" check in. This place is worth whatever wait they quote and then some. The move it on over plate is 100% ridiculously good. Jelly is the jam. Their bacon is the new bacon. Walk, don't run.
(5)Taylor D.
This is hands down the best breakfast joint in Bham. I was recommended by a friend that had lived in the BHam area for a while. I visited Over Easy last weekend which was good..but nothing close to what Triple B had to offer. The wait was 25 minutes when my friend and I arrived..but the bar seating is first come first serve. This was made known from the get go which was nice. We definitely hunted down our seats and eagerly waited. While we waited, they offered us a menu and allowed us to look at slabs of Big Bad Bacon, Big Bad Sausage and Big Bad Andouille! Each are $9.50/lb. Once we hunted down our seat, we continued looking at the menu just wondering what in the world we were going to pick! So many plates began whizzing by..changing our minds as they did. The coolest thing was being able to see the expo line work fast, efficiently and organized. I am pretty traditional when it comes to breakfast because I always want a little bit of everything. I decided on the Big Bad Breakfast. This is a two egg any way you want them, a choice of bacon, sausage, andouille, chicken sausage or mild bacon. Your choice of grits or home fries. Your choice of homemade tomato gravy, sausage gravy or red eye gravy. And last, your choice of toast or a biscuit. Naturally, I chose scrambled eggs with the spicy big bad bacon, home fries, sausage gravy and a biscuit. I was feeling hungry so I got a side pancake as well. My friend got the same but chose the tomato gravy and had to try the Octane coffee. THE OCTANE COFFEE HAS FREE REFILLS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT THINK REFILLS ARE FREE!!! When our meals arrived, they were piping hot, LARGE and well plated. My hand immediately gravitated towards the extra crispy bacon I requested. Spicy and packed with that bacon flavor we all crave so much. This bacon is 5-star good. Thick, crispy, smoky and spicy!! I mean WOW!!! Next..I covered my home fries with ketchup that they provided on the plate and tobasco (the only way I enjoy potatoes). These home fries and little chunks of crispy outside potato with a soft center. So delicious!! Following these, I hand several spoonfuls of the scrambled eggs. Well executed and perfectly seasoned. I love salt so I added some to my personal taste. I found my fork gravitating towards the sausage gravy to taste just how good it was. Boy was I not surprised when this flavor train EXPLODED in my mouth!!! I mean the never ending flavor was mind blowing. I know that the biscuit was going to be lathered in this God-sent gravy..but I tried the biscuit alone. No surprise here, the biscuit was fabulous--filled with black pepper, a little butter, fluffy and warm. FINALLY, I made it to the pancake that I had ordered while starving at the beginning. Again, no surprise here...FANTASTIC. Light, fluffy, fresh and delicious. Clearly....I highly highly recommend the Big Bad Breakfast!!! 5-star! The best breakfast I have ever had. I will make a note: the tomato gravy that my friend ordered...is OUT OF BOUNDS!!! If you are looking for something different, out of the ordinary and mind blowing....this is a M U S T. T R Y. As if this experience could not have gotten any better, the owner/general manager stopped by to ask about the moans and groans of two happy customers. He asked if we had tried the homemade jam. We had not...so he personally ran and got two different kinds--raspberry and blueberry. W O W!!!! So fresh, sweet and just right for a biscuit. We shared our first time experience and he asked us to pass it on to other people! So writing this review was the little I could give away from such an amazing experience. Take your friends, your family and anyone you can find if you are looking to chow down on the best breakfast in BHam--not just bHam but ANYWHERE.
(5)Alec B.
Just eh. I've been twice, and although the food was decent, not enough. I've left both times feeling that I was still hungry. First time I got the BBB skillet, and although it was good, it lacked flavor and needed a ton of salt to make it decent. Also got the orange juice which was room temp, which as anyone knows, room temp juice is disgusting. It was also $4.50 for a large glass... I could buy organic orange juice from Whole Foods for that price and get 5-6 more glasses out of it. Second time was today, got the buttermilk pancake short stack. Added blueberries for $1.50 and get a disposable bathroom cup sized amount. Not to mention they forgot to even put the strawberries that come on there gratis. Although the pancakes look like a lot, they really aren't. And for 10 dollars you get those and a side order of a meat of your choosing (I got bacon, which was very fatty. A bit too much gristly fat if ya ask me). For that price they could throw in some eggs too as filler. Service is okay, but the servers always seem to be in a frenzy even if the restaurant isn't half full? And each time we went, they've tried to seat us right by the doorway on the uncomfortable high tables. First time we tolerated it. Second time we asked for a real table. It's still a popular place that will probably end up lasting, but for way cheaper I'll go somewhere else or cook my own breakfast.
(3)Shawn S.
Best breakfast on the east side, hands down! High quality ingredients and good service. Love this place.
(5)Susan C.
We're just finishing a late breakfast and were pleased with our first experience at BBB. The wait was 15-20 mins, but once seated I was pleasantly surprised by the service and especially by how quickly our food arrived. I had the BBB platter and my husband had the BBB skillet. Both were very good. The eggs were especially delicious, the andouille deliciously spicy, and the Octane coffee was fabulous. I had sausage gravy on my biscuit and this was the weak link for me. It's now Saturday at 1:40 pm and the place is only about half-full. Might be a good time to check out this new spot. My go-to breakfast spot is still firmly Over Easy, but Big Bad Breakfast is a worthy contender. Final word, after I wrote the previous we were talked into getting a milkshake. We ordered mocha flavored, the ticket mistakenly said chocolate, and we ended up with vanilla. Good vanilla, but a bit of a mess getting it.
(3)Teresa M.
Ok. I have tried this restaurant twice and won't be back. It is over priced for what it is and the taste and quality are lacking...greatly. I have ordered a skillet and another plate breakfast and neither were any good.
(2)Ken J.
Great breakfast! Had the BBB & it was delicious. Only warning is that the bacon is a little spicy!
(4)Beth B.
The 3-star rating is mostly based on their comfortable, attractive decor & the friendly, knowledgeable and just the right amount of attentive server. As for the food....I'll start with the props: Best.Bacon.Ever. Our order of two "medium over-easy" eggs were done perfectly (as far as I'm concerned, getting the egg order right is one of the best ways to test a chef's abilities!). The raspberry jam was great quality. On to the room for improvement. The Yard Work skillet was just "meh." The Pain Perdu was delicious, but the menu said "served with strawberries," and we were very disappointed that this turned out to be 3 thin slices of strawberries (so thin, they looked to have been sliced on a mandoline!). With strawberries in season, there's just no excuse for the skimpiness. Now the "homefries." They were seasoned nicely, but they were small cubes of potatoes, without much of a crisp/carmelization on them - they looked (and tasted) a bit anemic. Were they steamed? And as for the baked goods - the biscuits were good, but not exceptional, and the croissants were not scratch-made. For a restaurant that gives so much love to making exceptional meats, why no equal love for the baked goods? And there isn't a single muffin, cookie, brownie or slice of pie on the menu. They are truly missing the boat on revenue possibilities from pastries. Since the bacon was so awesome, and the eggs done right, we will try them a second time. Our hope is that the kitchen is still working things out. The lunch menu looks interesting. We're looking forward to coming back to try the Co-cola Fried Chicken & the Pimento BLT.
(3)Mark S.
Heard about this place so I thought I'd finally go and see what the talk was about. By 830 in the morning the place was already packed with a 10 minute wait. The restaurant has this slightly edgy feel about it, not like your usual Alabama breakfast house. While we waited to be seated it was nice to have a real brewed cup of coffee and espresso from their coffee bar and not just regular bland breakfast café coffee. Their menu is limited but their flavors were different and good at the same time. They have their own bacon and sausage which is slightly spicy. Their potatoes were just average and the grits were creamy with a slightly nutty flavor. I want to return to try something else on the menu but as far as my first impression I feel they were above average but not great.
(3)Marshal R.
Ok this place was great. I went on Saturday around noon and they were busy but I found the wait time reasonable and the service time for food was great. I had the shrimp and grits and not only was it different than most shrimp n grits I've had at other places but it was absolutely Devine. If there wouldn't have been so many people in there I would have licked the bowl. I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. After I have tried some more things I might be ready to go 5 stars. This is NOT a quick serve pancake house... BBB serves a very HIGH quality of food and if they happen to be busy when you go it's well worth the wait.
(4)Heather O.
Good service. Clean restaurant. The food is good but everything I've had has had WAY too much spice or pepper. Even the bacon was too spicy for me to eat.
(3)Jeff S.
Five trips...five long waits...five mediocre meals...and five poor servers. Today, the food was really not edible. Grits and eggs were cold, biscuit was cold enough that the melted butter brushed on it was congealed. Ham was way to salty, which for me is not usually a problem and the red eye gravy was a bizarre concoction unlike any red eye gravy I have eaten. Our server was slow moving and another server had to step in to take care of us several times (she was the pleasant exception). A worker cut his hand in front of us and after pointing it out to another server, wiped his hands together and continued sorting silverware. Then when the girl that brought our food tried to give it to the people leaning against the bar, we indicated it was ours. She said who had the BBB with ham, to which I responded verbally and by reaching out to take the plate. She sat the plate down in front of the person beside me so I reached to swap them and she sighed loudly and huffed..."did you order that?" And walked off. Sorry, I really wanted too like this place as evidenced by five attempts, but it really doesn't offer any thing special.
(1)Paul N.
I've been here a few times. Poor service is something you forgive when a place first opens, but not after a few months. The food is reasonable compared to some other primo breakfast spots here in town, but service is lacking. I would rather pay more money and have a better all around experience at a place like another broken egg since I don't go out for breakfast that often.
(2)Jamaal B.
Food is great!!! Forgot to take pics of it but..... The service was great!!! I'm going back soon
(5)Scott M.
I imagine that i am the perfect customer for BBB: Foodie who eats only locally-sourced ingredients prepared with care, waiting for an over-the-mountain breakfast place for some time. I was excited to eat here today, but I was disappointed in the end. I had the shrimp and grits. The grits, sauce, meat and eggs were very good. Tasty, indeed. However, the shrimp... yuck. Just plain bad. Room-temp, veiny, rubbery, soft, mushy... bad. They ruined the dish. The gross factor on them was way up there, what a shame. If the chef/owner would have had my meal today, he'd have been upset, I'm sure
(2)Lisa A.
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and 4 stars because we were there just after noon on Sunday. They were packed. We were told there was a 40 minute wait and enjoyed the pleasant weather outside while we waited. We were texted about 30 minutes later that our table was ready. It took a while for anyone to take our drink order and when our server arrived, she was clearly a little bit overwhelmed. Our daughter ordered pancakes, I got the Yard Work skillet, and my husband got some sort of Cajun skillet with shrimp. It took a bit of time to get our food, but not too long. We both enjoyed our skillets very much. Our daughter was not super impressed with the pancakes. It was a bit loud and the wait staff lacked a little motivation, but we enjoyed the food enough to make up for that.
(4)Shannon T.
