Big Bad Breakfast – Birmingham Alabama

Time for breakfast!  Later in the day David II, Amy and Emmet Lee were flying to Omaha and we were headed home to East Tennessee.  But, there was still plenty of time for food and fun before we hit the road.

This is Big Bad Breakfast in Birmingham.  This restaurant concept was developed by Chef John Currence, who is based in Oxford Mississippi.  Currence owns 4 restaurants in Oxford as well as other Big Bad Breakfast locations in Florida and Alabama.  In 2009, he won the James Beard Award as Best Chef South.

                     

Patio dining is available for those who crave an outdoor setting and the ambiance it offers. 

The counter is where customers pay for their meals and where those on the go pick up their food. 

The counter also serves as the ‘store’.  BBB Hats, shirts, coffee mugs, bags of BBB coffee, BB bacon, BB sausage, fatback bacon and fatback smoked sausage are all available…

The dining area features a counter with stools, polished concrete and vaguely industrial minimalist decor.

 

The Big Bad Breakfast website sets the tone, stating that the “breakfast menu with more than a few surprises opens the door to breakfast cuisine full of inspiration and energy.  One visit to BBB will guarantee you never look at a breakfast plate the same again.”

Here’s our little group sitting in a booth under some wild chicken graphics.  From the left, Laurie, Emmett Lee and his parents, David II and Amy.

The BBB menu states that they offer “the finest ingredients we can source as locally as possible”.  It goes on to state that “every bit of our experience is meant to bring you the best breakfast you have had since you last sat at your grandmother’s breakfast table.”

So…just how did the food measure up?

Emmett Lee had the pancakes, “Flapjacks”, with Bacon. ($10.00) These 3 buttermilk pancakes were sided with BBB House Syrup Blend.  Emmett had a large orange juice to drink. ($4.00) He was happy with his breakfast…

Other breakfast items on this page of the menu include 3 different skillets, one of which is fairly unusual.  That would be the Low Country Skillet. ($12.50) It consists of 2 scrambled eggs, shrimp, andouille, cheddar cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.  

Lean plates include Steel Cut Oatmeal with brown sugar and fresh strawberries ($8.00) and Avocado Toast…a slice of wheat toast with avocado, pico de gallo, arugula, chili flakes and 2 poached eggs. ($10.00)

Laurie’s breakfast, The Big Bad Breakfast Plate ($10.00), included 2 over-medium eggs, only 2 slices of bacon, a slice of buttered toast and crispy hash (potato) cakes.

She had no issues with the 'hash cakes' but she would have much preferred crispy hash brown potatoes.  A  3^rd slice of bacon would have been nice.  Still, it was very good bacon!  The eggs were a bit overcooked...

How is BBB’s bacon cured?  The restaurant acquires the leftover pepper mash from the Tabasco plant in Louisiana.  The mash is blended with dark brown sugar…hence the key to the cure!

While Amy ordered a couple of ala carte items, David II went for a version of the Big Bad Breakfast Plate.  He was happy with it but I would have been asking where the main course was… He had 2 scrambled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, a biscuit and marinated tomatoes as his side. ($10.00)

There was a selection of Big Bad Breakfast Birmingham Specialties for breakfast as well.  The most unusual breakfast item was the Fried Oyster Scramble “Hangtown Style”. ($14.00) This offering consists of 2 eggs scrambled with bacon, onion, tomato, potatoes, mayonnaise and then topped with fried Gulf Oysters and sliced serrano chilies…

I perused the menu and settled on the “Cathead” Chicken Biscuit…crispy fried chicken with cheddar cheese and sausage gravy. ($8.50) To that initial creation, I added an over-medium fried egg. ($1.50) The combination was pretty darn good! (They had my Tabasco sauce too!)

The menu at Big Bad Breakfast is quite large and varied.  As the restaurant also serves lunch, they offer Salads, Sandwiches and Wraps for those who don’t want breakfast for lunch.  BBB also serves beer, wine and mixed drinks and some excellent coffee ($2.95) as well as espresso, latte and cappuccino.  We did buy a 12 oz. bag of the BBB Blend Coffee. ($14.00)

Big Bad Breakfast is an interesting place for breakfast…with quality ingredients imaginatively combined and presented.  In my opinion, for most folks it’s a little pricey and the food a bit pretentious for day to day dining.  But it’s definitely a great change of pace.  We will return!

Big Bad Breakfast in Birmingham Alabama is located at 5361 U.S. Hwy. 280.  Phone: 205-490-7868.  They are open daily from 7 AM until 2:30 PM.  Check out their website and menu at https://bigbadbreakfast.com/. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for breakfast!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave