Yeiboh Kitchen "Yebo" — Restaurant in Baltimore

My initial review was 4 stars from dinner on August 23rd. 4 for food, 5 for service, 4 for atmosphere. Updated review after second visit is now at 2.5 stars. 2 for food, 2 for service, and 3 for atmosphere.

I took my best friend who was visiting from St. Louis, MO to Yeiboh Kitchen for brunch on Sunday, August 31st. It started out okay. We were asked our preference for seating, we mentioned outside but they mentioned they had a back patio and decided to go with that. She walked us there and it was kind of dark and it was enclosed which in my mind is the opposite of a patio. We told her we wanted to be outside and we were walked back up front and waited another 5 minutes to be seated. We ordered the biscuit flight as a starter and drinks. The cucumber mint lemonade topped with prosecco was really tasty!

The biscuit flight was good. The fried biscuits were tasty. the salted caramel could caramel a little more, the banana pudding could banana a bit more, the strawberry was the best one.

I ordered oxtail and grits with eggs. Both were tasty but the oxtail was kind of hard actually. Not very tender which was disappointing. I overlooked it because it still tasted good but don't expect Caribbean oxtail for those who might order expecting that.

Here's is where it really turns bad. My friend ordered the key lime french toast, chicken sausage and potatoes. The worst offender was the chicken sausage. It seemed in house and hand made. It was rank! Very offensive odor that made both of us gag and tasting it was worse. My friend almost threw up it was terrible and just seemed really off. And even if it hadn't seemed spoiled, it was also just too sweet in general. The key lime french toast tasted like sherbet on top of french toast. It was as big as the size of her face. She got through half of one piece and that was with help from me. We had planned to take it with us but we found a hair that was short and straight on the top piece of the french toast. The potatoes were good though and she did take those to go because the experience of the sausage was bad enough but when there was a hair, that really ruined her appetite.

None of the complaints made it from our server to management and ultimately I got up from my seat to speak to the manager. The manager initially apologized for the experience and offered us a free appetizer the next time we returned. That is cute because she actually thought we were returning after this experience. She asked what I thought they should do about the situation and I said for sure take the chicken sausage off. I also said that they should consider what they want to do about the french toast since we ate into it but she definitely didn't eat the majority of it before finding that hair. Couldn't even take it to go after that. Ultimately, they took the chicken sausage off, gave us 15% off of the $17 french toast which was $2.55 which didn't even cover the tax. We were told they'd let the manager know.

To me, asking me what they should do about hair and bad sausage is a sign that they are not prepared to respond to such incidents. I did not feel care in the situation or that they were actually wanting to remedy the wrongs. There was no attempt or suggestion to remake the french toast or offer another protein since the sausage was so bad. Just nothing! and 15% is honestly insulting and personally should have also been taken off. Such a departure from the first experience that it makes me sad to write this review because I was rooting for them. But I won't be back.

I think in the daytime, I was able to see the flaws of this establishment and I think it has to do with attention to details. At some point, I pulled a weird stringy thing off of the bottom of the biscuit. I brushed lint off of my plate of eggs, There was a hair in the french toast, and then when asked for a to go box, I had to blow a bit of lint out of that box. I just think they need to pay attention to cleanliness when serving people. I ignored the small things until we got to the hair and just could no...

