Food is worth the wait, could give a bigger portion of sides. The wait took forever. The young lady that answered the phone stated she couldn't give a wait time over the phone. That policy should change!! why should I have to drive here to be told it's a 45-60 min wait?? Then wait almost a hour and half on a rainy Sunday afternoon. There's no waiting place just stand there watching people eat and blocking the door. The cakes were nasty for $4 but I loved my food. read more

Best fried chicken! So fresh everything was wonderful from the collards to the macaroni and cheese. Loved the cabbage and the catfish bites. We have been trying to get takeout for quite a while. They are so busy but so worth the wait! Oh wait and the fried pork chop. Excellent! read more

Delicious soul food and the staff was excellent! Pork chops were right on point mac & cheese good and cheesy..they have a drink called the popa punch I think and it had a punch it almost put my cousin out for the count read more

Mama J's Kitchen - This punch packed a punch - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The wife and I found this place on trip advisor where it was ranked 4 stars. I say it is better than that. Staff is really nice and the atmosphere is like a movie. People sitting next to us talked to us - not in an annoying way. The patrons are diverse and fun to watch. I ordered fried catfish. Among the best i have ever had. Crab creole soup also good. The wife ordered fried chicken (white). It was absolutely delicious. Perfectly battered and seasoned. She loved the Mac and cheese side. The portions were generous and reasonably priced. $30 including tax and non-alcoholic drinks for two of us. read more

Amazing food and ambience. Great local go to restaurant with great home cooked food and tasty drinks. Be sure to arrive with an anticipation to wait as the seating is limited, but so worth your wait. #macncheese #yams #catfish #seafoodsalad #greens read more

My boyfriend and I stopped by for lunch the other day and it was delicious. We started with a salad that was huge btw and then he got the pork chops; one baked and one fried. The fried one was really good so if you get the pork chops get them both fried! I got chicken and dumplings since it was the special and wow. The amount of food I got was well worth it. They were amazing I loved the dumplings. For dessert, we got peach cobbler. Also delicious. The amount of food you get for the price and the quality is incredible. Our server was so sweet and helpful. She made sure we had a nice lunch! Overall, Mama J's is great place to go for some good food. read more

The food and experience is awesome. The catfish nuggets starters were cooked just perfect, not too much batter so you could enjoy the fish. Richmond has not disappointed me at all. The pork chops were tender and well seasoned. The mac and cheese good. We had plenty of leftovers. The greens were good but a tad salty for the wife. The desserts are fresh and great. We got cake slices that will be going home. I would recommend as a must stop for anyone traveling to Richmond. We were able to be seated in 5 minutes around 5:00 but it gets busy since they have limited tables. You may have to wait. read more

I had heard great things about Mama J's from friends and coworkers. When I finally checked it out for myself, it did not disappoint! The food was unbelievably delicious, portion sizes great, and prices excellent. The restaurant is somewhat small, but worth the short wait and our waitress was very friendly and personable. I will definitely be back! read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Cream of Crab Soup Soup of the Day - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Cost too much, peach cobbler was dry and fried chicken was under cooked! I have heard a lot about MAMA J's since I moved here, but I was not all that impressed. read more

You need alot of money to eat here. I've had better fo9ds with lower prices. Chicken was hard and greens overco9ked. Each item is price. Instead of dinner plate with meat and sides. read more

EXCELLENT FOOD AND SERVICE! Be aware the place is small. But the manager did say they are expanding to take "to go" orders next door. The food is some of the best comfort food you taste buds will experience. I had fried chicken wings, greens seasoned to perfection, Mac n cheese, and yams. My coworker raved about the catfish also. I tasted a piece of it and I agreed it was delish! read more

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For the past several years I have ordered some of the most delicious food from this restaurant. Unfortunately my last two visits have been terribly disappointing. My family and I ordered roughly about $100 worth of food. I'm not sure if there is a new chef but it's was terrible. The food was bland and flavorless. I DO NOT RECOMMEND! And my food had mold on it. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Molded Sweet potato pie - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Best soul food I've ever had. Definitely looking forward to coming back in the future

Fresh greens, crispy fried chicken, pork chop with gravy, mac n cheese, ribs and corn bread muffin! Wow all were just perfect! Best soul food and southern cooking. I could eat a bunch of those corn bread! They were so tasty and moist! Best sweet potato fries and seasoned just right. This place rocks! read more

