Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe

We weren’t familiar with Bibo’s but found availability on Open Table when making last minute New Year’s Eve dinner reservations. What a great surprise. As soon as we walked in we were happy with our choice — it’s small, warm and the food smelled delicious. Our waitress was adorable and attentive (and put up with our friends’ corny jokes) and all 4 of us were pleased with all 3 courses of the special New Year’s menu. Highlights were the lobster puff and pork belly appetizers, the salmon, and the desserts! So glad we found it we will be back whenever we visit Portland!

Got some breakfast here last weekend. Was surprised we were able to get a table right away on a Sunday. I had the Benedict with Brussel sprouts bacon and goat cheese. It was pretty awesome. Fresh made English muffins were bitchin! I ate most of my wife’s toast too which was fresh baked.

I’m almost always a corn beef hash type of gal, but I was intrigued when I saw the frittata on the menu. Feeling adventurous, I ordered the spinach sausage and goat cheese frittata. Oh myyyyy! It was amazing!!! The sausage didn’t make the rest of the dish too oily, which is usually one of my concerns. The toast that came with the main dish deserves endless applause. I wouldn’t even call it toast; it was a hybrid of a scone and toast.
Being in Portland, we are spoiled by numerous creatively decorated cafes and restaurants. Bibo’s Madd Apple does not disappoint and is filled with artwork by local artists. I’ve never heard of this spot until I walked by one day. Everyone, please come here for brunch. They take reservations! Hard to beat prices too!

Meh. Wasn’t impressed. Food was cold. Service was slow and not very warm. Atmosphere is quaint but nothing special. We were all underwhelmed with our food. My eggs Benedict was soupy. And to top it all off, my cousin saw a mouse trap in the bathroom. I get it. There’s bound to be rats in Portland. But can we at least hide the trap from the customers?

Ordered the vegetable hash on Sunday off of their brunch menu. It was over-​seasoned and over-​cooked. Potatoes were mushy, vegetables way over salted, and only slightly runny yolks.
On the plus side, loved the 80s music they played and had a really nice server once we were seen.

Holy smokes. Should have followed my gut because from the second we walked in I was put off by how rude the waiter was, and it only got worse throughout the meal. We eventually decided to just laugh at the situation because we had high hopes that the food would make up for it.
I got the shrimp salad which had great shrimp and plenty of wilted lettuce to go along with it. Gross. If this is a normal experience here I have no clue how they stay open because there are so many other amazing restaurants in this city. Shape up friends, you’ve got a lot of work to do!

Dearest Unilocal,
Todays brunch at Bibbo’s was an enjoyable occasion, with great company, in a relaxed atmosphere. After starting with the apple fritters, which admittedly was too oily for my taste, likely due to my aversion towards fried food, we ordered our much anticipated meal. Unfortunately, of the three orders of Eggs Benedict, I drew the shortest straw with overcooked eggs. This was overcome by the hospitable service and tasteful food. Although, the check was a little slow, I enjoyed my time spent at Bibbo’s and look forward to my next stay.
Yours Truly,
Mr. Hangry

My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner at Bibo’s on a Saturday evening. Best part — the restaurant was wonderfully quiet. We like our fun, trendy restaurant visits as much as the next guy but sometimes you just want good food in a calm atmosphere. That’s what Bibo’s was for us.
We decided to get both the Satanic Eggs (the evening’s ingredients were avocado, ricotta and pesto — yum!) and the chickpea fritters to start and then share the haddock for dinner. All was delicious and fresh. The waitress was great and paced the meal perfectly.
Highly recommended for dinner.

I finally got back to Bibbo’s for brunch this weekend and it was fantastic. Our whole group enjoyed the satanic eggs and lemon buttermilk biscuit basket. A falafel wrap, eggs benedict, smoked salmon and mimosas flowed all around. The staff and atmosphere were both great and the menu is full of fantastic items for around $ 10 and under. Between the food quality, service, atmosphere, and prices, this should be your go to for a great Portland breakfast or lunch, as now it’s mine.

