Y’all, this past weekend we actually got out of the house and DID STUFF.

I mean, we didn’t go crazy, but on Sunday we drove Bazooka Boy over to my parents’ house so that we could have a few hours to ourselves.

So what did we choose to do with those precious few hours?

Brunch, of course.

Recently a new (to the area) franchise called Five opened downtown. There are a few other locations in the Southeast, but it doesn’t feel like a franchise/chain.

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If you’re clever, you might have an inkling what the name represents: instead of having a large menu of dozens of entrees, they have five entrées, five appetizers, five drink specials, etc.

Although I wish there was a bit more variety on the brunch menu, I like this concept. Too many restaurants (particularly chains) focus on doing many things just okay whereas having such a small, fine-tuned menu allows Five to do a few things exceptionally.

Plus, who doesn’t love a good gimmick?

When we arrived, we were seated immediately. Although I’d originally planned to order a Bloody Mary, the watermelon & mint bellini sounded too good to pass up (spoiler alert: it was).

Mark opted for the double mimosa (simply a larger version of the original).

In addition to the regular 5 menu items, they had a daily special which happened to be a honey-butter biscuit with a fried boneless chicken breast. It sounded delicious (and looked amazing—a woman at the table next to us ordered it), but unfortunately they ran out minutes before Mark ordered it.

Disappointing for us, but good for their business, I guess!

I knew going in that I wanted to try the Crab Cake Benedict, so Mark then opted for the breakfast burger, which was topped with a fried egg.

Our meals arrived quickly and were fantastic.

As described by our waitress, the benedict was actually really light. Too often I avoid hollandaise sauce because it can be quite heavy, but this had a lightness and tanginess to it that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The crab cakes were easy on the breading (thus heavy on the good stuff—crab) and perfectly seasoned while the poached eggs (another thing I normally avoid) “melted” dreamily into the cake. Delicious!

Mark’s burger was good, but not outstanding. It included two thinner patties (to mimic breakfast sausage, perhaps?), salsa, and a fried egg with a side of wasabi (or was it horseradish?) mayo and ketchup (to go with the crispy fries).

My dish came with a simple spinach, tomato, and red onion salad with a tart citrus vinaigrette, and each entrée was garnished with a serving of seasonal fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, and orange slices).

The ambiance was nice (love the exposed brick and the assortment of antique chandeliers hanging from the ceiling), but I wish our second drinks had come out sooner (we were done eating when they arrived). Not a big deal—we sat and enjoyed them—plus it had started to get a little busier once the “after church” crowd arrived.

Although the beignets sounded delectable, we were too full for dessert. Next time…

All in all, I was very pleased and can say that the quality, ambiance, and pricing easily beat out some other brunch spots in the area (I’m looking at you, much-overrated Café 615).

I think it would’ve been nice to have had a sweet option on the brunch menu (something like stuffed French toast or a Belgian waffle), and of course Mark would’ve preferred that they not run out of the special so early (they’d been open less than 2 hours!).

One day soon I’d love to try out dinner, and I see on their website that lunch will be offered soon.

Despite a few hiccups, it only makes sense to say this was a FIVE star brunch. 😉

Five is located at 609 Dauphin Street, Mobile, AL. You can find them on the web, Facebook, and Instagram.