AMAZING food! Recommend the collard greens and catfish sandwich. Staple of Omaha NE soul food scene. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - Fish and Grits - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

This is hands down the check chicken and fish in Omaha. I wish it hadn't taken me this long to try it! Watching my meal be made after I ordered it was one of the joys of dining at Big Mama's: You know it is fresh! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The location is a non-traditional restaurant because it sits inside a larger dining hall. But there is ample parking and tables along the street next to it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Price was very fair for the quality and quantity of food I ordered. I went with the fish and chicken combo with a side of sweet potato pudding. While the proteins were the highlight of the meal, don't sleep on the sweet potato pudding. This little side was the perfect compliment to my meal: Sweet and savory in each bite! Please do yourself a favor and check out Bit Mama's kitchen! read more

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The food here is really great. Wh had the hot chicken and hot fish sandwiches and both were delicious and fresh. The sides were very good too; the collard greens were among the best I've ever had. The deserts were amazing! Friendly service in counter order, food hall style. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were there midafternoon and it was quiet.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Finding Big Mama's can be a bit tricky; It's on the 2nd floor when coming from the parking lot but ground level if you're on the other side of the building. There are several vendors there in the dining area. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - Hot chicken sandwich w/green beans, hot fish sandwich with collard greens. Delish ! - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

Was hearing good things about this place. Had a meeting close by, I had the Hot fish sandwich, and Red Beans and Rice. Really disappointed, not sure if it's my taste buds or old age. Salt will go along way! The mustard overpowered the fish. Red beans and rice no flavor or seasoning, bland! I did have a piece of fish without the mustard, nice texture but kick it up, a lot. Wait was long but I did not mind. I would try again if I am up that way again. read more

Food is a really good. I only deducted a star due to the price. I think my catfish plate with a lemonade came out to $33 after tax and tip. That said, really enjoyed the corn meal crusted catfish and collard greens. read more

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Called to order a Pig sandwich and was told that I have to order at least a couple of days ahead of time. Why? makes absolutely no sense .

While on our family reunion weekend we stop by this soul food restaurant and it was amazing!!! The cashier were very welcoming in giving us options of what they sold. I saw the chocolate chip cookie ice cream and got that right away, while my daughter got the collard greens and catfish which I tasted of course and the greens were so good! We even went there for breakfast the next day and I got the catfish and grits, it was unbelievable the fresh tasting season in the gravy! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Located in a food hall the atmosphere was refreshing with comfortable sitting arrangement.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This place is a must try when in Omaha!!! read more

We went to big mamas for the first time 4 years. I hate to say this because it was very good the first time we went but both the catfish and the fried chicken were over cooked and dry. I was bragging to my wife how good the oven baked fried chicken was but it just didn't live up to my hype. All of our sides were good but rest was not. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Last time I was here the place packed and last night it was us and one other lady with her kids.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I really hope they take this criticism to heart and up their game a bit because I want them to make it. We probably won't be back. read more

So good! The staff was so friendly and willing to help. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The environment was chill and good music playing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My chicken was so flavorful and juicy. The Mac and cheese was creamy and flavorful. Would recommend and have told some colleagues about this gem already! read more

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If you park where google maps takes you in the parking lot below, just walk up the stairs and you'll find it. This used to be a university cafeteria or something like that and they've repurposed it very creatively to provide 2 restaurants and a bar. Can I just tell you how much I loved the sweet lady who took our order? She was the best. She was truly excited that we were excited to be here. Guy Fieri did not steer us wrong when he show cased this place on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I got 1 Fish 1 Chicken. It was the perfect decision. My piece of chicken was a thigh and it was perfect. It was so good, I literally sucked all the breading off every bone. And I ate THE BEST PIECE OF FRIED FISH I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. I'm not kidding. I love fried fish and always have... I've got almost 50 years of fried-fish-eating-experience. The coating was cornmeal and crunchy and spiced perfectly. The flavorful coating adhered nicely to the fish and was served piping hot and fresh. The tartar sauce is on point too--I enjoyed it so much that I may or may not have eaten it alone with a spoon (ok I didn't use a spoon, I used my finger to get every drop). The sweet potato pudding is sweet and smooth with a crunchy nutty topping. Very good side dish. It heats up well as leftovers too. Now for dessert. I didn't travel all this way to try just one. I'm not ashamed to say that I walked away with three and I have no regrets. I came for the sweet potato cheesecake, but I stayed for the sweet potato pie. My favorite after eating all three (later, not all at the same time) was the sweet potato pie which is so much better than pumpkin. I don't know how, but it just is. Have you ever eaten pumpkin pie and just felt like it was missing something? Yeah, sweet potatoes--that's what it was missing. The cheesecake was good. The poke cake was yummy--yellow cake poked to hold caramel with luscious chocolate frosting. We stayed in Omaha for 4 nights eating our way all over town. This was my VERY FAVORITE MEAL! Thank you for such a great experience, Mama's ladies. Y'all are knocking it out of the park! read more