My boyfriend and I had brunch here late-​afternoon on a Sunday. While the food was pretty good, it wasn’t enough to compensate for the poor service. We only saw our waitress when we ordered, received our food, and asked for the check. I was out of water for most of the time we were at the restaurant. Also, they were extremely slow, which the lack of attention and communication really exacerbated. We will not be returning.

Friendly and efficient service. Food was delicious. Portions are large so make sure you come hungry!

Stopped here on the way to baahaabaa. Made a reservation for 3 but ended up an hour earlier. They seated us as there were a few spits open. We ordered: French toast of the day, crabcakes and brunch sandwich. My friends really liked what they ordered.
I had the French toast and though I really likes the taste I hate it when my French toast is soggy. I don’t mind if the whipped cream and butter comes on the side as long as the French toast is crispy. I requested that my french toast was made extra crispy but it came heaped with melting creams and butter settled right in the middle so that most of it felt really gross and mushed up. If you are ok with mushy French toast then you’ll love this. Coffee was good.

Walking into this cute café for Friday brunch kinda of gave me the creeps… old-​timey tunes were floating out from the back, and there was only one other table and one sole elderly waiter, who I half expected to be all, «…I’ve always been here…». I suspect this joint is hopping on weekends though, so our solitary experience probably isn’t normal for this place.
That aside, I found the food solid: their veggie hash was really tasty and hit the spot, and their homemade falafel was excellent (had some sort of sesame seed crusty exterior). Lots of other great menu options as well that would tempt me to return when I’m next in the area. Solid choice for brunch/​lunch.

Most amazing brunch I have ever had. Make a reservation and enjoy. Our group started with satanic eggs and apple fritters. Then we moved on to the eggs Benedict with crispy Brussels sprouts, goat cheese, and bacon, the breakfast burrito, The Mediterranean frittata, and some wicked good hash. We finished off brunch with a mocha wonut, you won’t be disappointed. Awesome service from Ed and lots of bubble from the bar :) next time we are in portland we will be back YUM!

We arrived here probably around 12pm this past Sunday for brunch, any later and we would have ended up waiting for quite a while, this place filled up quick! A cute café with a funky slightly granola feel, but sunny and comfortable.
Pros: $ 5 bloody mary’s. You heard me. Actually they’re $ 4.95. So good! Just the right amount of spice and zest.
A pastry basket for $ 4. You get two moist and fluffy blueberry muffins and a homemade biscuit paired with butter, jam, and a lemon curd. Also, delicious and only $ 4.
Cons: I was really bummed out about my smoked salmon benedict and the squeeze’s lobster crabcake benedict. The smoke salmon tasted exactly like the smoked salmon trimmings that you can buy at Hannaford for $ 1.95, kinda greasy and fatty. There wasn’t enough hollandaise sauce to cover the benedict, and as delicious as their homemade english muffins were, my meal was sooo dry as a result.
Obviously the lobster crabcakes are probably made the night prior and refrigerated/​frozen, but the squeeze said they tasted frozen. Again, not a lot of hollandaise sauce so his meal was also dry. Not worth the $ 13 he said.
We’d go back for the bargain prices, but would definitely get something else for brunch.

Bibo’s Madd Apple Café is easily my favorite brunch spot in Portland, and quite possibly my favorite in all of New England. Let me count the reasons why:
1) The food — Inspired, delicious, and ever-​changing. Finding out what’s included in the rotating pastry basket is almost as exciting as reaching into your stocking at Christmas. And the eggs Benedict is among the best I’ve had anywhere.
2) The service — Casual, efficient, and impossibly friendly, what more could you ask for on a lazy Sunday?
3) The price — A recent brunch consisting of coffee, the pastry basket (split), lobster and crabcake eggs Benedict, and the Wonut (a waffle fried like a donut – you heard me right), cost me a mere $ 30, tax and tip included. When you realize that I actually ate enough food for two people (maybe even three), you’ll understand what a good deal it is.
In short, don’t come here. I don’t want to have to fight you for a table every time I come to Portland.

