Things change, that's life. I have been going to Mamas since it opened, it was always packed and it was "dog eat dog" trying to get a bar seat for lunch, brunch or dinner. It was the place to be and for years my favorite place to go. After a big menu overhaul and then some items being added back in and the steady rising of prices, while still a go-to, it started to wane. The pandemic hit and I was happy for them they made it thru but the prices coming out the other side were now crazy. My favorite and the best bartender Matt was now gone. Pat (Scunny) had passed years before and he was and will always be sorely missed. I have been twice since the pandemic including this past weekend for lunch. Was able to stroll in at lunch and get a bar seat immediately, back in the day that was impossible. The Titanic Salad was still good, just a little different presentation. French Onion soup was smaller, the broth too sweet and not as savory and rich, the cheese barely melted. Clams Casino, my go-to is now $23 for 6. Yes, 6 clams. Got them and they were Ok, 2 of them tasted for lack of a better word, old. I buy clams and they have maybe gone up a dollar or 2 a dozen retail in the past few years. The caesar salad, while never the best in town used to perk up with a squeeze of lemon. This salad had zero taste of garlic, lemon, anchovy, anything that says caesar, the lemon didn't do much. It was about as bland as bland could be. Such a shame. Things change... read more

The food is great. And the staff is always welcoming to us, it just makes you feel all good inside.

It was very nice sitting outside enjoying your meal. The food was good. I got the shrimp platter, which was not bad. They need extra wait staff because it does take a bit longer to get anything but that's not a deal breaker for me. The waiter was very friendly even while being worked to the bone with having too many tables. Overall, a good experience considering the circumstances. read more

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

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Food was MEH. Treatment of minorities was MEH! I watched several tables with the server Lisa whom was poorly treated including mine. Why would 1 entree or appetizer come out 15-20 minutes before the next one. Why would a request go ignored? Why would a bill totaling $268 being paid $200 in cash and the remainder on the receipt be billed $84.17 on their credit card ? All because she assumed folks weren't going to tip!!! I HOPED to tip $60 on top however the way she SNUCK $20 in cash from the payment was SO UNETHICAL I couldn't stomach what I saw. The food was DRY, FLAVORLESS AND BORING! Don't go regardless of nationality . I got the combo steamer DRY AS A BONE. My family orders, seafood potatoes ( overwhelming shrimp BABY SCALLOPS AND BURNT POTATOES), salmon blt sandwich BURNT, stuffed salmon was the best thing that came to the table. POOR SERVICE AND POOR FOOD! I give Mama on the 1/2 shelf a -0 POORRRRRRRRRRRRRRR DONT go! One more thing I ordered a side Caesar salad and Lisa never brought it out. Every appetizer and entree was poorly timed when delivered to the table. I'm talking 15 to 20 minutes between the 3 of us at the table. I'm so sad that is was my first experience and unfortunately the last! read more

For the price the service is subpar and the oysters are wayy too salty. I am willing to try again and edit but for now I'm giving it 3 stars. I know some oysters are meant to have a more briny taste but for being an oyster place they were not fresh tasting! read more

I'm really sad to write this review as I came here regularly before the pandemic. On our latest visit for a late lunch, we ordered Oysters Rockefeller and Calamari to start. Both were good, but not great. For the meal, we ordered Diver Scallops and Wings. Both were below expectations. The scallops and wings were both overcooked. The creamed spinach had zero flavor. The ranch dressing was too heavy on dill. The one plus was the service! Overall, it was an unfortunate experience for the money ($110 with two glasses of wine) and I don't know that we'll be back any time soon. read more