This was my first time here and my boyfriends second time here. I got the French toast which was delicious almost reminded me of funnel cake and honestly who does not like funnel cake? My bf got the cowboy drifter that was the first thing I eyed when I looked at the menu but knowing I would get a bite I went with the French toast. The cowboy drifter was delicious and in my boyfriends words " this is so much better than the first time I got it and it was good the first time." We both really enjoyed our breakfast and the experience. Reading other reviews I notice a common theme of service while our server was not over the top she was attentive. Give this place one more month and the machine will be well oiled and working. My only suggestions would be to put a few more hooks by the tall tables for purses, and only in my opinion the chicken sausage was a bit spicy but good just maybe not with French toast. We will be back!
(4)Trey H.
This is actually my second review of the BBB. I am retracting my previous review because they have now been in business a few more months and should have everything pretty much worked out by now. SUPER nice staff. James the manager was very intent on making sure every table in the house was touched and asked if everything ok. My first review I questioned "things" in my eggs. Seems they offer a herb sprinkle and I got one both times I've been there it seems without ordering it. I asked and they do go on and salt AND PEPPER your eggs for you. So if that's something you like to do yourself you need to tell them that you want them plain plain plain or they will not be. - I noticed another reviewer mentioned the funny color Orange Juice. Now that you mention it, it looked a little Sunny-D ish. I didn't noticed a big difference in taste though so not sure where the color is coming from. Biscuits Sausage Gravy EXCELLENT! BACON - BIG THICK AND AWESOME! - GRITS - HOMEMADE AND THE BEST YOU"LL EVER EAT. So there are some really great things about this place. I'll be back and hope to add another star to my review next time. Very nice attentive staff also..
(3)D B.
Good but not great. Minus 1 star for the red eye gravy - learn to make it or stop serving it. Service was very slow and they need fans outside, but the server was nice and friendly.
(2)Amanda B.
We have been here three times now. Twice during the week and once in a Saturday (which is a huge mistake). Service is poor every time. The staff spends more time talking and laughing behind the counter with each other than providing for their customers. Bacon is great! Grits are okay but have a strong garlic taste. We have the omlettes or the short stack. Neither impressive. The second time we came which was a weekday when it wasn't busy at all and our waitress mixed our cards up with another table. Unfortunately for the lone guy he paid for our whole meal and drinks. He will have to wait until the bank issued him a refund but don't worry they also got the rest from our card too with no apology from a manager or any kind of discount. We will purchase the bacon since you can buy it by the pound while there and cook it at home for now on.
(2)Brandon W.
I have been back to BBB after my first (interesting) experience. I have to say the reception the second go around was great. The food was good, and the service was great as well. I do have to say that the prices are a bit on the high side, but as with most things you get what you pay for. First experience: My girlfriend and I showed up at about 2:55pm, not realizing that they closed at 3:00pm. The hostess had to check with the General Manager (a red headed woman), who told her she could seat us. We told the hostess that we didn't realize they closed at 3, that we didn't want to inconvenience them, and that we would be happy to come back and try them out another time. My girlfriend and I both work in restaurants (much higher end ones than this establishment), so we know how it goes. The hostess insisted that we sit down and told us that it was no inconvenience, so we did. About four minutes later, the general manager came over, very rudely asked if we had ordered yet, and told us that we needed to order "ASAP". We already knew this, and were already planning to order as quickly as possible. If she didn't want to serve us , she could have simply said "I'm sorry we're closed", and we would have happily come back later. However she chose to serve us, then was rude to us afterwards. This is extremely unprofessional, and unacceptable. I hope the people she works for are aware of the way she is running their restaurant. The food however, and our server were both excellent. We will probably be back, and hopefully we won't get in trouble for wanting to eat next time...
(4)Joe F.
Big Bad Breakfast is a fitting name. The portions are Big, Bad: the taste of the sausage stayed with me all morning. I will not be going back
(1)LC M.
Alright food. Some of the slowest service ive ever had, which is odd considering the amount of servers they had staffed. The orange juice was good, but for the size glass i got for 4 dollars i could have gone without. The host had a very poor excuse for the hour long wait . He said he thought it was going to rain all day so he sent home his patio servers. Again, i counted upwards of 10 servers. The place has only 20 tables plus an extended bar...so needless to say i was not buying that excuse. I saw my 3 times the entire 2 hours i was there. Overall i wish i had two more hands so that i could give them four thumbs down.
(1)Ryan B.
This place is going to be great once they work out the kinks. We experienced the typical slow service, long ticket times that you have to expect with a new restaurant. If you go to a brand new restaurant, in its first couple of weeks and expect a seamless experience then you've been sniffing glue. The food we received was good. My eggs were over medium as requested. My wife's blueberry pancakes looked beautiful but were raw in the middle. The tomato gravy was good. The biscuits were outstanding. The bacon was nice and crisp, but was in my opinion too spicy for kids. James the operating partner said they were looking at adding a more kid friendly bacon option. Speaking of James, he was the saving grace of our whole visit. His repeated visits to our table and the tables around us, doing everything he could to take care of us is one of the main reasons we will go back. So when they've had time to work the bugs out and streamline their process it will, in my opinion, be one of the better places to get breakfast. More representative of a restaurant owned by one of the most successful restaurateurs in the state and a James Beard award winning chef.
(2)Ron G.
I usually enjoy TBBB and have arrived between 6-7 am on Sun since it opened. So I arrive this past Sun at 6:55 am as some people are leaving with 2 bags of to-go food. I am then told by a young man who appeared to have gotten very little sleep that they didn't open for 5 mins. Why not say "our hrs have changed so have a seat and we will be right with you". This plus the fact that its a bit of a hike for me to get there will make me not eat there again. I found this to be very unprofessional for a breakfast place that charges the better part of $20 a person. Very disappointed! P.S. According to Yelp they open at 6 am and are "open right now!".
(2)Darrell N.
I went here last week on a weekday morning, so it wasn't too crowded. Antonio waited on me and was very nice and seemed knowledgeable about the menu. I went with the "Country Traveler" which was very tasty. Everything was cooked just right. I would really like to try a lot more things here, especially a Bloody Mary next time. Highly recommend this place.
(4)Michele S.
280 desperately needed a breakfast spot! Couldn't wait to try BBB but was disappointed in service. We waited 45 minutes to be seated - no problem. But we waited 15 minutes for drinks to arrive (water) and nearly a full hour for food to arrive! Service must improve. Kitchen was backed up but wow!!!
(2)Frank B.
Best breakfast in town. Bar none. Passable Bloody Mary. Specialty coffee drinks. Good staff, for the most part. Bartenders seem to provide the best service.
(5)Thomas C.
I have been fortunate to dine at some great restaurants across the country and this one - for what it is - compares favorably. Granted some of the food is not the normal breakfast faire Sometimes you need a gourmet breakfast or hamburger that will leave you so stuffed and satisfied that it is hard to eat the next two meals. When that is what I am craving, Big Bad Breakfast fits the bill. And they have to lose money on the fresh squeezed orange juice. Go to the counter and you can see if being made in a really cool machine. Each glass has six oranges. I could drink two glasses of that and leave fulfilled. My first visit was on July 4 and it was packed at 11 a.m. Having just been discharged from the hospital and retrieved by my family, I was starving. We each got something different to sample the menu - two adults and three kids. We bought packs of the sausage to take home it is so good. It has a lot of sage in it. That gives it a unique taste that will be a "love-hate" deal but I love it. The pancakes were wonderful and had syrup that tasted like it came straight from a maple tree in Vermont. Our young kids hated the bacon which is spicy. All the better for the grown-ups who loved it. The burgers give those at Chez Fon Fon and Little Bottega a run for their money and you don't have to drive. I wish they sold their cheese by the pound too. I have seen reviews chastising the service but I have always had a good experience. The kitchen is not as fast as Waffle House or McDonalds but I like having twenty minutes to linger over my coffee or iced tea when having a great meal in a pleasant setting.
(5)Steve H.
Food good; service bad. If not on a hurry, it's good. Otherwise, you'll be late for your appointment.
(1)Jeff M.
Food was creative and delicious. Service was perfect. One of the partners actually talked at length with us! I am now a regular.
(5)Carmen Q.
Visiting from Atlanta! We came to visit Birmingham for a few days and have eaten at Big Bad Breakfast every single day. Shrimp & Grits YES! Creole Omlet YES! Creola Skillet YES! French Toast YES! Spicy Bacon YES! Grits YES! Pancakes YES! Co-Cola Fried Chicken YES! Bruleed Grapefruit YES! Very fresh juice, perfect coffee & the tea was perfect temperature. All with excellent customer service. Everything was EVERYTHING!!
(5)Corrie D.
We were beyond excited to try BBB. However, when we arrived at 11:45am today (Sunday), thinking we were beating the church crowd, we were told there would be at LEAST an 85 minute wait. I looked around and saw a party of 8+ waiting for a table and an additional 2-4 waiting inside. The hostess informed us that there were at least 20 people ahead of us....I have NO CLUE where those 20 people were hiding. The kicker was that there were easily 5 empty tables outside and I counted 4 empty tables inside. Still eager to try BBB, but they definitely need to work on their customer service, and becoming more efficient in managing tables/wait times.
(1)Jane Y.
Went there for Sunday brunch with 2 people and had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated and maybe an additional 20 for food to come. The waitress was very nice and helpful but did forget things occasionally. I had the big bad breakfast plate and it was a ridiculous amount of food. It was good but the home fries could have been a little more flavorful, especially to match the rest of the food. They serve breakfast cocktails which is refreshing to see on a Sunday in the south. My fiancé had the Move on Over and it was actually really good. It seemed like typical college boy food but it ended up being awesome (almost like a crazy topped hotdog spread out on a plate). Oh and the biscuits were amazing.
(5)Jennifer W.
Stopped in this morning as it came highly recommended. The atmosphere is great and the place looked very clean. I ordered the big bad breakfast. The eggs were the best I have ever had. The andouille was good and spicy but the casing was very tough. The potatoes were the frozen kind and very soggy. Not good at all. If you are going to use frozen potatoes then tots are the way to go Yes, even for breakfast The biscuit and sausage gravy were nothing special. My boyfriend had the shrimp and grits. He thought it was very good. It was a small portion but adequate for breakfast. With these two meals, two small juices, tax and tip, breakfast for two was $35. This is way to high. We might go back for lunch but the cost for what we had for breakfast is just way to high to return.
(3)William B.
We went to BBB after church on Father's Day expecting a big crowd, especially for a new custom restaurant on the 280 corridor. What we did not expect was the extremely long wait for our food after we were seated and ordered. Extensive and unique menu as advertised: I had the big Bad Breakfast plate and spouse had the Eggs Benedict. Both came with runny, barely cooked egg whites. The ham on the Eggs Benedict was full of gristle and mostly inedible. The 'red eye' gravy had a peculiar flavor, not like traditional red eye, and was spicy hot. Maybe you'll like it - I didn't. The good points: crispy bacon, great biscuits (crunchy outside, fluffy inside), creamy grits. We asked for the homemade jams and were give a small taste in little metal cups. Why so stingy? Service was, as noted above, slow, and also poor. The waitress was not very concerned about our comments on the food quality. Overall: BBB will have to step it up several notches to survive. We may go back to try something else on the menu, but not till my indigestion with my first visit fades.