Summary: Satanic Eggs are deviled eggs with flavored fillings that you must eat; given that I know of no other place selling Satanic Eggs in a super comfy setting, I encourage you to eat Satanic Eggs (and other stuff) at Bibo’s.
My 9yo and I ate brunch here last weekend after a quick visit to the art museum.
This is a super cute place with a very comfortable, cozy layout.
It was the day after Spock’s death, and they’d cleverly created Spock-​related dish names. The bleu cheese and bacon Satanic Eggs were absolutely phenomenal… and my Vulcan Nerve Pinch sandwich (egg, pulled pork, avocado, black beans) was dope as hell.
No AmEx is annoying — but understandable, especially for a smaller place like this one. Will return, regardless.

Brunch struck again in Portland, ME. Next stop was to Bibo’s Madd Apple Café in the Art District. The restaurant has a very relaxed, casual feel, with a bit of a quirky side.
Art is found throughout the place and the pictures on the walls are all for sale. Service was a little slow-​going to start, but things picked up and we were on our way to Brunchtown, USA.
For my entrée, I ordered the Belgian Waffle Of The Day: Coffee and Spice Wonut (cross between a waffle and donut with maple glaze, fruit and whipped cream). I didn’t know a Wonut existed, but I’m damn glad that Bibo’s made one. It truly was a well executed hybrid, incorporating the lightness of a waffle, but also the denser, cakiness of a donut. The flavor was amazing, a delightful spiced richness where you could get some waves of coffee essence, and the glaze was just the cherry on top. Well, glaze on top.

While in Portland for a weekend wedding, Bibo’s jumped out at my husband and me through consistent Unilocal results for Sunday brunch. We liked that the brunch hours were from 10 – 2, and that Bibo’s accepts Open Table reservations. We were also very intrigued to try the apple fritters that everybody raves about, which are only available on Sunday.
Although we had a reservation, it was surprisingly quiet inside the restaurant at about 11 AM on a Sunday morning. We were seated in the charming and quaint front part of the building, which has a nice view of the street scape outside. We noticed the «no cell phones» sign, so I had to do my Unilocaling covertly lest I get a tongue lashing!
We started with the apple fritters, which were a cool take on normally non-​apple-​y grocery store fritters. Bibo’s fritters were actual pieces of apple, coated in lightly sweet breading, sitting in a shallow pool of lightly sweet sauce. Give them a try!
Being that we were tourists in Portland, I had to order the lobster crabcake eggs Benedict. I had the Hollandaise left off so as to completely taste and enjoy the lobster and crab. The serving was large, the price was very reasonable, and the eggs were perfectly poached. Apparently, the English muffins are homemade, which added to the charm of this dish.
Let me not forget the fact that Bibo wooed me with the homemade hot sauce that was served in the baby-​sized squeeze bottle. It was a nice touch of heat (might be very spicy to some) to add to our Bendict and omelet!
My husband had the omelet with some deliciously crispy bacon, plus a side of their homemade pastry — not a crumb remained. Fortunately, he shared his fruit garnish with me.
Prices were really inexpensive, and our waitress was pleasant, prompt, and took great care of us.

In a sea of donuts, cronuts, and lobster eggs benedict (ran out of rhymes), APPLE FRITTERS sounded like a refreshing new start!
I originally stopped by Bibo’s with Steff D. a couple months ago, only to realize that they only serve this delightful treat during Sunday brunch! :(
I happened to be up early on a recent Sunday, so a few friends and I went to try again. If you had any questions about the size of the dish, it’s the size of a large apple. How simple, right? They slice up an apple, coat it in some delicious coating, and fry the um… life out of it. Don’t worry, it still retains a wonderful crunch! It’s typically served like a shared appetizer, but I wasn’t too hungry so I didn’t order anything else. It was plenty tasty and filling for my tiny breakfast-​time stomach, and I also enjoyed a bottle of their home-​brewed ginger soda.
If I were more hungry… I would’ve liked to try their satanic eggs! It looked like a fun play on deviled eggs, and their fillings change. The menu was adorable with the daily (I think) specials which consisted of the different egg fillings and specialty waffles, among other things. Unfortunately they ran out of the eggs the morning I was there. :(
The interior is definitely quirky! There is a wall with windows that separates the front from the back, and it’s definitely a cute place for a small private meal.