EXPERIENCE: This was a great dining experience! The restaurant is stunning from the outside. An all black building, in the middle of a city block, separated from the sidewalk by an outdoor patio seating area. Walking inside, we were greeted by a lovely, smiling, pleasant hostess who promptly seated us. The decor is intimate; simple, yet beautiful...black, navy, cream, and the lighting where we were sitting seamed golden (to me) perfect date night or friends night out. We didn't wait long before Ty (our server) greeted us and took our drink orders. Hubby ordered a Strong Island (not a menu item-that's just how he asks for them). I ordered the Maple Old Fashioned. Both drinks were delicious and made to satisfaction- I complained to Ty about the amount of the pour on the Old Fashioned but he told me to "taste it first". Man!...he was right. Ty took care of us- if you sit in his section, TIP HIM!!! FOOD: We started with appetizers: brussels sprouts and crab egg rolls. Hubby is not a fan of brussels sprouts, but he ATE these...roasted, (without being dried out) served on a delicious sauce that was sweet, with a little bit of heat. The egg rolls were actually FILLED with crab meat, served on a delicious creamy sauce that didn't keep you from being able to taste the crabmeat. That sauce was tasty, but we dipped those egg rolls in that brussels sprouts sauce (see photo-sorry for showing remnants). I ordered the shrimp and grits and Hubby got the burger with the shrimp on it (sorry-I forgot the name). The chef brought our food to the table and we thanked him and gave him "his flowers". The food he put on the table, allowed us to eat with our eyes first (see photos). I'm not a person who photographs food when we go out, but I did this time. Not only did it look good. It was a pleasure for all of my senses. The food came to the table nice and hot-the grits were creamy and cheesy, without being greasy, and the shrimp and sausage were well seasoned, but not overly so. Hubby's burger was flavorful...not just beef and shrimp on a bun. The bun was soft and warm; the sauce was delicious and the burger was cooked perfectly. Shrimp was never something I expected to encounter on a burger, but what a yummy surprise! The potato wedges were nice and crispy on the outside, hot and tender on the inside and just plain delicious. My husband is the type that likes to season already seasoned food at restaurants...he did not mention wanting to add anything at any point while we were seated. Thanks again, Chef. May God continue to bless the work of your hands. VISIT TIPS: 1. UBER/LYFT to avoid circling the block. The street the restaurant sits on is one with paid on street parking and includes a bike lane. 2.Try not to wait too late in the evening to go. The restaurant does not take reservations. I think we were lucky because we went on a weeknight. If you are a person who gets chilly easily, bring a wrap/jacket. 3.The tables are small so, unless you have a purse hook, ladies leave your big bag at home. 4. Extra tall fellas, be advised, the chairs sit a little low so maybe consider sitting at the bar. My husband is 6'4", when I asked him about it, he said he was only mildly uncomfortable, though he didn't complain during dinner-so it must have been worth it. There is another area in the back of the restaurant - beyond where we were seated, perhaps the seating is different there?

Hubby and I agree. This is a place we will d see...

Brunchin’ at YEBO’s KITCHEN: In the spirit of patronizing black businesses, my friends and I made the 65 minute drive to Baltimore to check out a new brunch establishment. I was skeptical because the reviews, while mostly positive, were very limited. We ordered several items in anticipation of preparing this review.

POSITIVES: ENVIRONMENT: Nice ambiance, Great music, sleek, cozy, modern & clean. -Service: Friendly staff…our waiter, Tyreese, was knowledgeable & provided recommendations from the menu. He also quickly rectified an issue when it was brought to his attention. FOOD/DRINKS: -That HONEY JERK LAMB & GRITS was AMAZING! While a little heavy on the salt, it was the clear standout. -The YEBO omelette was an omelette only by name. It was actually a frittata but it was EXCELLENT nonetheless. -Lobster fried rice was also a little salty but was delicious overall. -The Asian steak and eggs had a nice flavor profile. -The cranberry mimosa was a HIT; it was heavy on the champagne and light on the cranberry. Perfect for a boozy brunch! -Caramel bread pudding was FANTASTIC! As a lover of all things LEMON, I had to admit that it was better than the lemon crunch cake.

NEGATIVES: -Considering the length of the wait time, 45+ minutes, the waiting area is insufficient (only holds 6 people). There’s an huge front patio available. Why not consider placing heaters on the front patio and offering drink service while waiting to be seated? What a missed opportunity!?! -Okay, I’ll refrain from being too dramatic…BUT Listen, how the heck is bottled water $5 and a “glass” of sparkling water $7!! SERIOUSLY!! How do you justify that? I was completely taken aback by the $7 “glass” of sparkling water! Not only was the glass small (8 oz), it was also filled to the top with ice so you’re really getting about 4 oz of water. I’ve dined at Michelin star restaurants and paid less than $15 for a large unopened bottle of Perrier. For full transparency, the menu listed bottled water at $3 and sparking at $8; both were wrong according to the waiter. Regardless, It was giving EXPLOITATION!! #Sideeye -I refused to get robbed on the sparking water so I tried the cucumber mint lemonade. There was nothing cucumber or mint about it but in my logical mind it was a better value than the water. #ItsThePrinciple -The bathroom I selected was tiny and not very clean. Because of the proximity to the front door and bar, the bathroom should be tended to by staff every hour. -The biscuit flight was nice conceptually but it was fried too much/overcooked and hard which was disappointing. -The most flavorful dishes were close to being ruined by the chef’s heavy hand with the salt. I would not recommend those dishes to anyone with high blood pressure. -The sangria took forever. It arrived after dessert but was ordered at the same time as the entrees. I’m not sure who dropped the ball on that one but it was good. -Not really a negative but again for transparency…our bill was $317. Little pricey but I understand how tough it is to run a business in this economy so no issues with that.

And last but not least…did I mention the JERK LAMB CHOPS AND GRITS?!? YUMMY!! We’d come back again. I hope this review helps!...