(1)Jacky V.
I LOVE this place! I live DT Bham and it's totally worth the drive. The food is AMAZING. We have gone here 2 weekends in a row. You need to order the biscuits. All of the gravies are life changing. They make homemade jams that are FREAKING AWESOME. The service is also top notch. Alexa is such a sweet hostess and greets you with smile and a "yes mam". As for your waiter? Ask for Amanda. Amanda is such a kind waitress. She is quick, personable and gives great service! Tip her big!
(5)Tony B.
I guess they are using "Bad" in the colloquial sense. While my experience wasn't bad (in the literal sense), it sure wasn't good. I'll give full props to the local sourcing and fresh house made menu. The space is pretty great, too...it has an urban bustle and feel without the sense of being overcrowded. Food and service was where I really found them falling short. Service alone fell flat on its face, which I think had an adverse effect on the quality of food. Our server was so far in the weeds, a commercial weed-eater and landscaping crew couldn't have saved her. She was bumbling, confused, and just plain disorganized. I don't know if she was just having a bad day, but her inability to do her job resulted in my having a bad day. The food has potential. It was relatively underwhelming and bland. And because of our poor service, my food was barely room temp. The menu has a great diversity and is creative. I feel inclined to give it another try the next time I pass through the area. Hopefully service will be up to par. My advice...give it a shot, but keep expectations modest...especially if they are busy.
(3)Dennis P.
Best place around to get your spicy Cajun breakfast fix... My favorite is the Skillets (cast iron) The CREOLA which has Crawfish, Andouille, onions, bell peppers, Creole seasonings hash, two eggs scrambled and cheddar cheese with toast or biscuits... Also I love the LOW COUNTRY SCRAMBLE which is awesome!
(5)Jessica G.
This is one busy place on a Saturday but once you eat here you will understand why. There meals are big (so the names suggest), southern, and tasty. With such friendly staff, you feel right at home. It took me a while to decided what I wanted. They also have brunchy drinks like breakfast margaritas, mimosas, and bloody Marys. But if that's not your taste they serve octane coffee. I decided on the creole skillet. My waitress brought it out sizzling in a cast iron skillet. It's a scramble of eggs, andouille sausage, crawfish, peppers, tomatoes, onions, Cajun potato hash, smothered in cheddar cheese. It comes with toast and they have gluten free too. It was so good. I will have to try their scrimp and grits next time. BBB gets my vote on the heartiest breakfast I have ever eaten.
(5)Andrea B.
This is certainly a hot spot and it was busy when we visited for a weekend brunch. We asked for first available which ended up being seating on the patio - which was lovely, thank goodness it wasn't too hot. I went for Yard Work - a scramble with summer veggies, goat and swiss cheese and a biscuit. Sadly, it was a little underwhelming. My scrambled eggs were a little undercooked and a bit softer/runnier than I would have liked. While the fresh veggies were nice, I would have preferred them a little more cooked/less crunchy. My husband did the Big Bad Breakfast and it was loaded with meat, just as he hoped. He thought it was good, but nothing amazing. Both of us thought the biscuits were a little dry. I am glad we checked this place out, but for us - it seemed it was mostly hype, not a lot of delivery.
(2)William T.
Great that they source locally bad that they don't have great food or service. My wife and I went to brunch on a late Saturday morning. We started with a mimosa which was $7 and that is not bottomless. Just 1.... We then both ordered sprite. The sprite was messed up, I guess that haven't changed out the syrup so it was basically soda water and to boot my wife's drink had red stuff floating all around in the glass and caked to the sides. After asking to switch to water 10 minutes later when the server finally came back. We finally had something to drink. We ordered breakfast and we were excited because everything sounded great on the menu. We ordered the big bad breakfast, ya know when in Rome. Breakfast came out. Biscuit was dry, sausage gravy had no sausage, bacon was good but way to spicy for the average consumer. Eggs on the other hand were great. Finally the bill came. $40 for the two of us to eat. We were changed: $7 per mimosa $8.99 per breakfast $1.99 per sprite (which we had promptly sent back with only a few sips taken $3.99 to add sausage to the sausage gravy. We will not being going back and we hate that because the company was founded in our home state in the great city of Oxford. We hate that we didn't like it because it is close to the house. But with bad service, bad food, and as many options as we have in the Birmingham area. It is just not worth the time!
(1)Gregory S.
Off the meatrack! Greeted immediately as I sat at the bar and ordered coffee and water. One of the most popular dishes on the menu was in my sights: Creole Skillet! Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Cheddar & scrambled eggs, and roasted potatoes. I also ordered a side of Big Bad Bacon which has a slight kick! Delicious choice as their signature side! Their toast comes with both apple butter and a blueberry jam....both fresh with smooth texture. Bring a pillow or a snuggy! Thanks for the great service Antonio!
(5)Scott M.
Great food, friendly service. 9:30 on Sunday, no wait. Great place for breakfast. Read the bad reviews, we had no problems and the food was great. Sat outside, little warm, but nice atmosphere. Service was good. Will go back again if I'm in the area.
(5)Preeyam P.
I had been meaning to make a trip out to Big Bad Breakfast and I'm so glad I finally did it! First I should say that I went on Saturday morning (10AM) and excepted a very long wait. Instead, we were told it would be a 30 minute wait but it actually ended up only being 15-20 minutes. This is VERY impressive for a Saturday morning. The staff was all hands on deck. Everyone was waiting, bartending and bussing tables. The wait for a drink at the front table was a little long. They had one register, which was the same line to order and pick up drinks so it was a little confusing and backed up. The only negative thing about my experience was that I had to wait 10-15 minutes for a bloody mary. But I should say it was totally worth it! All the drinks (including coffee) are very reasonably priced. The menu is very diverse with a bunch of fantastic options. I got the Cahaba Lily and would 100% recommend it. The omelette was incredibly fluffy and the best part about it were the FRESH herbs and tomatoes. I thought the omelette had a little bit too much swiss cheese on it but that may not be an issue for most people. The biscuit was pretty fluffy but maybe a little dry but the fantastic jellies (blueberry and strawberry) rescued it. The texture on the grits was perfect. Everyone at our table was a member of the clean plate club so you know it was a great experience! I should say that the creole omelette comes with a tomato gravy and this is just DIVINE! I could sit there and eat an entire bowl of it. Very impressed by the service and food, would definitely go back and recommend people to dine here.
(5)Rachel L.
This is hands down my favorite place to eat in Birmingham. Everything on the menu is superb, but you have got to try something with the Big Bad Bacon the first time you go (). They serve delicious Octane coffee and offer cocktails (except on Sunday). The staff is always friendly and accommodating. We always bring our pup and sit outside on the patio. It's not cheap so I can't do it every weekend, but I go every chance I get. It's also not close to where I live, but I've made the drive many times and I will continue to do so because it is just THAT GOOD. I've heard they may be opening a second location and that would be incredible. Please. Please. Pretty please.
(5)Emily C.
At 9am on a Saturday, there was a 30-40 minute wait. But, it's the week they opened, so that's not surprising. The cool thing about this place is that when you put your name in, you give them your phone number and they send your phone a text when your table is ready. My friend and I opted for a seat outside, given that our only options when seated were tall tables and to be honest, those bar stools do not look comfortable for long term sitting (figured we'd be there awhile since it was so busy). All in all, we were at the restaurant for a total of about 2 hours, but our waiter remained attentive to our needs. I got the "Everything" burger - it's a lot of food, but I have seen more ridiculous burgers in my time, so it was an easy challenge. It's a standard burger with lettuce/tomato but comes topped with cheese, chili, egg, and slaw. I had a side of the most perfectly diced home fries I've ever seen. My friend got the Yard Work skillet and added pork belly. When asked what kind of jelly she wanted, she was caught between raspberry and peach - and the waiter just brought one of each. Nice! (FYI, the raspberry was superior.) If this place wasn't convenient to where I already live, I would be hard pressed to make the trip out here, given the variety of breakfast options in Birmingham proper. But I will say BBB has a fantastic menu full of variety and surprises, and maybe it's good they were so busy because I needed some extra time to take in their offerings and make my decision. Also they have breakfast drinks but as of today (6/8/14) they have not yet acquired the proper license to sell. Hopefully that won't take too long! Definitely make time to try this place, and the earlier you can get there (they open at 6am and close at 3pm, every day), the less time you will probably have to wait. Here is the full menu, courtesy of AL.com : media.al.com/entertainme…
(4)Brooke W.
5-stars to the bacon!!! Best bacon I've ever put in my mouth. That being said...the food is good, but not great (other than the bacon). I ordered pancakes, and they came with a huge scoop of butter, as well as whipped cream and strawberries. One of the reasons I didn't give the entire experience five stars was due to the fact they either need a new air conditioning unit or they need to turn the temperature down. It was in the mid-90's outside when we were there, and where we sat was at least 80 degrees, and we weren't even in the front of the restaurant next to the windows. It put a damper on the whole experience. Also, the staff isn't that friendly. When we walked in, the hostess just looked at me and expected me to say what I needed. I understand people have bad days, though, and I'm not really going to a restaurant to experience kindness and a great attitude. Just know that if you're going for a friendly staff experience, you probably won't find it here. Bottom line: I'll definitely go again when the temperature outside is cooler. Be prepared to wait if you're going around lunch as well.
(3)Herb L.
Service is hit or miss. When wait staff is efficient and can multi task your food somehow tastes better in the morning. Otherwise, your morning coffee gets cold, empty, and you're just cranky. My 4-5 visits I had couple of times food was cold or luke warm. But half the times food was spot on. Thick bacons are good and coffee from Octane is spot on when filled and hot.
(4)Amanda M.
Love this place! I have been here three times, and it has never disappointed! The food is excellent, the service is very good, and the prices are reasonable as well. I also like that BBB offers the option of outdoor seating. To be honest, I really haven't branched out beyond The Creole Omelet because it is soooo darn delicious. The eggs are SUPER fluffy and the biscuits and homemade jam are fantastic as well--I seriously don't know how BBB gets their eggs sooo fluffy... my mouth is watering just thinking about it. But I digress, seriously, just go! :-)
(5)Pam D.
I'm glad to see Birmingham has a great breakfast/brunch restaurant. The service is great, friendly and attentive. They make their own jelly, having saying that it does change periodically, so if your just a grape jelly only kind of person you may or not be able to get grape. Food portions are huge. Everything looked and sounded yummy. The coffee here is excellent quality, no Maxwell House in this place. I look forward to coming back here on my next visit back home. From the crowds that keep coming in this place is going to be around for a long time.
(5)Abby G.
