Food came out fresh and hot. Service was not served with a smile but food delivered quickly. Ambiance was okay and dining area was small and parking was slim. Overall 5 on food quality 3 on customer service. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - 2 piece fried catfish, collard greens, cabbage, corn muffin - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Fried pork chop was okay and good portion. Mac & cheese and collards were very good. Ordered the fried shrimp as a starter, but it came out like a meal -- only 6 small, dry, chewy shrimp for $15. Pretty disappointing. Not coming back. read more

That place was great. The customer service and food was very well. Restaurant is small, but you don't feel bunched together in there. The only issue is that when it's raining they need to have more mats down so you don't risk slipping as the floors are extremely slick. read more

We both got the dark fried chicken plate with corn bread and added Mac & Cheese. We each got 3 thighs. The chicken was moist and the skin was crispy. The Mac & Cheese was creamy and cheesy. The side salad used good lettuce and had enough other ingredients. The service was great. The place is small but we got in faster than promised. Glad to see they are expanding to meet the demand. read more

Road tripping.... And I gotta eat So to YELP I go.... Had a few choices but I had to try Mama J's It's raining so everybody wants comfort food and from what I see I've made the right choice We were greeted by the hostess (smiling/friendly) ...she advises me the wait could be up to an hour... Don't be discouraged (wait was 35 minutes) We're seated and our server greeted us and offered to take our drink order Didn't take long to decide.. so let's get to the order Catfish with potato salad & string beans Catfish nuggets w/Mac n cheese & cabbage Fried chicken w/candied yams All came with a cornbread muffin I was really impressed with the meal I had read a few reviews and the portions were pretty decent I definitely plan to return and would recommend them read more

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I was in town and decided to try this place. We were greeted when we walked in. Everyone was very friendly. We ordered the pork chops, Mac and Cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes and cabbage. When I say the pork chops were everything! They were seasoned well and very moist. All of the sides were tasty. We had the Apple Cobbler for desert and it was good as well. I would of given 5 stars but my cornbread was kinda burnt but it was still good. I will definitely be back! read more

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Just so happened to be in the area a few people recommended. The inside was small but cute & cozy, with white table clothes & glass tops. I ordered the catfish, cabbage,candied yams, & corn bread. The catfish was tasty, although the cabbage tasted a little bland, the cabbage did have a good texture. I did not like the candied yams as the texture was more of a mashed consistency. The waiter was friendly and very helpful. I would go again if I'm in the area and try something different, as my co workers side dishes looked tasty. read more

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

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We stopped by in the evening. I decided to try all sides and all were delicious. It is a small restaurant but we enjoyed our time. I plan to return to try more items! read more

Serious Soul Food for the city! Amazing quality and service is SUPER friendly and helpful. It's been pretty full every time I've eaten here, and great!!! Spicy, well-seasoned, home-cooked feel. Southern at its neighborhood best! read more

We're from Virginia Beach and are here for a short time. Mama J's fried chicken was perfection!!! I ate some cold the day after it was so good. The potato salad was on point! My husband love the collard greens. The yams were tasty! And the cakes and desserts . I had coconut cake, my mouth was so happy! The peach cobbler was divine!!!!! I don't know why this place wasn't packed. If you love fried chicken and want food seasoned properly, come here! I am a salt person, not once did I need it. The atmosphere was welcoming. Everyone worked as a team. It was our first time, we will be back!!!! read more

Okay start with service and server, server very short with us, did not remember our order and did apologize for long wait. Service, there were approximately 8 people in the restaurant including the three of us and we waited 45 min for our food. When we we received it with each of us ordering the crab cakes, two ordered fish one catfish and another trout (neither fish was catfish nor trout) and I ordered fried chicken. The food came out the Mac and cheese that did come out was cold and so were the yams. My chicken order never came out and she came to the table and asked if o wanted dark meat or white meat, I asked was it done and she said oh no it would be a wait I canceled it. Now to the crab cakes, they were over seasoned, almost burnt and on the dry side no type of sauced offered, the greens not good! The only thing that was very good was the mac n cheese when they brought it back out hot. But, I would never go back! read more

The food at Mama J is outstanding and the service is great. Want to give a shout out to Markey for excellent service on tonight. My wife and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone for great soul food in the city of Richmond. read more

The food is very good just kind of little amount on the sides ....small setting area but comfortable .....would definitely visit again!

Yo everything was so damn good, I could eat here all my life and not get tired of it, the wait time could be a bit better. But even then it wasn't even that long! Will be returning! read more

25$ for a meal i expected more. Chicken sandwich was bland just ehhh ,the chips that come with it were so stale and the mac was bland and full of oil. Not worth the price in my opinion read more

My wife and I had the day off and decided to grab lunch at Mama J's in Richmond, Virginia. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I'm so glad we went. The food was incredible. I had the fried catfish with candied yams, and my wife went for the smothered meatloaf Every bite was perfection seasoned just right and cooked like it was made with love. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the staff made us feel at home. If you're ever in Richmond, do yourself a favor and stop by Mama J's It's soul food at its best. read more

The food was awesome... I was disappointed a little... no cakes were available... but, the apple pie and peach cobbler made up for it... Great service... good location... had no problem finding parking.. read more

The food was very good, I do wish the entrees would have come with a side to bring a little more value for the dollar to this meal. The shrimp was delicious as well and piping hot, but for $8 or $9 I only got 7 pieces. :( The "gravy" that came with the brisket was the type of unique flavor profile that foodies would appreciate. When I first tasted the "gravy" I was full on expecting it to be bbq sauce, it wasn't even close. I tasted it a few more times and then it started to grow on me, next thing you know I'm dipping anything I could get my hands on into it. I also sampled the catfish which was a wonderfully flakey, large filet. Don't get me wrong, it was good, good but where it was a locally farm-raised catfish, it was light on the true catfish flavor that you'd get from wild caught catfish. Some people don't like the earthy catfish flavor from wild caught, so if that's you, then it'd be right up your alley. Overall it was a very solid meal. read more

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

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Years ago.. went to Mama Js and as far as I remember, it was a good experience. Recently, they won the bracket for Best Fried chicken in Richmond. So I'm like ok... let me try it out. Plus my boyfriend loves soul food so he can get some fried fish. Mannnnnn I have never been so disappointed at wasting $50. first off - 3 pieces of fried chicken and 2 sides is $25. The thighs are tiny! Chicken was dry and honestly, not that great of a flavor. I would rather eat Publix. My boyfriends fish was over fried and dry. Greens were ok. Cabbage was fine. Mac n cheese ... super greasy. Yams had too much Nutmeg. With that said, I won't be visiting again. With the prices, I can't take a change of a below average meal. read more

4 stars cus the greens were slamming ! I walked here for the greens but decided to get fish as well. As i attempted to place an entree order they informed that the entree's were meat & bread only!(I was disappointed) But i am not gonna slam them on the way they prefer their menu cus the greens are $3 a side & i can eat a whole Pot! They are perfectly cooked but light on the seasoning as i prefer mine spicy but i am not here to complain about that ! They made them to the point that as i walked home & ate without a care of who watched me as i was walking & eating! LOL I am definitely gonna come back but for the greens only ! I did enjoy the trout fish as they are huge pieces! read more

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

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Comfort food. Great Southern cooking in Richmond VA. Fried catfish, fried chicken, yams, collard greens, and muffins are all great. Solid service and fair prices, as well. read more

Great!, food, Crystal got yah!, thanks!, again for the laugh!, real food and real people, a must, Ask for Crystal.

That moment when you wish food this good was closer to home, but thankful it's not because you would be there everyday! We absolutely enjoy ordering from here. The food is always delicious and prepared the way that we like it. We've tried a number of things on the menu, all are incredibly delicious. However I usually stick to my favorites. While the food is amazing, we do not like the location, parking, size of the place, or customer service. For those reasons (minus customer service, I will look pass that for delicious food!) we only order takeout when passing through the area. Overall Score: 7/10 Location: Terrible 1/10 Prices: Slightly Overpriced 7/10 Customer Service: Average 7/10 Food: Absolutely Delicious 10/10 Recommend read more

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Staying at a hotel nearby, so we decided to try the food. It wasn't packed inside but we ordered to go. Everything is a la carte which allows them to charge more for the food. I got the catfish, mac and cheese and collard greens. The collards were good, not that much a fan of the Mac and cheese it was just ok. The catfish also was just ok. The muffin wasn't good at all. My walk to the hotel was less than 5 mins but the only thing that was warm was my catfish. The sides were almost cold. I'm not sure why.. but I doubt if I will ever try their food again it wasn't good enough for a 2nd time. read more

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A pleasant place to have a meal. I enjoyed the atmosphere for dining on some of my favorite foods like macaroni and cheese, collard greens and delicious fried chicken. Dessert was peach cobbler. read more

November 2020 - COVID Review: To be quite honest, the prices were a bit on the higher end, but it is definitely worth it! During COVID, they're only doing takeout orders - which you can call ahead or order online. My husband and I ordered the catfish and crab cakes for our entrees and sides of mac n cheese, collard greens, and cheese grits. After taking my first few bites, that's when I knew the price tag was worth it. The pieces of catfish were so large and they weren't overly battered. The seasoning was also just right. I'm originally from Maryland and the other reviewers convinced me to order the crab cakes. If you're skeptical - order the crab cakes! They were decently sized and it was majority jumbo lump crab meat! The sides were $3 each but the portions were generous! They were also piping hot. I was overly stuffed once we finished our meal. It would be nice if they could consider offering a combo meal option with 1 entree + 2 sides or something. But either way, I would definitely be back the next time I'm in the area! read more

