Big Bad Breakfast - Madison — Restaurant in Madison

Visited here for a late breakfast/early lunch while trying to kill time before a doctor's appointment.

I had pretty high expectations for this place, having heard it raved about for many years in both Mississippi and Alabama. I remember the buzz of excitement when it was announced BBB was expanding to the area and I was excited too.

This restaurant occupies a former bbq joint and you can sort of tell -- there's a non-functional drive through window and it's clear the restaurant has seen some wear and tear over the years, as has the parking lot. It's been spruced up, for sure, but I just don't know if the vibe is quite as bougie as the menu, drinks, and pricing. There's a large bar in the center of the restaurant but most of the rest of the seating is kind of uncomfortable tables and chairs. The bathroom was clean, though the wallpaper was...certainly a choice. See photo. Not a big deal, but wow, some of those images are kind of terrifying, lol.

It took a couple of minutes to be seated despite the hostess booth being right next to where employees can cash out orders and several waitstaff walking/congregating next to me and it not being terribly busy. However, once I was seated, my waitress was prompt and friendly enough, and my food came out quite quickly. I wouldn't say service was stellar, but it was certainly fine, no major complaints.

The sweet tea to drink was yummy. For my entree, I ordered the "Yard Work" skillet, which is two eggs, a variety of different veggies, potatoes, and cheese pretty much all scrambled together in a skillet. It came with my choice of bread; of course I had to have a biscuit.

Overall, the food was...okay? Really nothing special but not bad either. The eggs were cooked nicely. The avocado / closer to guac spooned on top was brownish and unappealing but I didn't want avocado anyway, so I just pushed it off. I enjoyed the slight funkiness from Swiss cheese. But I wish the potatoes had been cubed or crispy; I guess the ultimate problem was it was all a similar texture of...kind of slimy. Eggs, spinach, mushrooms, all kind of slimy. I really liked my first couple of bites but the texture really started to wear on me quickly. I ate maybe half of it before I couldn't do it anymore. The biscuit was very disappointing -- simultaneously dry and gluey, not flakey at all. I did enjoy the strawberry jelly. They had a lot of jelly flavors to choose from, which is fun.

I dunno, I think this place has potential, but I definitely ordered the wrong thing for me on that day, I guess. I'd consider returning to try something different, but that being said, there are a lot of breakfast/brunch options in the area and I'd also like to try my...

First time visit today to BBB in Madison. I was impressed. We arrived at 0800 on a Saturday. It was reasonably crowded- I’d say about 60% full. Our waitress, Tarisa, was very friendly and welcoming with a pretty smile. She took our order and it arrived within 10 minutes.

I have kind of been on a lean diet so I ordered the Yard Work Skillet which was listed as even lower in calories (560) than most of their “lean plate” offerings. It was packed with scrambled eggs, fresh avocado, spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and potatoes. It was very good and very filling. I probably would have enjoyed it even more with some good bacon in it but, then again, bacon makes everything better! I’m sure they would’ve added the bacon if I had requested it. I had my choice of white or wheat toast, or a biscuit. I wanted to try the biscuit even though it was a little over my diet allowance. It was good - could have been a bit fluffier and softer- but still tasty. The fresh strawberry homemade jelly that came with it was a nice touch.

My son ordered the Lowcountry skillet made with shrimp, scrambled eggs, andouille sausage, onion, bell pepper, tomato, potatoes, cheddar cheese and scallions. I had to try a bite and it was phenomenal! I would probably go for that next time.

The menus are impressive. There are multiple options available. Not your typical breakfast place by far.

Even though only being a little over halfway full, the restaurant was very noisy. So, just a word of kind of caution – it’s not the best for a quiet conversation.

That said, highly recommend this place for a great breakfast brunch or lunch meal!

P.S. They do offer...

I recently visited Big Bad Breakfast and had a mixed experience. Upon arrival, I stood waiting for a hostess for about 10 minutes. When she finally appeared, she seemed disinterested and didn’t greet me with a smile. The restaurant had only around 15 patrons, yet I waited another 30 minutes without any service, watching others who arrived after me getting attended to.

Frustrated, I asked to speak with the manager, who apologized and took my order himself. My server then brought my drinks and, though initially unaware I had already ordered, was polite.

The food, however, was excellent. My steak was perfectly cooked to a medium, which is impressive for a thin ribeye. The eggs were fried hard and seasoned well, the fruit bowl was fresh and delicious, and the wheat toast was fluffy and perfectly toasted. The fresh-squeezed orange juice and refreshing water added to the meal’s quality. To top it off, the manager covered my bill due to the earlier mishap.

While the food and the manager’s gesture were commendable, the initial lack of service is hard to overlook. I hope this was a one-time issue, and I plan to give them another chance. For now, I can only give a 3-star review due to the unacceptable wait time in such a sparsely populated restaurant.

Edit: apon revisiting it's clear that my first experience was just a one off issue. The French toast was delicious and the coffee was ok. Id recommend stopping by to taste the...