Is there a rating for less than 1 star? It was certainly a "bad" breakfast, but let's just say we were glad there is a Chick-fil-a close by. We were excited to try BBB and went on a Saturday morning with our 2 children. Our waitress took our order, came back with our drinks and told us she would come back with straws. 45 minutes later we saw her again, waved her down to see where our food was (others who arrived after us had already eaten) and she asked if we wanted a to go cup (what?!?). At this point it was clear she had totally forgotten to place our food order and that we were even there which was totally bizarre. No apology or explanation just terrible service. I wish we could rate it based on the food but the service was so bad we didn't even get to taste it after being there over an hour. The drinks were overpriced too. Don't let BBB start your day on a sour note like it did ours.
(1)Kyler R.
This always a nice place to grab breakfast they don't offer many meat options other than pork but the breakfast is good and it's a nice serving for a reasonable price I recommend stopping here at least once while in Alabama.
(4)Jayme T.
I really liked this place. It's the perfect balance of modern and classic. Great coffee and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, which I love! I would definitely call this place more of a brunch place than breakfast which is great for someone like me. I work weekends and miss out on brunch so it's nice having a weekday brunch option.
(4)Russ M.
I visited for lunch...so, might not have gotten the best impression possible. But, according to other Yelper's reviews my experience is not out of the ordinary. I had the burger served with home fries. The Home Fries were served to me cold...it is a pet peeve for me but I am NOT a fan of cold fries. My burger was ok, just ok. Bun fell apart because burger was too greasy (if they had placed the lettuce under the burger patty it would have given support to the bun). I would like to try breakfast and update this review afterwards.
(3)Colin S.
Great breakfast/brunch place for those who partake in such activities. Service was prompt and friendly. My only complaint was the excessive wait time when there were clearly a half-dozen outdoor tables available. I assume that they were understaffed for post-Iron Bowl brunch, but it's difficult to completely disregard the wait. There were easily ten other groups waiting for seats outside the entrance in the parking lot. I opted for the Creole Omelet, which was generous to say the least. The eggs were well cooked although the catfish was not particularly noticeable. The gratuitous amount of home fries only added to my indulgence. Don't expect to be able to finish the entire meal.
(4)Jim M.
Today was my first time eating here. It was great! I sat at the counter and the service could not be beat. My coffee and water were kept full and a pleasant check on how things were going and tasting. I travel a good bit and breakfast is one of my favorite meals. This place is now one of my favorites! A menu full of original homemade items that were full of flavor. The fact that there is a waiting list to get in all weekend long if further proof of how good this place is. I am looking forward to going back and trying more of their scrumptious looking meals
(5)Rebekah S.
After a 30 minute wait outside in 102 degree weather, we are seated. It turns out the hostess didn't mention that the air conditioner wasn't working. I definitely wouldn't have stuck around to eat in the heat, but at this point t it's too late. Our server was nice and attentive and made the nest of it. I ordered the Belgian waffle which is $9. It's one flavorless waffle with half a strawberry and some whipped cream. My boyfriend ordered the big bad breakfast and he liked it. He said the meat was good. I wouldn't go back. It was just too disappointing of an experience. It was over priced and doesn't live up to the hype. There's way better brunches in Birmingham.
(2)Camille M.
A bit on the pricey side especially for the amount of food that you get but the quality is there. I love their bacon and the elvis sandwich. We've only been to this place once and it didn't really leave a lasting impression. We might go back one more time before we move out of state.
(3)Katherine M.
Got in the restaurant on a Saturday morning around 9 right away for a table of two. The oatmeal short stack was delicious, fluffy and sweet. The brown sugar tabasco bacon was okay; next time I'll order regular bacon but I'm not a huge fan of Tabasco. Overall positive experience and would recommend going back.
(4)Sheri C.
Local, fresh, house made everything!!! Our fave!! Beautiful housemade biacuits, all meats cured in house. Local preserves made from local fruits.
(5)Andrew M.
Big BAD Breakfast, I didn't know the name of the restaurant doubled as a warning sign. I had the creola which was incredibly disappointing. A very slight under seasoned creole seasoning, with a small cheese quesadilla smothered in egg. The sausage was good, however even a stray cat would be left hungry after that serving size of sausage I received. My girlfriend got the French toast which was too greasy to eat. However, she did have one great thing and that was the bacon, if they have one thing down, that was it. We didn't have anything wrong with our waitress, however, I would barely call her out waitress. She checked on us at the end of the meal to see if we needed refills, when we were finished eating 30 minutes later. Too expensive for what you get. Just get a plate of bacon if you do go there but I still wouldn't advise it.
(2)E B.
Nice setting and environment, service was good. I had the Big Bad Bacon skillet, was very spicy and could have used a little more eggs. My had the creole skillet,she liked it very much. The coffee was the best I've had. I would go again and try a sandwich they looked pretty good.
(3)Nathan P.
Absolutely incredible. The biscuit had to have been one of the best biscuits I have ever had. It has a sweet taste and comes with peach and raspberry jelly. The shrimp and grits were amazing. Very filling. It does have a bit of heat but was delicious. Great place for brunch. Great atmosphere and great for families or larger groups. They serve Octane Coffee which may have been better than the actually Octane Shop. They do have to-go orders if you don't want to wait. Food did take a bit to come out but it was also during a rush but well worth the wait. I recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Dee B.
Our fav breakfast spot!!! The bacon is amazing!! And the eggs! Staff is very friendly. Food comes out fast and hot. I've never had anything there that wasn't delicious. Even if you have to wait in line, it's worth the wait!!
(5)Courtney T.
This place is delicious! The wait on weekends can be lengthy but totally worth it. Make sure you get a biscuit or two with their yummy jam. And don't miss the bacon!
(5)Johnny B.
Now been multiple times, and at least one thing seems to go wrong every single time. Whether it's the service, the food, or the atmosphere--something is always off. For example, this past Saturday, we put in our drink orders, and the waitress responded, "ok, give me a minute on the drinks." We didn't get our drinks (diet cokes and waters) until a good fifteen minutes later. Waiting that long for waters is unacceptable. On previous visits, the inside has been unbearably hot and the tables grossly sticky. The food is generally of high quality--generally being the key word. The biscuits are dry and on the bland side. The gravy lacks flavor (the sausage gravy seems to have very little sausage in it). My date almost sent her pancakes back because some bites tasted of cleaning chemicals. On the other hand, the spicy bacon is incredible, the grits are pretty good, and my eggs have always been cooked to order. Above average breakfast food for sure, but not worth the drive down 280 if you don't live over there.
(3)nathan w.
Today was my first time at BBB, and I must say it was very satisfying. I judge a restaurant on three main things: Service Quality of food Atmosphere This place met and exceeded all expectations. I ordered the big lean breakfast, which I recommend. My only complaint is that the coffee wasn't very strong compared to "pikes place" coffee at Starbucks, and seemed more like waffle house quality. Free wifi would also be a plus, but not a big deal. I'd definitely come here again. It's about time we got decent breakfast joint on this side of town besides ihop and waffle house.
(5)Jacky V.
I LOVE this place! I live DT Bham and it's totally worth the drive. The food is AMAZING. We have gone here 2 weekends in a row. You need to order the biscuits. All of the gravies are life changing. They make homemade jams that are FREAKING AWESOME. The service is also top notch. Alexa is such a sweet hostess and greets you with smile and a "yes mam". As for your waiter? Ask for Amanda. Amanda is such a kind waitress. She is quick, personable and gives great service! Tip her big!
(5)Tony B.
I guess they are using "Bad" in the colloquial sense. While my experience wasn't bad (in the literal sense), it sure wasn't good. I'll give full props to the local sourcing and fresh house made menu. The space is pretty great, too...it has an urban bustle and feel without the sense of being overcrowded. Food and service was where I really found them falling short. Service alone fell flat on its face, which I think had an adverse effect on the quality of food. Our server was so far in the weeds, a commercial weed-eater and landscaping crew couldn't have saved her. She was bumbling, confused, and just plain disorganized. I don't know if she was just having a bad day, but her inability to do her job resulted in my having a bad day. The food has potential. It was relatively underwhelming and bland. And because of our poor service, my food was barely room temp. The menu has a great diversity and is creative. I feel inclined to give it another try the next time I pass through the area. Hopefully service will be up to par. My advice...give it a shot, but keep expectations modest...especially if they are busy.
(3)Dennis P.
Best place around to get your spicy Cajun breakfast fix... My favorite is the Skillets (cast iron) The CREOLA which has Crawfish, Andouille, onions, bell peppers, Creole seasonings hash, two eggs scrambled and cheddar cheese with toast or biscuits... Also I love the LOW COUNTRY SCRAMBLE which is awesome!
(5)Jessica G.
This is one busy place on a Saturday but once you eat here you will understand why. There meals are big (so the names suggest), southern, and tasty. With such friendly staff, you feel right at home. It took me a while to decided what I wanted. They also have brunchy drinks like breakfast margaritas, mimosas, and bloody Marys. But if that's not your taste they serve octane coffee. I decided on the creole skillet. My waitress brought it out sizzling in a cast iron skillet. It's a scramble of eggs, andouille sausage, crawfish, peppers, tomatoes, onions, Cajun potato hash, smothered in cheddar cheese. It comes with toast and they have gluten free too. It was so good. I will have to try their scrimp and grits next time. BBB gets my vote on the heartiest breakfast I have ever eaten.
(5)Andrea B.
This is certainly a hot spot and it was busy when we visited for a weekend brunch. We asked for first available which ended up being seating on the patio - which was lovely, thank goodness it wasn't too hot. I went for Yard Work - a scramble with summer veggies, goat and swiss cheese and a biscuit. Sadly, it was a little underwhelming. My scrambled eggs were a little undercooked and a bit softer/runnier than I would have liked. While the fresh veggies were nice, I would have preferred them a little more cooked/less crunchy. My husband did the Big Bad Breakfast and it was loaded with meat, just as he hoped. He thought it was good, but nothing amazing. Both of us thought the biscuits were a little dry. I am glad we checked this place out, but for us - it seemed it was mostly hype, not a lot of delivery.
(2)William T.
Great that they source locally bad that they don't have great food or service. My wife and I went to brunch on a late Saturday morning. We started with a mimosa which was $7 and that is not bottomless. Just 1.... We then both ordered sprite. The sprite was messed up, I guess that haven't changed out the syrup so it was basically soda water and to boot my wife's drink had red stuff floating all around in the glass and caked to the sides. After asking to switch to water 10 minutes later when the server finally came back. We finally had something to drink. We ordered breakfast and we were excited because everything sounded great on the menu. We ordered the big bad breakfast, ya know when in Rome. Breakfast came out. Biscuit was dry, sausage gravy had no sausage, bacon was good but way to spicy for the average consumer. Eggs on the other hand were great. Finally the bill came. $40 for the two of us to eat. We were changed: $7 per mimosa $8.99 per breakfast $1.99 per sprite (which we had promptly sent back with only a few sips taken $3.99 to add sausage to the sausage gravy. We will not being going back and we hate that because the company was founded in our home state in the great city of Oxford. We hate that we didn't like it because it is close to the house. But with bad service, bad food, and as many options as we have in the Birmingham area. It is just not worth the time!
