My husband and I were enjoying area events on separate weekends, giving us the chance to eat at Mimi’s Bistro + Café (Mimi’s Café) twice in a short amount of time.
I would describe Mimi’s as a Denny’s-Shari’s-IHOP kind of menu but in a more limited form with a typical sit-down restaurant feel inside. There is nothing especially remarkable about the atmosphere, but it does have a nicer feel than many chain restaurants with a similar menu. Mimi’s website describes the restaurant as a “neighborhood bistro offering fresh, hand-prepared comfort food and bistro classics for brunch all day, lunch, dinner and celebrations.” It claims Mimi’s is famous for its bakery items, including its muffins and croissants that are baked daily.
I had breakfast for both visits because I have special dietary needs, and breakfast entrees need very little modifications; I also like eating breakfast foods. My husband does not need dietary modifications and tried both breakfast and an entrée on separate visits. After my visits, I decided to do an allergy-friendly review of Mimi's Cafe.
First Visit
My husband and I stopped by for a late breakfast in the early afternoon. I asked for my usual food accommodations (no wheat, dairy, or strawberries). I ordered the bacon and eggs under the two-egg platters listing from the all-day breakfast menu. It included roasted potatoes and toast or a muffin. I ordered my eggs scrambled well done and notified the waitress that I was not able to have the toast or muffin.
My husband saw the waitress walk into the kitchen to discuss my order. He also noticed that my food was different in appearance and seemed to be prepared differently, which made us feel that protocols for food accommodations had been followed. If you are on a gluten-free diet, the restaurant website lists a gluten-friendly menu for review prior to arriving.
My eggs were cooked to my liking and were not runny. I enjoyed the potatoes, and the bacon had a good flavor, although it was not cooked as crispy as I prefer. It did have a limp quality to it, and it was greasy even for bacon.
My husband ordered the malted waffles under the grand breakfast listing on the all-day breakfast menu. It came with two eggs and a choice of pork sausage, turkey sausage, hickory-smoked bacon, or hickory-smoked ham. He ordered his eggs scrambled with bacon. Although it was not the best waffle he ever had, he thought it was good, as were his eggs and bacon. He stated he had no problem eating there again and ordering the same menu items.
Overall, the waitress was very friendly, the food was good, and I felt safe eating there with my special food accommodations. Honestly, after I had eaten all my food, I was a little sad that it was gone because I could have continued eating more of it. I mentioned to my husband several times that day how much I enjoyed my food.
Second Visit
A short time after the first visit, I was ordering breakfast again while my husband tried something new from the lunch and dinner menu.
I had the same bacon and eggs from the two-egg platter from the all-day breakfast menu. The meal was good this time as well, and the bacon was cooked crispier. The eggs were again cooked to my liking. This time, I was offered gluten-free bread due to not being able to eat the toast or muffin that came with the meal.
I did not eat the bread because more important food required my attention first, and then I was too full to eat the bread. I also chose not to eat the bread this visit because I had not asked questions about how the bread was prepared and what precautions were taken to prevent cross-contamination with ingredients I cannot eat. The bread appeared to be very lightly browned and did not have butter. My husband tried the bread and stated it was good quality bread; he spread blackberry preserves on a slice and liked it. On the next visit, I will request the gluten-free bread and ensure it is toasted in a dedicated appliance or on a dedicated baking sheet.
My husband tried the slow-roasted turkey with gravy, which came with cornbread stuffing, cranberry relish, and two sides. For his sides, he chose mashed potatoes and green beans. I was concerned when they brought his plate to the table. Honestly, it did not look that appetizing. To be fair, a turkey meal is usually a plate of food that blends in as one light brown color that is not visually appealing. I noted that not much gravy accompanied the meal.
To my surprise, my husband ate his entire meal without asking for additional gravy. He felt the food was flavorful on its own without requiring extra gravy. He was happy that the green beans were presented simply, and that the restaurant had not attempted anything fancy with them. Although he is not the biggest cornbread stuffing fan, he enjoyed it.
The waitress was friendly and attentive, and I again felt they were careful in preparing my food with my food accommodation requests.
Overall impressions
We enjoyed eating at Mimi’s Café both times. I felt safe eating there with my dietary requests, and I had no fears of becoming sick due to eating ingredients known to make me ill. The staff members have been friendly and helpful.
Mimi’s Café is on my list of restaurant choices, especially when traveling. They currently have locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. If you find yourself traveling near a Mimi’s Café, you might want to give this restaurant a try. If you think breakfast is so good that it qualifies as a meal any time of day, give breakfast a try at Mimi’s, no matter the time of your visit. Of course, it is always a tough choice when choosing between a dependable breakfast and that one entrée you really want to try on the menu. Enjoy life’s delicious decisions.
