Truly a beautiful day of fun in the sun. I ventured out to Mama's on the Half Shell to celebrate oyster week and I was totally satisfied with the results. The Rockefeller oysters were the best I have had yet... the spinach and cheese stuffing was absolutely delicious. The gorgeous weather played a major role in how electric the atmosphere was, and the outside patio was jubilant and filled with patrons. Now for me the raw oyster tower selection pushed my experience over the top. The oysters were fresh and chilled to perfection. And for the record, the menu is filled with a lot more tasty dishes than just oysters... so I encourage you on the next nice day ( over the spring & summer ) to stop by Mama's on the Half Shell for an experience that won't disappoint. read more

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Fantastic choice. We were pining for brunch on a busy Saturday afternoon and hadn't made a reservation. Thankful that they were able to squeeze us in at a table at the top of the stairs. Good people watching--out the window to the folks outside below, but also into the kitchen just behind us. We observed a very well-run establishment. Several staff including the manager, who had a great sense of humor and kind-spiritedness, stopped by to check on us. We didnt end up ordering brunch since items on the other menus won us over very quixkly: the crab cake eggrolls (appetizer) and the crab grilled cheese (lunch). Being ambitious, we did ask the server to leave the menu behind, just in case. There was so much deliciousness to choose from But alas, we were satiated. To drink, we skipped the bottomless Mimosa and Bloody Mary and opted instead for a Blood Orange Margarita (which was more berry-like in color) and a Passion Fruit Mezcal Sour. Both were a tad sweet for our preference but very good otherwise. Would definitely recommend and hope to return. read more

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I brought a friend here for brunch for their birthday per their suggestion. Instead on doing the usual bottomless I chose a crush since I never had one. I got the John Daly and it was delicious. I could see it being extra refreshing on a summer day. I'm not typically a vodka girl but I really enjoyed it. We got the grilled oysters as an appetizer and got two of each topping choice. I was pleasantly surprised by the smoked paprika butter topping. For my entree I got the crab cake Benny. It's hard to turn down a Benny! The Benny was everything I wanted it to be. Our server was patient and nice, we never felt rushed. She also was able to tell us about which menu items were more popular than others. This place has so many good reviews for a reason! Good seafood and good crushes, I'll certainly add this to my Baltimore restaurants list! Cheers! read more

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Mama's is an iconic staple of Baltimore. Go with family, go with friends, go alone, and every time you will have a great experience. For me it's the fried oyster appetizer (the batter and slaw make it), and a Bloody Mary (both virgin and regular delish). The Chesapeake club, Caesar salad with that olive crostini, seafood pasta, and more. But the service also is amazing! You can also eat outside with a pup, which I've done many times. Recommend this spot to locals and tourists alike! read more

I loved this place! Went for the first time with a friend and we had no idea how great the specials/happy hour was! The service was attentive. The ambiance was chill. There is a downstairs area and upstairs. The crushes were only $6 on Wednesday and Mussels were 1/2 off. We chose white wine for the sauce. Mon-Fri oysters are $1 for the oyster of the month! They were so delicious. And the crab dip was great! I wish they came with more veggies and crackers but the bread bowl it comes in, is so delicious. It doesn't get soggy which was a plus. I would 100% go back and I recommend! read more

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So so yum. Haven't eaten a bad thing here. Shared the sandwich and salad and we are absolutely stuffed. The salad is massive and the sandwich is easily two servings. Service is fast, so many options and the option for outside seating when it is nice outside is fantastic. Will be coming back again. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Seafood Chowder (Cup), Seafood Club, Eastern Shore Cobb - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Stopped by for an early lunch, so it was mostly empty. Alex and Stephanie were friendly. They had us take our pick of outdoor and indoor seating (1st and 2nd Floor). We opted to sit indoor, because there was construction going on nearby outside. Got a couple of each of the oysters from the Raw Bar (Mama's Wold Ass. Salts, Shooting Points, Delaware Bay). They were freshly shucked and not too briney. Shooting Points was my favorite of the three. The Cream of Crab (Cup) had nice chunks of crab. A little on the salty side, but the crackers help balance it. Good creamy consistency. The Eastern Shore Cobb Salad also had nice chunks of crab. It was a pretty big portion. The ingredients were fresh and well balanced. There was the perfect amount of dressing. Decent spot to hit if you're in the area! read more