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We took a new employee to lunch and chose Mama J's since VCU has a secret parking lot around the corner. I had been anxious to try this place for a while and was happy to have an occasion to do so. The place itself is warm and welcoming. There is a bar with service and plenty of tables for lunch service. Colleague and new employee got the chicken salad sandwich and crab cake sandwich. I decided to go all in and get the catfish. You could get 1 piece for $6 or 2 pieces for $9. I opted for 1 piece and a side of mac-and-cheese. When food arrived, I was blown away by how large that piece of catfish was! It was almost too pretty to eat. Almost. It was fried golden brown and absolutely delicious. The mac-and-cheese was pretty tasty too. Colleague and new employee seemed to enjoy their orders as well. Bonus points they serve Arnold Palmers (half iced tea + half lemonade), my very favorite thing to drink. Service is very good as well. Warm and friendly without being intrusive. I look forward to my next trip to Mama J's! read more

After a long day of traveling soul food was in order! I enjoyed the colorful neighborhood walk from the hotel and knew I was in the right place as soon as I walked in. The atmosphere was alive with music, vibrant conversations from every corner, cozy decor, and a lot of smiling faces, even the people waiting in line. Some of the patrons waiting with me raved of the crab cakes, but I went for a signature dish, fried catfish, mac n cheese and cabbage. The catfish was perfectly fried and very tasty. While I would rather have a creamy mac n cheese, it wasn't horrible, but was chock full of clustered cheese. The cornbread was delish. I had hoped to save room for a piece of one of their signature cakes that lined shelves by the bar, but my meal did me in. I will be back and have cake first! read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Catfish was wonderful! I went for the signature Mac n cheese and cabbage. - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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From the first sight, the restaurant is not appealing. Additionally, there was a 1.5 hour wait at 12pm when the restaurant opened at 11. Once we sat at the bar, and we ordered fried chicken, Mac & cheese, greens, candied yams, and cornbread... THE FOOD WAS AMAZING!!! The portions were very filling. As we were sitting there they brought out fresh cakes. We could not leave without getting a slice. The sweet tea was amazing as well. If you don't mind the wait, this restaurant definitely exceeds five stars. The wait staff was also really accommodating and very nice. It is a la carte, but it's worth it. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Fried Chicken, greens, Mac and cheese, cornbread, sweet tea - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

We ordered the following from catering: Fried chicken, mixed, catfish, Mac and cheese, muffins, and a cake. The order came to a bit over $500. The order took 30 minutes to pick up. No one seemed to know where the order was waiting. The fried chicken was supposed to be mixed--white and dark meat. The order was overwhelmingly thighs, fried much too hard with some pieces burnt. My husband threw it away he was so angry. We should have kept it to show to them. The muffins were all burned. The fish, Mac and cheese, and cake were all excellent. They gave us a free pasta salad. It was good. My entire family came here to celebrate my retirement from the professoriate after 31 years. It was very disappointing. We have been loyal patrons of Mama J's both as a family and professionally. (I ordered from them on behalf of my university.) On their FB page, they advise calling the manager to complain. It took me days of calling to order from the beginning. You order online, which is not straightforward. I'm not going to call anyone. I don't have the time. Maybe they should follow up with large order customers and ask for feedback. read more

Meh. I feel like maybe my friends hyped this place up for me too much. But I thought it was just decent. Nothing too memorable. I came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was right before lunch rush came through, so thankfully we were seated immediately. My friend and I decided to get our main dishes and then a bunch of sides and share. We ordered the fried chicken and country fried steak, mac and cheese, coleslaw, seafood salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, and each got cornbread. The fried chicken was super crispy and seasoned well, but honestly just like any other fried chicken you get at a real restaurant (not Popeyes or KFC). The country fried steak was okay. I was expecting it to be a little crispier, but it was rather soggy, but the flavors were decent. The cornbread was actually extremely good. It was moist and sweet. The mac and cheese was disappointing. It had clumps of what looked like shredded cheese that was melted together, but wasn't mixed properly with the macaroni. The mashed potatoes lacked flavor unless you put a lot of gravy on top of it. The gravy tasted like powdered Mccormick brown gravy. And coleslaw had a good kick to it, but had a very strong mayo flavor (not really my preference). The seafood salad was actually pretty good though. There were lumps of crab meat and whole shrimp in it, and was full of flavor. Overall, the food is just average. Will probably come back one day to try something new on the menu. read more

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Friendly service, the food was amazing!! It's a smaller spot like many restaurants in Richmond, but if you place a reservation you'll be able to get in fairly quick! read more