What a neat find, thanks to my native Baltimorean? Food - so delicious! I ordered the Cajun spiced PEI mussels and they rocked. My go to sauce was always garlic butter something, but the waiter suggested I try the Cajun. Two thumbs up! My husband and friends ordered the happy hour $1/per oyster and they were blown away with how fresh they were. My friends at the stuff shrimp pizza which looked very fulfilling - and I couldn't take a stab at it. Weak, I know. But the crab soup was not bad. Very heavy and hearty, which I was not prepared for. Lastly, we ordered Cajun spiced shrimps and they were also good. I want to come back! Price - it is a little expensive, especially the stuffed shrimp pizza - $28? Overall, I would come back again. Venue - I love it! Upon entering the establishment, it has an English pub feel to it.. In a classy way.. I have not been upstairs, but I would have loved to check it out. Cons - don't like how there are only two stalls. The parking situation may be tough, depending on the day. We went on a rainy day, which kept the people away? read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Getting ready to order a big meal!! Recommended by our native Bmore friend - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Two words. Tuna/steak. And that's all you need to know. And maybe mac/cheese. Okay...and also slow/service (last two, I promise!) If you decide to make one of the best choices in your life and order the behemoth of a tuna steak sammie, make sure you have extra napkins handy. I ended up having to eat it with a fork and knife because it was humongous. I ordered it medium rare and it was perfectly cooked to my liking. Mac and cheese - cheesy but not overly so. I wish I had more room to finish it. Oysters - we ordered a couple of different types (not sure which ones) but all I know is one of them was extremely salty. And not the good kind of salty. It tasted like straight salt water. From Coney Island. On a hot summer's day. You can probably skip this one. Service - our waiter took forever with everything - coming back to take our orders, bringing us the check, bringing back the credit cards. It was just painful. Overall, the place is pretty busy but I don't think you'd have to wait a ridiculous amount of time since the restaurant is pretty spacey. We came in on a Saturday at about 7 and they were able to squeeze in our party of 7 at a 6-person table. Granted, it was a little tight but we also didn't feel like waiting. read more

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I only had time for one dinner while I was in Baltimore and Mama's on the Half Shell was an amazing choice that did not disappoint. The appearance of the restaurant is that of an old fashioned social spot. A beautiful wood bar at the bottom floor and a dining hall at the top of the stairs. My friend and I started the night off with a few orange crushes, which is apparently Baltimore's official draaank. These things are dangerously good. We also ordered the crab artichoke dip as an appetizer which was nothing short of being damn amazing. It is served warm in a bread bowl with carrots, crackers, and celery. I filled up on this instantly as I was shoving it in my mouth, it was so freaking good. Being in Maryland I felt it would be an abomination if I didn't order a crab cake. I got the crab cake platter (which you can order with one or two cakes) and chose the mashed potatoes and mac and cheese for my two sides. WOW. The sides were great but the main highlight of my entire trip was that crab cake. This was my first official Maryland crab cake experience and holyyyyyyy. It was packed with so much meat and fell apart so easy. I loved that there wasn't too much breading involved so the crab really was the shining star. Amazing. Can't wait to try more. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Crab cake with Mac and cheese and potatoes - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Beer mussels. Ahhhhmazing. I could sit and sop up the broth for days. Blue on blue shooters were delish too. My first time for those. I'll be having more. The bar was packed and staff seemed a little stressed but the vibe from the customers was mellow...we all just wanted to be there and have fun. It didn't seem to matter that the staff was running behind. Great experience. Fun time and happy hour specials are so worth it! read more

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

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Great location with charm and boasts a very old historical vibe. Cool bar inside or al fresco dining. Fresh oysters and other seafood are displayed on ice, the selection is all quality. The service was friendly and helpful, the portions were huge and we could not eat it all! It was crowded with locals and that's always a good sign. I'll go back again. PS- It's also across from a pie shop, so that's a plus! read more

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The food was good, but happy hour oysters are only offered if you are sitting at the bar. Fortunately, our server found us two bars seats.