(1)Gregory S.
Off the meatrack! Greeted immediately as I sat at the bar and ordered coffee and water. One of the most popular dishes on the menu was in my sights: Creole Skillet! Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Cheddar & scrambled eggs, and roasted potatoes. I also ordered a side of Big Bad Bacon which has a slight kick! Delicious choice as their signature side! Their toast comes with both apple butter and a blueberry jam....both fresh with smooth texture. Bring a pillow or a snuggy! Thanks for the great service Antonio!
(5)Scott M.
Great food, friendly service. 9:30 on Sunday, no wait. Great place for breakfast. Read the bad reviews, we had no problems and the food was great. Sat outside, little warm, but nice atmosphere. Service was good. Will go back again if I'm in the area.
(5)Preeyam P.
I had been meaning to make a trip out to Big Bad Breakfast and I'm so glad I finally did it! First I should say that I went on Saturday morning (10AM) and excepted a very long wait. Instead, we were told it would be a 30 minute wait but it actually ended up only being 15-20 minutes. This is VERY impressive for a Saturday morning. The staff was all hands on deck. Everyone was waiting, bartending and bussing tables. The wait for a drink at the front table was a little long. They had one register, which was the same line to order and pick up drinks so it was a little confusing and backed up. The only negative thing about my experience was that I had to wait 10-15 minutes for a bloody mary. But I should say it was totally worth it! All the drinks (including coffee) are very reasonably priced. The menu is very diverse with a bunch of fantastic options. I got the Cahaba Lily and would 100% recommend it. The omelette was incredibly fluffy and the best part about it were the FRESH herbs and tomatoes. I thought the omelette had a little bit too much swiss cheese on it but that may not be an issue for most people. The biscuit was pretty fluffy but maybe a little dry but the fantastic jellies (blueberry and strawberry) rescued it. The texture on the grits was perfect. Everyone at our table was a member of the clean plate club so you know it was a great experience! I should say that the creole omelette comes with a tomato gravy and this is just DIVINE! I could sit there and eat an entire bowl of it. Very impressed by the service and food, would definitely go back and recommend people to dine here.
(5)Rachel L.
This is hands down my favorite place to eat in Birmingham. Everything on the menu is superb, but you have got to try something with the Big Bad Bacon the first time you go (). They serve delicious Octane coffee and offer cocktails (except on Sunday). The staff is always friendly and accommodating. We always bring our pup and sit outside on the patio. It's not cheap so I can't do it every weekend, but I go every chance I get. It's also not close to where I live, but I've made the drive many times and I will continue to do so because it is just THAT GOOD. I've heard they may be opening a second location and that would be incredible. Please. Please. Pretty please.
(5)Joshua N.
Totally awesome place. Devore is awesome, the bar is great and food was perfect. We own a restaurant and were extremely impressed with this place. And it was really cheap!
(5)David M.
I have never waited so long at a restaurant in my life, even if the food is really good this place has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
(1)Ann I.
Fantastic!!! The service is great and the food is amazing. They even go out of their way to make sure you have a great experience. One time I ordered takeout. When I got it home, I realized they left out the grits. So, I called them. The person on the phone happened to be the manager. He apologized profusely and offered a complete meal on the house next time I came in. Needless to say, I've been back multiple times since then :) A must try is the waffle!!! Yum! I'm not a fan of the burger. It seems bland. But, the shrimp and grits are fabulous!
(5)Drina B.
I really didn't like it here. I ordered the pancakes and chicken sausage. The sausage wasn't good at all. Maybe it was the day I went? The server wasn't pleasant either. Non-engaging. I literally ate half the breakfast I paid for and was okay with that. I might try this place again, but it will definitely be a while before I do.
(3)Rachel A.
Literally the best brunch/breakfast spot Ive been to in Bham. And I don't even like breakfast spots! This place is always packed so be prepared to wait! We were a table of 6. Service was excellent, drink refills were frequent and our waiter checked up on us before, during and after our meal. I got the yard work skillet and added chicken sausage - delicious combo! The biscuit was also seasoned well and melts in your mouth, peach jam is mm mm mm! Also best bloody mary to date in Bham. Definately will be back for more!!
(5)Brooke J.
The food at Big Bad Breakfast is great. I had the French toast with bacon. French toast was delicious and bacon was spicy and thick. Coffee was great. Mimosa was refreshing. My friend had the shrimp and grits which I tasted and were delicious. However she didn't enjoy the Bloody Mary. The service was good. They were packed but the bar is first come first serve so we snuck in there. Otherwise we wouldn't have stayed for the 40 min wait. Overall it was good and I'd recommend it. Great breakfast spot on 280.
(4)Craig N.
Didn't start off well. Took about 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged our existence. However, once the coffee arrived ( and boy did I need coffee) things started to roll. The coffee is great. Octane coffee is high quality and they even have ice coffee that is REAL ice coffee. I had the creole omelette and it was great. The eggs are kind of a strange texture.....and tried to figure out what they did and I can only figure out they must whip the heck out of it. They are strange in a good way. Light and fluffy and is huge when you consider its only 2 eggs. The grits were awesome. REAL grits....not the instant crap. Smooth and creamy. The creole sauce was excellent. Could put it on anything and it would be great. The biscuit was ok,...i have had better, but they will bring you homemade preserves which are outstanding. Make sure you ask for the preserves. Tops it all off. I will say the name is appropriate for the place. The Breakfast is Big....I didn't eat alllll day long after finishing breakfast about 10 AM. Definitely will be coming back even though it is a bit of a drive for us. I'd venture to say one of the best breakfasts i've had in Bham in a long time.
(4)Maria S.
While visiting family in Birmingham we indulged in BBB and was happy and satisfied with our breakfast experience. Finding it was a bit of a challenge for this out-of-towner, the sign isn't very visible and it's behind the Krispy Kreme, which would've got our business if not for family assistance. Our large group sat on the patio, perfect for the kiddos in our group. Our waiter was informative and patient. Being a curious Texan I tried the Texas Cowboy skillet and the spicy entree measured up! Completely full of flavor. The best part was their pepper biscuit. I could go for those alone. I should've tried their bacon since it's part of their niche, their own hog farm and all. I'd like to see this type of place in a Dallas suburb.
(5)Thomas G.
We had a short wait, sat outside, had great service. I ordered the breakfast special and everything was perfect. Particularly notable was the andouille sausage, biscuits, cheese grits, home made blackberry preserves....ah heck...it was all good. Highly recommended.
(5)Lacey E.
I wanted to try this much hyped place so we drove 20 minutes to do so. The hostess told us thirty minutes and it was 1 hour before we sat for breakfast. Fresh squeezed orange juice was good. Eggs had eggshells and were greasy. The bacon was VERY spicy which was a HUGE surprise to me as it wasn't mentioned on the menu. The biscuit was average. Wait staff was friendly and we had good service. Food came quickly but I won't return.
(2)Jeff T.
I have revisted BBB several times from my original review, things have improved quite a bit. Food is good to very good. Service could be and should be more attentive. Owner is a really nice guy and really cares, much improved
(4)A-V H.
Easily became one of my favorite breakfast spots in the city. Loved the breakfast Margaritas while we waited. Ended up getting a spot at the bar so we didn't have to wait out the hour that was projected. Our service was good. I enjoyed the shrimp and grits with my eggs to the side. The coca cola brine chicken was really good. Piping hot, juicy, and full of flavor! Definitey will be back soon.
(5)Craig S.
Definitely my top 5 breakfast places in Birmingham. I've had their double fried pork belly quesadilla and I have also had their Big Bad Breakfast skillet. Both are delicious and and very well seasoned. The place is lively and simultaneously retro and modern. They serve Octane coffee (local roaster), which a nice touch. Took a while to get our food, but it was pretty busy and I had good company so I didn't notice. The second time was not as slow. The real reason to go is their bacon! Oh my stars it is good! Try their spicy bacon if you like spicy stuff, it is even better. Recommended meal: - Freshly squeezed orange juice - Octane coffee - Biscuits w/ mango jelly - Double fried pork belly quesadilla - BACON! (Spicy if you dare)
(4)Kim M.
Went for the first time on Saturday. Waited about 25 minutes but given it was at 11 am on a Saturday I expected that. Their orange juice is absolutely delicious- just pure squeezed juice, no sugar added. I could have drank 5 glasses of it but at $3 a pop I limited myself to one. I got the creole omelet which was huge. The egg component was at least an inch thick and six inches wide, folded over with crawfish and andouille sausage. Delicious, but I didn't care for the tomato gravy. I also added a side of bacon because I wanted to see what the hype was about. Very delicious. The prices are a bit on the high side but given the ginormous portions I can justify it. This would be a once a month splurge for the family, not a weekly outing.
(4)Kyle L.
Great Food. Love the spicy bacon and the biscuits. Also the home made peach jam was very delicious. The Orange Juice was fresh . Everyone complaining about the long wait., what do you expect on a weekend morning !!!
(5)Derek K.
There are a lot of thorough reviews on this place already, so I won't repeat what I've already seen here. But I would like to add I've been twice, and I think the place is very good, ALBEIT poorly named. The name "BBB" demands large portions. "BBB" serves AVERAGE to SMALL portions. I've never left hungry, but I know people who have. The OJ-- now that's something I have to mention. I've never seen OJ that color. I think it's Tang. I swear it's not OJ-- unless they are caramelizing it in a sauce pan first?!? And why is it so expensive if it's not really organic fresh-squeezed?? The "large" is a 8-oz shot glass. Again, I think it's "cut" with something like Capri Sun lol. The staff-- I hate to say this, but this chain also owns Taziki's and must pull from the same pool of ADHD over-stimulated kids for all its restaurants. My grits came with a complimentary 8-inch black hair (I'm blonde) and literally you could see it from 5 feet away. This staff missed it-- a pretty big fail. Anyway, change the name, get realistic on your OJ, and look at each and every meal you serve with an eye to consistently & presentation and you will probably have a good restaurant here.
(3)Jennifer S.
Not impressed. Nothing fancy about this place except maybe some of their offerings, but overall, it's just another breakfast joint. I ordered the big bad breakfast, your typical 2 eggs, meat, carb & bread plate. I asked for my eggs scrambled, dry, but they came out runny. I chose their "special" bacon, that was so spicy, I couldn't eat it. I'm from LA, I love spicy food. That was a bit much. I also chose their hashbrowns, which were not hashbrowns, but more like home fries, little chunks of potatoes sauteed with onions. They would have been better if not overcooked so much. My friend specifically asked for their mild bacon instead of salty country ham on the eggs Benedict, & guess what? She got country ham. Maybe it was just the cooks in the kitchen our the waiter, but I know of much better breakfast places where the food is as advertised.
(2)Bill R.
We've eaten here four times so far and have really loved it. The servers have always been thoughtful and attentive. All of the food has been fantastic. The pork belly quesadilla is layered with interesting flavors and is just the right size. The burgers are perfectly executed. Don't miss the bacon. It's just a bit spicy and goes great with everything.