Wow - just wow. Despite frequenting Richmond (and attending VCU), I never thought to stop by this little gem for a meal and I definitely regret that I haven't sooner. I was made aware of this restaurant through the Richmond Black Restaurant Week. Although, I had to wait about 30 minutes for a table, it was worth it. The food feels like home and puts you into a food coma. I ordered the beef brisket, Mac and cheese, and green beans as part of their special and it came with a salad and some of the BEST sweet tea I have ever tasted. (I'm kind of a sweet tea, snob) My only issue with the restaurant is that it is tiny. Like super tiny. I came with one of my friends and we sat a small, table only for two people and I felt a little uncomfortable so I couldn't imagine how groups of 4+ would feel. (This could be because of all of the publicity from the event). BUT, the excellent service and AMAZING food makes up for it. The prices are perfect as well. I'm surprised at how low the prices are, to be honest. I honestly hope they expand in the future because it's worth it. Tip: You're gonna struggle a little bit for parking but there are some lots for $5 parking nearby. For 21 and over, there is a bar. So grab some drinks! read more

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

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I went to mama I'd hoping to grab a nice Sunday dinner but instead I was giving RAW CHICKEN that could get me sick. I've tried calling to let them know my order isn't cooked properly but they took their phone off the hook so they can't receive any phone calls. I love and support all black own business in the Richmond area but I honestly mortified by my experience here at Mama Js. read more

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Walking in, I really appreciated the simple and quaint atmosphere. It seemed like an intimate place for friends to catch up, as most tables were for two. The special that day was the Seafood Alfredo, which had shrimp and crab meat. I would have appreciated it more if it had been served hot, instead of lukewarm, but flavor was still good. I had a bite of the beef tips, which was also served lukewarm, and the beef was tender and seemed like a great comfort food. Service was average, though very attentive to making sure everything was okay. Great place for a step above fast food, when you need a quick bite on your lunch break! read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Beef tips and seafood alfredo lunch special! - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is one popular spot, and justifiably so! During what I thought was an "off-time;" 2pm on a Saturday, we waited an hour for our table. Once seated the intimacy and relaxed pace of the restaurant offered an explanation. Our server was very enthusiastic and friendly, but our food was not quick to the table. Because we were starving at this point, we ordered fried shrimp and chicken wings I liked the house hot sauce that came with the chicken wings so I set it aside for the catfish I'd ordered as an entree. The entrees were AMAZING, soul food for days! I ordered the catfish, and it was hands down the best catfish I've ever had. It was light, crisp, and flaky and fried to perfection, not even slightly fishy (if you've had bad catfish you know what I'm talking about--and it was not that). The candied yams were dessert sweet and the mac-n-cheese was savory and delicious, topped with crispy bread crumbs. Others in my party had the ribs and fried chicken with greens, the bites I had of these were super yummy. And I like that you have the choice between light or dark meat with the chicken entree. We sat right next to the cake display while we engorged ourselves, so we compromised and took a piece of chocolate to go. The cake was moist and decadent, and had a hint of hot cocoa. The restaurant itself was very welcoming, reminiscent of being in a family members home. I really enjoyed my meal here. TL;DR apps meh, entrees excellent, you must get some cake!, worth the LONG wait read more

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Good food, friendly staff, worth the wait. Parking is always an adventure and it's in a great location. read more

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My friend and I wanted some delicious down home southern cuisine. The restaurant was located close to where we live so we decided to give it a shot! We got there around 7:30pm (party of 3) and were told it would be a 45 min wait to be seated. We went to the bar and had a few drinks. An hour later a couple came in and were seated immediately. We notified the host that we had been waiting since 7:30. He then sat them at a 4-person table because they needed a 2-person table for someone who had been waiting longer. My party of 3 had been waiting since 7:30pm for a table and a couple had been seated at a 4-person table an hour after we had arrived. The host stated he couldn't seat them then "unseat" them because that wouldn't be kind. So we waited...and waited. Our order was taken around 8:45 and didn't arrive to our table until 9:15pm. The food was fantastic but the service is absolutely horrible. If we had known this would've happened we would have eaten elsewhere. I am extremely upset with Mama J's, great food HORRIBLE service. read more

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

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Visiting Virginia and wanted to try places we don't have in Texas and WHEW. This place did not disappoint!!! 10/10!!! The food was soooooo yummy, fresh, and hot. The collard greens had my mouth in heaven. One of the greatest places I've ever ate. Definitely will come again before leaving Virginia. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Ribs, collard greens, dinner roll, & mashed potatoes - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Ordered to-go from here for the first time during the COVID -19 shutdown. Everything was packaged nicely, food was hot, portion sizes were huge! We ordered the catfish nuggets, crab cake sandwich, Mac and cheese, and fries! My family was happy and very satisfied with the meal! Definitely a place to support during this time, the food was excellent ! read more

POV: you're from Maine, never had soul food before and you pick this as your place to try it. BEST DECISION EVER. I started with the Caesar salad 100/10 for the home made dressing, then the SWEET TEA read more

At lunch here on our way back to NY; everything was delicious! Had the fried chicken skin was seasoned and crispy, meat was juicy soo good... Had it with greens (best I've had) and mashed potatoes (potatoes could have been hotter). Got in right before the after church crowd. My kids spilt the ribs which were fall of the bone delicious. We also had the pork chops (smothered in onions and gravy and fried catfish. Service was great a bit slow but you can tell it's because they are cooking from scratch. Mama J's is better then Sylvia's !! Have the peach cobbler for dessert - split it! Sweet Tea is homemade and very southern! BTW - 5 of us ate meals with sides and dessert for $75 read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Delicious - better then Sylvia's!! - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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A bright spot to our otherwise ruined trip. The food was great. We enjoyed the catfish, greens and yams. My grans loved the corn muffins. Our lunch and dinner was great. The delivery was right on time to our hotel. read more

I've been meaning to try this place out for a few years now but never got around to it until now. Dropped off the hubs at Absolute Art for an appointment and ushered the rest of the family here for lunch. We were immediately greeted by Jamal upon arrival and seated shortly after once the table was prepared for our party of six. Super friendly and efficient by the way! After a quick Yelp review, we decided to order the catfish and dark fried chicken for our entrees and opted for corn muffins to go along. These items were also noted as Mama J's favorites. For sides, we selected mac n cheese, seafood salad, potato salad, sweet potato fries, and string beans. The entrees were amazing as were the corn bread muffins that accompanied them (option of corn bread muffins or dinner rolls)! Huge portions, served piping hot, well seasoned, and just delicious overall. The sides were as not memorable and we'll will probably pass on them next time we dine here. We ended up being so stuffed, didn't have room for dessert so that'll have to wait until the next visit. Oh yeah, and the lemonade was superb! Free refills were an additional perk! read more

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I can't wait to go back to Richmond! Everything here was sooooo delicious and it cane out fresh and hot. We celebrated my dad's birthday here and he was so mad he'd never discovered this gen; yet his Barber is directly across the street. I will DEFINITELY be back again. Fried chicken (on point), all the tasty sides and even my lemonade/iced tea (on point) I can see this place gets busy very quickly, my dad and I left just as the evening rush began. And our waitress was Lajoy, she was friendly, not so warm.... but being from NY, I saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. She was attentive and very nice. I won't hesitate to go back. read more

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

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This is what I call "not doing anything for the rest of the day" food, haha! So good, so tasty, so fulfilling -- you won't wanna do anything but relax the rest of the day, as you should. Cop the fried catfish dinner. read more

There was a hair in my food and a man named Luther? Lester? Was very dismissive when he heard me explaining my issue to my server, nasty attitude and nasty hairs definitely won't be back read more

Why oh why have I not tried this place sooner. The food here is SO good and it satisfy the soul so much. My girlfriend got the catfish but she didn't know she was allergic so she that sucked. I got the prom chop with the corn muffin but for some reason the brought out an extra 2 corn muffin, I thought it was Part of the dinner but it turned out to be extra so that kind of sucked having to pay extra for something we didn't order but it was only a few bucks. The pork chop itself was very good and very filling and the Mac and cheese I wish I was eating that right now but sadly I am not. I tried a little bit of the catfish not really a fan but my gf did enjoy what she could of it before she got super itchy. But overall the food was great, service was great, and the place itself is awesome read more

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

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We found this place on yelp after touring the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Our server Felicia was very nice and helpful. The serving portions were big, we couldn't finish it. We would definitely come back. read more

Mama J's Kitchen - Catfish, Mac n cheese, cornbread, and collard greens - Soul Food Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Phenomenal. Simply phenomenal. I ate here when visiting my brother and I'm sad I can't go here on a regular basis (although my waistline is probably thankful). If you're in Richmond, you need to eat here. The catfish had great breading - not over fried and a little zip. The 2 piece meal is a ton of fish. The fried chicken spices were even better - giving a perfect tang to the grease. There is always a wait, even midday so make sure to budget extra time. read more

Saturday lunch and the place was hoppin' Mississippi boy in need of catfish. Mama delivered; 2 large filets, nicely breaded with a side of greens. I've got several more trips to get the fried chicken and the rest. Jackson Ward is hoppin' See ya' next time, Mama! read more

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

This restaurant is one of the best soul restaurants I've ever been to. I was there for the first time today for lunch. 7/10/2019. I got the baked chicken with candied yams & cabbage. The chicken was very good & the sides were outstanding. The wait was 35 minutes but well worth the wait. Unfortunately I don't remember our waitress name but she did a awesome job. I highly recommend MaMa J's & I will definitely be back. read more

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