7 out of 5 stars. Yes, I said 7…read more So I went to Mama J's after scoping it out on Yelp, and let me tell you something: Richmond, we may have a problem. I have found the food. I initially walked into the market next door, which is actually great because there aren't a lot of grocery stores nearby. Then I headed over to Mama J's on a Monday afternoon. The place was teeming with associates doing all kinds of things, which I actually loved. I was seated quickly and started looking around. It was comfortable and familiar, even though it was my first time there. Then my server greeted me, called me "baby," and suddenly I felt like I had walked into my auntie's house. Okay. We were off to a good start. I ordered an Arnold Palmer and some catfish nuggets. Now, I knew I was in the right place when my server brought me TWO glasses of the most perfectly made Arnold Palmer. Two. Glasses. Start the happy dance. While I waited for my food, I looked around at the old photographs and magazine covers featuring Mama J's. It all made sense. The restaurant felt familiar because it felt like somebody's dining room. A place that has history. A place where people have been eating, talking, laughing and coming back for years. Then my catfish nuggets arrived. HOT. Golden. Crispy. When I tell you I did a happy dance... I ate those catfish nuggets with a knife and fork, humming to myself and saying, "This is the best catfish I have eaten in my life." And mind you, I eat out at least twice a week. So I ordered the crab cake sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese. We were not particularly focused on vegetables because my server could not promise me the collards and cabbage weren't cooked with chicken broth. It's fine. I didn't really want my vegetables anyway. Then my plate arrived. HOT. I ate that macaroni and cheese and literally had to rock, hum and say to myself, "Woo. This food is good." The crab cake sandwich and fries were so good that I immediately knew some of them were coming home with me for lunch tomorrow. Because I may love food, but I also believe in planning ahead. Now let's talk about this crab cake. First, the brioche bun was EXACTLY the right bread. I am not a sliced-white-bread kind of woman. I need a brioche bun sturdy enough for the remoulade to hold onto. And then there was the crab cake. Enunciate that K. Fresh crabmeat. Maryland could NEVER. I know, I know. Maryland swears they have the best crab cakes. No ma'am. No sir. The best crab cake is sitting on Clay Street, about a mile from the James River, in Jackson Ward, the Harlem of the South. And the fries? HOT. You know that perfect fry: crispy on the outside, soft in the center? Yeah. Those. At this point, I was full and getting sleepy at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. But apparently that wasn't enough because I ordered some potato salad to go so I could top off tomorrow's lunch. Because priorities. I left Mama J's full as a tick. Came home. And promptly took a several-hour nap. That is how good this meal was. Mama J's, you have officially set the bar. 7 out of 5 stars. I am going back. And, quite frankly, they are going to get sick of seeing me. Richmond, if you haven't been to Mama J's, what are you waiting for?

As a DMV Native, Mama J's is one of Richmond's best most premiere restaurant spots in a city where…read moreI had some underwhelming experiences. Mama J is the Carolina Kitchen from the DMV meets Richmond. I remember the manager and staff being accommodating, welcoming and it remains the highlight of my trip to Richmond earlier this year. The side dishes are great, however the baked chicken breasts was undercooked and should had been cooked more. I won't hold it against them to that level, as the rest of the food and beverages were excellent. The customer service and down home vibe from management really stood out in a great way to me. The portion sizes were great; however it can be pricey for a mid-size city. Carolina Kitchen has just as good food up North in the DMV and is actually cheaper and mor affordable. Fortunately, I am a great cook like a homemade chef, however when it comes to treating yourself, I think this spot in the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood is a highlight here. This is way better than Lillie Pearl which is pretentious and does not have the soul, grounded, and kindred spirt of MJs. I loved the atmosphere, interior design/decorum, and vibe of the joint cool bar section and tables with seats. It would be nice if they had booths that were more comfortable, but again I won't hold it against them.

Lillie Pearl was pretty good, but not good enough for me to rush back. I think they may have been…read morehaving an off night. Their famous short rib egg rolls were a bit burned on the outside so a bit dry on the inside. They did have a very good sauce served with them that pretty well covered the flaws. We also got the sweet potato corn bread. It was tasty, but fell apart just a little too easily. I had to eat it with a fork. The risotto that came with my duck leaned a little too far to the mushy side. The duck itself was really good. My niece had the salmon, and she had no complaints. She said she had the leftover last night as a sandwich and that it was delicious. Service was excellent. No notes.

I finally got a chance to check this spot out, and I really enjoyed it! I loved the location,…read moreespecially having the Maggie L. Walker Memorial right out front--it adds such a cool touch to the area. The decor and ambiance were really nice and definitely gave me brunch vibes. And the food? So good! Those chicken wings were so, so, SO good--honestly, some of the best wings I've had in a very long time! I had the shrimp and grits, which were delicious, and my son had the Southern Breakfast Bowl and really enjoyed it. My friend loved her salad, especially the dressing, which tasted like it was made from scratch. This is definitely a spot I'd come back to and keep in the rotation for brunch days. Great atmosphere, great location, and great food. I'll definitely be back!

Very nice atmosphere! Wasn't to crowded! The host led us to seat promptly…read more The server was very nice! No complaints. I order the Southern Roll and Turkey wings. It was goof - very nice portions. I had leftovers!

Southern Kitchen is one of those places I go to primarily for the espresso martinis. I actually go…read morepretty often, but I'm not a big eater (and extremely picky), so it's rare that I order a full meal. I recently decided to try the meatloaf, and while it was still good, it was a little dry for my taste. I would order again despite that. The cabbage wasn't really for me either because it had a sweetness to it that I didn't love. The yams, however, were good. The catfish bites were also really good--crispy, hot, and flavorful. The Mac and cheese was *chefs kiss* delicious. Mashed potatoes were decent. I also tried the Soul Food Roll, and I really enjoyed it. The outside was perfectly crispy, and the duck sauce was really good. My only thought? Add some mac and cheese to that thing and you'd really have something. My biggest hesitation with eating here regularly is the portions. The plates are BIG, and when you look at the ingredients all piled together, it gives "that's easily 3,000 calories" energy. I'm not saying it actually is, but that's definitely how it looks. As someone who likes a small waist, I don't feel like I need all that every time I go. Now, the ambiance? EVERYTHING!!!!!!! Southern Kitchen is absolutely beautiful inside. It's one of those restaurants where you could easily dress up and have a really nice date night, celebrate something, or bring a group. Even the bathrooms are fancy, so they clearly understood the assignment. The food is good, but for me, the atmosphere and drinks are what really make this place stand out. I'd absolutely bring a group here or come for a date night. Service was also great. Our waitress checked on us often even though that place was jumping when I was there. I would highly recommend giving them a try.

We had the pleasure of visiting Croaker's Spot while in town from Northern Virginia and stopped in…read morefor an early dinner. From the moment we arrived, we had an amazing experience. We were warmly greeted by a lovely hostess who ended up being our server, Jamila, I hope I spelled her name correctly. She was truly one of the best servers we have had in a long time: attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and full of great suggestions. She checked on us often without being intrusive, and her customer service was exceptional. When I mentioned that I did not care for the mac and cheese, Jamila immediately offered recommendations for another side. To our surprise, the chef even came out personally to apologize and brought me a fresh serving of mac and cheese. The replacement was much better! That is what I call going above and beyond to make customers happy. The food was delicious. I ordered the catfish dinner with collard greens and candied yams. The catfish was moist, fried to perfection, and seasoned just right. The collard greens were flavorful and well seasoned, while the candied yams reminded me of my grandmother's homemade yams sweet, comforting, and absolutely delicious. The portions are huge, so you definitely will not leave hungry. Between the wonderful hospitality, outstanding service from Jamila, and amazing food, Croaker's Spot gave us a memorable dining experience. We will definitely be back!

Corn bread = great Chips / fries = great…read moreFish = nasty, oily, dried out, chewy. In a word, garbage. I gave it to the stray cats. And over priced I got some cake there also, another mistake. Lord knows how long it had been sitting, drying out. Cat food also Save your money, don't eat here

We ordered on Door Dash…read more Overall, our food was pretty good. The batter for the Stuffed Catfish and 3 Piece Whiting was a bit salty but still flavorful. The Mac and cheese was dry but still tasty, yams and collards were on point. The Blueberry Lemon Glazed Cornbread was missing the glaze and had a bread pudding consistency, the Cabbage was a miss. Not sure if we'll order from this restaurant again when we're back in the area.

I ordered the Jerk Chicken Pasta which was really good! Very flavorful but on the spicier side,…read morewhich I appreciated. I also ordered the collards and mac-n-cheese, which were okay.

Traveling to Richmond, VA for an event and wanted some soul food. It's been 8 years since I moved…read morefrom RIC and I can consistently get a good meal and service from Family Secrets. Did a pick up order and from the moment you call to order to pick up, you feel like family. I ordered 7 different meals and they got my order right and cooked just as we requested. It was delish! I had the catfish dinner. Price and portions are good. When in town, I'll definitely be back!

