Mabu Kitchen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We're so fortunate to have such a wonderful neighborhood BYOB, right around the corner from us, with great food, attentive service, and a sweet, intimate space. Bring a few bottles of wines and some good friends, and enjoy.

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

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