Good Morning Mama's Cafe

Sadly, the final day of our four day weekend arrived so we had to go enjoy one more brunch!  After much discussion and research, we settled on Good Morning Mama's Cafe on 54th just east of College.  Mixed reviews intrigued us and since we have never experienced Mama Corolla's Old Italian, there were no expectations other than something new and hopefully fun for the family!  As it happens to be across the way from Zest Exciting Food Creations, we were left to wonder how good they must be to take on such stiff competition!

Upon entering, it is obvious this place is meant to be fun and inviting for everyone.  From the cute murals to the bright colors to the very loud dining area, everything about this place says kids, old or young.  We were very happy to see several families dining and for once, we didn't feel out of the ordinary in a trendy SoBro establishment. ;)

We were seated in the classically 1950's diner decorated open dining room that most certainly was a renovated service station.  It was a great design.  The chairs were surprisingly comfy and the layout just made sense.  There was one flat screen mounted above a nicely placed bar and a jukebox displayed in one corner. To Ozzy's dismay, the jukebox was "fragile" and just for show.

So, what's for breakfast?!  First, coffee.  Good, smack-yo-mama brew was just what we needed and just what we got!  Very impressive and most certainly stood up to the neighborhood competition. 

Next, Italian fried biscuits rolled in sugar and cinnamon sounded like the perfect starter.  There was something quite nostalgic about them.  Libby was pretty sure they were the same homemade doughnuts that Grammy used to make from a tube of biscuit dough.  Good stuff and very comforting.  Ozzy was more than enthusiastic about them and actually proclaimed that they were "SUPER good!"

Fred decided the special of the day was speaking to him, the Eggs Benedict with cheesy grits.  For Libby, a mimosa was in order...to be followed by the Java French Toast (made with challah) and a side of the homemade corned beef hash.  And for Ozzy, the Blueberry shortstack.

Even though it was quite busy, we didn't have to wait long.  Fred's egg's benny looked awesome! Tasty ham, topped with little dollops of poached goodness.  Unfortunately they were skimpy with the hollandaise, but the eggs were cooked to perfection!  Fred always likes his hollandaise to smack him around a bit, so he was a disappointed there wasn't more lemon.  The cheesy grits were spectacular after a dash of salt! 

Libby was quite jazzed to see such a beautiful line-up.  The Java french toast was quite tasty, but there wasn't any of that kahlua flavor that the menu promised.  Toasted pecans, sugar, and cinnamon butter really made for a great bite, but not quite as good as the creme brulee french toast across the way.  Perhaps an overnight marinade would make that kahlua pop?...On the other hand, the corned beef hash rocked!  Just the right amount of seasoning, hunks of tender corned beef, and a nice fry on the taters made for one happy Mama!

Ozzy enjoyed his blueberry stack and finished most of it.  Mom nor dad had room to sample and give input, but if looks don't deceive, this was another winner.

http://www.goodmorningmamas.com/

Wrap Up
Price-$, Very reasonably priced for satisying fare!

Atmosphere-***, Fun, inviting, but might be a bit loud for some folks...for those of us with little ones, it was nice to not to worry that squeals of delight are bothering your neighbors!
Service-****, A warm & fuzzy waitress who took time to talk with the kids and make sure our needs were met.  Did we mention that Papa himself topped off our coffees?!  That's what we call service.

Overall

Fred - B, Very family friendly. Foods pretty darned good.  If I'm driving up to SoBro for brunch, I'll be pulling for Zest to get my bidness.
Libby - B+, This was a fine way to end our mini-vaca.  A delicious brunch with the fam that we will be sure to repeat in the future...now I can't wait to try Mama Corolla's!
Ozzy- A, Ozzy loved the doughnuts and dug into the pancakes.  He felt comfortable to be in his normal loud state and seemed very pleased with everything.
Estelle-A, Nice highchairs and very welcoming of wee ones.  There were three other infant diners around while we were present.  Stella was in good company. :)