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    Mama Jean's

    4.6 (61 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Mama Jean's Photos

    Business Info

    MAMA JEAN'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Mama Jean's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Alicia F.

    Visiting from Arizona... best ribs I have ever had. Mac and cheese was creamy, cheesy and delish. Nice variety of sauces. Outdoor seating is also available. Staff was pleasant and attentive. Gonna have to stop in again before we leave Salem. Highly recommend

    Our meal

    We drifted off the beaten path to check out this place out traveling between Atlanta and Lexington, VA. It's a fair bit away from the Interstate, but I can tell you that it's worth the trek. When we got here for lunch, there was a line out the door and the smokers out back hard at work told us this was the place to be. We got served pretty quickly and found a table. The place is neat and clean with a decent amount of seating both inside and out. The missus had a brisket sandwich and I got the pulled pork with slaw, pinto beans and mac&cheese for the sides. The servings are HUGE and that smoke ring isn't just for looks. The meat was done perfectly with the smoky flavor and not dried out. I also tried one of their homemade sausages. Absolutely fantastic! Snappy casing with a filling that included creamy cheese hunks and a level of spicy that was just right. We pride ourselves in having high standards when it comes to BBQ, and this joint didn't disappoint! We've been to numerous BBQ joints including the famous award-winning Big Bob Gibsons in Northern Alabama and this place comes in well over that. We visited with the owner (Kelly) and had a great experience. The staff we interfaced with were both friendly and engaging. I would give this place 6 stars if I could. Highly recommended!

    Sauces and their labels
    Andrew P.

    This was my second time coming to Mama Jeans, and just as expected the food is phenomenal. This time I got the double smash burger and the smoked potato salad (My God is it good) which I didn't even know you could do to potato salad!! I haven't seen a picture of the sauces and their labels yet so I made sure to take one for reference so I don't forget what I choose! I hope it helps yall as well!

    Aftermath
    Billy B.

    Let's see, we have been wanting to try this place for quite some time. And I am what you would call a barbecue connoisseur. First, they opened an eleven a m on saturday.We arrived around a quarter till and good thing.We did because the lines started. About 5 minutes before they open, they came out. And posted the daily menu which have you followed their Facebook. They posted every single day a few hours before they opened that day. When you walk in, it's a communal seating arrangement.They have tables a few.Were you could be a little more private?But most of em sit with friends become friends, it's worth it. When you walk in, you order off the menus that are on the wall behind you. You just tell Em how much you want, Annie? Anne? Exactly what you want.You pay and you have a seat. They , yall your name and they bring it to you. I got everything off the menu other than the chile sausage the pinto beans and pulled pork. We got 1/2 lb of each Brisket smoked turkey, smoked fried chicken wings, 1 boudain, a chili.Dog 1 double cheeseburger, we got the out of this world. Brussels sprouts, amazing collar greens best dare.I say potato salad i've ever had. Tomatoes, cucumbers and onions and a pretty darn.Good macaroni and cheese. It came with sauces that you grab on your own. And we got both desserts, offered banana pudding and what they called a vinegar pie, which wow. If you couldn't tell by what I've said. This place is absolutely a gem. The food was unreal, and I can't wait to go back.

    Moist brisket
    Beau A.

    My fourth visit to Mama Jean's and they are consistently amazing. Ordered the moist brisket and Brunswick stew. The stew has diced chunks of brisket that make it really unique and tasty. The moist brisket is succulent as it was before. Most places cannot maintain this sort of consistent quality / execution. Really impressed. The staff was super welcoming and helpful! Love the atmosphere of the new dining room / bar!

    Menu and the actual prep area
    Hanaa K.

    They're open inside! Be prepared to wait. The line takes a good hour to order. They pause orders a bit when they get too many tickets in the kitchen. But good things come to those who wait and it's always worth it. Got some faves for tomorrow thanksgiving instead of cooking. At noon the line was an hour long so if you're coming out, definitely don't wait. They're sure to run out before the 7pm close time.

    Boudin balls
    Jennifer M.

    Brisket, pulled pork, chicken wings, collard greens, & boudin balls. ALL delicious! Worth the wait in line. Atmosphere is super cute & welcoming .

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    2 years ago

    The service was fast n food was great size for two people n a new place for another to try ..

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    2 years ago

    Best bbq in Virginia hands down. The line seems long but doesn't always take long always worth the wait even in rain and cold.

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

    We absolutely love Mama Jeans! The food is great. Hey there early because they sell out quick.