Hands down, this is one of my favorite seafood restaurants of all time. My boyfriend and I came to Mama's for NYE dinner and they did not disappoint. We made reservations ahead of time and we were promptly seated at 8 pm. The upstairs is so cozy that it almost feels like you're eating by candlelight. (Perfect for a romantic dinner.) Since this was our 4th time coming here, we didn't hesitate at all when ordering. They always have daily specials, but myordered the double crab cakes and I ordered the classic combo. (Your girl was hungry, because the NYE turn up was REAL .) Anywho, our food arrived within 15 minutes of us ordering it and it was AMAZING. Hot, fresh, crispy, all of the above; on top of that, we had an amazing waitress who was very attentive. Mama, what can I say?! Other than that I'll be back again and thank you for making our NYE dinner so special. 5/5 claps for these champs! read more

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

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Excellent food! And service was great. Oysters were as fresh as they should be with different choices. Clam chowder was smoky and very tasty. Crab cakes were the real thing with lumps of crab. Bread pudding with white chocolate was divine ad humongous. I think it needs to be shared!! Very happy and satisfied. Place is clean and good looking. Will definitely come back! read more

I ran across this place while walking around with hopes to find good food. I was seated quickly and my server was very polite. My alcohol beverage tasted water down and I feel the pasta could have been cooked a little while longer. read more

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

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My husband and I happened to stop in after being told that our only go-to spot in Owings Mills had a one-hour wait. I didn't even know they had been here since December 2023 because I NEVER eat out in Owings Mills. We were pleasantly surprised. The ambiance was front and center; the place was beautiful and had a great vibe. We were seated and given menus, 2 people passed by and told us that our server would be with us shortly and sure enough, EJ was there within minutes. She was great, and informed us of the automatic gratuity (which is common everywhere now), informed us of the Cinco de Mayo Specials, and took our order. Throughout our visit, we were shocked at the attentiveness of the staff, the speed of the food, and the overall experience. I would not say that the food was excellent, but it was good. We had crab nachos, the softshell sandwich, and cocktails. We were checked in on and even had a manager visit the table to see how the experience was. Overall, this was a great experience. We will be back! I gave it a 5 not a 4 because of the overall staff, and the drinks were on point! read more

This place was so fun and the food was absolutely amazing. Talk about the freshest oysters. And you can't beat the Crushes! (Prior to this, I was a Crush virgin. I am impressed!) If you can make it for happy hour, it helps cushion the blow of the higher prices on the normal menu. But here, at the bar, I had the most fun time with excellent service and delicious food. I recommend the: - Oysters (all of them) - Steamed Shrimp - Crab Cake - Oyster Shooters (because why not?) - lobster bisque Shall I make another trip through Baltimore, this is the first place I am coming to eat! Follow me on my way to Foodietown! http://britneygfoodie.yelp.com read more

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Amazing. The service was incredible. Our server gave us impeccable recommendations. The manager personally came over and introduced himself and made sure we were pleased. The food.... We ordered the single crab cake with whipped yams and green beans (I threatened to abandon my family thanksgiving in pursuit of this instead) and the lobster roll with Mac and cheese (drool). Something tells me you can't go wrong with what you order because the food is fresh, high quality, and tasty. read more

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

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Really you should only be going here for the seafood. It is a seafood place and they KNOW how to cook seafood. Other than that the non-seafood items were just okay and some of them were downright BAD (the bread that came with the mussels was very stale... luckily they got our order wrong and we got a plate of fries so I turned it into mussels frites). This place is quite expensive but the seafood is quality so you're getting what you pay for. read more

Love mama's, but taking a star back after my last experience. Horrible service - First, they wouldn't seat our party of 3 with only 2 people, when the restaurant wasn't busy and we wanted to start ordering apps/drinks. Second, they never came by (our server walked past our table frequently but never stopped to take our order/ask if we needed anything), never refilled water, nothing. Third, she dropped a ramekin of tartar all over the floor next to me with some getting on my pants/never returned with a replacement/never offering napkins to help clean up. Then, the food. The appetizers we tried were horrible. Tuna poke was almost inedible, and at $20 or something was a complete waste. The other was some type of baked cheese I think, that our table also did not love very much. The entrees are always good (I usually order crab cakes and mac), but I also tried the barbecued carrots which were sold to me as being some delicious roasted caramelized side, only to find out that they were baby carrots with honey on them and put in the oven - how is this an option on any restaurant menu. The oysters are fine (great for the HH price), and as always the grapefruit crush is delicious (I have the bartender make it without triple sec so it's just fresh fruit juice, seltzer, and vodka). read more