(5)Gene B.
Great food, as long as you've got time to spare. Don't plan on a quick meal here, at least not on the weekends. The times I've been, it seemed like they were short handed and as a result, service was very slow. Had the service been better/more timely, I'd have given 5 starts. The food is excellent, my favorites are the Brulee'd Grapefruit and the Eggs Benedict.
(3)Wes D.
Pros: food was delicious. Service was ok. Cons: paid $7 for a mimosa that came in a tiny flute... Felt very ripped off. If also took a long time to get the check -- which may be a big part of the reason why we waited FORTY minutes for a table. I'd prefer Rojo for brunch every time.
(2)Sak L.
The biscuit was delicious, as was the peach preserve. I didn't care for the chicken sausage, but everything else was good. Service was great even on this busy Easter Sunday.
(3)Robin C.
Shrimp and Grits....yum Big Breakfast Skillet....yum Belgian waffle a little soggy and served with strawberries after we asked for them to be left off Will definitely go back
(4)Nic G.
Had heard a lot of great things about Big Bad Breakfast from friends so I had to try it. BBB lived up to everything. Great atmosphere and fantastic food. I had the Creole Omlette and it had the fluffiest eggs I've ever had.
(5)Charles H.
This is our second time here and will be our last. The first time was horrible but we gave them the benefit of doubt and gave them a second chance. Second time was worse. It took almost an hour to get our food after we ordered. The waiter, Luis, forgot us several times. Our drinks ran out and another waiter filled our drinks for us. The food came out finally by some other waiter and was luke warm and all very bland. When our food arrived, we asked Luis for jelly for our toast. We never received it. Finally when we were done, I asked for the check and said when was our jelly coming out. We are very disappointed in this place and will never be back. Our opinion, Find somewhere else to go if you want breakfast/brunch.
(1)Andrea M.
Today we decided that instead of our usual breakfast spot we would give Big Bad Breakfast a try. Wow! What a great choice! The wait was about 25 minutes, but was worth every minute. We ordered the steak and eggs and were blown away by the quality and quantity. The steak was cooked to perfection and well seasoned. My only complaint was that I wish the home fries had more seasoning & onions. The tomato gravy is a must have and the homemade jelly was amazing. Our server, Meredith, was attentive and informative. By far the best waitress I've encountered in Birmingham! I think BBB is going to be our new go to spot since it cost us less than Over Easy for better service & food.
(5)Michael C.
If I was rich, they would make my breakfast every day. Unfortunately I'm not and can only afford it on special occasions. My motivation to make more money lies within the bowels of this restaraunt
(5)Heather G.
Giving the terrible service one star is generous! Service is slow and oblivious that customers exist. Have been here one hr and still no food. After waiting this long anything would taste good. The only thing that helps me cope is the booze. That is if you can get someone to make you a drink! HELP we are so hungry and starved for attention!
(1)Kristie F.
We stopped here on our way to FL. Well worth the trip. Husband and I had skillets. His was good and meaty. The veggies were local, fresh and tasty. Pancakes were generous and fluffy. Service was attentive and friendly. Love the decor with local artist's works. We will definitely go back!
(5)Daniel L.
I agree with several of the other reviews I have read about this place. First of all, the food is delicious. I had a skillet and would get it again. We also tried the pimento cheese BLT and it was phenomenal. The service time was the only aspect leaving something to be desired. It is still a new restaurant, so the systems are still getting the kinks worked out. It took a long time for us to get our beverages and a little while to get food, but the managers came by to check on us and make sure we were being taken care of. I would definitely come back.
(3)Luke D.
The food here is great. All the servers I've had have been very helpful and prompt, even when they're slammed on Saturday morning. Nice atmosphere too. Very different from your standard breakfast place, in a good way. The meals are priced competitively to other breakfast places. It's not too pricey. I recommend the big bad breakfast plate!
(5)Priscilla W.
Wow. Talk about great food! The service was great, the menu was diverse, the bacon was the BEST (and I'm not a big bacon fan), the biscuits were like momma used to make but better... and the bathroom was clean. I can't wait to ride through B-ham again so we can stop in. Hmmmm may just drive down for breakfast one day...yep..that good!
(5)Jenna H.
My family and I had brunch here on a Saturday. We knew it would be busy, so we anticipated the wait. We were sat about a half hour later. While we were waiting my husband ordered a Bloody Mary. It tasted mainly of tomato juice, so we did not order another. When seated, we order a screwdriver, which was fabulous with the fresh squeezed orange juice. Our server was friendly, but a bit forgetful at times. He seemed to forget when we would ask him for something. Anyway, the main reason I am writing this review is to tell you about the shrimp and grits! I order shrimp and grits many of the places we go because I am a HUGE fan, but this one set the bar pretty high. First of all, the shrimp are sautéed with Tabasco (I'm their biggest fan, seriously I should be paid for my obsession). Second, they add tomatoes which adds a fantastic burst of sweetness to the dish. Next, they add their house made bacon. Oh my gracious, it's divine. Finally, this flavorful, slightly spicy mixture sits on a bed of creamy grits and a FRIED EGG. Wow, the yolk mixed in with the shrimp and grits just blew my mind. I didn't realize adding a fried egg to shrimp and grits could elevate the flavor as much as this did. This dish is one I will definitely return to eat. So, if you're a shrimp and grits fan, this is the spot. Oh, they also have great house made preserves.
(4)Lisa C.
Ate on Sunday for brunch. We were told it would be a 45 min wait, so we left for 20 mins to run an errand. When we came back, we had already been called,and they were 5 names past ours on the list. We started with an appetizer of the Andouille sausage. It was fantastic! I had the pancakes with bananas. Very light and fluffy. My husband had the Big bad Breakfast plate. He loved the bacon, but thought the gravy was a tad spicy for him. (however I really liked it). I was not quite sure what to make of their biscuits. Great service and very tasty food. I am glad we tried it.
(4)Jeremy B.
I ordered the signature breakfast platter. The hash browns were extremely salty, the sausage patties were overly spicy, the coffee was awful and the service was suspect. I was given silverware but with no spoon. I was seated and not asked for my drink order until 5 minutes after (being generous). The positives were the server was very polite and the atmosphere was very clean and well designed. I agree with some who posted that with some time this place can be a good restaurant. I hope they ask the customers for feedback on how the food taste in the near future.
(3)Dell B.
Great food, but staff reminded me that I was definitely in South. Blacks in the kitchen all servers white. Whoa, this was a reality check. good food, but a little off putting with the staffing dynamics,
(3)Ashley D.
Tried to have a BLT today at noontime. The sandwich looked fine but the plate had not been washed & was covered in grease,food. & jelly. The underside of the plate was crusted with food when I handed the plate to the waiter. The Mgr arrived back in less than 30 seconds with the sandwich on a different plate. She stated that it was a new sandwich I refused to eat the food after it has obviously been contaminated & I'm shocked that they would allow such a situation to occur. Very disgusting !!!!!
(1)Christian S.
Kitchen is working well considering its new. Even if the food wasn't hardcore, I'd still be coming in for the coffee & music. Give this venue another month & I bet it'll be the perfect breakfast place. Bacon is spicy, which I love but might not be the best for kids. Omelets are so fluffy it's like they have air pumped into them. The Big Bad Breakfast plate is tons of food for the $: 2 eggs, choice of meat, choice of starch (home fries or grits), side of gravy (3 to choose from), & biscuit or toast.
(5)Leann R.
THEIR BACON IS EVERYTHING. It's thick, cooked to perfection, AND SPICY. I loved it!! I got a stack of pancakes with my bacon and was not disappointed. Their coffee is great too.
(4)Steve A.
Waited an hour for a table and waiting another hour for the food - still not served! Typically a management problem. Hard to rate the food if it never comes! ... Food arrived after an hour and a half, the staff was courteous and comped the meal. The food was good, but they maybe just need to work out a few kinks.
(3)J T.
How do you serve cold eggs and sausage? Well this place mastered that fine art. Might have been a good breakfast otherwise. Went at 11am and was not that busy. Good coffee with total of $12.00 wasn't as spendy as it looks. Should have sat outside though as it was stuffy inside the dining room. It's a toss up to try it again as it is local to me. Miss the gyro place that used to be in this spot though!
(3)Kam W.
Big Blah Breakfast. The coffee was good but just warm. Had to ask for hot coffee. That's about the best thing I can say.
(2)Cory M.
Forgive my earlier "hangry" check in. This place is worth whatever wait they quote and then some. The move it on over plate is 100% ridiculously good. Jelly is the jam. Their bacon is the new bacon. Walk, don't run.
(5)Pearce C.
New Year's Day at the Triple B! After discovering this breakfast-bistro-with-an-attitude earlier this year, it has become our go-to place for a breakfast out. Today was just as large a crowd as usual, but we only had to wait about five minutes for a table for two (this was around 10am). When it comes to breakfast for us, it's all about comfort food. My wife always orders the Buttermilk Short Stack with a side of mild bacon. I tend toward the Cahaba Lily Omelette (fresh herbs, shallots, and cheese; I hold the tomato). The omelette comes with grits or hash browns (small diced, fried, with a side of ketchup), and an order of bacon. I always add a single blueberry buttermilk pancake on the side. Their buttermilk pancakes put everyone else's to shame, and that includes some out-of-town places like The Pancake House in Gatlinburg. They're perfectly cooked, generously sized, and the blueberries appear to be fresh and gently folded into the batter at the last minute. The blueberries pop in your mouth... The omelette is surprisingly delicate, nothing like what you'd get at a Huddle, Omelette, or Waffle House. Be forewarned: if you don't specify MILD bacon at order time, they WILL give you their spicy version. Having said that, though, if you find yourself unable to handle the spicy, just ask the wait staff... our first time, they cheerfully substituted an order of mild bacon at no extra charge. Either one is seriously great bacon! Yes, it's looks a little pricey at first blush, like The Egg and I, but the portions are huge (unlike Egg & I). We always get to-go boxes and end up with a second meal. I haven't encountered a better breakfast in Birmingham yet. Here's hoping these guys keep the terrific food and great service coming.
(5)Brittani V.
Food was very good but pricey. Breakfast for my husband and I was $30+. Coffee is $2.50 a cup. No refills. They do serve Octane Coffee though. They have fresh squeezed orange juice and it was delicious. Biscuits were fantastic.
(3)D Lamar F.
First, let me declare that Egg Harbor, a Midwest chain, is the standard bearer for breakfast dining. Compared to EH, I think BBB was nearly as good. Ours was a party of 4. We got 3 BBB skillets and an oatmeal pancakes. The food was properly prepared and very good; we were pleasantly pleased with the Octane coffee and the spiciness of the food. The andouille sausage was a particular hit. While there was a wait to get our table, service was excellent. We intend on returning soon.
(4)Ron G.
