David L.
Yelp
Do you really need to know what a beignet is to enjoy it?!? Absolutely not, but FYI it's simply a french term for "fritters". Embedded in Louisiana French-Creole culture and cuisine during the 18th century, the beignet was popularized most notably by the famous Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.
The brainchild of Jaclyn Robinson, a photographer by trade, Mo'Bay Beignet Company was born recently in 2019. With a second location in Auburn, Alabama, MBB takes a simple menu item and excels at making it a star. The beignets are made from scratch daily with an added twist of "syrups". These signature syrups include cinnamon and buttercream served on the side for dipping. They also have "seasonal" raspberry or chocolate syrups. Tonight's special syrup was coconut.
Located in historical downtown Mobile right on the corner of Dauphin and South Hamilton St, parking can be a bit of a challenge depending on time and day of the week. What appears to be a converted warehouse with high ceilings and perhaps to match the pounds of confectioner's sugar they use, MBB is painted bright white everywhere. With a simple contemporary style and cute phrases written on the walls, there's even a special sink available for patrons to wash their hands. Unfortunately tonight, the sink was out of order. Upon entering, you walk past the dining area with ample tables and chairs to the back where you que up to place your order. After ordering you may find a seat and someone will bring you your beignets.
Their menu is simple. Beignets and coffee. If you're looking for anything more, move on. You can get an order of 3 beignets or a "family pack" of 12. We ordered 2 small orders with no syrups. We only waited about 10 minutes or so before my name was called by the young lady looking for me. If you've ever eaten beignets this way, you'll agree that there's nothing you can do to avoid a mess. If the lower half of your face doesn't look like a bad clown makeup job by the time you have taken a couple of bites, then you are not enjoying yourself. Half the fun of eating beignets this way is making a mess. Hence the readily available sink. The other half is appreciating these wonderful square morsels of delectable goodness that were fried to a perfect golden brown and sprinkled generously with confectioner's sugar.
It has been a long time since I enjoyed a good beignet. These were as good as I remember them from Cafe Du Monde or Coffee Call in Baton Rouge. These might have been a little "thicker" than Cafe Du Monde's which are a little lighter and "airier" inside. But the taste of the warm doughy inside coated in confectioner's sugar made raising my a1c a few points worth it!
You can't have a beignet without a good Cafe au Lait (French for coffee with milk) and theirs is a blend of chicory with French roasted Guatemalan. They even offer it over ice as a cold brew. We thoroughly enjoyed our dessert here with good friends and the next time we return, I might try their chocolate syrup. Thanks for a trip down memory lane Mo'Bay!