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I have been here multiple times and every time, the food takes SO LONG to arrive (I've never received my order in less than 30 minutes, usually takes closer to 45 minutes). While the food is decent, it is on the pricey side and doesn't justify either the price or how long it takes to get the order. Knowing that it takes a long time, this last time, I put an order in online, ahead of time so that it would be ready before my meeting. I arrived a few minutes before the order confirmation said it would be ready, but it hadn't printed. They told me it would be a while because there were 5 orders ahead of mine. They didn't care that I had put the order in 30 minutes prior. I purposely put the order in ahead knowing it would take a while. I cancelled the order and asked them to refund the money. I will not be returning; the food just doesn't justify how long it takes to get the food or how much it costs. read more

I went to a birthday party here. The food was great ..wings, bbq, beans, potato salad, rice beans. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Everything was delicious babe the atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] . Staff was great also. read more

Stopped in Omaha for Dinner at Big Mamas Kitchen. We split an Afro Burger and Fried Chicken Dinner, both from the show. Met Big Mamas daughter Gladys who was super nice. read more

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Big Mama's in the newer space tastes as good as the original location, but the space is better and more convenient than before. The oven-baked fried chicken is different than deep fried chicken, but I love it as much nonetheless. The spices are perfect. And the catfish has the perfect combination of crunchy cornmeal and soft starches. And as usual, the staff is great. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - Chicken Basket - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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Big Mama and her staff were soooooo nice. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They make you feel welcomed the very moment you walk in, giving the restaurant a "home" like ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Also, get the ice cream!!!! read more

Food was great, experience was just off. Order at the counter, the menus are posted everywhere, but they are also different everywhere so make sure you look at them all to see all they offer and check out their instagram too. They also have a full service bar called "Dena's Place" but I think it's basically the same place, and the same person taking orders was making drinks. There was only 1 person for the front of house and I think 1 person cooking, I felt bad it was a Friday night and they had a decent amount of people coming in constantly. Our fried green tomatoes & Tots came out in about 15 minutes, pipping hot, like had to cut them all in half and wait another 10 minutes and they were still burning! But once they cooled down the tots were great, I wouldn't order the fried green tomatoes again. Chicken came about 55 minutes after ordering, we were quoted about 35 minute wait, but we weren't upset, just wanted to warn others, don't be on a tight schedule here! They brought us out another side of Mac N Cheese which my husband enjoyed haha. My husband got the cranberry tea, they do not have regular iced tea, but he enjoyed it! My watermelon lemonade was fantastic! No free refills on the tea or lemonade, which we figured, so then we got cups of water, but I really wish there was a water fountain, or something out to help yourself because the 1 gal working always had a line of people placing food/drink orders and we just wanted some more water. Sometimes the food is called out over the microphone and you pick it up kinda in the back, but our food was always brought to our table, so I'm Not sure why on that. Im not sure if this was an off night or not, we might try it again, prices were super fare, plenty of tables to choose from, staff was friendly and the food was good, just an overall odd experience! read more

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Not sure why people had issues in previous reviews. Went with my son. We ordered- a side of home fries, Mac and cheese, a vegan soulful bowl, watermelon lemonade, lemonade. The vegan soulful bowl was huge with excellent flavor and texture. I ended up only eat 1/4 of it, because it was filling. It came with greens, red onions, tomatoes, rice, black eyed peas, and cabbage. My son eat the Mac and cheese, had like 5 bites but I think that was more due to his own distraction with the music, TV and the fact we had a couple of snacks around 10am. Fries were well seasoned and crispy. My kid loves lemonade and preferred my watermelon lemonade to his own classic. (To be fair, I did too). The staff was friendly, food came out quickly, and the dining area was very clean. It was not busy, whatsoever when we went during lunch on Friday so I at least hope it's busier during the dinner time or on the weekends. read more

Super nice people.. Great meal of fried chicken and fish. The best sides to pick from.. I will return!!