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Located in such a cute area of Baltimore, my friend recommended this restaurant for seafood and I was so impressed! I loved the ambiance, victorian style with lots of history on their walls, plus tvs. I sat at the bar and the waiter was really sweet and attentive! As for food, I ordered a crush mocktail, a variety of their oysters - mamas wild ass salts, shoregasms, Delaware bay, blue point, and walrus & carpenter. I slurped the oysters with and without the horse radish and cocktail sauce because it was that fresh. The crab cake was packed with crab meat and the Mac n cheese was perfect. What a great dinner! read more

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This is a really nice place. The decor is charming. I felt like I was in an Architectural Review magazine spread the first time I walked in.. We were seated quickly and the staff were pleasant. The star of the show for me were the oysters. They had a nice selection and they were all fresh. This will become become our go to place for oysters. read more

Left absolutely stuffed, a bit buzzed, and my dog was half as a clam. I love a dog friendly patio, my dog was welcomed and cared for like he was a paying member of society. The oysters were delicious, the bottomless bloody marry was amazing and spicy without being overwhelming. The service was good, the patio was cozy. Definitely highly recommend read more

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Stopped by for a quick lunch and had a great visit! John was super attentive, friendly and gave all his recommendations as it was my first time visiting. I settled on the cream of crab soup and the salmon BLT. The cream of crab soup was sweet, creamy and full of crab. It was one of my favorites that I've tried! The salmon BLT sandwich was HUGE! A nice, large piece of salmon with the rest of the fresh ingredients made this meal a 10/10. Would def recommend this spot! read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Salmon BLT - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Great ambience and food! Ran in during a brief break of my friend's treatment at Hopkins: found parking easily, seated right away, food was out within a few minutes. I was in and out in no time. The crab cake had big lumps of crabmeat and tasted amazing! read more

The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We tried a lot of direct items and they were all flavorful. read more

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Mamas was a perfect for a quick Friday night dinner. I only wish the happy hour specials were also on the second floor read more

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A real deal seafood spot. A little pricey but the quality is unmatched. I got the mussels and I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh they were. The inside is a shotgun style bar with lots of wood. There is also an outdoor seating area which is really nice in the summer. Service was good as well. read more

Not only was Shariff amazing his reco regarding the lamb chops was spot on! Perfectly pink, seasoned and seared- the mash and spinach were delish as well! My husband ordered the fish and chips- crispy, flakey- not greasy and perfectly seasoned! Def. Coming back!! Oh- and Shariff was amazing! read more

We are long time Baltimorians but have rarely eaten at Mamas on the Half Shell. We were delighted with our experience at Mama's tonight. The raw oysters were delicious (who doesn't like a Buck a Shuck during oyster week!), the fried oysters and the fried shrimp were perfectly fried. Even the Cole Slaw and the spinach were wonderful. Shariff was attentive and the atmosphere was fantastic! We will be back. read more

All day happy hour on Labor Day. A seafood orgasm. Two dozen oysters on the half shell, orange crushes, combo steamer and crab cake special. The half and half soup with cream of crab, jumbo crab. Great service, great food. Ate at the bar watching the US Open. read more

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We found this gem on Yelp looking for seafood. We had an amazing experience. The oysters were excellent. We ordered more oysters on the half shell after the first round. My husband had the oyster stew which us made to order. He said it was delicious. I had the crab dip which was to die for- I order this a lot and this is the best I have had in a very long time. My husband also had the oyster Rockefeller which he said was really good. I had the hot lobster roll. It was packed full of lobster- delicious!! Our waiter was wonderful - Sharefee. He was very excited that this was our first visit and made sure we were happy with everything. One last thing - we each had an oyster shooter. Very good. We definitely will be back and we have been telling everyone about this restaurant. Can't wait to go again!! read more