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    Page 2 of 2

    Mama Jean's Reviews in Other Languages

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    Beamer's 25

    Beamer's 25

    3.9(291 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last…read moreyear, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, I decided that it would be appropriate this year to go back to this restaurant and write a follow-up review, since my initial review was one of my reviews that contributed to me obtaining this highly esteemed Award. Consistency in the dining experience of a restaurant is something very important. It is something that the restaurant has to earn every time a customer enters through its door. As easily as a restaurant can win a customer over, it can also lose him and his loyalty to the restaurant. Sadly, this is what happened to me during this visit. I had missed having lunch, that day, so I arrived at around 4:30pm to have an early dinner. A gentleman greeted me and had me take a seat at a table of my choice. I went and sat at a booth facing the kitchen. I think it was the same place I sat the first time I ate here with a friend. The same gentleman performed as my server. He came by and asked me what I wanted to drink. I asked him if they had any Mocktails. He answered me that Mocktails are not the drinks that people usually drink there, but that he can have them make one for me at the bar. I described the one I would like to have and right after give him my food order. I ordered a Hunter's Burger, with a fried egg, smoked bacon, and American cheese, among other ingredients. And tater tots to accompany it. After putting in my food order he goes to the bar and comes back with my Mocktail, which was extremely acidic, but he had already walked away before I could tell him. So I stirred it hoping that this would fix it. But as the acidic liquid reached my throat it made me caught and gave me an unpleasant sensation. The server brings me the Hunter's Burger, my main course, with the tater tots. The tater tots are not cooked well. When I try to hook one up with my fork, it just splits in half. The Hunter's Burger bun was not big at all, and the patty was extremely small that you could hardly see it without opening the buns up, and that is what I did and discovered that the egg was not fried evenly but the yolk had been broken while being fried and was not soft. I tried to make the best of the situation and ate the burger with a fork. If all this wasn't enough, the server approached me with something in his hand that I think was my bill and asked me if I wanted something else. I told him that I wanted the Fried Oreo Cookies with the Vanilla Ice-cream. He brings me them with so little ice-cream that it had melted in the middle of the Fried Oreo Cookies. What an awful dining experience this has been compared to last time, which I still remember today. And today's experience, I just want to forget. I hope the owner of this restaurant reads this review and takes a look at my photographs that accompany it, and takes action to remedy it so that this doesn't happen again and tarnish the Image of what I once thought was a great restaurant.

    Attentive service and pretty good food. Nothing to write home about but I enjoyed the burger and…read morefries. Good spot for some typical American food.

    Photos
    Beamer's 25 - Open-faced oyster sandwich. One of the specials on Sunday.

    Open-faced oyster sandwich. One of the specials on Sunday.

    Beamer's 25
    Beamer's 25

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    The Laughing Bull - Fries in a basket.

    The Laughing Bull

    4.5(11 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    Tucked away inside the historic city market building the Laughing Bull has a variety of menu…read moreoptions and the staff was friendly and the food came out hot and quick. There are tables inside a spacious hall decorated with greenery and interesting architecture. I'm not sure I ordered the best thing on the menu, the Teriyaki chicken panini was lightly sauced teriyaki chicken and Swiss cheese on thick Texas toast type bread. It could have been better honestly, it had a weak flavor and was pretty messy and hard to eat. The French fries were good, maybe a little overly salted but good. I would give it another try.

    In a word, OK. In the Market Building food court in downtown Roanoke, Va. comfortable common-area…read moreseating, staff brought the food to us after ordering at the window. Very nice staff, answered our questions, and were quite friendly. Ordered two gourmet burgers and a 'cheese steak' panini. All three came with fries and were visually appealing. The burgers were stacked, had nice veggies but the meat was rather tasteless, a real disappointment. The panini was inedible. The "steak" was strips of very tough and chewy meat that pulled right out of the bread, and the peppers overrode all other tastes. A real disappointment. The staff came and checked on us twice, very attentive. I would try it again, just to try another of their very creative dishes, but I am not running back. Good for a stop if you are downtown.

    Photos
    The Laughing Bull - The Hangry Bulldog and the Laughing Bull Restaurant's.

    The Hangry Bulldog and the Laughing Bull Restaurant's.

    The Laughing Bull - The Ramen Burger with extra bacon and egg, and fries.

    The Ramen Burger with extra bacon and egg, and fries.

    The Laughing Bull - Kids Little Bull Hot Dog

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    Kids Little Bull Hot Dog

    The Front Row - My BBQ Burger.

    The Front Row

    4.2(9 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    I've oftentimes have driven by this establishment and wondered what's inside. So today I decided to…read morego and explore it. After all, I've often liked to sit in the front row when attending live events. What I found was a bit disappointing. More than a restaurant this is a place to drink beer and cocktails while watching a game on a large screen TV. It has a very limited food menu and when I went the place seemed deserted. While I was there only one other customer came in, drank two beers while watching the big screen TV, talked.over the phone, and left. My server was very nice and friendly, but the food left much to be desired. I ordered a BBQ Burger that was listed on the menu as a 1/3 lb Angus burger with onion rings, bacon, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce. Sounded great but I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review. The beef patty was small and dry and the one onion ring looked beaten. Even though it has a pool table in the back and signs up that seemed to have activities going on throughout the week, this is not a place that I would like to be in the front row, especially for the poor quality of their food and questionable ambiance.

    I don't get the positive reviews. We went for lunch on a weekday and the place was dead. The…read morewaitress was inside watching TV and the cook was outside smoking. The ambience of the place left much to be desired. I won't eat at a restaurant that is empty at a time it should be full. I figure others know what I don't. Not recommended.

    Photos
    The Front Row - The bar.

    The bar.

    The Front Row - My Coke.

    My Coke.

    The Front Row - Nothing fancy from the outside.

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    Nothing fancy from the outside.

    Bernard's - A fork holding a piece of Filet and Scallop from the Filet & Scallops Special of the Day.

    Bernard's

    4.6(349 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world, but in none have I had such a wonderful…read moredining experience like I always do at Bernard's Gastropub & Eatery. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to return to those special ones, that have made a difference in my life and highlight them, for the benefit of the public, so they too can have an opportunity to appreciate the qualities of a one-of-a-kind fine dining experience. And Bernard's Gastropub & Eatery in Downtown Roanoke, is a perfect example. Bernard's was born out of the love of two culinary aficionados turned professionals that in someway have managed to create a restaurant with an environment that transmits this intimate love to the hearts of their customers through the attention to detail in its extraordinary customer service and amazing culinary masterpieces. Today, I felt like dining at this restaurant, which I admire for its consistency in always far exceeding my high expectations of what a fine-dining restaurant should be all about. Not knowing if they would have a table for me at this late time on a Saturday early evening, I drove in my pearl white Lexus to the nearest private parking lot and gave them a call to inquire as if they could give me a reservation for the next ten minutes. A gentleman, who later I found out was named Matthew, and would be my server, answered the phone with a very polite and welcoming voice; answering my question of what was the special dish of the day and to come on down, that my reservation was assured. As soon as I arrived to the small, very elegant foyer in front of the Host's station, he came out to greet me and instantly recognized who I was. My only request was that he give me a low table because at my age seating at a high table was a bit uncomfortable. He went back to see what he could find and ended setting me up with what I consider one of the best tables of the house, and I was so appreciative of his last minute accommodation. The menu was already setup on my table. He poured water from a special bottle into my water glass and asked if I wanted something else to drink. I asked for a Mocktail and since he also was a bartender, he prepared me one of the best mocktails I've ever had. To dine, I started out with their Mussels Carbonara appetizer, which came in a bacon parmesan cream sauce that was simply amazing, and served with toast points. As my main entrée I had the Dinner Special of the Night, the Seafood Trio. It had a delicious, giant size crab cake in the middle, scallops, and shrimps, with parmesan risotto sautéed heirloom tomato, spinach, and nice size asparagus, with a burre blanc sauce. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the high-quality of their food and magnificent ambiance of the place. Everything was so delicious that only one word could ever describe them: priceless! For dessert I had their very famous Butterscotch Banana Pudding, which the chef makes at the moment ordered. It looked spectacular and tasted amazingly delicious: a culinary work of art. What a great way for the Gran Finale of an extraordinary dining experience!

    Salty Salty They have potential to be good…read more But they use the same seasoning on fries - and French Onion Soup. Sub par food expensive. Not worth it.

    Photos
    Bernard's - The Host's station.

    The Host's station.

    Bernard's - Close-up of the Filet & Scallops Special of the Day.

    Close-up of the Filet & Scallops Special of the Day.

    Bernard's - Poached pear martini

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    Poached pear martini

    Mama Jean's - bbq - Updated May 2026

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