I ordered take out while attending a conference in richmond. The restaurant is intimate and has a bar. The service was great. The food was ready for pick up when I arrived. The fried chicken was cooked to perfection. Seasoned well. The yams were perfect, not too sweet or sugary. The collard greens were tasty. The chicken came with a corn muffin which was a little over baked. Overall, food was delicious and I ate most of it. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Fried chicken, yams, greens - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Went here with my family and I will say the food is good. We both had the catfish and were a little underwhelmed to be honest. It wasn't as seasoned as I expected it to be for a soul food restaurant. The Mac and cheese was about a 6 and the greens weren't very flavorful so we have them a 5. The candied yams were really good. Very tender and not too sweet. Our server wasn't the most personable, but he got the job done. The music was great! Parking was easy on a Sunday evening. I do recommend this place, but just be prepared to use the tartar sauce for your fish if you want a little razzle dazzle. read more

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Had a late lunch here. Cornbread and greens were solid. The brisket was good. But the homemade maple yellow cake was on another level. Extra well done, with the super sweet, buttery, and salty frosting grabbing that caramelized cake and working wonders in my mouth. It was incredible. Fast service in a homey atmosphere. But get the cake. read more

I was visiting family in Richmond, I found this place on Yelp. When you walk in, bar on the left , wooden table and chairs fill the small establishment. We had a party of seven, our orders were taken quickly and the young man was pleasant and attentive. Everyone enjoyed their food, the portions of fish was satisfying along with taste. I would definitely return when I'm in town. Sorry I didn't take pictures read more

We were greeted and seated quickly. Service was pleasant and our waitress gave great recommendations as far as drinks and food. It was a cute and homey atmosphere. We started off with the chicken rings and they were so good, starting off strong! Pork chop and crabcake meals were super satisfying. No complaints about any of the sides. The cornbread was a nice little sweet treat. I would have loved to try dessert but they were out of a few due to the time we were at the restaurant. I will definitely be back to try them out! read more

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Everything was wonderful. The food service and music. We will be back. First time here

I felt very comfortable and welcomed as soon as I walked in the door. My server was as sweet as can be! Their fried catfish is definitely a 10/10! I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the Richmond area. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Best fried catfish! - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Small ish place with tables and a bar . Nice atmosphere. Good service . Best fried catfish I have had in a long time . I can certainly recommend . read more

This food was fantastic. My first time here. Looked on yelp for soul food and this was top of the list. It was a nice and cozy place. Very personal and intimate. The staff was pleasant and answered all the questions I had. The cat fish (one fried and one blackened), pork chops with peppers and onions in gravy, and fried chicken. For the sides which are à la carte greens Mac and cheese yams and rice and gravy. I will definitely recommend this place. See you next time read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Pork chops chicken catfish with greens Mac & cheese yams and rice and gravy - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This restaurant came up in a search of things to do/places to visit in Richmond, VA. I'm totally into soul food, so challenge accepted. Mama J's is an unassuming place, but was packed when I arrived. I opted to sit at the bar because I was near starvation and didn't have time to wait for a table. I was super impressed with the bartender. Half the time it didn't seem like she heard me, but she always did, and always handled whatever it was that needed handling. I placed an order for catfish nuggets with fries and requested a cornbread muffin. The food arrived and looked amazing! And it all was very good, though I have had better catfish nuggets before. I crushed everything. No complaints. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Catfish Nuggets, Corn Muffins (2) - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Greeted with the friendliest service. The most homecooked meal not cooked at your home that you probably couldn't even cook yourself. The catfish had the flakiest breading to it, I could have even eaten it without any tartar sauce which was also delicious. That paired with the perfect Candied Yams that weren't overly sweet but still golden roasted; Yum. Loved this place. Absolutely loved. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Catfish (1 piece) - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Update: Monday 6/16/25 6:45pm ish I Order DoorDash to pick up my food and I'm highly disappointed ! My Chicken was visibly burnt and it tasted burnt. The cornbread taste like rubber. The cabbage had no flavor no salt no nothing and collard greens were OK . I'm actually furious that I spent $30 for this, and that was without the DoorDash fee. I'm not sure how Mama J's ended up with the "Best Fried Chicken in Richmond" title but that's a negative. read more

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My 1st time in Richmond and ii I can say is Mama J's is EVERYTHING! Chyna was our server and she was so attentive. It felt like Sunday dinner at your favorite Aunt's house The coffee was awesome (im a critic of coffee) I had catfish nuggets, mac & cheese and Collards . Alll gooood! read more