Great food and lively atmosphere. Service was timely and servers were very nice. If you're hungry check out this place. Plan to go back soon. read more

The crab cakes and the crab cake sandwich were amazing as was the soup! Even the fries were out of this world! The service was impeccable! The ambiance was relaxing and impressive! read more

As you can tell by the rating, I really enjoyed this place. There are so many things to talk about I don't know where to begin. A colleague who lives in the area recommended Mamas and man was it good. I really liked the cool vibe of the place. We had lunch upstairs but wish we would have more time to hang downstairs at the bar. The service was very good especially for the fact that it was during the lunchtime rush. The food, what can I say. It was the last meal I had in Baltimore, so it had to be more crabs. I had the seafood chowder to start with and would recommend going with the bowl. The cup would only be a tease. Good amount of seafood in the chowder and the consistency was perfect. For my main I had the crab cake sandwich. Lots of crab, minimal breading. Worth every penny. There were a few other things I would have liked to try but it would have to wait for the next visit. Wish I lived closer as I would be there daily. As they say, "Mama's does NOT disappoint. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Seafood Chowder. No Joke - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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My boyfriend and I tried this place one night for date night and we were definitely pleased! Our waiter was great and gave us recommendations based on items we were looking at! I ordered the French onion soup (not on the menu but they'll make it for you!) and Chicken Chesapeake. My boyfriend ordered some oysters and the Caesar salad with blackened chicken. We both enjoyed our meals and appreciated the restaurant being so accommodating! We'll definitely be back! read more

Was in the city dropping my sister at the airport and wanted seafood. Saw this place was a top recommendation so I decided to try it out. This olace is amazing from the food to the service. My party starred dinner with the wings as an appetizer. They were amazing and the presentation was excellent. Our entrees were fantastic, I had the combo appetizer. My family members ordered the club sandwich, the grilled chicken sandwich, and the fried oysters. A top standout to me was the side dish of mac and cheese. It's very hard to find terrific mac and cheese but they succeeded. This place was amazing and I will definitely return when I am in town. read more

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Arrived late and cold . Rice was hard and they tuna tartare didn't bring the soy sauce. A completely mess and costly. read more

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

Another restaurant marked off on the list of must-do restaurants in Baltimore and this did not disappoint. My wife and I and her parents came in on a Friday afternoon. We were greeted by our server Anthony, who went above and beyond as a server, going so far as to give solid recommendations from the menu, even encouraging my wife and me to go with different side orders for our entrees and try them out individually. We started with orange crushes which were some of the best that I ever had, also, my mother-in-law figured out why the orange crush was called an orange crush, as it is meant to be served with crushed ice, clearly there are many restaurants that miss the mark when it comes to the orange crush. My wife and I both had the seafood club which we compared to a competitor's similar sandwich and agreed that this won out based on the size of the crab cake, but not only that it was super meaty but the bread that it was on, held up the entire time, even as a leftover which my wife would proudly eat at the O's game later that day. My take, if you're looking for comfort mixed in with Maryland staples, look no further. read more

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

While visiting Baltimore, a friend and I ate lunch here for the first time. We sat outside and and began with an order of oysters in the half shell. Very fresh and good. I ordered the seafood club which was shrimp salad, crab cake with bacon, lettuce and tomato. My friend ordered fish and chips. Both dishes were excellent. The menu is very good with many options. Wait staff was friendly. Definitely will be back. read more

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

We stumbled onto this place Christmas Eve while searching for an open place to grab a bite after 34th Street. O. M. G. The food was to die for. I had the scallops and Mac-n-Cheese, and a Breckinridge Vanilla Porter Nitro. Unbelievable. Everything was amazing. Our server, Tarah, was the best. I will come back. I will bring friends. Mouthgasmic. read more

Great happy hour for sure. $1 oysters and $1.50 select draft. Nice bar, classic vintage feel. Bar has nice electrical outlets and hooks for your coat ! Overall good and liquor were fair priced and delicious. read more