I usually enjoy TBBB and have arrived between 6-7 am on Sun since it opened. So I arrive this past Sun at 6:55 am as some people are leaving with 2 bags of to-go food. I am then told by a young man who appeared to have gotten very little sleep that they didn't open for 5 mins. Why not say "our hrs have changed so have a seat and we will be right with you". This plus the fact that its a bit of a hike for me to get there will make me not eat there again. I found this to be very unprofessional for a breakfast place that charges the better part of $20 a person. Very disappointed! P.S. According to Yelp they open at 6 am and are "open right now!".
(2)Taylor D.
This is hands down the best breakfast joint in Bham. I was recommended by a friend that had lived in the BHam area for a while. I visited Over Easy last weekend which was good..but nothing close to what Triple B had to offer. The wait was 25 minutes when my friend and I arrived..but the bar seating is first come first serve. This was made known from the get go which was nice. We definitely hunted down our seats and eagerly waited. While we waited, they offered us a menu and allowed us to look at slabs of Big Bad Bacon, Big Bad Sausage and Big Bad Andouille! Each are $9.50/lb. Once we hunted down our seat, we continued looking at the menu just wondering what in the world we were going to pick! So many plates began whizzing by..changing our minds as they did. The coolest thing was being able to see the expo line work fast, efficiently and organized. I am pretty traditional when it comes to breakfast because I always want a little bit of everything. I decided on the Big Bad Breakfast. This is a two egg any way you want them, a choice of bacon, sausage, andouille, chicken sausage or mild bacon. Your choice of grits or home fries. Your choice of homemade tomato gravy, sausage gravy or red eye gravy. And last, your choice of toast or a biscuit. Naturally, I chose scrambled eggs with the spicy big bad bacon, home fries, sausage gravy and a biscuit. I was feeling hungry so I got a side pancake as well. My friend got the same but chose the tomato gravy and had to try the Octane coffee. THE OCTANE COFFEE HAS FREE REFILLS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT THINK REFILLS ARE FREE!!! When our meals arrived, they were piping hot, LARGE and well plated. My hand immediately gravitated towards the extra crispy bacon I requested. Spicy and packed with that bacon flavor we all crave so much. This bacon is 5-star good. Thick, crispy, smoky and spicy!! I mean WOW!!! Next..I covered my home fries with ketchup that they provided on the plate and tobasco (the only way I enjoy potatoes). These home fries and little chunks of crispy outside potato with a soft center. So delicious!! Following these, I hand several spoonfuls of the scrambled eggs. Well executed and perfectly seasoned. I love salt so I added some to my personal taste. I found my fork gravitating towards the sausage gravy to taste just how good it was. Boy was I not surprised when this flavor train EXPLODED in my mouth!!! I mean the never ending flavor was mind blowing. I know that the biscuit was going to be lathered in this God-sent gravy..but I tried the biscuit alone. No surprise here, the biscuit was fabulous--filled with black pepper, a little butter, fluffy and warm. FINALLY, I made it to the pancake that I had ordered while starving at the beginning. Again, no surprise here...FANTASTIC. Light, fluffy, fresh and delicious. Clearly....I highly highly recommend the Big Bad Breakfast!!! 5-star! The best breakfast I have ever had. I will make a note: the tomato gravy that my friend ordered...is OUT OF BOUNDS!!! If you are looking for something different, out of the ordinary and mind blowing....this is a M U S T. T R Y. As if this experience could not have gotten any better, the owner/general manager stopped by to ask about the moans and groans of two happy customers. He asked if we had tried the homemade jam. We had not...so he personally ran and got two different kinds--raspberry and blueberry. W O W!!!! So fresh, sweet and just right for a biscuit. We shared our first time experience and he asked us to pass it on to other people! So writing this review was the little I could give away from such an amazing experience. Take your friends, your family and anyone you can find if you are looking to chow down on the best breakfast in BHam--not just bHam but ANYWHERE.
(5)Alec B.
Just eh. I've been twice, and although the food was decent, not enough. I've left both times feeling that I was still hungry. First time I got the BBB skillet, and although it was good, it lacked flavor and needed a ton of salt to make it decent. Also got the orange juice which was room temp, which as anyone knows, room temp juice is disgusting. It was also $4.50 for a large glass... I could buy organic orange juice from Whole Foods for that price and get 5-6 more glasses out of it. Second time was today, got the buttermilk pancake short stack. Added blueberries for $1.50 and get a disposable bathroom cup sized amount. Not to mention they forgot to even put the strawberries that come on there gratis. Although the pancakes look like a lot, they really aren't. And for 10 dollars you get those and a side order of a meat of your choosing (I got bacon, which was very fatty. A bit too much gristly fat if ya ask me). For that price they could throw in some eggs too as filler. Service is okay, but the servers always seem to be in a frenzy even if the restaurant isn't half full? And each time we went, they've tried to seat us right by the doorway on the uncomfortable high tables. First time we tolerated it. Second time we asked for a real table. It's still a popular place that will probably end up lasting, but for way cheaper I'll go somewhere else or cook my own breakfast.
(3)Shawn S.
Best breakfast on the east side, hands down! High quality ingredients and good service. Love this place.
(5)Susan C.
We're just finishing a late breakfast and were pleased with our first experience at BBB. The wait was 15-20 mins, but once seated I was pleasantly surprised by the service and especially by how quickly our food arrived. I had the BBB platter and my husband had the BBB skillet. Both were very good. The eggs were especially delicious, the andouille deliciously spicy, and the Octane coffee was fabulous. I had sausage gravy on my biscuit and this was the weak link for me. It's now Saturday at 1:40 pm and the place is only about half-full. Might be a good time to check out this new spot. My go-to breakfast spot is still firmly Over Easy, but Big Bad Breakfast is a worthy contender. Final word, after I wrote the previous we were talked into getting a milkshake. We ordered mocha flavored, the ticket mistakenly said chocolate, and we ended up with vanilla. Good vanilla, but a bit of a mess getting it.
(3)Teresa M.
Ok. I have tried this restaurant twice and won't be back. It is over priced for what it is and the taste and quality are lacking...greatly. I have ordered a skillet and another plate breakfast and neither were any good.
(2)Ken J.
Great breakfast! Had the BBB & it was delicious. Only warning is that the bacon is a little spicy!
(4)Beth B.
The 3-star rating is mostly based on their comfortable, attractive decor & the friendly, knowledgeable and just the right amount of attentive server. As for the food....I'll start with the props: Best.Bacon.Ever. Our order of two "medium over-easy" eggs were done perfectly (as far as I'm concerned, getting the egg order right is one of the best ways to test a chef's abilities!). The raspberry jam was great quality. On to the room for improvement. The Yard Work skillet was just "meh." The Pain Perdu was delicious, but the menu said "served with strawberries," and we were very disappointed that this turned out to be 3 thin slices of strawberries (so thin, they looked to have been sliced on a mandoline!). With strawberries in season, there's just no excuse for the skimpiness. Now the "homefries." They were seasoned nicely, but they were small cubes of potatoes, without much of a crisp/carmelization on them - they looked (and tasted) a bit anemic. Were they steamed? And as for the baked goods - the biscuits were good, but not exceptional, and the croissants were not scratch-made. For a restaurant that gives so much love to making exceptional meats, why no equal love for the baked goods? And there isn't a single muffin, cookie, brownie or slice of pie on the menu. They are truly missing the boat on revenue possibilities from pastries. Since the bacon was so awesome, and the eggs done right, we will try them a second time. Our hope is that the kitchen is still working things out. The lunch menu looks interesting. We're looking forward to coming back to try the Co-cola Fried Chicken & the Pimento BLT.
(3)Mark S.
Heard about this place so I thought I'd finally go and see what the talk was about. By 830 in the morning the place was already packed with a 10 minute wait. The restaurant has this slightly edgy feel about it, not like your usual Alabama breakfast house. While we waited to be seated it was nice to have a real brewed cup of coffee and espresso from their coffee bar and not just regular bland breakfast café coffee. Their menu is limited but their flavors were different and good at the same time. They have their own bacon and sausage which is slightly spicy. Their potatoes were just average and the grits were creamy with a slightly nutty flavor. I want to return to try something else on the menu but as far as my first impression I feel they were above average but not great.
(3)Marshal R.
Ok this place was great. I went on Saturday around noon and they were busy but I found the wait time reasonable and the service time for food was great. I had the shrimp and grits and not only was it different than most shrimp n grits I've had at other places but it was absolutely Devine. If there wouldn't have been so many people in there I would have licked the bowl. I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. After I have tried some more things I might be ready to go 5 stars. This is NOT a quick serve pancake house... BBB serves a very HIGH quality of food and if they happen to be busy when you go it's well worth the wait.
(4)Heather O.
Good service. Clean restaurant. The food is good but everything I've had has had WAY too much spice or pepper. Even the bacon was too spicy for me to eat.
(3)Jeff S.
Five trips...five long waits...five mediocre meals...and five poor servers. Today, the food was really not edible. Grits and eggs were cold, biscuit was cold enough that the melted butter brushed on it was congealed. Ham was way to salty, which for me is not usually a problem and the red eye gravy was a bizarre concoction unlike any red eye gravy I have eaten. Our server was slow moving and another server had to step in to take care of us several times (she was the pleasant exception). A worker cut his hand in front of us and after pointing it out to another server, wiped his hands together and continued sorting silverware. Then when the girl that brought our food tried to give it to the people leaning against the bar, we indicated it was ours. She said who had the BBB with ham, to which I responded verbally and by reaching out to take the plate. She sat the plate down in front of the person beside me so I reached to swap them and she sighed loudly and huffed..."did you order that?" And walked off. Sorry, I really wanted too like this place as evidenced by five attempts, but it really doesn't offer any thing special.
(1)Paul N.
I've been here a few times. Poor service is something you forgive when a place first opens, but not after a few months. The food is reasonable compared to some other primo breakfast spots here in town, but service is lacking. I would rather pay more money and have a better all around experience at a place like another broken egg since I don't go out for breakfast that often.
(2)Jamaal B.
Food is great!!! Forgot to take pics of it but..... The service was great!!! I'm going back soon
(5)Scott M.
I imagine that i am the perfect customer for BBB: Foodie who eats only locally-sourced ingredients prepared with care, waiting for an over-the-mountain breakfast place for some time. I was excited to eat here today, but I was disappointed in the end. I had the shrimp and grits. The grits, sauce, meat and eggs were very good. Tasty, indeed. However, the shrimp... yuck. Just plain bad. Room-temp, veiny, rubbery, soft, mushy... bad. They ruined the dish. The gross factor on them was way up there, what a shame. If the chef/owner would have had my meal today, he'd have been upset, I'm sure
(2)Lisa A.
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and 4 stars because we were there just after noon on Sunday. They were packed. We were told there was a 40 minute wait and enjoyed the pleasant weather outside while we waited. We were texted about 30 minutes later that our table was ready. It took a while for anyone to take our drink order and when our server arrived, she was clearly a little bit overwhelmed. Our daughter ordered pancakes, I got the Yard Work skillet, and my husband got some sort of Cajun skillet with shrimp. It took a bit of time to get our food, but not too long. We both enjoyed our skillets very much. Our daughter was not super impressed with the pancakes. It was a bit loud and the wait staff lacked a little motivation, but we enjoyed the food enough to make up for that.