It's always a good day to have some seafood. My friend and I were in the Canton area and decided to grab a bite to eat. This Mamas on the Half Shell location has a few tables and a bar on the lower level for dining. Looks like they have outside dining as an option and an upstairs. I didn't go upstairs so not sure of the layout. I ordered a shrimp po boy and it came with a side of fries. I asked for sweet potato fries but they didn't have that as an option. The po boy comes with cole slaw your choice of shrimp or oysters and spicy mayo. I'm not a fan of spicy food so I asked for the spicy mayo on the side and also asked for a side of garlic aioli. The cole slaw really made the sandwich in my opinion. The fries were seasoned just right. The server was nice and checked on us a few times which I appreciated. To my surprise they automatically include an 18% gratuity no matter the size of your party. Overall decent experience and I would return. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Shrimp Po'Boy - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I am going to give them a 5 star because of their service (food was fine too) We took our dogs with us and got sat for outdoor seating. All good and dandy ..until one of our dogs had a messy accident right as we sat down (mind you we walked her around first to make sure there was nothing loaded ready to go). We felt mortified but our server Elara was so kind and helpful and brought us cups of water to help wash away the bits of mess that were not pickupable. That's good customer service. Food was good too in my opinion - i got a cup of cream of crab soup and the coddies (3 to an order) and my bf got a veggie wrap. The coddies felt a tad bit underseasoned to my bf but I was fine with it (usually I'm the one complaining about things being underseasoned). Cream of crab soup even though it was a cup was plenty filling and they do not skimp on the lump crab topping. Would absolutely recommend this place and would come back to this place (again so sorry to them for our doggy's accident) read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Cream Of Crab Cup - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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mama's is one of my favorite places for half&half soup and oysters! they always taste so fresh coming from there. the last few times i've gone, we have sat at the bar and the bartender is always so observant and attentive to us where as soon as our glass is half empty, she's ready to ask if we want a new one! i love the interior of the restaurant and think it fits perfectly with the menu! read more

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My husband and I went out to eat before a concert downtown. I was excited to try this restaurant! I really liked the interior. The restaurant has stairs that go up and down. There were little nooks and crannies with interesting bits on the walls. It has a lovely dark interior. We were asked to seat ourselves. The food was amazing! The oysters tasted exactly as they were described on the table menu! I had the Mama's Wild ass salts. They were just as salty as described. They were wonderful! I also ordered the Shooting points. They were my favorite. The taste was sweeter than the others. They were just lovely. I ordered the seafood club. My husband ordered a crab cake dinner. They were both so good! My husband cleaned his plate! I tried, but had to take home a half a sandwich. It was amazing! I loved it! The service was wonderful! Our waitress was not only prompt, but frequently checked on us. read more

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I had put off going to Mama's On the Half Shell as it's right on Canton Square, and I always assume it was pub food. We went recently for dinner over Labor Day weekend, and it was packed (I think it always is, a neighborhood favorite for sure). I was shocked at how cute the interior is, it's a dark victorian, row home feel, and wider than traditional row homes. The bathrooms still feel pubby. The service was fine, nothing to write home about, but the food was very good. I liked the oysters (they were out of a few we wanted) but still very fresh (although if I'm being honest, for the prices, you might as well just go to Thames Street). I did LOVE their mussels. The Caesar salad - a side - was enormous but was very lackluster, over dressed and the romaine was limp, I didn't even bother eating it after the first few bites. But the mussels were so good, I got the one with the shrimp and chorizo. I will say, I often get mosquito bites in Canton and this was no exception. We sat indoor but I still got five mosquito bites on my arm! I will definitely be back for mussels, and it's good to know there's another decent restaurant in Canton! read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Inside - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The food was pretty decent, the service was good we sat at the bar and the bar tender was attentive and friendly, the atmosphere was more of an antique establishment, there wasn't very many people at all. I unfortunately spent a lot of time swatting away gnats from our food. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Alfredo with crab and shrimp - A white plate contains seafood pasta with a creamy sauce, shrimp, and lobster pieces, garnished with herbs, served at a restaurant. - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We regularly go by Mama's when we're in Baltimore. We visit almost monthly when we visit our daughter, and can vouch for both locations. The food (as visitors, we tend tog eat Maryland specialties) is consistent, fresh, and flavorful. The service is usually very good but can be spotty. The two locations have very different vibes, one older and urban, and the other suburban. I prefer downtown but both are great. read more

Mama's On The Half Shell is really one of the Gems of Canton. They have the best happy hour. I have found in town both for one dollar oysters as well as cheap, good drinks with a good beer selection. The bartenders and servers are all incredible, and it has a classic, old Baltimore pub feeling that is inviting after days work or for a casual date. If you haven't been yet, it's well overdue to check this spot out, it's become one of my go to Stops when I'm feeling like seafood. Certainly worth trying their steamed mussels with old bay seasoning! read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Dozen oysters for around $12 at happy hour - A tray of a dozen oysters on ice is presented with lemon wedges, cocktail sauce with horseradish, and crackers, likely at a seafood restaurant. - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Stopped at this gem on a roadtrip back from North Carolina. Not too far off the I-95. Great area for other cute places to stop. The food was amazing! I got for appetizers the crab dip and crab eggrolls. The crab dip was so full of chucks of whole crab and tons of cheese! I will dream about this one! The eggrolls weren't as good as I thought. However, the crab sandwich was the best crab sandwich I have ever eaten! Definitely defines Maryland crabs! Our waitress was super nice and service was great! The place overall is historic and a lot of history there! read more

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The food, the ambiance and the service were all amazing! But let's talk about the food some more. Cream of crab soup 10 out of 10. Crab cakes 10 out of 10. Oysters 11 out of 10. Next time we're in town from California, we will definitely be stopping here again, and again! read more

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Service was great our servers was very knowable and had great energy . The food was delicious. I ordered the Mamas Lamb Chops.. My Partner ordered the Snow crabs Clusters but they was a little small but the drinks for Happy Hours was great.. Place was very clean and very upbeat can't wait to come back read more

Great crab cakes. I love the little ones on the appetizer list. The restaurant itself is really cute.

Excellent food everytime. We live right down the street and the consistency brings us back. Really fun place that serves O'Donnell Square really well. Bloody Mary is a legendary. My go to meal is 2 Bloody's and a Salad. but the rest of the menu is first rate. Downstairs eating is "bar" eating so be prepared for loud. Upstairs is the move for just dining. Outside on Linwood is great on nice days. A Baltimore Institution that continues to shine. read more

Always a go to for me! The food is always hot + fresh, 8 typically get any of the fresh catch fish w the sides. And the drinks + service is amazing! Mauricio is an awesome manager, 10/10! read more

My favorite neighborhood restaurant. I especially love the Maryland crab soup . Sometimes service is slow but the food is worth it.

I made my way to Mama's On The Half Shell for dinner before I hopped on my flight. Customer service was great; I was immediately greeted. I started off with the half dozen chargrilled oysters. They offer 3 different flavors and I was able to do 2 oysters of each. They were so good! I am a girl of the people; I love to try what a state/country is known for. I ordered a Crush which was tasty. I ordered the half-half which is grapefruit and orange. They add in fresh fruit (oranges and grapefruit) which is a plus. For my entrée I ordered the Seafood Club sandwich. The sandwich has their famous crab cake , shrimp salad, lettuce, tomato, bacon, mayonnaise & swiss on toasted white bread. That come with fries and a pickle. When I tell you that sandwich was stacked?!!! LISTEN. It was worth every penny. I took about 2 bites and was stuffed. For my to-go order I got 10pc Old Bay wings. I had a few on the plane and they were juicy and flavorful! read more

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Had a great brunch here! The beignets were a definite highlight - great for sharing among the table. (They also had shareable size french toast sticks). Perfect for those who struggle with the savory vs sweet brunch dilemma. Bottomless mimosas for $18. Lobster Benedict was super too! Inside is gorgeous dark wood and historic Baltimore photos on the wall. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Beignets - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Me and the fam hit mamas on the half shell in Canton and we're not disappointed. We were seated at our reservation time and water/coffee was served immediately. Our server, who unfortunately appeared to be working the whole place alone, did an amazing job. Well the best she could. As far as I could tell she had the inside, outside and upstairs. My aunt was not pleased as she and did not feel our server had the capacity serve bottomless just based on how many tables she was covering. Truth be told, parking sucks but that's Canton on a weekend for you. The food was really good though. I'm comparison to the one in Owings Mills, it was much better in my opinion. My shrimp and grits were so perfectly flavored. The tomato base scared me a little but it worked out swimmingly. The scrapple was cooked to perfection to perfection. All conversation ceased while we were eating because we were too busy savoring the flavor. The crab cake eggrolls had a great flavor and pair well with the sauce. A huge plus was that they were not greasy. Overall, I loved it. I'll definitely be back. Juts give yourself a little extra time to find parking. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Shrimp and grits - A dish of shrimp and grits with vegetables in a tomato-based sauce, garnished with sour cream and chopped herbs. - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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We went for happy hour and got oysters, crab dip, calamari, and drinks. The best part was the oysters - genuinely delicious and only $1 each during happy hour? You can't beat it! We ended up getting 36 oysters for the three of us because they were so good. The crab dip was also great, just a tad bit too much cream cheese for my taste but very comforting and great flavor otherwise. And the calamari was crisp and well-made, not rubbery or tough. And the service was great, our server and another in the same section checked on us consistently and made sure we were doing well. Honestly a great experience - we will be back! read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Fried Calamari, Crab Dip, Oysters - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My previous review still stands... update, somehow it appears to have evaporated instead of still being visible below this... This is a canton square staple, and has outlasted many other long standing (and short lived) restaurants on the square. The secret to their success probably has something to do with the excellent quality of the food, the outstanding service, and the great atmosphere. Location doesn't hurt either as it sits in prime location on the corner of the square. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. See my previous review for a bunch of details (if it's visible...). Note the lobster roll is now served hot and cold... Both are great! Since my previous review seems to evaporated here are a list of things that we have tried over the years: Starters: Crab dip - amazing Calamari - decent cocktail - fantastic wings - fantastic salads: Mama's classic - fantastic Caesar - fantastic Spring berry - meh... skip it Soups: Cream of crab - fantastic Maryland crab - fantastic Seafood chowder - decent, but cream of crab is much better Sandwiches: Crab cake - great but honestly it's better as a platter Po'boy - meh; skip it Salmon blt - decent Lobster roll - fantastic both hot and cold Shrimp salad - fantastic (better as a wrap) Mama's fried chicken - fantastic Mama's classic burger - fantastic Entrees: Fried jumbo shrimp - fantastic Fish & chips - fantastic Chef's scallops - decent Maryland rockfish - fantastic Chicken Chesapeake - fantastic Lobster arrabbiata - fantastic, but usually I find the amount of lobster meat a bit disappointing (you get much more in the lobster roll!) read more

I have to say I was disappointed in our brunch yesterday there were some items that were very good and there were some items that were so bad you could not eat them. We had French toast sticks and the crab soup, Maryland. Both were excellent. We also ordered four oysters that were very tasty but not cheap $13. The orange crush drinks were good however the crabcakes had filler and the seasoning was overpowering. The chicken for the chicken and biscuits they ran out of biscuits so we asked for french fries. the chicken was in edible. It was rubber so we sent it back and by the time the hamburger arrived we needed to leave so we asked them to pack it up to go. . It was nice to sit outside. The weather was beautiful and our waitress was very sweet. We had ordered a second round of orange crushes and they did not come until we asked for the check. It seemed to have been forgotten, but they made them quickly when I asked to cancel the order. The prices are realistic for what crabcakes go for but it was a hefty bill. My lack of stars is for the food. I really find Yelp helps me find good places based on the star rating. And I too, am being objective. read more

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