Awesome! Absolutely love this place! We came for lunch and had chicken. The chicken had the best crispy skin! Everything was delicious! I wish they had a location on the west end of the beach! We will be back! read more

Had the honey garlic pepper wings, side salad, cabbage and sweet potato pudding and everything was really good. I'll be back before I leave area for work. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - Honey garlic pepper wings - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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I recently volunteered and Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering catered the event. They had packed lunches with chicken, corn bread, green, sweet potatoes, ice cream for dessert and cranberry sweet tea. Food was amazing!!!! Will definitely be ordering for my family. read more

Average food at an exorbitant cost. This review is based on food, service, cleanliness, atmosphere, and value. Food was bland. Chicken was soggy. Service at the counter was not good. Unhelpful, impatient, and I got the feeling that I was a burden to her day. It's a food court type dining area, and wasn't very clean, despite what appeared to be a dedicated custodian, who was busy awkwardly staring at us while we ate. The atmosphere could be nice, but there was poor utilization of space, and unfinished projects everywhere we looked didn't even appear to be organized and no work was in progress. The biggest hit here was the value. This food was expensive, despite the poor quality of ingredients, small portions, and disappointing end product. read more

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A review in three words......Fast, Friendly, Food. And now for the longer version. Located at the intersection of 30th and Patrick, Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering is chicken..... as well as fish, mac & cheese, mouthwatering sides, and desserts done right! We ordered a two piece chicken dinner with cheesy delicious mac & cheese, cornbread and a soda for $14 and shared the meal for lunch. The chicken had a just right flour spiced breading that clung to the chicken and tasted pan fried like my grandma made back in the day. Fried chicken too often has so much breading that it falls off during the first bite and becomes a crumbled mess--not this delectable chicken from Mama's. My husband loved the mac and cheese which is a soft pale yellow rather than the fluorescent orange boxed variety that my kids grew up on--it is the real deal! Cheesy to a fault and a large healthy serving. The cornbread was crumbly and a bit messy but tasted delicious. A delightful hostess took our order at the counter as we entered and shared that her mother was the original Big Mama and this location was her last project. A tribute wall of pictures, paintings and articles show the passion and love that went into the recipes and food that makes Big Mama's great. You can feel the love. This location does not serve breakfast, opens at 11, and was a little hard to find based on our GPS directions. However, the friendly coffee shop adjacent to the parking lot sent us up a floor and we were in business. Ample free parking, clean bathrooms and sun dripping in from the windows makes this a relaxing place to gather and have a meal. It looked like a few Creighton students were regulars studying and catching a bite of comfort food. I suspicion that the full bar and Big Red Keno make this a popular destination in the evening. We will be making a return visit to work our way thru the menu. There is enough variety to keep things fresh for many future visits. read more

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We had our Thanksgiving catered after doing a couple years of good food at Railcar and we loved it! The smoked turkey had lots of flavor! So much that it changed my mother in law's mind about eating turkey at Thanksgiving over ham. The sides were great! We had lots of food and it was all delicious and easy! The staff were friendly and the pickup was simple! So glad we got a chance to try it out! read more

Best catfish in Omaha. The house made hot sauce is some of the best I've ever had. The Mac and cheese is really good and the fried okra is great on its own or dipped in the hot sauce. The cornbread was super good as well. The service was spot on and the staff is friendly. Good atmosphere, very open space and lots of seating at the bar. read more

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We were on a bus tour to Omaha and Big Mama's was a scheduled stop for lunch. So no ordering from the menu. Our meal was preselected and a great choice. The 2 piece fried (baked) chicken, fries, sweet potato muffin with cranberry ice cream. Delicious!!! And yes they sell the seasoning. The staff served our meal efficiently and everything was hot! That large of a group was entertained by Gladys - Big Mama's daughter. Gladys shared her mother's story and information about the recipes that are still used. A great experience and we will come again when we could try the freshwater perch and the catfish. read more

Came here for dinner a couple days ago and loved it! If you're looking for good soul food this should be your go to spot! I had the fried chicken, yams, mac n cheese, smashed potatoes, fries and corn bread. Everything i had was A1! The yams and Mac were as good as anywhere I've had. I had never been to the Highlander dining room but it's a really cool set up and I will definitely be back. read more