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I recently ordered Mama J's to go, and the food was delicious! I ordered the 2-piece catfish with macaroni and cheese. The fish was seasoned well and crispy, and the portion was epic! The macaroni and cheese tasted as good as it does in all the photographs it was cheesy and moist. read more

Was driving home after a 4-hour trip and told my wife to find me a quick bite--but it had to be from a spot with 1000+ reviews. She landed on Mama J's, and now I totally get why this place has the rep it does. I got the brisket sandwich with fries and fajitas on the side--absolute bomb. Flavor-packed, cooked perfectly, and super satisfying after a long drive. Already planning a trip back with my wife. Next on my list: the fried catfish, whole wings, and fried chicken. Can't wait! read more

Mama J's Kitchen - How good it was fam! - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The food was delicious and served in an expedient manner. The ambiance was warm filled with a neighborhood feeling

Look man, I may be generous with giving out 5 star reviews, but this one deserves it hands down. You can taste how much heart and intention goes into this wonderful soul food - the catfish was super well cooked, flaky, and delightful. The mac and cheese was incredibly hearty, heavy, and delicious. The corn muffin was a nice finishing touch to an already fantastic dish. My fiance loved the fried chicken too, and the mashed potatoes were a nice generous portion with some of the most flavorful gravy I've ever had. Service was efficient, approachable, and wonderfully polite. Walked away with a smile a mile wide. My friend who we went with hyped it up after saying her team in college (VCU athletics) used to get it all the time as catering - and now I can see why. Will certainly be back here. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread Muffin - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Went to dinner after work and MaMa J's never disappoints. I had the fried catfish, yams and Mac n cheese. Ohhhh and the sweet potato pie- delicious!!! read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Catfish (2 piece) - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The food was good. The service was great. I was impressed with the pork chops portions. It been a minute since I've been home and to soul food establishments. Overall great place to grab some soul food. read more

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Great service, everyone was friendly and the food was seasoned to perfection, not salty. Will come visit again. read more

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First time here. Food was excellent. Nothing over or under cooked. Catfish bites-excellent, ribs-excellent, the yams and seafood salad were really yummy. Favorite side was the Mac & cheese. Only "so-so" was the "tartar sauce", not much tarter, tasted mostly like mayonnaise, but the catfish was so good no need for the sauce. Would definitely recommend and will be back. read more

My very first time. Ordered online the same day as another Monica. Who would have guessed. The orders got mixed up, but the staff more than made up for the mix up. The food was excellent!! I will definitely visit again! Great customer service. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Food was wonderful! Customer service was excellent. This place is a gem! - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I really enjoyed the food here. The first time I came here I got the catfish mac & cheese and greens and it was OK. The second time I went, I got the chicken (which was highly recommended by the waitress) mac & cheese and candy yams and THAT experience was so good! The food was hot and fresh despite it being fairly busy for lunchtime, The service was quick and good. I would definitely recommend!! The first time I went was on a Sunday afternoon not sure if that had anything to do with the food just being OK but I'm glad I gave it another shot and went the second time. read more

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They had some of the best fried catfish I have eaten in a long time. Loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and all of the food that I had was delicious. I cannot wait to go back again. read more

Staff was friendly and helpful. Food was absolutely delicious. Would definitely return. I was especially pleased by the friend chicken because it's rare when soul food spots get their fried chicken right. Wait was a bit long, but it's the south so it's expected. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Fried Chicken (White), Collard Greens & Macaroni & Cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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No notes. Go here with an empty stomach. Leave with a full heart and a food coma. Get mashed potatoes and gravy, Mac n cheese, the fried chicken (divine without any sauce because of the seasoning, reaches existential cosmic levels with hot sauce), and the peach cobbler. read more

When in historic Jackson Ward, unbuckle your belt and be ready to feast. There is off street parking but be mindful of residential and business traffic. Akira was such a joy as our server. I chose a maple caramel flavored cake & it was a great decision. I ordered 2 piece catfish, cabbage and macaroni and cheese with a corn muffin. The food was so hot and delicious that each bite was worth the hot tongue. I asked for tartar sauce but never used it. The other meal was fried chicken, collard greens and candied yams. This meal brought back memories of Sunday dinners at church. I enjoyed the polite conversation with staff and other customers. Not sure what you call your mom, but this is one place I'm glad Mama J loves the people because it shows in her food! read more

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Mama J had a great time at the Kitchen! This is where you can find hearty soul food. The Fried Chicken was crispy and juicy, and the Catfish was very fresh and delicious. All this was a home-cooked meal. Fabulous ambiance and good service. Highly recommend! read more

Cute little restaurant and bar. Limited seating. A group of us were attending a Cheer competition that ended at 6 pm on a Sunday night. A friend that was with us used to work downtown and remembered this place. He used to dine here for lunch, but we walked 2 blocks at night in the dark from the convention center with a 7 yr old. We didn't realize that there was going to be graffiti and the whiff of Marijuana in the air on the way to the restaurant. My chicken seemed overcooked on the outside. My husband said it's because the oil might have been too hot. They were out of brisket. I thought the collard greens tasted okay, but my husband didn't like them. read more

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Food has great favor. I think the 1700 people in town caused few hiccups. Greens weren't cooked. I've been sitting previous visits to Richmond. I'll be going again. read more

Great food and portions. A pleasant and not too loud ambiance. Service with a smile! Get here early! People wait patiently for a seat without complaining. read more

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Stopped here for late lunch...2 families..T Ordered the fried catfish, trout, shrimp and chicken along with an order of crab cakes....everything was great!! Perfectly seasoned and crispy! Oh yes for sides we had the collard greens, string beans and mac n cheese. Everything was extremely flavorful and fresh!! They even Offered lemon cakes...on the house...while we waited for the food. Will come back in a heartbeat! read more

I honestly don't even know where to start--there was nothing positive about my experience at Mama J's. We were a party of nine, so the 30-minute wait for a table was understandable. However, once seated, we waited another 20-30 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. When we finally flagged down a waitress, she informed us that our actual server was having a breakdown and couldn't attend to us. To save time, we placed both our drink and food orders at once since we had already been there for nearly an hour and had somewhere to be. It then took an additional 40 minutes for our meals to arrive. What didn't make sense was that while everyone at our table ordered large plates, my simple salad took the longest. One of our guests received a raw chicken sandwich, which the waitress promptly removed from the bill, but she also mentioned that the entire kitchen staff was new--definitely not reassuring. As for my salad, I had to reorder it twice and waited another 20 minutes before finally receiving it, only to find the smallest piece of salmon (an $8 add-on). By the time it arrived, my entire table had already finished their meals, leaving me to rush through mine. To top it all off, as we were wrapping up, the entire restaurant filled with smoke, and we were evacuated because the kitchen caught on fire. This experience was beyond disappointing, and I will not be returning. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

We stopped in almost at close and they were gracious enough to let us dine in after a show at the Dominion Energy Center. It has a small footprint but it has big back energy. We had two entrees which come with cornbread and added two sides. I had the catfish. Husband had the brisket. And he took a peach cobbler to go! The food was fresh and tasted like it was right out of Big Momma's kitchen! Do yourself a favor and go!! And get the catfish and cabbage! You will NOT regret it! read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Beef Brisket and Collard Greens - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Great experience here. Came on a Wednesday night and there wasn't much of a crowd. A simple entree and a side will make you full. Dessert can be shared between two people. Really friendly service. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Wow! This amazing southern gem is just a stroll from the Richmond Convention Center... There is seating... but it's never enough because it's so popular... there are always people waiting for tables to turn over... but it's worth waiting 5-10min... The fried chicken is amazing! Make sure you get the 3 pieces for the $2 extra. I loved the sweet potato mash for my side! The catfish sandwich is well fried and delicious! My friend got the catfish nuggets... but I definitely prefer the sandwich... I think I would definitely ask for the bread to be toasted more so you get a nice crispy outer crust... If you are at a convention or just in the area... come grab a bite! read more

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Absolutely love Mama J's. Visited here when she was brand new many years ago and got the opportunity to visit again recently. Parking is Crappy but it's downtown so what do you expect. When we walked in and stood by podium it several minutes to be acknowledged. Then it took nearly 10 minutes to be seated, there were several open seats but they were super busy and appeared to be understaffed. We brushed that off though and didn't allow it to damper our experience. Our waitress was good but in the middle of our meal she left work for the day and we got a new waitress. Weird, but new waitress was on point. Food was spot on amazing. I left with a full belly and smile on my face. Will be returning next time in Richmond! read more

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Chicken was really good. Cornbread was kind of like jiffy. Still good tho. Not very friendly staff though. Came in to buy food and felt like I was irritating them. Nice little inside spot but could be better. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Burnt jiffy - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Servers are always really nice and friendly. Food is consistently good Catfish- Greens- Cabbage and Yams are my regular go to and they do not disappoint. read more

The food was Devine. We ordered a variety of dishes consisting of catfish, meatloaf, and beef brisket. My sides were Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy. The gravy was my favorite. We also tried the desserts fresh out of the oven ( sweet potato pie and rum cake). Chyna was our server for the afternoon; she was extremely attentive and gave great recommendations. The vibe of the restaurant was very relaxed it's very cute. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Rum cake - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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