I have some friends in Carrboro love to go to Mama Dip's for brunch. The sausage biscuit, fried chicken, sweet potato biscuit all hold some sort of hypnotic control over them and make them request this spot almost every weekend. It must be hypnosis bc the lackluster food I've been served here is only "meh" at best. I prefer a sugar soaked breakfast so I often get pancakes. Pancakes are hard to ruin. Pancakes here are fine but they might as well be from a box. Which is the impression I got from a lot of the other side dishes as well: they're so standard and inoffensive they might be coming from a box or bucket. (Examples are the mac and cheese, the collards, the yams, the cinnamon apples etc) Nothing really stands out. No super strong flavors or freshness. And in a place like the triangle, where fresh and delicious southern food abounds, Mama Dip's loses. On the positive side: the service has always been good and the decor is cute. I've found the waitstaff to be attentive in filling up water glasses and coffee mugs and even refills of butter for my basket of cornbread. I love to sit out on the porch and enjoy the fresh air while I clog my arteries. They have some cases of baked goods near the registers. There are some lacy nut cookies in there. Buy them. read more

I was expecting a lot from their fried chicken and sadly I feel like I could have gotten the same thing at Bojangles or Time Out for a lot cheaper. The restaurant definitely has a Southern country vibe which made me think I was going to get some amazing Southern food, not the case. I wasn't impressed with the mac n cheese side, there wasn't much flavor to it. The fried chicken was on the drier side. The mashed potatoes and gravy was probably the best thing I had out of this meal, but again I could get the equivalent at Bojangles too. Disappointed. read more

Mama Dip's is good. Is it the best food in Chapel Hill? I'm not willing to say that. But it's good Southern food that accomplishes its main goal (to be good Southern food). I was a little surprised by the inside, mostly because I didn't realize how big it would be but also by the family restaurant sense I got (it's not overwhelming, but rather interesting). Service was very good, though my server forgot our Hushpuppies initially (she eventually brought them over). The Hushpuppies were a little on the soft side, but generally yummy and warm. The other breads were also quite good. On the sides, the greens were excellent, but the broccoli/cauliflower salad was okay. The main course, the chicken with dumplings, was quite good. It was like chicken soup, but with big fun dumplings that made my belly happy. It's a little pricey, but not enough so that would be much of a deterrent. Overall a good southern experience! read more

We went on a Monday, and after a large group. That might have been a factor, but we were very disappointed. The biscuits tasted a day old, the fish was not done, the greens and beans were cafeteria style. I could have opened some cans at home and made a better meal. The gentrification of Chapel Hill seems to think this is soul food. $$$$ read more

I had just returned from the Durham/Chapel Hill area. This trip we were excited to go to Mama Dips for dinner. We had heard that if we were ever in Chapel Hill we should go to Mama Dips. Well...we did and well...I wish we hadn't. Sorry! I've been thinking of how to say this nicely, but it was just not that good at all. It was like eating at a Denny's. We did have the fried green tomatos as an appetizer and they were good, but that is the best I can do. The wait staff didn't look like they even wanted to be there. Ours actually smiled once. I wish we could say, they were a new restaurant and we'd give them a second chance, but... we won't be back. read more