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Location: go through the Hardy Cafe and take the elevator to the second floor Amazing!!! If you're flying through Omaha and can only go to one restaurant, GO HERE. If you love soul food. It was featured on the Food Network channel for good reason, even locals go here. Normally I'm not big on Mac and cheese unless it's at home but this place knows what they're doing. The oven fried chicken was crispy, flavorful and tender. Cornbread was delicious and not dry. Try their sweet potato goodies, it's not basic, that's for sure. Everything is made from scratch and you can. We had the Mac and cheese, oven fried chicken, corn bread muffin, sweet potato pie, sweet potato pudding, collard greens, fried okra and sun tea. Some people reviewed and expressed disappointment of the small portions but honestly, it was perfect. You get to order and try more things. My boyfriend and I shared everything and it was more than enough food for us. Thank you Big Mama! read more

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I went to Big Mama's today with my wife. Overall, I would give these guys 4 stars. My rating is due to a variety of factors, many of which are opinions. We went here to check out their oven fried chicken, as was featured at one time on a famous food show. Here is what my wife and I both agreed on: Positives: Parking: Adequate for the area. Location: Hard for us to find, having never been here before, but after 15 minutes we finally found it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance: Pretty nice inside, but nothing fancy, ample seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Friendliness: The person who took our order was very friendly, courteous and helpful, and this was much appreciated by both my wife and me. Very quick service (but we were practically the only ones in here at 11 am opening time. While eating, we noticed 3 other customers). The chicken was tasty and moist. My wife loved their collard greens. My side was mac and cheese, which was very creamy and tasty. The side portions were good. The corn bread was okay. Negatives: No plain unsweetened ice tea option, which is our preference, so my wife had the watermelon lemonade and I had the Coca-Cola Zero, since they did not have Diet Coke. We were each given a plastic fork and two napkins at order pickup, but no plastic knife (which would have been helpful to use applying the butter provided with the corn bread). Even though the chicken was tasty and moist, as I previously mentioned, I would have liked the breading on the chicken to have been at least a little crispy. It was not. The coating on the chicken was soggy. Price: We felt what we were charged (over $40) was pretty high. We had a 2-piece chicken meal, a 4-piece chicken meal and 2 drinks. However, everything these days is high priced. Since in my opinion the chicken should be the star of the show, this kept me at giving this place no more than 4 stars. read more

Great service and great food!!!! The sweet potato pudding is the best!!!! I love the catfish and stir fried cabbage and do did my wife. We will definitely return read more

First off, when pulling up, there is no signage, its in an industrial-looking building on the second floor. It is almost like a co-op but for restaurants. None the less, the food was incredible and the staff was AMAZING! Been wanting to stop every time we pass through town and now we finally had the chance! Still feel the family vibe! read more

"1 & 1" Catfish & chicken with greens. Everything was outstanding! It's a little difficult to find because it's in a food court type area, but now that I know where it's at, I'll be back regularly. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - GREENS SM 1 FISH 1 CHICKEN - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

This place is actually located in the new Highlander Accelerator building on N 30th St. I drove by the building recently for the first time and wondered what it was. A Google search provided the answer: It's part of the Seventy Five North project that will include apartments, senior living space, events space and other stuff. What interested me was that Big Mama's Kitchen was moving there, along with two other eateries and a coffee shop. The setting is a food court with lots of tables for eating and a few conversation groupings with upholstered furniture. Typical industrial modern. My main focus was on Big Mama's Kitchen which I had tried unsuccessfully to locate a few years ago. I ordered the two piece oven-fried chicken dinner that included a side and cornbread. I'm not really a big fried chicken eater, but Bookguy, my husband is, so I ate one piece and saved the other for him. By the time he got it, it was cold so he had no opinion. My side was mac & cheese, which was wonderful--creamy & just right. I liked the chicken too, oven fried meant it had a light, crispy coating & was juicy inside without being greasy. The cornbread square seemed a little dry to me, served with a smidgeon of butter. I wanted to try sweet potato pie but they were out so I had sweet potato pudding. It was like pie with no crust. Very tasty. The menu is pared down from what the original Big Mama's had. There were salads, sandwiches, and a few other dishes that appeared on the original menu. Next time I'll bring Bookguy with me and maybe have coffee too--Hardy Coffee is supposed to be opening there soon. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - Big Mama 's Oven Fried Chicken & fries - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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Newspaper article. This place has the best hot wings I've tasted in a long time. I ordered the classic rub wings, with Garlic Honey Pepper dipping sauce on the side. I also purchased a sweet potato pie, which was also super yummy. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - Yummy was to order the Wings!!! - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

