Great seafood restaurant for lunch. Outside dining, quick service. Crème of crab soup, seafood club, seafood Cobb salad. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Seafood Cobb and club - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I've been to Mama's on the Half Shell several times before and have a enjoyed my experience. During my last visit, the service was great and the food was good. The wings were very flavorful and the crab cake was nice and meaty. The salad was a little lackluster so, next time I'll probably just stick with a platter. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Caesar Salad w/ crab cake - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The food is AMAZING! This was my boyfriend and I first time in Baltimore and he found this place for us to try. First off the ambiance reminds me of a dive bar but bigger. It was super busy and we didn't have a reservation but luckily we snag a table in the back next to the bar. The bartender I think her name was Yaya...was so attentive even with a full bar and full house. She kept checking in with us regularly. Also, I'm an espresso martini girlie...she has her own version she created and YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!! The deliciousness doesn't stop there...the food was amazing we had appetizers and dinner. I had the Maryland rockfish and my bf bouillabaisse (not pictured). We came from New York...but we will definitely return here again! read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - The bartenders version of an espresso martini! I think her name was "yaya". - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Costly but not bad. Fish and chips looked great. Fish a little mushy. Coleslaw and sauce were good. Po Boy on point. Has mint for drinks. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Fish and chips. Oyster Po Bo - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Exceptional food and service! We can't wait to return to try other items on the menu. Can be a little pricey and gratuity is already included, but can be worth it! read more

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Amazing food service ambiance oysters oysters oysters. Died ans went to oyster heaven. Wow! Great food!!!

My husband and I stooped by Mama's On The Half Shell on Saturday, after visiting another restaurant in the area. I had a taste for raw oysters and heard that this restaurant had some of the best. We sat at the bar ordered two drinks and 18 oysters (9 of the shooting point and 9 of the Delaware Bay). The oysters were good. Fat, juicy and rather large for the price. All and all, I had a good experience at Mama's On The Half Shell. read more

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WOW! This was probably my favorite restaurant I stopped by during my short weekend in Baltimore. Coming to Maryland for the first time, I was told that I had to try the crab. Glad I had the chance to try an authentic Baltimore crab cake at Mama's! I had the crab cake (I think market style?) with two sides. The mac n cheese and green beans were both very good! Everything was absolutely delicious, and perfectly cooked. I do wish the crab cake had been a larger portion, but overall was definitely impressed with the meal. Would certainly love to make it back here next time I'm in the area. Highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a nice, well cooked meal. read more

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

The service was great. The ambiance was cozy, upstairs was decorated with Christmas decor. Truly a neighborhood bar feel. Now the bad, the food was extremely salty. Like I had just ate a jumbo bag of David's Original Sunflower seeds. read more

This restaurant was in a perfect location to take my parents who flew into BWI and needed to hop onto I-95 to continue their travels. They also have pup friendly tables, and my corgi was thrilled to be able to come! Between four of us, we got jumbo shrimp, Maryland crab soup, scallops, tenderloin sandwich, and crab cakes. Sides were fries, coleslaw, and spinach. We didn't converse much during the meal- now that's a sign of good food! The standouts were the tenderloin sandwich (the flavor of the au jus was unreal) the crab cake ( I don't think there was any breadcrumb in there- appeared to be solid meat) and the crab soup (had a slight spice and whole crab legs!) We'll return for sure! read more

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Great Food and the Service was even Better!! Aaron and Vanessa made our experience very enjoyable!! We would definitely go back!! read more

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

The lobster roll was practically overflowing with lobster! Also really enjoyed the oysters. The combo steamer was huuuuuge! I'd definitely recommend this place for great seafood. read more

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Mamas is my favorite place to eat on the square and has quickly become my go-to when we have guests from out of town (what better way to acquaint folks to Baltimore than a crush and crab dip?) It's a lovely spot and the staff is always nice. I've yet to find an area I don't enjoy, their outdoor seating is great for people watching, the bar affords front-row seats to a shucking show, both the high tops downstairs and tables upstairs are comfortable for brunch or dinner. The must-have crab dip aside, the menu has something for everyone. I've grown very fond of the seafood club but must advise that it's best shared by two as it's MASSIVE. read more

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For a party of 6, we ordered a seafood tower, crab cake (double) with sides of asparagus and seasonal vegetables, seafood club and bouillabaisse. Service 4.5/5 I give our server Sam a 5-star because from the moment she gave us her recommendations for the night, she had us wanting to order the whole menu. The menu has a wide selection of food and she highlighted so many justified 'favorites'. Her drink recommendations, the selection from their 'crushed' menu were a crowd favorite. She even got us to order pudding for dessert even though we were already stuffed from all the goodness of the food we just had. Couldn't give a full 5 star for service because we didn't have enough plates and utensils to begin with and had to ask for them, but the staff was so attentive and proactive asking us if we needed anything. Also had to ask for crackers for the crabs, and spoons to serve the tuna tartare, lobster salad, salmon, etc from the seafood tower. Food 5/5 The fact that I can recall everything we are from such a huge dinner should indicate that I loved everything. My favorite was the bouillabaisse hands down. The oysters are also worth trying and the lobster and the crab *chef's kiss* Ambiance Nice location. We were seated outside so I didn't get to see inside but we had a comfortable spot. We asked for the umbrella to be removed to make for a better experience. read more

This is my kind of place...fresh seafood, great customer service and excellent location with plenty of supportive businesses around. We sat outside literally on the street...be aware of the flys...they love seafood so ensure you are ready to swat if you sit outside lol. Try the beer mussels also...certainly worth the price...can't go to a place called mamas on the half shell and not try the oysters...I often try all appetizers when I try new locations...even the cream of crab soup was pretty darn good. I parked right on the street for free..even the honey old bay wings surprised me...ample adult beverage selections. This is literally on of the best places I've been in 2021...can't wait to come back So if you are reading this and trying to plan an outing here is what I recommend....drinks at nacho mamas which is next door or very close by...stick with the margaritas there....then come on over to mamas for a orange crush and seafood on the half shell....maybe go for the wings also...once you cured your hunger it's time for dessert...there's a fresh pretzel place close by and the best pie you've ever had across the street....I'm just gonna throw this plan out there lol read more

I've been here a few times over the last few years with 2 weeks ago being my most recent visit. I have the first floor bar and dining upstairs experiences. Nothing is too memorable about the service from any of the experiences so that means it wasn't terrible nor amazing. Can't recall what I ordered the last couple times but on this recent visit, we got the Mama's Famous Wings with honey Old Bay and the Seafood Skins (with shrimp, scallops and lump crab). Eh. They were okay. I was expecting the skins and wings to be bursting with flavor but neither did the trick. I must just be in the minority on the stars for this place. I want to love it like others so maybe the 4th time will be the charm. read more

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This was an unexpected surprise! In old Canton, Baltimore on O'Donnell square. Really cool old tavern decor, great food. The Baltimore club is pricy but HUGE and worth it!!!!! Delish shrimp salad on crab cake. Sandwich was 4-5 inches high ...no joke. I took half home. Eating it today. Great raw bar items. Some great local oysters. Son got the shrimp po boy. He loved it. Terrific atmosphere. Cool bar too. I'd go back. read more

First time at Mama's On The Half Shell. Picked this restaurant because of the reviews and the name. Mamas is in a fun neighborhood. There is outside seating which is nice because there is a park (O'Donnell Square) across the street so you are not sitting on the side walk of a busy street. The neighborhood is quiet and quaint. The inside is equally nice. Old townhome with a lot of character and good vibes. We sat in the bar area so did not see upstairs which is the main dinning room. Nice bar. Clean restaurant and bathrooms. It took a long time for the food to come. The waiter who was very nice apologized several times about the delay. We were not in a hurry so the wait was not an issue but my main course arrived 15 minutes before the rest of the my party's meal. The appetizer section of the menu was impressive and hard to narrow it down to a choice of two. The mini crab cakes (appetizer) were delicious. Slightly crispy on the outside, moist inside and NO filler!! Cream of Crab soup was very good with big pieces of crab. When available, I always get oysters on the half shell which was my intention at Mama's. Assumed they had raw oysters because of the name. However, they were not on the menu. There were fried oysters and Oyster's Rockefeller but no mention of raw oyster's. It wasn't until I walked past the bar that I saw a small mini oyster bar. I was disappointed and sad that I didn't know about the oysters. I had eaten my meal before I realized, that in fact, they had raw oysters. The entrees were average. No one was completely disappointed but not thrilled about the entrees. We all ( party of 4 adults) agreed that we would definitely go back to Mama's on the Half Shell but most likely will stick to drinks and appetizers. read more