Nothing more or less than I'd expect from any Southern food restaurant. My sister-in-law picked this place for a family breakfast since she'd heard about it from her friends who went to Carolina. We arrived around 9:30 on a Saturday and were one of only 3 cars in the parking lot. We were seated at a wooden booth along the wall. This place is old school with the porch and rockers, wood paneling, cafeteria line that's now used to help with service. As an engineer, I love the way the breakfast menu is matrixed - meats are listed down the left side, and then you follow across to choose either one egg or two. All the meat and egg combos come with either grits or hashbrowns and biscuit, white, or wheat toast. The also have sweet potato pancakes, sweet potato biscuits, omelets, etc. We started with the fried green tomatoes, and I chose the country ham with egg over medium, grits, and wheat toast (Why wheat toast? I'd read less than stellar reviews of the biscuits. I'm not even much of a biscuit person, particularly since my grandmother passed, and no one's biscuits will ever compare to hers). J and my SIL (also J) both got the sweet potato pancakes. Of course, C decides that he's hungry while we're waiting, so in the time that it took me to go to the car and feed him (approx 10 minutes), the food arrived. The fried green tomatoes were alright, though nothing particularly special. As much could be said of the entire meal. The country ham was tough and salty (as is usually the case with country ham), the egg was a little runnier than I'd prefer (but over-medium is a little harder than over-easy), and the grits were the mass-produced, slightly watery kind. The bite of J's sweet potato pancakes had good flavor but was very mushy in texture... perhaps he had used too much syrup. Good eats, though not memorable or noteworthy enough to recommend a second visit from out-of-towners. #Yelp365 - 109/365 read more

I've been meaning to try Mama Dip's for years and finally got around to it. I went in with high expectations and hopes, based on some word-of-mouth I'd heard for a long time. Sadly, I left disappointed. Service was very friendly, and the restaurant has a warm, family vibe to it that I liked. It's the kind of mom & pop restaurant you want to support in a town increasingly dominated by corporate/chain dining options. I had lunch there -- 1/4 BBQ chicken place with yams, lima beans, and cornbread. All of it was good, but nothing really stood out as exceptional. And considering the combo cost nearly $12, I left feeling underwhelmed. And hungry. I've paid about half that at other BBQ places for the same amount of food -- or more. Given the price, I expected slightly bigger portions or at least food that stood out as something amazing. I'm glad I finally tried the place, but don't think I'll be back. read more

Sorry but service fell flat for us. With 6 at the table one of our party received NO FOOD, even after informing our waitress! The manager quickly took care of the mistake himself, but by then the rest of us had finished our food. Also, biscuits were hard but molasses was good. Decor cute and nice outdoor seating for good weather. Will try another place next time. read more

Hands down, the best fried chicken I ever ate. Crispy, moist, perfectly seasoned. I was sure they followed some complicated recipe, so I asked the waitress - and she said it's a simple coating of seasoned flour. Who knew? The sides and desserts are also Southern, tasty and homemade. Mama Dips is a local institution and a great place to take out-of-towners. read more

Good old fashioned Southern Cooking. This time I got Mama Dip's Barbeque Chicken and Ribs with veggies! The Fried Chicken is also really good here. The service is also excellent. I highly recommend Mama Dip's. read more

Mama Dip's Kitchen - Mama Dip's Barbeque Chicken and Ribs with veggies! - Southern Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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I've been coming to Mama Dip's since I was a little kind and it was across the street from the current location. While I haven't tried everything on the menu, it's all pretty great. I HIGHLY reccomend the fried chicken, pork chops and the vegitable fritters. Also the sides are awesome, espeically the applesauce, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes and gravy. I always get the biscuits as my bread side (got the cornbread last time and it was a bit disappointing). The service is really good and I never have a problem waiting for a table (now that they've moved, the location is pretty huge). If you're looking for reasonably priced, regular southern food, Dip's is the best in Chapel Hill. read more

Me and my family ate there we were so disappointed the food was nasty and tasted old this was was absolutely not soul food hate I wasted my money there we order chicken and waffles the chicken was fine but the waffle tasted old and crumbly couldn't even finish it the food was just not worth the money we spent $60 what a waste read more

I came here for my brother's grad school graduation. We had a larger group of picky eaters and everyone was able to find something on the menu. The staff was friendly and accommodating. read more

Yum. Pricey but yum. Service was kinda of slow but once we ordered our food was out in flash. Everyone stopped talking and started eating. I couldn't finish everything on my plate but I know I will be back. Like I said earlier, this place is pricey. Bill for two was 40 bucks before tip. Some people probably wouldn't spend this for "country food" but we were just in the mood that day. Mama Dip was there that day too so that was kinda cool read more