August 11, 2019 Sunday - 2 PM for lunch One Adult Atmosphere - 4 stars Food - 4 star Service - 5 star Background - Straight from the airport to here. Hitting another Diner, Drive-In and Dives location. Atmosphere - Not familiar with the area as I am on a work trip but you can tell that the location had another life in the past. Located within building A in the complex, just pay attention to the signs as you are driving and you find it. Google does not bring into the complex. It felt like I was in my grade school lunch room, minus the leopard print table coverings. Food Lunch - The Afro, basically a spicy hamburger shaped like a hot dog. Nice spice to it, the menu says it is fiery hot but for me it only had a little kick behind it. I ordered it with the works which added shredded cheese, pickles, and onion to the burger. Service - My waitress was friendly and fast. Future - Like to try the Pig Ear, so yes I would come back. Their limited hours will make that a challenge. read more

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Super delicious! It was my first time eating here, but I had been wanting to try this place for a very long time! I was so happy that I went! I had the chicken sandwich, to die for! The fries were wonderful! I highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is lovely and has a great outdoor seating option. read more

Kind of unorganized when you order at the counter. I don't know if there is another way to order. I had the 1 chicken and 1 catfish lunch. It was excellent. They have these wonderful corn bread muffins but only give you a tiny bit of honey butter to go with it. We sat outside which was a mistake because there is a lot of construction going on around there. The tables inside looked like they could use a little TLC. Overall, I would definitely go back to give them another shot! read more

I just ate their "vegetarian" sandwich It was just a boring salad in some bread. No originality. It was just mixed-greens and a piece of tomato. At least be creative with it, so many types of vegetables you could've added. Soul food does not mean purely meat and you can't eat a bit healthier. The cornbread was dry. read more

My wife and I , and another couple with a baby, went to Big Mama's Kitchen last Friday. It's in an odd location, on the second floor of, what it looks like it used to be, an old school administration building or something. But honestly, I think it just adds to the charm of the place. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the waitress, don't remember her name but she is in a couple of the community yelp photos for Big Mama's. We sat down and she took our drink orders. I got the Cranberry Sun Tea which was phenomenal! Then we all ordered. I ordered the three piece oven fried chicken meal with mac n cheese and collard greens. it didn't take long to get our food. Two of the three pieces of chicken that I got were pretty small and the size of the sides weren't what i was expecting for $14, (I posted a pic of it). Overall, the chicken was definitely unique, which is good. It had a good taste and a unique texture. The Mac n Cheese was dynamite and the collard greens were delicious. For dessert, I got a cup of their homemade pecan pie ice cream, which was fantastic as well. My friend got the three piece catfish? meal though. He got three decent sized pieces and a side or two. It was about $18 though. Very high. Overall, the food was good and the service was great. I still can't get over paying $14 for my meal though. I don't think the value was that great. I do want to come back and try their jumbo chicken fried steak. read more

Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering - The lunch-sized meatloaf. Pretty dang tasty. Just like mom used to make. - Soul Food Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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We were in Omaha for the weekend and found this high-rated restaurant on here. Reading the reviews and browsing the menu made up our minds to go here on a Friday night. This is not an easy to find place. If we didn't have navigation on our phones we would have never found it without asking lots of people how to get there. Even once we were on the property, we still weren't sure where we were going. We circled the place twice and finally figured out to follow the yellow signs. Once you reach the outside door, you'll still need to climb some stairs to the entrance door. We were promptly greeted by a nice, smiling lady, who sat us right away. She mentioned that there was a 20 min wait for chicken right then. That was nice to know right away. She also took our drink order quickly. We chatted with a man who was waiting for his carry-out order and got some of his recommendations on the sides. We ordered the Oven Fried Chicken with Mac n Cheese and Sweet Potato Pudding and the Smothered Chicken with Fried Okra and Greens. Both came with cornbread. I honestly expected the chicken breading to be crispy/crunchy since when I hear "fried chicken," I instantly think crispy. This breading was not crispy/crunchy at all but it was tender and had good flavor. My husband said that the gravy on his chicken took away from the flavor and wasn't his favorite gravy. He wished he didn't get it smothered. The Mac n Cheese was rich and creamy and good! Our daughter ate so much of it that we had to get another side of it! The Sweet Potato Pudding was good but I wouldn't call it pudding, it was Sweet Potato Casserole. My husband said the fried okra was ok and that the greens were not the best he's had. To summarize, I enjoyed my meal more than he did. I will say that I lived in the South for over two years and I know Southern food. Was this the best Southern Food (or influenced Southern Food) I've ever had, no, but it was still good. The hospitality was very good as everyone was so friendly! read more

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