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Mama J's is one of Richmonds longest standing and loved soul food restaurants. I have been here many times and was always more than satisfied with my food and experience. The staff was always kind and the atmosphere of the restaurant was always vibrant and comfortable read more

My sister and me went late afternoon. She had been there before, I hadn't. But I will be going back. The food was GREAT! I ordered pork chops which were delicious. Not overcooked, nice fat content (it was fried so...) crispy on the outside. It was excellent. My sides were also delicious (cabbage and seafood salad) Everything is ordered a la carte but the price was about what I expected. Perhaps the best thing was the service. Our server had a great sense of humor and she was very engaging. She took good care of us. We also enjoyed other members of the wait staff as well. I like to have fun with people so when I got a friendly shove on the way out, I was like this is my kinda place! Down to earth people, great eats, decent prices. Place is not that big and there seemed to be only ceiling fans so it was a little warm but some may call that an authentic atmosphere ! Great experience, I will be back for sure. read more

My gawddddd. Best fried catfish I've ever had and being a from WV, I've had some good catfish. My wife and I split the catfish and the fried chicken. My sister got the crab cakes. The chicken was up there in the top 3 I've ever had and the crab cakes were up there as well. The sides were amazing and I'm usually a main dish type dude. Sides are just there as extras to complement the meat. They will be seeing me more often. Heck. They may end up knowing me by name. read more

Get the catfish sandwhich & mashed potato's w/gravy!!! LOVED the little cornbread muffin it came with. read more

There's a reason this place has a high star rating. Great service (my glass was never empty) and excellent food , with depth. Each dish was layered with flavors! We had the catfish nuggets which had just the right amount of spice and breading and the pork chop which was moist and breaded perfectly. The meat was so tender. The menu is limited, but what they do, they master. read more

Stopped her and grabbed some catfish bites and chicken witvmg cornbread everything was delicious read more

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Mama J's was a fantastic treat! Wonderfully Southern but recognizable by a yankee foodie. Seriously best Brisket award deserved! Everything was authentic and cooked with love that was very evident! My daughter and a friend met me there and ate chicken and salads. Salads were huge . Chicken was delicious but left them wanting more. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and a gravy from the brisket was simply put, the best EVER!! We will be back with friends & family very soon!! YUM!! read more

This place was fire!! Was in Richmond for school and was so glad to have been told about this place. Fried catfish was bomb, mac was smackin, the fried chicken was delicious, the peach cobbler was ridiculous! This place was soooooo good! The seafood salad was a lot amazing. Go get you some food from here!! read more

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

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Amazing. Delicious food great portions. Service was great didn't have to wait made awesome suggestions

I visited Mama J's on a recent visit to Richmond, VA. It was recommended by several people. The customer service was great. I was immediately seated at a table and they checked on me frequently. I ordered the pork chops, collard greens, mac and cheese, yams and the apple cobbler. The food was so good that I'm writing a review, lol. read more

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Five stars for the fried chicken and catfish. My other half and I got double portions of both. White meat for him and dark meat for me and then two fillets of fried catfish topped with onions and peppers. JUST WOW. Once topped with hot sauce and honey it was nothing short of heaven. We tried nearly all the sides from favorite to least along with the corn muffins. - Collards - very flavorful, if not a bit sweet for my taste - Mac N Cheese - good. Not a whole lot going on. - string beans - good. - coleslaw - ok - cabbage - ok. A bit mushy. - seafood macaroni - bland Don't forget drinks! Arnold Palmer and the Lemonade were awesome. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Outside sept 2020 - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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This was my first time in a while ordering from Mama Js. I ordered the grilled chicken, Mac and cheese and collards. I didn't realize the sides were a la cart and cost $5 a piece that should've be no more than $3 and the thigh and wing I ordered was $20. Is it me or did the prices go up tremendously. Wow! Not enough food for that price. read more

I've only experienced their catering over the years (and it was the only reason to attend the meetings!) But I visited their restaurant for lunch today, and it felt like home. Relaxed atmosphere. Fantastic food, and even better people! A+++ read more

4.5/5 stars I ordered the fried chicken with Mac and cheese as well as mashed potatoes and gravy. The fried chicken thigh was the juiciest chicken I've had!!! I took a bite and the chicken was GLISTENING. The chicken was also steaming due to the heat and it was just a mouthwatering sight. The chicken skin was also crispy + salty. I enjoyed taking spoonfuls of my sides to pair with it. Another notable dish was the green beans! I tried some of my friend's and it was DELICIOUS. I'd recommend coming here to get your soul food fix! read more

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

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