Mama's Boy

Mama's Boy, although less than a decade old, has become an Athens institution.  Along with Last Resort, it is the answer to the question, "Where should we take out-of-town-folks that shows off Athens' cuisine?".  The restaurant's slogan is Southern Fun Dining and that couldn't be more true. With items like Chocolate Cake for Breakfast, the food really is both fun and delicious (and Southern!).

Mama's Boy only serves Breakfast and Lunch, and that's really the way it ought to be. When they first opened, they also served dinner, but the Husband and I always found it hit-or-miss. Their breakfast and lunch, however, was always spot-on.  Unfortunately, Mama's Boy has gotten so popular that it can be tricky to get a table lately.  If you hate waiting for a table like I do, I recommend getting to the restaurant early, while most college students are still sleeping off last night's beer.

One of my favorite things about Mama's Boy is their decor.  The dining room is bright and cheerful, with chandeliers and seriously cool wallpaper.  The huge windows let plenty of sunshine in, making it just a great place to greet the day.

Drinks are served properly.  Jittery Joe's Coffee is served in huge mugs, and cold drinks are served in glass mason jars.

We went for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day. I ordered what I always order, the Vegetable & Egg Scrambler.  It is two eggs scrambled with spinach, onion, tomato, and goat cheese, with a side of cheese grits and a biscuit.  First of all; let's address the biscuit.  It is everything a biscuit should be: soft, flaky, and huge.  It's served with homemade jam that is to die for.  It used to be served with poppy-seed butter that was worth killing for, but it was absent during this dining experience, so I suspect they do not serve it any more.  Which is really too bad.  Anyways, back to the main dish.  I don't know how they make scrambled eggs taste so good, but they do.  In addition, the cheese grits are the second best I have ever had in my whole life, and that's really saying something.

The Husband ordered the Mill Town Breakfast Plate, which are two eggs cooked any style, cheese grits, thick cut bacon, and a buttermilk biscuit.  Although this plate is simple, it well executed.  Everything was cooked perfectly, which can be tricky when you order your eggs poached like my husband did.  Yet it was cooked perfectly, just like the rest of the plate's elements.

Eggs were poached perfectly!

Everything on their menu is under $10, which makes it a great deal. Their breakfast and brunch are spectacular (they have been voted Best Athens Breakfast for five years now), but it has been several years since I had their lunch.  When I did, it was great, but since it has been so long since I have eaten it, I hesitate to give it a definite thumbs up until I try it again.  The only negatives with Mama's Boy is that sometimes there can be an insanely long wait for a table, and the waiters employed are not always the most present waiters around (a problem in most Athens' restaurants I've found). However, I have never found the waiters to be rude like I have in other restaurants, and the drinks are served in such large quantities that you don't need the waiter's attention that often any how. I do wish they would be just a tad more friendly, just so that it would match the comfort-food style served, but the amazing biscuits honestly make up for it.

I highly recommend Mama's Boy; it really is one of the best breakfasts I have ever had in a restaurant.  From the cheerful decor to the huge buttermilk biscuits, Mama's Boy is the breakfast spot in Athens.