Hot Diggity Dog!! This place slaps!! This restaurant was a stop on our food tour. One of the owners offered a real and heartfelt story about the area, family origins, and the restaurant. He sold us with the story, but he gained customers for life after we tried the catfish. It was amazing! No excess batter or dirt flavor. No need for hot sauce. The catfish, as well as his vegetarian greens and macaroni and cheese was a comforting Sunday after church meal in the middle of our casual Saturday walking tour. I highly recommend you visit.
Located in the historic Jackson Ward district of Richmond, VA, Mama J's Kitchen is this modest restaurant that packs a huge punch with the food it serves. The menu is small, but everything on it is delicious, according to the customers we chatted with during our visit. My wife had the fried pork chops (2 pieces) with candied yams and cabbage, my daughter had the fried chicken (2 pieces) with mac & cheese and collard greens, and I had the fried catfish (2 pieces) with coleslaw and fries. Everything was seasoned just right, served hot, and tasted delicious.We also tried the pineapple coconut cake and apple cobbler; I'm so happy I don't live close to Mama J's because I would be visiting this spot weekly.The staff was friendly and courteous.
We went for the first time yesterday. We had a 45-55 minute wait (due to staffing I'm sure and there isn't a ton of seating). The place was packed and I'm glad we decided to wait around because this food....this food right here was delicious!! Didn't even get a chance to take a picture of the catfish bites and chicken wingettes we ordered because we tore them up! The chicken was seasoned through and through, not just on the skin! I can't wait to go back and try something else. The only thing I was sad about was the sweet tea. It was sweet, but not SA-WEET (like even when the ice has been in it, it's still sweet...sweet)
There are only six or seven tables so it may take a while to be seated. They have a pretty busy take out service. The fried chicken was excellent! The brisket was pretty good as well The woman working behind the bar was a little crabby but our waitress was nice.
Ordered takeout on Easter Sunday. Place was busy but accommodating with orders while short staffed. The brisket was amazing. Fried chicken and catfish was good too. We had mac and cheese, coleslaw, collard greens and candy yams as sides. All done very well. Peach Cobbler was wonderful. Only complaint was $11 for 2 pieces of dark meat fried chicken a little steep. I thought would come in 3 pieces.
This is definitely a hidden gem. My friend and I were traveling to Richmond to scoop out a new place to live after our apartment hunt we were looking for a good place to get some good food and we definitely found it here from a simple Google search.I ordered the catfish with a side of macaroni and cheese and yams. Everything was on point! The catfish was so fresh and to my surprise was well flavored with a light breading that wasn't oily. The staff was kind and very attentive. It's a very small spot but you could tell it has huge culture.Can't wait to visit again!
I was having guest over for Sunday Dinner and they wanted soul food. I googled and Mama Js came up. Reviews gave them 4.5 so I called them. I tried calling for about 30 min but I could never get a live person. I decided to order online. I spent $137 for 5 dinners. I didn’t receive a confirmation until 30 min after ordering so I was afraid that my order hadn’t been received. Finally picked up my food ?. Such a disappointment. All of the Pork-chops were DRY, SALTY and HARD! The chicken was also DRY! The yams were MUSHY! The potatoes in the potato salad were HARD and it was too much MUSTARD! The collard greens were BLAND! I think the only food my guest really ate was the Mac n cheese and they said that was DRY! Most of the food was picked over and a lot was left on their plates. I am very Disappointed and will not be ordering there again ??
Limited staff and limited staff so there was a bit of a wait when we got there around 11:30. No big deal as the food and service was delicious. Efficient and friendly server. We ordered fried chicken, muffin, collard greens and they were all delicious. The chicken was well seasoned. Just be warn, make sure you drink a lot of water later because the food is on the saltier side. Otherwise, totally recommend checking out the place!
I don’t know where to start. This food was the best I’ve had in years. Maybe ever since Granny passed. The chicken, the catfish, the shrimp, were all fried and seasoned to perfection. The macaroni and cheese was sinfully rich as it should be but the collard greens and candied yams took the cake. I’m not sure you’ll find better soul food anywhere. When you think about everything that makes southern cooking delicious, you’ll find it all at Mama Js.
My first time in Richmond and I wanted southern food. I can’t imagine a better menu (we tried a LOT), and the food, service and ambience were all outstanding.