Wow, tough crowd on the reviews for Mama Dips. Okay let me add a northerners perspective and up the rating just a tad. Damn, just gave away all my street cred. Oh well . . . First, how the H-E-double-hockey-sticks to ya'll stay skinny with sweet tea and friend EVERYTHING always on the menu?!?!?!? We came here during a vacation and loved it for a few simple reasons. 1) The eating experience seemed local and non-hipster. 2) Food was solid, rib sticking, comfy food. Fried green tomatoes were yummy as was the pile of friend seafood I had. I'll be back. read more

I was hoping to find some great barbecue on my short stay in Chapel Hill as I'm a big fan of North Carolina BBQ. As I didn't have car access, I was limited to where I could walk and this is where I was directed to go. Unfortunately, this restaurant falls more faithfully to the category of southern cooking than what I was seeking. The ribs were very tender with just that little bit of chew, but unfortunately completely lacking the smoke flavor that comes along with great BBQ. Service was friendly and prompt and the pecan pie was really great, but if and when I get out there again, my quest for perfect NC BBQ will continue elsewhere. read more

We went there for a Sunday brunch. We got there at 12:30 and the front desk host promise to stay at they are still serving breakfast menu it took us half an hour to be seated because this place was busy when we sat down the waiter didn't offer us the breakfast menu and when you asked for it he said the the chef who is in charge of breakfast has left and that's why they're not serving anymore breakfast. That was disappointing but the rest of the experience was very pleasant. The ribs and fried chicken combo is to die for, the baked chicken and rice casserole was delicious. The staff was very friendly and it has such a nice Ambience to the place. read more

Reviews from friends and associates were mixed about Mama Dip's, but we finally took the plunge a few weeks ago. The baked goods were very good, the sweet potato biscuits were particularly fine. However, the dinners we had were disappointing. I had the half fried chicken, which was mediocre. The problem was really the chicken's fault, but he probably had no say in the matter. Skimpy 59 cent-a-pound chicken just doesn't don't cut it with me. The sides were fine but, really, cooking sides in bacon fat is the law around these parts and it probably hides the fact that the veggies aren't fresh anyway. We'll go back here again eventually to give it another chance and because the sweet potato biscuits are yummy! read more

Mama Dips has landed on my blacklist for their atrociously bad service. So many incidents over the years I can't even remember them all. Rude servers, absent servers, clueless servers, I've had them all. Some favorites were the time they forgot to split my check and it then took over half an hour to correct. Or the time that my waitress was sobbing (!?) throughout the visit. Or the time I was seated in the back dining room and had to beg for a server after 15 minutes of nothing. Or the time... You get the picture. It can be *real* hit and miss. It's too bad because the food can be pretty tasty. I really like the sweet potato biscuits, fried chicken, and fried green tomatoes. A few standouts aside though, the food is average. Which would be acceptable if Mama Dips hadn't become a tourist hotspot and increased their prices. Overrated. read more

I've got to say, I had heard a lot of good things about Mama Dip's before heading over to try out her good ol' southern cooking. But I didn't walk away completely satisfied with my experience. For starters, when I eat what has been referred to as southern soul food, I expect biscuits that melt in my mouth. These did not qualify, with an exterior that was a bit too crusty for my taste. To make a long story short, I'd recommend ordering from the breakfast menu. The famed fried green tomatoes were "meh" at best, just a little too grainy from the cornmeal crust for me. read more

PATHETIC! Mama Dip must be rolling over in her grave. Mediocre food and unbelievably slow service. I went to Mama Dip's last night for dinner. Arrived a little after 6PM. I hadn't been there for 2 or 3 years. Wow has it gone downhill. Restaurant was about half full. Ordered a plate of fried chicken with two vegetables (greens and pintos). Presumably all of these had to have been already cooked -- you don't cook any of them "to order", right? It took them about 30 minutes to bring my meal. I noticed some other tables having a long wait for food as well. And they don't have much on their menu that is cooked to order. I mean it's basically Southern comfort food. The fried chicken was just "OK". Definitely nothing to write home about. Popeye's has much better fried chicken and way faster service. I will not be returning to Mama Dip's. read more

