maman — Restaurant in South Miami

Seeing as Maman is so popular and always packed, I had really high expectations, I’ve had coffee there before but never their food and I was looking forward to it. When I first came in, I saw that every single pastry (not an exaggeration) in the display case was burnt, noticeably burnt, so I opted out of trying a pastry. I then went to order some food and a coffee to sit down, I had inquired about the ingredients in a dressing for their green goddess salad, I wanted to make sure there was no mayonnaise in it. The person that was helping me told me that he wasn’t sure, so I kindly asked if he could go check with the kitchen for me, after checking with the kitchen he had come back to tell me that they don’t know if the dressing has mayo because it’s a new menu item… regardless of whether an item is new, the kitchen staff are the ones responsible for making menu items and for the answer to be “they don’t know” is unacceptable. I then opted for the elisa’s breakfast bowl which sounded like a nice fall Harvest type of menu item, with roasted chickpeas, roasted butternut squash, farro with a balsamic drizzle and a sunny side egg. When the bowl arrived, everything was cold on the plate. The chickpeas were NOT roasted, they seemed to be canned and high I have no issue with but they were definitely not roasted and barely seasoned. The butternut squash was a very tiny portion also which was barely seasoned and came cold, which was disappointing. The cucumber was an English cucumber which subtracted from the dish with its watery flesh and bitter skin, the farro which was the bulk of the bowl was overcooked and mushy and I wish someone had taste tested the balsamic dressing because it tasted very off. To top it all off the sunny side egg came very undercooked, the underside was pretty burnt while the white surrounding the yolk was still translucent and runny. I love a runny egg, but seeing a cold undercooked egg white is unappealing. I tried to flag a server down which took longer than expected since the 4 servers on staff were circling the kitchen pass and chatting. Once I got someone’s attention I asked if it’s possible to have the egg cooked just a tiny bit longer and I pointed to the severely undercooked egg whites and I was met with annoyance at my question. The server took my plate back and once it was brought back to me the egg was completely overcooked and burnt. I should have said something about the overall poor experience I was having but I’m not a confrontational person and after the reaction I got for asking to slightly cook my egg longer I didn’t feel comfortable at all to say anything else. I picked at the food a little bit and then left with 80% of my meal untouched. I’m in the restaurant business and I love to try new places and support cafes but overall my experience was awful, I’m genuinely surprised because I had expected a wonderful experience both in service and in food quality from a place that’s been dominating the Miami market. On a coffee and a brunch bowl I spent $38 + 18% which is a little wild considering the portion side, food quality and poor service. I won’t be going back and I’m disappointed in that, I had much higher expectations. I only wish I had taken pictures or a video I was just...

Update: I'm not 100% sure what the policy is for sit down vs order up front but it seems that if they're busy/in a lunch rush, you sit down and order; if its not super busy you pay up front and then they givr you a number to bring your food/drinks to you. Also, be aware that they do get very busy in the mornings and around lunch, so sometimes innocent mistakes with orders do happen, but I've never had a problem asking for a change/its never been a massive problem.

TL;DR: this place is quite popular so sometimes mistakes can happen or you may need to wait for a bit, but the food and ambience are worth it and the people who work there are really nice and accomodating!

It was quite lively when I went around lunchtime, but it's such a nice place to be that it was actually really nice to be around - the decoration and the way the tables are placed can actually make it feel intimate even though the restaurant might be pretty full.

The food I had, the steak sandwich, was absolutely amazing. The combination of the mint, the tahini, the pickled onions, arugula, thinly sliced red cabbage, and savory meat was mindblowing, and the baguette was really crunchy! Lots of textures to get into. I will say that it can be a little tricky if you have a smaller mouth 😅 but it was definitely something I would get again. It doesnt come with anything, but you can get a side of salad, and to be honest, the sandwich is a pretty balanced, generous option, even without the salad. I also had the iced coconut water matcha, which came in a beautifully delicate glass; its quite strong and not sweetened, so its perfect if you're looking for a true matcha hit that's got a light coconut flavor, but the server did mention that many people find it a bit difficult and need some syrup. However, I think its nice as is, and would probably be a great drink to pair with their sweet desserts or breakfast options. I also had the pecan pie latte, one of the seasonal specials; lots of great milk foam and not too sweet.

I would highly recommend Maman on Sunset Place; the food and drinks are wonderful, the decor really sets you at ease and keeps you interested, and the service was attentive and generous, and not intrusive or pushy, even when they're busy!

I appreciated this because I sat to read, and stayed for several hours between waiting for food, which did take a bit of time because they were busy when I walked in, and just relaxing after eating; sometimes places feel a bit pushy when they need the table for other customers, but I didnt feel rushed at all. There are also sockets in some parts of the seating area, so you could conceivably sit down and actually work/charge your devices too!

Their menu looks so good, and the experience was so pleasant, that I'm seriously considering going back again tomorrow! Definitely a place I'll be...

Maman, French for Mother was opened by Elisa Marshall a wedding planner and Benjamin Sormonte a corporate lawyer in 2014, in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. The French style café was inspired by the owners wish to have a place that was warm and inviting as opposed to trendy. Family and friends helped to paint walls and stain floors and to keep costs down, items were repurposed. All of the profits from New York were used to fund their second café, Maman, Toronto. In 2017 Manan received national attention when Oprah Winfrey selected their Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookie as one of Oprah's Favorite Things. Maman has now expanded to over 30 cafés and a lifestyle brand punctuated by their blue and white porcelain and selling cookbooks, aprons and kitchen accessories, and partnering with jewelry brands and children's wear.

Maman has now opened several locations in South Florida including this café, in South Miami which opened in September. The all-day café serves salads, sandwiches, their famous chocolate chip cookies along with other pastries and baked goods. They host weekend brunch with a full bar and are available for private events.

I was wandering the shops of South Miami and was drawn in by the reputation of their famous cookies. You can dine or grab a treat from the bakery case as I did. I asked for one of their chocolate chip cookie but the one I was given was a tad over baked. At $5 a cookie I was disappointed as I have had better Maman experiences. As the cookie is their signature item you would expect a bit more care. Be sure and download their app for deals and notifications about new menu items. Burned cookie aside, this is a beautiful cafe ideal for a girlfriends...