(4)Shannon T.
This was my first time here and my boyfriends second time here. I got the French toast which was delicious almost reminded me of funnel cake and honestly who does not like funnel cake? My bf got the cowboy drifter that was the first thing I eyed when I looked at the menu but knowing I would get a bite I went with the French toast. The cowboy drifter was delicious and in my boyfriends words " this is so much better than the first time I got it and it was good the first time." We both really enjoyed our breakfast and the experience. Reading other reviews I notice a common theme of service while our server was not over the top she was attentive. Give this place one more month and the machine will be well oiled and working. My only suggestions would be to put a few more hooks by the tall tables for purses, and only in my opinion the chicken sausage was a bit spicy but good just maybe not with French toast. We will be back!
(4)Trey H.
This is actually my second review of the BBB. I am retracting my previous review because they have now been in business a few more months and should have everything pretty much worked out by now. SUPER nice staff. James the manager was very intent on making sure every table in the house was touched and asked if everything ok. My first review I questioned "things" in my eggs. Seems they offer a herb sprinkle and I got one both times I've been there it seems without ordering it. I asked and they do go on and salt AND PEPPER your eggs for you. So if that's something you like to do yourself you need to tell them that you want them plain plain plain or they will not be. - I noticed another reviewer mentioned the funny color Orange Juice. Now that you mention it, it looked a little Sunny-D ish. I didn't noticed a big difference in taste though so not sure where the color is coming from. Biscuits Sausage Gravy EXCELLENT! BACON - BIG THICK AND AWESOME! - GRITS - HOMEMADE AND THE BEST YOU"LL EVER EAT. So there are some really great things about this place. I'll be back and hope to add another star to my review next time. Very nice attentive staff also..
(3)D B.
Good but not great. Minus 1 star for the red eye gravy - learn to make it or stop serving it. Service was very slow and they need fans outside, but the server was nice and friendly.
(2)Amanda B.
We have been here three times now. Twice during the week and once in a Saturday (which is a huge mistake). Service is poor every time. The staff spends more time talking and laughing behind the counter with each other than providing for their customers. Bacon is great! Grits are okay but have a strong garlic taste. We have the omlettes or the short stack. Neither impressive. The second time we came which was a weekday when it wasn't busy at all and our waitress mixed our cards up with another table. Unfortunately for the lone guy he paid for our whole meal and drinks. He will have to wait until the bank issued him a refund but don't worry they also got the rest from our card too with no apology from a manager or any kind of discount. We will purchase the bacon since you can buy it by the pound while there and cook it at home for now on.
(2)Brandon W.
I have been back to BBB after my first (interesting) experience. I have to say the reception the second go around was great. The food was good, and the service was great as well. I do have to say that the prices are a bit on the high side, but as with most things you get what you pay for. First experience: My girlfriend and I showed up at about 2:55pm, not realizing that they closed at 3:00pm. The hostess had to check with the General Manager (a red headed woman), who told her she could seat us. We told the hostess that we didn't realize they closed at 3, that we didn't want to inconvenience them, and that we would be happy to come back and try them out another time. My girlfriend and I both work in restaurants (much higher end ones than this establishment), so we know how it goes. The hostess insisted that we sit down and told us that it was no inconvenience, so we did. About four minutes later, the general manager came over, very rudely asked if we had ordered yet, and told us that we needed to order "ASAP". We already knew this, and were already planning to order as quickly as possible. If she didn't want to serve us , she could have simply said "I'm sorry we're closed", and we would have happily come back later. However she chose to serve us, then was rude to us afterwards. This is extremely unprofessional, and unacceptable. I hope the people she works for are aware of the way she is running their restaurant. The food however, and our server were both excellent. We will probably be back, and hopefully we won't get in trouble for wanting to eat next time...
(4)Joe F.
Big Bad Breakfast is a fitting name. The portions are Big, Bad: the taste of the sausage stayed with me all morning. I will not be going back
(1)LC M.
Alright food. Some of the slowest service ive ever had, which is odd considering the amount of servers they had staffed. The orange juice was good, but for the size glass i got for 4 dollars i could have gone without. The host had a very poor excuse for the hour long wait . He said he thought it was going to rain all day so he sent home his patio servers. Again, i counted upwards of 10 servers. The place has only 20 tables plus an extended bar...so needless to say i was not buying that excuse. I saw my 3 times the entire 2 hours i was there. Overall i wish i had two more hands so that i could give them four thumbs down.
(1)Ryan B.
This place is going to be great once they work out the kinks. We experienced the typical slow service, long ticket times that you have to expect with a new restaurant. If you go to a brand new restaurant, in its first couple of weeks and expect a seamless experience then you've been sniffing glue. The food we received was good. My eggs were over medium as requested. My wife's blueberry pancakes looked beautiful but were raw in the middle. The tomato gravy was good. The biscuits were outstanding. The bacon was nice and crisp, but was in my opinion too spicy for kids. James the operating partner said they were looking at adding a more kid friendly bacon option. Speaking of James, he was the saving grace of our whole visit. His repeated visits to our table and the tables around us, doing everything he could to take care of us is one of the main reasons we will go back. So when they've had time to work the bugs out and streamline their process it will, in my opinion, be one of the better places to get breakfast. More representative of a restaurant owned by one of the most successful restaurateurs in the state and a James Beard award winning chef.
(2)Darrell N.
I went here last week on a weekday morning, so it wasn't too crowded. Antonio waited on me and was very nice and seemed knowledgeable about the menu. I went with the "Country Traveler" which was very tasty. Everything was cooked just right. I would really like to try a lot more things here, especially a Bloody Mary next time. Highly recommend this place.
(4)Michele S.
280 desperately needed a breakfast spot! Couldn't wait to try BBB but was disappointed in service. We waited 45 minutes to be seated - no problem. But we waited 15 minutes for drinks to arrive (water) and nearly a full hour for food to arrive! Service must improve. Kitchen was backed up but wow!!!
(2)Frank B.
Best breakfast in town. Bar none. Passable Bloody Mary. Specialty coffee drinks. Good staff, for the most part. Bartenders seem to provide the best service.
(5)Thomas C.
I have been fortunate to dine at some great restaurants across the country and this one - for what it is - compares favorably. Granted some of the food is not the normal breakfast faire Sometimes you need a gourmet breakfast or hamburger that will leave you so stuffed and satisfied that it is hard to eat the next two meals. When that is what I am craving, Big Bad Breakfast fits the bill. And they have to lose money on the fresh squeezed orange juice. Go to the counter and you can see if being made in a really cool machine. Each glass has six oranges. I could drink two glasses of that and leave fulfilled. My first visit was on July 4 and it was packed at 11 a.m. Having just been discharged from the hospital and retrieved by my family, I was starving. We each got something different to sample the menu - two adults and three kids. We bought packs of the sausage to take home it is so good. It has a lot of sage in it. That gives it a unique taste that will be a "love-hate" deal but I love it. The pancakes were wonderful and had syrup that tasted like it came straight from a maple tree in Vermont. Our young kids hated the bacon which is spicy. All the better for the grown-ups who loved it. The burgers give those at Chez Fon Fon and Little Bottega a run for their money and you don't have to drive. I wish they sold their cheese by the pound too. I have seen reviews chastising the service but I have always had a good experience. The kitchen is not as fast as Waffle House or McDonalds but I like having twenty minutes to linger over my coffee or iced tea when having a great meal in a pleasant setting.
(5)Steve H.
Food good; service bad. If not on a hurry, it's good. Otherwise, you'll be late for your appointment.
(1)Jeff M.
Food was creative and delicious. Service was perfect. One of the partners actually talked at length with us! I am now a regular.
(5)Carmen Q.
Visiting from Atlanta! We came to visit Birmingham for a few days and have eaten at Big Bad Breakfast every single day. Shrimp & Grits YES! Creole Omlet YES! Creola Skillet YES! French Toast YES! Spicy Bacon YES! Grits YES! Pancakes YES! Co-Cola Fried Chicken YES! Bruleed Grapefruit YES! Very fresh juice, perfect coffee & the tea was perfect temperature. All with excellent customer service. Everything was EVERYTHING!!
(5)Corrie D.
We were beyond excited to try BBB. However, when we arrived at 11:45am today (Sunday), thinking we were beating the church crowd, we were told there would be at LEAST an 85 minute wait. I looked around and saw a party of 8+ waiting for a table and an additional 2-4 waiting inside. The hostess informed us that there were at least 20 people ahead of us....I have NO CLUE where those 20 people were hiding. The kicker was that there were easily 5 empty tables outside and I counted 4 empty tables inside. Still eager to try BBB, but they definitely need to work on their customer service, and becoming more efficient in managing tables/wait times.
(1)Jane Y.
Went there for Sunday brunch with 2 people and had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated and maybe an additional 20 for food to come. The waitress was very nice and helpful but did forget things occasionally. I had the big bad breakfast plate and it was a ridiculous amount of food. It was good but the home fries could have been a little more flavorful, especially to match the rest of the food. They serve breakfast cocktails which is refreshing to see on a Sunday in the south. My fiancé had the Move on Over and it was actually really good. It seemed like typical college boy food but it ended up being awesome (almost like a crazy topped hotdog spread out on a plate). Oh and the biscuits were amazing.
(5)Jennifer W.
Stopped in this morning as it came highly recommended. The atmosphere is great and the place looked very clean. I ordered the big bad breakfast. The eggs were the best I have ever had. The andouille was good and spicy but the casing was very tough. The potatoes were the frozen kind and very soggy. Not good at all. If you are going to use frozen potatoes then tots are the way to go Yes, even for breakfast The biscuit and sausage gravy were nothing special. My boyfriend had the shrimp and grits. He thought it was very good. It was a small portion but adequate for breakfast. With these two meals, two small juices, tax and tip, breakfast for two was $35. This is way to high. We might go back for lunch but the cost for what we had for breakfast is just way to high to return.
(3)William B.
We went to BBB after church on Father's Day expecting a big crowd, especially for a new custom restaurant on the 280 corridor. What we did not expect was the extremely long wait for our food after we were seated and ordered. Extensive and unique menu as advertised: I had the big Bad Breakfast plate and spouse had the Eggs Benedict. Both came with runny, barely cooked egg whites. The ham on the Eggs Benedict was full of gristle and mostly inedible. The 'red eye' gravy had a peculiar flavor, not like traditional red eye, and was spicy hot. Maybe you'll like it - I didn't. The good points: crispy bacon, great biscuits (crunchy outside, fluffy inside), creamy grits. We asked for the homemade jams and were give a small taste in little metal cups. Why so stingy? Service was, as noted above, slow, and also poor. The waitress was not very concerned about our comments on the food quality. Overall: BBB will have to step it up several notches to survive. We may go back to try something else on the menu, but not till my indigestion with my first visit fades.
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