This place is a joke! Very sad to say I have been a few times trying to find "The Thing" so far no luck. Everything is bland and needs lots of hot sauce, garlic, onion, pepper, salt. It needs it all! Service is horrible. Bisquits, Cornbread and rolls will Break Your Teeth! The value isn't there: $20 plates that are below sub par is a miss! Sorry but move on read more

We have frequented Mama Dip's for years and I like it just as much now as my first time. Fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and the fried trout breakfast are all top picks for us. My mother-in-law, an old southern lady herself, really loved the fried chicken livers. Oh and their pound cake is a very classic recipe. We enjoy it all every time. read more

This is probably one of Chapel Hill's most famous places after it's gotten national accolades on various television programs. Unfortunately I think it disappoints a little bit when you try to compare it to all of the hype it's received. I got the chicken fried steak, and maybe it's just the fact that I spent 4 years in Texas eating their version of chicken fried steak, but Mama Dip's fell way short. Number 1, it was kind of small, I've never seen a piece so small. Number 2, it looked like this thing was dipped in gravy instead of having gravy poured over it. Number 3, you need a thicker batter than what they have here. The vegetable casserole is okay, but I'm sure most people will find it way too salty (I just happen to like way too much salt). The cornbread was ok, nothing special and I thought the biscuit was bad. The mashed potatoes were disappointing too, I could've gotten better at Boston Market or KFC I think. The prices are decent, about $10 for lunch, but the service was a little disappointing. Despite all the hype, you'd be better off going to other spots in the area. read more

Another famous place, but I was unimpressed. The pulled pork was average. The mashed potatoes and gravy had no gravy. We asked for some extra sauce for the pork and were treated like we were draining their profits. I've read the other reviews, and I'm thinking maybe I caught them on a bad day? The waitress wasn't too thrilled to be working that day as well. read more

If you come to Durham you have to eat at Moma Dip's!!!! Delicious is too small a work! Fried chicken, dumplings and the pork chop are the best and the tea is southern and sweet! read more

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Mama Dips! Our whole family went just after Thanksgiving and they put all in a large table in the back area (great for us, as there are 4 kids under 7 and then 8 adults - including my brother and his German girlfriend - who bought the cookbook to take back to Germany! We got just a HUGE variety of stuff but all the kids had mac and cheese -- which is THE BOMB here. I had Chicken Fried Steak, my mom had the ribs, my SIL had the ham steak, several people had Fried Chicken, and we tried just about every vegetable on the combination of plates. Service was great, they were fantastic with the refills of tea and water. Love this place - never disappoints! read more

Wow! Talk about mixed reviews! Here is the scoop. Fried chicken is divine but so is Time Out (and a lot cheaper) but the atmosphere is more fun. The best thing on the menu is the fried green tomatoes. I have traveled the south and nothing touches them. Also, the cornbread is not terrible but not great either. Cracker Barrel runs circles around them. Mama Dip, you need to address this ASAP. When a mix is as good, you should take heed and find another recipe. Again....the best fried green tomatoes in the world.... read more

Went to Mama Dip's for lunch while in Chapel Hill for a couple of days. I had the chicken and dumplings with greens and okra and tomatoes. My wife had fried chicken with lima beans. The chicken and dumplings were excellent - just like I remembered them from my childhood in Oklahoma. The greens were perfectly done and seasoned with pork. The okra and tomatoes were excellent, as well. The fried chicken, though, was the star. Mama Dip's fried chicken is one of the best three fried chicken dishes we have tasted anywhere in the country - the other two being L&J Soul Food in Pontiac, Michigan and Dooky Chase's in New Orleans. The perfect chicken is almost life changing. This place is a definite "don't miss." read more

I haven't ever had traditional Southern food before so this was a nice introduction into the soul food that I have heard so much about. I was with a large group so perhaps it influenced the service, but disclaimer aside, I thought the service was lacking, slow and a bit unorganized. Despite the poor service, I really liked the fried chicken and the mashed potatoes. The collared greens were ok, not a personal favorite, but then again, anything fried is pretty good regardless of what it is. My favorite thing out of the entire evening was a hushpuppy. Whatever the heck it is, I loved it and am secretly glad that we do not have them as a staple food in CO! read more

I think that the 3 star rating mama dips currently has on yelp is a bit unfair. i've been here several times. the food is always delicious with fast, friendly service. the only reason i can't give mama five stars is because the prices seem really high for the type of food they are serving in the atmosphere in which they are serving it. the menu and restaurant itself has a very casual laid back vibe, but their prices don't quite reflect that. nonetheless, everything i've had on their menu is absolutely delicious, and embodies southern food at it's finest! i would especially recommend the sweet potato biscuits, the fried green tomatoes, and bbq chicken! this is a fun place to bring out-of-towners to give them a truly southern dining experience. read more

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I'm not sure if the management of this restaurant takes the time to read reviews, but they should! Food is mediocre at best, service is super slow, the booths are super uncomfortable. Why do people come here with so many other restaurants around? I ordered the country ham steak and it was not only super salty, but thin, cold and stiff. The side orders were not even warm and extremely common, nothing I couldn't get by just opening a can. The last time we went the place was almost empty and it took 30 minutes to get our cold meal. The staff is friendly, but that alone is not enough to make up for this restaurant's deficiencies. I do not recommend this place, we tried it twice and both times were disappointed. read more

I came here with my mom for lunch because we needed to stop eating chicken and biscuits... in the car. Instead, we ate chicken and biscuits in an actual restaurant. Well actually my mom had the fried chicken, which was amazing. Perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful. I had the chicken and dumplings, which is like a cross between chicken pot pie and chicken stew. I didn't like it as much as the fried chicken, but my body seriously needed a break from that. My sides were incredible, the fried okra was divine and the mac and cheese had a nice crust and the flavor of the cheddar was robust. My mom loved her mashed potatoes, which means a lot coming from her, but her lima beans tasted canned. The biscuits were good as well, but I wish we could have tried the sweet potato version. Portions were smaller than expected but we were grateful for it due to the heaviness of the food. Also, we found the cure for the itis: sweet tea! Damn, that stuff seems really sweet when you take your first sip. Then before you know it, you've had 3 glasses! Diabetes, here I come! My mother declared this her favorite meal in NC, despite the lima beans. Since then, she has been zooming through Mama Dip's cookbook like a woman possessed, trying to capture the essence of southern cooking. read more

Let me preface by saying I'm a little torn on how to rate this place. On the one hand they have some of the best fried chicken I've ever consumed and yet, everything else I tried was lacking. For some fried chicken and sides, it does err on the pricier side. Had the sides been as good as the chicken it'd totally be worth it. But for what it was, I probably wouldn't come here too often. I had the 1/4 southern fried chicken, white meat with mashed potatoes/gravy and buttered broccoli. I will never get the buttered broccoli again, b/c it was way too buttery. I don't know why I expected any different though so that was my mistake. The mashed potatoes were okay, nothing amazing. The chicken though?! Perfectly crispy and seasoned. Not too greasy either. Just great. I would come again JUST for the chicken. Caveat: I arrived around 1pm on a Sunday and boy was it PACKED! I couldn't even find parking in their designated lot. read more