As much as I come to Baltimore for good eats, I never ventured on this side of town for food. This place was magnificent!! I brought my girlfriends mom here for dinner since she was in town and this came highly recommended by a dear friend of mine. Why oh why haven't I been here before . . . Oyster shooter, classic combo, with a moscow mule to wash it down. The combo came with fried fish, fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried scallops and crabcake. I substituted the oysters for shrimp and they did not disappoint with the substitution! Crunchy, flavorful, hot, no filler in the crab. I had it with a side of green beans and their famous mac & cheese which came highly recommended. There was a lot of good things to choose from on the menu so I went with the same option. My guests ordered the shrimp salad sandwich with fries and mama's classic salad with salmon. Everything was fresh and the best I have had in a very long time. The staff were friendly and professional. Offered great suggestions and was very attentive to us this night. Going above and beyond for us newbies made me want to stay and never leave! Thanks so much for a good time and great eats!! read more

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

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Seafood: 4 Out 5 We ordered the crab cakes and the baked oyster platter of six. The crab cakes were phenomenal! So fresh and I couldn't believe how incredible it was. No fillers, all fresh crab and cooked with a nice crisp. The baked oysters were not my favorite. I'm not sure it because it was baked or the two kinds of seasoning they used. I didn't enjoy the crusted parmesan cheese or the paprika seasoning. I found the baked Parmesan cheese topping to be too much because it masked the oyster taste with too much salt and the oil. The paprika was underwhelming. Next time I'm going to try their fresh oysters. Service: 4 Out of 5 Fine server. Nothing extraordinary. Environment: 4 Out 5 We sat outside to enjoy the Baltimore weather. My only complaint are the annoying flies that joined us for dinner. Overall: 4 Out 5 We came for dinner, more of a dressy casual to business attire situation. Must try their crab cakes! Expect to pay a minimum of $30-40 for drinks and appetizers for two people. read more

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This place was delicious. We were able to get a table for 6 girls on a Saturday evening outside and it was perfect. The calamari was great as an appetizer and so was the oysters! We got the Blue Point and another one that was terrific. All the dishes were fresh too. We shared a bunch and found that the Mac and cheese was so good we got multiple orders. The cioppino and the bucket of seafood (steamed shrimp, clams, etc) were all good. Definitely would eat here again! read more

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Wednesday night date night. Hurricane Ida couldn't stop us. We decide to stay local so the travels wouldn't be difficult in the storm. Mama's did not disappoint. We walk in and we're immediately greeted by chipper, upbeat host/ server. He asked if we wanted seating up or down stairs. We opted to go downstairs after peeping the scene upstairs. We are on a date night but we've been married for a few years now. We didn't need the intimacy of the low lights my wife exclaimed. We were set at a low top, that sat four. We sat side by side as buddies. I'm honestly sure my wife has seen me shovel enough food in my mouth on the regular basis. Ha. We ordered the Ceviche, calamari and wings as a starter. The portions were huge! To the point it was more than filling. We sat and conversed in a mainly empty dining room, as some old school ska played. Nice. This experience was great and I'd def return. Warm staff, hot food and spacious surroundings is a recipe for success every time. You've done Canton proud, Mama's. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Me and app bae - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Today I was dining at mama's on the half shell and the food was perfect as always, but when I went to the restroom, I could hear the manager in there screaming on the phone she must have not heard me walk in, but when she came out of the stall and looked at me, she looked shocked. It was very uncomfortable. I recognized her from a few times of coming in and her speaking to my table once. Hopefully next time she can take her phone calls in private. read more

So I've been wanting to check this place out for awhile now and today was that day. We walked in feeling real "brunch-y" . Brunch was served until 2pm and we got there around 12ish. We waited for a min to be seated until we were told by the bar staff that we could seat ourselves. We then sat down and waited for our server. Our server's name was Elizabeth. She was very welcoming and told us her menu favorites. I chose MD crab soup as an appetizer and my husband chose a crab cake. We decide to get the seafood omelette for an entree and O goodness gold star for the great choice. It was amazing! The shrimp were huge and crab meat was throughout. It was also seasoned to perfection. The sauce that covered it reminds you of creamy Alfredo but with a dill kick to it. The mimosas wasn't a fav but that didn't take away from the experience. We will definitely be back! read more

