mama j's

great soul food. service was fantastic and food was real southern comfort food done just
right. place had a waiting line, but i was by myself and willing to sit at the bar. nif you love southern food done just right then this is the place for you and it is relatively inexpensive by richmond standards. will definitely go back the next time i am in town

food phenomenal. i went to mama j's yesterday for lunch and found the food to be excellent. i had the trout bone fish (1 piece fried and 1 piece baked), mac n cheese and string beans. i will definitely be returning.

home away from home. friendly people, good food, great service. highly recommend if you just want some wholesome, tasteful southern cuisine. today's choice was smothered pork chops and onions, string beans and mashed potatoes and gravy. gotta get there early though very limited seating but worth the wait.

food amazing. staff, not so much.. as i was walking through jackson ward today looking for some lunch the intoxicating scents of mama j's kitchen caught my attention. i glanced at the menu in the window before deciding to go in and order something to go. i sat at the end of the bar and waited for the bartender (an older black woman) to notice me. we locked eyes and i flashed her a smile. she replied, in a very abrasive manner, "i just got here, i just got here." i brushed it off and waited another 15 minutes before deciding that i was just going to call my order in from the end of the bar. i watched her roll her eyes and make faces at her coworker as we ordered our food over the phone. she didn't notice that it was me until she asked for a phone number and my response was "i'm sitting at the end of the bar" she turned around and hung up the phone. another server informed us that they were short staffed today and the food would take a while to come out but, the bartender who took my order never said a word. we ordered fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and chicken tenders. all of the food was outstanding! the gravy on the mashed potatoes tasted like soy sauce but, other than that i was more than satisfied with my food. the service was a nightmare though.

great food. good service. really nice place.

overall, great place to sit down and have meal. nice atmosphere. great service. a cross between a southern restaurant and your mama's kitchen

really good food and large portions. i had the beef tips and the cabbage and my fiancé had spare ribs and max&cheese. they were both superb. i ate at the bar and the bartender devin gave us outstanding service

this is a nice and a good american restaurant to visit in richmond. they have good food. very few vegetarian options, but there is always a long queue and a wait to get a table here.

omg this place is worth the hype, really good food and fantastic portions, i was so hungry but now my stomach and my soul are both satisfied, thank you mama j !!

great service and food, went about two months ago around lunch time and while it was busy service was fast and efficient. the food was great. i had the blt club and peach cobbler. if you love a great cobbler mama j is the place to go. you will not be disappointed with their selection. great place for southern food

we had to wait a long time to get in on a saturday evening, but it was so worth it. start your course off with some sweet tea and catfish nuggets for each person, trust me you don't want to have to share your catfish. the entrees are delicious, personally i would go for the pork chops which are exceptional, but avoid the fried chicken, which is average. the sides are good, including southern classics such as greens, scratch made mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese that tastes almost like mom's and string beans with a curious sweetness that kept me coming back for more. there are a variety of desserts including cakes and cobblers. i keep thinking about those catfish nuggets though, get you some.

mama js is a great local southern soul food hotspot. it is typically packed. expect to wait and be patient. the staff is polite but they are busy. don't be afraid to flag someone down, it's casual that way. ok..now the food. very good fried chicken, meatloaf, okra, pies, greenbeens, mashed potatoes. southern home cookin! i did not rate higher because the food does tend to sit out awhile causing it to firm up and lose a little flavor. it appears to be due to merely keeping up with orders timely. perfect place to take your northern friends for local experience.

great the first time but won't go back.. i wrote an amazing review on our first visit but my second visit proves, with apologies to thomas wolfe, that you can't go home again. service was rude. food was mediocre and we were all disappointed. but, hey, that is life. so sad.

mr and mrs. great food great service thanks kim

horrible staff n horrible food. staff was disrespectful and chicken was dry and uneatible. sides were so bad that my dog turned his head to the mac n cheese. seriously don't waste your time or money, especially since it takes a hour to be seated. go somewhere else!