Mama Dip's has some of the best fried chicken I've had in a while, but that's because there's not a single Bojangle's near my suburban Virginia home. The chicken tastes pan fried as opposed to deep fried, because it's crisp and juicy while not too oily. Chopped BBQ pork has a nice tangy quality, dry and not overly saucy. Fried okra was delicious, as was the buttered broccoli and cornbread. Beef stew with potatoes is perfect comfort food. The mango lemonade was good, but the country iced tea is phenomenal. Portions are perfectly sized for moderate appetites, so hopefully you'll have room for dessert. Service is very hospitable, though not attentive. I'm ironically accustomed to driving into the worst parts of urban Washington, DC to get some Southern-styled country cooking, so it's refreshing to enjoy such comfort food while actually feeling comfortable. As a side note: best country food EVER is at The Home Place in Catawba, Virginia. read more

So, yeah. When the out-of-towners come in demanding real, live southern food; I have three answers for them. I drag them to Raleigh and force-feed them Ole Time Barbeque or Big Ed's (depending on the day and time), or I drag them to Chapel Hill and introduce them to Mama Dip. Everyone tells you about the fried chicken. You know why? Because it's pretty amazing. Some people will pretend that they're too cool to admit to this. Some people will tell you that they had better (I can think of two places that I probably would say are better if I had just finished a meal at those two places, but only in the moment...eventually, I'd come to my senses). I'm also a big fan of the cornbread. Maybe it's because my own attempts at cornbread tend to result in dry disaster or pre-packaged mix okay-ness, but I find it to be delightful here, and have been tempted on more than one occasion to just stick to that for my meal-time treat. This isn't cuisine, though. Expecting frills will only end up disappointing you. This is straight up southern cookin'. If you order something other than sweet tea, we'll know you're an outsider. read more

It was terrible the food was bland the service was non existant I told the manager we would not be eating there she was very rude and charged us for a lemonades that was so sweet it could send someone into a diabetic coma and that wasn't drank I would not recommend this place and they were using a microwave to rewarm someone's food the restaurant smelled like dirty chitterlings I am unable to give them negative stars read more

I took my dad to Mama Dips the first time he visited from Texas years ago, and it's always the first place on his list when he visits now. I've tried lots of dishes on their menu, but the chicken and dumplings is my favorite. The blackberry cobbler is also excellent. read more

In town from Connecticut and was expecting great soul food. Had seen this listed as one of the top soul food restaurants in the county alongside Amy Ruth's in New York and Pascal's in Atlanta in terms of southern quality. Unfortunately was disappointed with the quality of the food. Clean facility, but the food was not well seasoned, from a can, and not authentic southern cuisine. I had 1/4 Fried Chicken, white meat - not well seasoned at all, very bland, collard greens from a can that were full of strings, and potato salad that seemed old, not freshly made, almost a supermarket deli quality. I've had this place on my list of soul food restaurants for quite some time and I was extremely disappointed. read more

The service was awful. Do not go here if time is any concern. The food was good though. I would actually come here again, despite the worst service ever. I got there about 10 minutes after opening. No one greeted me for several minutes. I have lived in this town for two years and never been here, and that day I committed to trying it. I finally got a seat after about 20 minutes when one of the cooks helped me out so I could at least sit down. When the waiter finally appeared, he didn't apologize or even acknowledge the wait. He mumbled his questions and even though there was only one other party in the restaurant, he was very hard to find. It looked like he was doing his prep work for the day. I ended up getting up myself to get a coffee refill at the coffee station. I wish someone had pulled him aside and tell him to get his shit together. Everyone has been late at one time or another. I was not mad or anything- I had time to spare and was just sort of fascinated by the events. The other party was also not complaining and I've seen people leave restaurants for waiting a lot less than we had to. If you had to be that guy on that day, it was a good group of people to deal with. If the waiter had smiled, apologized for the wait and even without an explanation for his tardiness, just began the day by speaking so I could hear him it would have been OK. It's like the guy was trying to make me feel guilty, like it was my fault he was incredibly late. The cook who sat me seemed to be used to this guy's tardiness. I don't know if he's a grandson or a nephew or somehow related to someone, but that was the worst service I have ever received. read more