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Everything about Mama's On The Half Shell was perfect. My husband took me out for crab cakes and omg, they were so delicious!!! The best crab cakes I've had in a long time. The Mac n cheese was great as well. The Chardonnay was perfect. My husband enjoyed his meal as well. Crab cakes, Brussel sprouts and fries. Of course, I stole a few brussel sprouts and they were very tasty. Our waiter, Brian, was very professional, polite and recommended several items to us. I tried oysters for the first time and they weren't bad. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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I really like the vibe here. Didn't expect the pup vibe because of the name. Imagined a more mom and pop vibe but it was good nonetheless. The toast and spread on the salad didn't need to be there and was hard to bite so I didn't eat it. The crush drink was really good but a bit too sweet. The classic combo was really good and the fried crab balls were delicious. I also enjoyed the Mac and cheese. read more

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Stopped in on a drive up I-95 and was happy to find this spot. The seafood chowda was divine. I almost wish I just ordered two bowls of it instead of an entree, it was so good. Had the seafood bouillabaisse as an entree which was also delicious and chock full of seafood. Yummy IPAs on tap. Server was busy with a group piling in after a baseball game got out and she was still very attentive. We sat outdoors on a late Saturday night and enjoyed the music from the surrounding bars/establishments. The indoor bar is long and had plenty of space, you can easily watch the oyster shucking there. Great spot I'd love to return for brunch if I'm back in the area. read more

Was passing through Baltimore on my way to DC. This place has really good food. Like a combination of decadent and filling. It's a nice spot in the Canton neighborhood. Food was delicious. The scallop dish was great. Definitely get the orange crush for a drink on a nice warm day. read more

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Their service is really great. We ordered one dish - Bouillabaisse ($28)to share with 3 of us and the waiter helped us separate into 3 different plates even with arrangement. We also got the crab platter ($20) and they have the best crab cake with lots of real crabs meat not mixed with flour only in the Baltimore and it taste so special compared to other crab cakes I have had. read more

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I love Mama's on the Half Shell. I mean I really do. So why the 4 stars instead of 5?? Because I love the food, the service and cocktails are ALWAYS a hit or miss. I've been quite a few times over the years and always take guests when they come to visit Baltimore. Some of my favorite dishes are the Blue Point and Arrowhead Oysters. They seem to be a fan favorite actually! Seafood chowder and the Maryland Crab soup are amongst my favorites. Loves: Beer Mussels Steamed Jumbo Shrimp Salmon BLT Not so Loved: The dern cocktails. They can't make a Manhattan, Old Fashion or a Margarita good. I've decided to opt for beer or neat cocktails. Crab cake sandwich (sooooo many better ones in the city) Chesapeake Alfredo (Seafood Alfredo). I've had it twice. Both times were way too salty and both times the food came out lukewarm. read more

Came here late for my birthday after a long day of travel. They are open late and have a nice patio area that is comfortable and quiet. The service is really good and the manager Mo even greeted us with samples of the chowder and crab soup. He also gave us stickers and my baby a cute bib. We got the crab eggrolls that were really good. The soup was good too but we decided to not get it because it was too hot outside. My daughter enjoyed her fish and chips. I got the linguine with shrimp and mussels. This dish was not my favorite but still ok. We came back for brunch a couple days later. The dinner is definitely better than the brunch. I really liked that. They were open late and they were super friendly. read more

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This place definitely knows how to cook their own seafood. Rightfully seasoned & perfectly cooked. Their serving sizes are pretty big imo. You'll definitely be taking some home. They have a good selection of crushes, their own original MD recipe. Everything we ate was pretty tasty & would definitely return to try other menu items. I only decked a star bc something in the food landed me & my sister on the toilet right after lol (she got the bouillabaisse, which she shared some with me) Otherwise, overall a good experience. read more

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Where there's alcohol and seafood, there's Bell. I enjoyed my brunch at Mama's on the Half Shell. I ordered the seafood omelet which is three eggs with shrimp, crab meat and Gouda cheese. So gouda (good). Okay that was corny. It comes with tater tots and seasonal fruit. I didn't know it did so I also ordered an English muffin. I was stuffed. That didn't keep my from going in on the 1/2 pound steamed shrimp. How could I not? I ordered the cucumber lemon crush and it was great. I typically don't like crushes but this one I enjoyed. Service was pleasant, bar well kept. Will definitely be back. read more

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

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I loved the location and the service was amazing, I just wish my food had a little more flavor. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Shrimp cocktail and Mini Crab Cake - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The best crab cake I've ever eaten! It was seasoned perfectly and full of flavor. The cream of crab was also delicious and you have to add the soft shell crab on top. read more

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The food there was really good oysters were amazing we also got a seafood dish, which was amazing. Great tasting food.