Food is always great, but whats even better is Yaya's always upbeat disposition even dealing with difficult customers. She never carries any of the weird energy to any of the other customers & always gives great service even when people don't deserve it. I will always sit at any bar shes pouring at! & my boyfriend says she makes the best patron margaritas lol read more

I went with my girlfriend and some friends this weekend and she order the seafood chowder and it was salty so we let the waiters know and she let the manger know he came over to the table and just looked at us until we asked him could we help him he then let us know he was the manger and had taste the chowder and didn't find it salty so he could not exchange it or take it off the bill.. The manger who im speaking about is name Eddie.. read more

I have never been to a restaurant like this. First I ordered a crab soup that is so salty and inedible because it's over seasoned. It is not even warm. Asked the server and to change something, she sent manager over and explained unless something is wrong with the food they cannot take it back. They heated up and added hot water, it taste better but gave me a stomach ache. The soup came when I finished my main course. My Fish sandwich I ordered was supposed to be grilled and I substitute the fries for coleslaw it came out fried and with fries no coleslaw. I ate it and just asked for some coleslaw on the side. The seafood platter was over seasoned again and Five out of the six clams were dead. I didn't want to make a big deal so just told the server and not worry about it. When we asked for the check she says we took off the soup as a courtesy, and when I looked at the check notice there is a 18% gratuity, I don't remember any restaurant does that for party of two. So we asked the server about that as well and she said it's the restaurant rule after 9 PM. And to top it off when we pay for the bill with cash, server came back with our change, they rounded down and not give you the change back. I have never been to a restaurant like this in my life, And I have dined many many restaurants even other countries. Never again read more

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I've been to Mama's for both brunch and dinner and I was very satisfied both times! The food was delicious and the service was great. Their seafood dishes are always cooked well and the prices are fair for the meal. Portions are also huge! I ordered the seafood club and the sandwich is basically a triple decker! For brunch I had ordered the Croque Madamn, which was heavy, but also very tasty. The side potatoes were some of the best I've had! read more

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

Everyone had said that this restaurant was a staple of Baltimore- and they were right! We went here thinking they had extended restaurant week but turned out they didn't, but we went with it. With a bar-like casual atmosphere, the seafood is amazing! We got the Maryland Crab Soup and the SeafOod Chowder which were both amazing and very tasty. We then got the largest serving of crab dip I've ever seen, which was also yum. I ordered the Scallops which came with 6, which I was surprised and was salty but delicious. My boyfriend ordered the crab cakes which were possibly the best crab cakes I've ever had. We thought we'd hop over to Vaccaros got dessert but we were way too full! This place is a must go in Baltimore for delicious seafood! read more

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

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I had forgotten how much I liked Mama's! Best oyster stew in Baltimore. Cozy and warm on this frigid winters afternoon, even has a fireplace. Excellent example of old school Baltimore seafood. Music is good too. read more

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

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Wowzer. I came here for restaurant week and it was phenomenal! I ordered the BBQ Shrimp for appetizer which came with 4 jumbo shrimp and a delicious sauce and bread to soak it all up. For the entree I got the double crab cake platter ($5 extra) with the Mac and cheese and mixed vegetables. The crab cakes were amazing with the perfect amount of crab meat. The Mac and cheese was good but veryyyy oily. For dessert I got the bread pudding with Kentucky bourban sauce. Yummmmmm. read more

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Service was poorly handled. This was my first time at this restaurant and I was unaware of a no return policy on food your not pleased with. I took one small taste and the entre' was not to my liking. I was then told that I'm still responsible for paying for a entre I did not like. I understand policy is policy but if it's not made known to the unknown and is written if small print in the corner of the menu how would anyone know until they run into this problem. If you are going to have a policy like this you should have your servers let that be known to guest. read more

Wonderful sandwiches. The shrimp po'boy was delicious but a little small. The seafood club was awesome and almost too much to eat.

We're at the bar during Happy hour,and Brian our bartender was friendly and made GREAT drinks read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Pan seared salmon and shrimp with asparagus rescotto - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland