What to Eat in Birmingham

So I messed up.  I accidentally released the first paragraph of this post last week, and in the few seconds before I caught my error, a few hundred of you tried to read the post. Which made me think that y’all are jonesing for some good brunch food in the ‘Ham as badly as I am.   So without further ado, I give you my new favorite brunch spot:  Yo Mamas.

My soul food foodie friend-the same one who lent her expertise to my post about Robert’s-has been raving about another soul food place right downtown.   After hearing her talk endlessly about the chicken and waffles-some of the best she’s had anywhere-I had to try it.   I have to admit that-gasp-I’ve only had chicken and waffles once before.  And that was at a fancy place, Galley and Garden. I blogged about it, because it was great.  But let’s face it, chicken and waffles isn’t typically associated with tablecloths and fine cutlery.  So I have been looking for a more casual place where I can eat the chicken with my hands and get syrup all over me, and no one will care.  

One of the things I love about living on Southside is that I can often walk, run, or bike to the places I’m writing about.  This is really important for a food blogger – I can burn at least a few of the calories before I consume them.  So I ran the two miles from my house to Second Avenue North to meet Mr Foodie and a foodie friend.  The place is a little hard to find – it’s just down the street from Urban Standard with a subtle sign: 

  
Inside, the place is as hip as can be without trying too hard.  Beautiful exposed brick, lots of  industrial finishes and pops of color: 

   
Ordering is done at the counter, over which hangs an electronic menu.  We noted several gluten free options including the waffles:

 
We tried to order a good mixture of things:  chicken and waffles of course, shrimp and grits, and French toast.  A very friendly woman took my order and helped me choose my meats.  She recommended the bacon.  Sounded like a good idea.

We grabbed a table and after just a few minutes, we got our shrimp and grits.  We asked for three little bowls to share and got those right away too. With several huge shrimp and tons of delicious sausage, this moderately spicy dish was wholesome and delicious.  The grits were buttery, smooth, and  absolutely outstanding.  As we sat there trying to decide what made them so good, Mr Foodie stated that they tasted like they were made with butter and magic.  That about sums it up.

 
Then, the much anticipated chicken and waffles arrived in all its glory.  Several chicken wings and drummettes – juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside.  Absolutely perfect.  With a fluffy, sweet Belgian waffle and homemade syrup that you could almost drink.  I had also ordered it with fresh fruit on top, which made it seem healthier and was a nice, light compliment to the heavier waffle and chicken.  I went back and forth eating with a fork and with my hands.  My dream to be covered in chicken and syrup had been fulfilled.

  
Our side of bacon.  The order was huge, and the bacon was perfectly crispy.  Melted in our mouths. 

 Finally, the French toast.  Slightly crispy on the outside soft and sweet on the inside.  Shown with that syrup and the bacon-amazing. 

  
Only downside to Yo Mamas is that when you’re craving their chicken and waffles on the weekends, you have to wait for the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month when they’re open (or find a way to break away from work during the week – Yo Mamas is also open daily for lunch).   Otherwise, there’s absolutely no downside to this place-it’s a much needed addition to the Birmingham brunch scene.