Seafood chowder was the best! The portion size is huge! We ordered an appetizer and an entree for two people and could only eat half of the sandwich. I had the seafood club- which was the crab cake and shrimp salad for $17. It was definitely worth it since it's so much food! For the appetizer, we had shrimp salad on top of potato skins and it was so heavy but delicious too. What was surprising was that the left over sandwich actually tasted better the next day. We wanted to come back for more I definitely recommend this restaurant if you're in the area. read more

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I had such a mixed experience here and I try not to write bad reviews but I think people should know. We came here with some friends and a baby. 4 people total. Immediately the manager was so nice about us having a baby. He offered to carry the stroller up the flight of stairs and even gave her a bib that said "future shucker." I was honestly blown away by the accommodations and service at first. We ordered our food and honestly everything was great. The crab cakes are seriously good and I loved the oysters as well. However, we got the bill and after already writing the tip in we looked at the itemized bill and they added 18% for gratuity and never said anything to us and I did not see it listed on the menu. Pretty disappointing as it felt like they were just trying to pull a fast one on us. Maybe that's their policy, idk but say something. The service was good and we were planning on tipping well over 18%. Moral of the story check your receipt before paying here. It felt shady I don't think I will be coming back here! read more

Went here for lunch on a weekday and we sat in the bar area. The whole vibe of the place is really nice and the bartender kept up with us consistently. All the food was top tier- definitely get the calamari! Seafood club is great, but it's a whole lot of sandwich so be hungry. I can't wait to go back and try more things. It did start getting a bit crowded as time went on, so making reservations couldn't hurt if you're going at a busier time. read more

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

We visited Mama's on the Half Shell for lunch on Labor Day, 2021. We started with oyster on the half shell... Well, it is in the restaurant name, right? Mama's offered a selection of four oysters during our visit. Three from Prince Edward Island and one Virginia Oyster called Blackberry. Our waitress had a cheat sheet that provided a great description of the characteristics of each. So, making a decision on which to try was easy. The Blackberry was crisp, with slight salinity and a nice counterbalance of sweet. A splash of lemon was a nice addition. But the king of the show was the made-in house seafood cocktail sauce! The chef's creation was one of the best cocktail sauces I have ever had. It was the consistency of preserves, with tiny bits of tomatoes in a velvety smooth tomato base. It had the sweetness found in the natural tomato, the acidity to balance and finished with the savory heat that you'd expect in a cocktail sauce. Mixed with a small bit of the supplied horseradish (West Creek brand), these Virginia oysters were truly magnificent! (a deal at $2.25 each.) Next we had the hot crab dip. It was served in a delicious, crispy on the outside bread bowl and accompanied by a few crisps along with carrot strips and celery sticks. The dip was a good blend of cheeses and crab. A bit of horseradish helped it along, it could have used a touch of seasoning without coming close to overpowering the crab flavor. We finished up with a crab cake platter ($35 at market price). The platter included two sides. We choose mac'n'cheese and fries. The mac'n'cheese was rich and creamy blend with pasta that was a good tenderness. It had a nicely toasted crispy top The fries were hot and crispy. The crab cake was a good size but not huge. It had both lump and backfin meat that was held as a traditional crab cake, not overly breaded and now overly spiced but with one important difference. There was a definite flavor of tomalley in this crab cake. If one isn't familiar with the crab "fat" or liver, one might find it objectionable as it is an acquired taste. We found it a rich and interesting addition to a crab cake. My companion found it to be almost overpowering to the delicate crab flavor. There were few other guests when we arrive at about 11:45 AM and we sat inside. It was cold inside we probably would have been more comfortable outside in the covered dining area where there was plenty of seating. Overall, a good visit and one wed return to for a night of sampling a variety of oysters on the half shell... Well after all, it's in the restaurant's name, right? read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Corner of Mama's on the half Shell - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland