Mad Fresh Urban Bistro

The food may be good but the service sucks! Sitting at the bar for dinner and Not once did I get asked if I needed anything OR food was okay OR did I need a refill. Could never get my check to pay– had to walk to register to pay my bill. We were right in front of the staff and the place was not even busy. Geez. At the very least the previous chef was friendly and hospitable.

Literally my favorite place in Fort Myers. 90% of the time, I get the specials but if I order off the menu, it is always the Parisian burger and truffle fries. Never disappoints.

Mad Fresh Bistro was AMAZING! My husband and I went here on a whim for our anniversary, and the food was incredible. The halibut and scallop special entrees were both heavenly, and the truffle fries with aioli were just as good. Of course, we couldn’t leave without the delicious crème brûlée It was so fun to sit at the counter and watch the chefs prepare all the food fresh. Service was impeccable. We will definitely go back!

Absolutely one of the best French restaurants in America. Yes, I claim the best in America. This is a hidden gem in Ft. Myers. The food is phenomenal, the owners are French and absolutely will let you know their opinions (of you, your order, whatever). The steak frites is a special in the menu every night and you just have it. We also had the duck cassoulet with duck confit, seared duck breast and garlic ducksausage paired with gigantic beans, roasted vegetables and a sauce to die for. Everything was made to perfection with love, from Bordeaux.

Absolutely amazing! ! Meal was so unbelievable I almost shed a tear after every bite. This by far is my favorite place to be in Ft. Myers!

Finest burger we have ever eaten. This is the epitome of the locally owned tiny spot with passionate owners attentive to every detail of the food. Do not be fooled by this hard to find, non-​descript store front. The menu put forth by the owner operator Frenchmen running the show is thoughtful, fresh, and flavorful. Also, ignore the prices, when you are done you, ll want to pay extra. We stopped on our last day in Ft Myers. We had the spaniard and and the Parisian, with one side of truffle fries. We both agreed that the flavor of the Spaniard was the better of the two but only because we both prefer a little spice to our food. The details make the difference.
1. No ketchup
2. Fresh greens top the spaniard
3. The don, t even ask how you want your burger prepared. They know how it should be prepared and it is perfect
4. The Angus beef is the freshest of fresh
5. Machine made ice tea is not an option here. They prepare a fabulous honey tea.
We wish we would have this spot at the beginning of our ft Myers trip. We would have gone every day

Amazing gem of a place. A bit pricy but the food was amazing. Definitely had the feel of a bistro. We had the Parisian Burger and Flatbread. Will be back to try more.

The crème brûlée was fantastic! Make sure you save room for dessert. I ordered a flatbread and it was huge. The staff seemed rude at first but ended up being pretty nice. The menu prices were high but we enjoyed a nice dinner.

Call first. I tricked over to have an early dinner at 4p and the sign in door said CLOSED until 5p. Web Site does not address this. Disappointed. No note of strange occur acne as to why.

My husband and I’s absolute favorite place! Fabulous fresh and expertly prepared food by a talented chef. The owner knows you by name and the service is great. Wine is excellent. Great place to sit at the chef’s bar and watch the magic happen. Great place to go after a tough day at work! Absolutely love it! Have never had a bad meal there!

The food is not French. The owner pretends to be French. he is not. The food is greasy, tasteless and expensive.

Okay, picture yourself in France being served by an introverted French snob who hates Americans. That sums up Mad Fresh. We were one of two tables yet the waiter was more interested in wine glasses than delivering drinks or menus. After he decides that we have served our penance, he took our drink orders. Not really sure if he EVER spoke to us. Pace your drink, no refills are offered.
The food was far from fresh. It consisted of canned stewed tomatoes and other mush. I simply do not understand the other raving reviews. Apparently, the owner somehow has friends or more realistically numerous Internet aliases. It’s worth a visit for comical purposes only.
The one star review was generous on our part.

I was definitely a fan of my lunch and experience here. Is the food expensive? Yes. Is it also delicious with a whole bunch of fresh ingredients? Yes. I do feel like this is a get what you pay for type place and you can navigate the menu a bit to find something that better suites your budget like the tartine. I was in for lunch by myself and had no problem at all sitting at the counter. It was neat to see them make everything on the spot.
I started off with their iced tea. While it was tasty I definitely didn’t pick up all the flavor notes listed on the menu like vanilla honey, more just berry. Unlike some of the other experiences I read here my tea was re-​filled no problem. I went with the Mediterranean Tartine and would get it again no questions asked. The only thing I would change on it would be to add more olives, since the saltiness of the olives really added a lot to the sandwich. It came with a side salad of maybe micro greens or baby arugula, I’m not sure! It was a great compliment to the heavier sandwich. The sandwich had so much flavor between the stewed tomatoes, tarragon cream, and goat cheese, what is not to love?!
I know a few people have complained about the service here but really I liked the overall experience. I mean the owners care more about the food then being overly friendly which is fine by me. They are nice enough and serve kick-​ass food. I don’t mind being told to sit at the bar. I was able to watch them cook and strike up a conversation with the woman next to me, both of which wouldn’t have happened if I had sat at a table. I also liked the chef’s note about using his discretion to not serve ketchup. A lot of people would throw it on their burger without event tasting it first and I’m sure they construct burgers with flavor profiles that don’t mesh with and don’t need ketchup. Its like putting salt and pepper on your food before even tasting it. Why?!

You walk in and it looks more like a fast food place than the fancy french place it is. I walked in and sat at the counter. The whole kitchen is open so you get to see the chefs at work. The menu is a little limited (no small dishes) and a smidge expensive but not overly so. I walked in thinking salad and there were actually a few good looking salads on the menu but there was a steak frite special and who doesn’t love steak frite? That’s what I ordered. I was super impressed to watch them pull a huge cut of meat from the fridge and cut my steak off right in front of me.
Meanwhile, one of my friends happened to be nearby and I invited her to join me. I had already ordered so I asked if I could order for her so her food would come up with mine. She asked for an appetizer. Alas I discovered there are no appetizers on the menu. I asked the chef if he felt like making up a small vegetable plate and he was very accommodating. She arrived, our food came out close and we both really enjoyed what we were served. My steak was the perfect med rare that I requested and her vegetable plate was both tasty and creative.
The reason why this is a 4 star and not a 5 has to do with sanitation. When you have an open kitchen, people are going to see everything that goes on. Initially we were both impressed at how clean everything looked but, as we watched the whirlwind of activity I noticed one thing that troubled me. The chef was repeatedly handling raw meats and fish in his bare hands and then touching everything else in the kitchen including fridge doors, counters, the salt (used to season before and after the cook). I suspect this happens in every kitchen but the fact that I could see it happening troubled me a little.

The food was truly «Mad Fresh.» Excellent flavor, presentation, and quality. DO NOT ask for a substution. This is equivalent to an insult to the chef. Pure goodnees.

I checked the menu online prior to going for lunch and it looked delicious but pricey ($ 20 for a flatbread? Really??). Not a problem if the flavor is there, I guess.
First, they offered no fountain drinks (coke, pepsi etc.). Okay…“Fresh” means they won’t serve those bad for you soda drinks… The waiter seemed offended I’d even ask. I had tea, which had caffeine and sugar, but I digress. Moving on…
We were the first to arrive but the waiter seemed rushed, this annoyed me. So, it’s one of «those» places where I should be grateful just to be here.
We order the Chicken Ratatouille on a slab of bread. They call this a Tartine. This is nothing more than boiled chicken hidden in a bland sauce with a hint of tarragon on a hunk of what could have been wonder bread with stale edges. An equal portion of Arugula lettuce was dumped to the side of this hot mess. I’ve had better meals at home with Chicken Helper and seasonings from the spice rack. That sounds mean, but I’m dead serious and not that great of a cook.
I ate it. I drank my tea. I never got a refill. I guess it’s presumptuous to expect refills. Silly Americans consume too much anyway I guess.
My dish was under-​seasoned, chicken over-​cooked to the point of baby food mush and generally un-​inspired. It reminded me of hospital food with a side of arugula. Boring. Flavorless.
My lunch companion was terrific, thankfully. I won’t be back. There are much better ways to spend $ 40 for lunch in Fort Myers.

This tiny little hidden gem had the best burger I’ve had in ages. They nailed the frites with truffle oil — amazing! Fresh food, fun staff, great atmosphere and prices were reasonable. I will be back. So many menu items I’d like to try.
I enjoyed sitting at the counter and watching the chef in the kitchen and all the food being prepared. The staff spoke French to each other. It was tres cool.

We stumbled upon the Mad Bistro in search of lunch in a town with too few good options. After reading some reviews, I remembered reading about this place where the chef refuses to serve ketchup. Hence the Mad bistro chef.
The place is small with a few tables and open kitchen. Staffed by all males. The menu is small too but packs a good punch imo. The menu consists of Mad Salads. I opted for the Quinoa with walnuts, tomatoes, scallions, red onions and red peppers over a bed of fresh spinach. Sprinkled with a perfect amount of shallot vinaigrette. Ah, the stuff dreams are made of! The best tasting salad I have ever had!
The roasted veggie salad sounded good too. Other choices are tartines which is a French open faced sand which topped with chicken, steak or a Mediterranean mix.
Flatbreads also came in varied options. My daughter got the grass fed burger on a brioche bun and it looked juicy good!
We ordered the truffle fries, one serving would feed a small country! Quite salty but I loved them and the tarragon aioli dip was yummy.
Service by the French owner/​chef was quick but with little to no personality. Go anyway, the food is 5 star, ignore the rest and enjoy!

I love the food so much at Mad Fresh Urban Bistro, I decided to come back and try it again. My flatbread was tasty. A little too salty but nothing I would send back.
The reason why I had to reduce it to 1 star was the comment that was made to me from the rudest person in that restaurant. When it was time for the check, I asked if he could split the check and he said to me «well I guess so… I guess my children won’t be going to college with your credit card fees.» YOUR CREDIT CARD FEES!!! Who says this to paying customers?! it left a horrible taste in my mouth and made me feel uncomfortable. I normally stick up for myself in situations for these but I just felt so uncomfortable like I was the wrong one.
Not everyone carries cash with them nowadays and a business should not make their customers feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. I do like the food here, but after this last experience, I will not be returning nor will I recommend this restaurant.

LOVE THIS PLACE
We came here for lunch with friends and fell in love with this place. It’s easy to find, nestled between Outback (ugh) and Saigon Paris Bistro (another favorite).
I had the Marinated Roasted Red Beet & Artichoke Salad, which included bacon, baby spinach, goat cheese & herb vinaigrette. It was delicious. My wife had the Roasted Marinated Vegetables Salad, which came with zucchini, aubergine, asparagus, cauliflower & peppers. Delicious as well. We threw in some Truffle Fries and they were perfect.
They also have a nice selection of wine.
This place is small. They only have 4 booths and counter seating and they don’t take reservations, so plan your visit for a not so busy time.