I had a write this review while everything is fresh in my mind...I just left the restaurant about…read more30 minutes ago. I walked in an ordered the whiting with mac and cheese and cabbage. The guy at the bar took my order and told me it would be about 15-20 minutes. Once I got to my car I opened the top because I didn't want the fish to get soggy from steaming. Immediately it smelled like Gorton's fish sticks. I take a closer look and the fish is fried in bread crumbs. What soul food restaurant doesn't fry fish in cornmeal/cornflour??? Absolutely no seasoning. The macaroni and cheese was bland and basic. The cabbage was actually good. The sorry piece of cornbread isn't even worth mentioning. I paid $22 for this meal. Never again. Richmond's soul food scene is sadly disappointing to me.

We had a great meal here! The Garden Sampler Board was a fun twist on a traditional charcuterie…read moreboard, and we really enjoyed getting to try a variety of everything. Our entrees were equally as tasty. I ordered the salmon and it was done well! My only personal preference would be to swap the green beans for the collards next time--the green beans just weren't cooked quite the way I prefer. That said, everything else was really enjoyable. Overall, a great meal at an equally great price. We were pleasantly surprised to walk out for under $65 without ordering drinks. Definitely felt like a great value, and we'd happily come back!

Food was good service was horrible…read more We went in and they told us that it would be 15 minutes for a table, fine, I indicated we wanted inside , since the heat index was 105. There is a huge empty booth right in the front across from the hostess stand, no one was sitting there, we asked if we could sit there for just a moment to cool off in the AC- we were rudely told no we had to wait outside. The next family in line included 2 elderly women and a baby all dressed gorgeous, they also were told they had to wait outside in 105 weather. After about 20 minutes of waiting, (I was just going to tell them to forget it) they said our table was ready. Well, instead of inside with AC as we requested we were seated in a gazebo porch area that they claimed had AC. By this time we were so desperate for cool, we didn't argue that we had requested INSIDE not whatever this room was. It ended up being like sitting in a tuna can. So uncomfortable, my husband and bro in law just went and sat in the car with the AC blasting. Waitress was sporadic to put it nicely. Meanwhile, back inside the booth across from the hostess stand was still empty. Food was fine. But I don't think this place will be around much longer.

When people say "hidden gem," this is exactly what they're talking about. Tucked away in an…read moreunassuming shopping center, Gummy's Home Cooking is the kind of place you don't casually visit -- you make it a priority. This tasted like Sunday dinner at grandma's house, no exaggeration. The turkey wings were falling off the bone, deeply seasoned, and cooked with real care. The mac and cheese was rich and comforting, and the cabbage had that slow-cooked flavor that lets you know it wasn't rushed. This isn't just good -- it's soulful. Richmond, don't sleep on this spot.

My and family and I love Gummy's! When you walk inside the atmosphere is nice and clean when you…read morewalk in! The staff there (Yasmine especially) is so nice! On this recent trip I went with my mom and dad! Had the best turkey wings!!!

Best place to get fresh, succulent deep fried oysters in a flash!…read more I treat myself to their dinner plate with bettered fried okra as a side. It's a bit of an investment, but the freshness and food quality is excellent. The wait staff and window folks are courteous and very competent. I've never been disappointed. I wholeheartedly recommend Sugar's Crab Shack for a delicious meal you'll be sure to remember fondly!

Today my wife wanted to get some fish and I was already down with the plan. We went to our spot…read moreSugar's and we were the first in line and had a short wait no more than 20 minutes since they started serving people. I ordered the just fish that comes with ten (10) pieces. Yes count them 1, 2,3,...10. Just like the Count on Sesame Street. Everyone is locked on right. I paid the money and the guy at the counter charged me for how many? Ten (10) fish pieces. After my short wait, my order was ready. The guy at the window showed me the fish looking golden brown and delicious. Hot piping hot. I said they looked good and ready for liftoff. Got to the car and my wife and I were happy at the time. After several hours and other stops we made it home. We live in Baltimore Md. A short 4 hour ride away. When my wife had unpacked the food and she asked me did I eat any fish? I said No? If I had she would have killed me before the plate got cold. She said that then they (Sugar's) did not give us piece number 10. The Boss was not happy and neither was I. Now I don't mind paying for delicious food and will do again. What I do mind is paying for fish that does not appear on my plate. I felt RIPPED OFF! If someone in the back of the house can't count to ten (10) and your employing someone who doesn't know how to count to 10, I am wondering what else is going on in the back of the house. Advise 1) Moving forward I will ask them to count them before accepting the finished product 2) Don't buy the Onion Rings. My wife does not care for them and she is an Onion ring person. Let's do this again but I'm bring the Count with me and the number 10 JUST TO MAKE SURE WERE CLEAR!

Went there today for lunch food was decent but the lady reeked of alcohol…read more I Was very disappointed because my friend spoke so highly of the restaurant only for me to get there and have a bad experience.

Food was great. It took a while for it be ready, even calling ahead. I wasn't disappointed with the…read moretaste of it all. Just be prepared to wait a bit.