I had a great meal on my first visit to Mama's. I felt immediately at home with the fireplace roaring upstairs as I walked in with some friends from a cold winter day. We had very fast and friendly service. I ordered the fried oysters platter, and they were tasty, though a few of the oysters were a little soggy and not so crispy. The cocktail sauce, despite being labeled as "chipotle-lime cocktail sauce," tasted a lot like regular cocktail sauce, but that's not at all a bad thing--just a heads up. I also had a side Caesar salad with a good amount of dressing and croutons that came with a piece of bread with awesome Greek olive tapenade. I wish the tapenade was a side dish on its own because it was so good! Overall, I definitely want to come back and try some more dishes in the future! read more

Hardly a miss at brunch-- reasonable prices, excellent house Bloody Mary mix with house pickled green beans! I was enthralled with my seafood omelette (not too heavy on the cheese, good portions of shrimp & crab) & he was very pleased with his crab "benny". The side of fruit salad is a nice touch & they super deep fried the side of scrapple we ordered (the only way it's edible in my book). My only quibble would be the potatoes ...I didn't care for the heavy spices. But we were so so pleased with the attentive service and very old school-sea-faring atmosphere. Another place that I would return to regularly if we were locals once again. read more

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Service is awesome, the orange crushes are amazing and they have a great selection of seafood dishes. I ordered the seared scallops appetizer. It was good but lacked flavor. The scallops however were cooked perfectly. The entree I ordered was the chicken Chesapeake. Absolutely delicious!. The asparagus was perfectly cooked, the mashed potatoes were hearty and the sherry sauce was very velvety...almost like a gravy. The chicken was a little overcooked for my taste but still good. I wish I would have gotten oysters because theirs are sooooo good but next visit ;) read more

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

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I arrived in Canton for the St Patrick's Day Stroll ( well, didn't pay the $25 fee which basically earned you nothing ) and quickly realized that the long lines of millennials for the 'official' pubs were not the best plan. A wind, brisk Saturday made for a great day for finding a warm restaurant. Mama's was that place. The manager ( sorry I forgot your name ) and staff were welcoming and the place was bustling. The whole business smelled delicious. Cold Natty Boh and big, delicious steamed shrimp hit the spot. The fries are fresh and not frozen from a bag too. I will definitely return again. An excellent experience. read more

There are 2 floors- downstairs has tables and is packed with people around the bar- Upstairs is an eclectic collection of local memorabilia keeps this very Victorian room-- decorated with fringed velvet, dark wood and tasseled chandeliers--from being stuffy. Flanking the fireplace, tables with built-in window seats offer a bird's eye view of O'Donnell Square. The staff was super friendly and fun! Then menu has a nice variety of seafood and other. They also have a daily special menu. We went there for my birthday dinner with some friends. Only one of our party had been there since she lives in that neighborhood. It was the 1st for the rest of us. Yes parking was a bitch (I recommend either do the vallet parking or park somewhere else and take a taxi). We had to drive up and down the streets to find parking and found one in a nice alley just up the way. But the parking was worth it! I started off with the Fried Calamari Seasoned flour served w/ sweet & sour tomato sauce. $6.95 Yummy- it was one of the best I have had in Baltimore- nd it was a HUGE plate of it! Then for dinner I had the Scallops Half Dozen; pan seared scallops w/ Mama's homemade tarter sauce and chipotle lime cocktail sauce. $14.95 YUMMY!!!- Also the best scallops I have found in Baltimore. The texture was perfect!! They werent chewy at all. The Hubby and friend had Fish & Chips Fresh cod in a PBR beer batter fried w/ Mama's homemade tarter sauce and chipotle lime cocktail sauce. $10.95 HUGE- the plate was filled from every angle. The homemade chips were perfect! Our friend who had been there before recommend the fries which were great. She had Half Pound Burger Fresh ground chuck, Kaiser roll. $6.95 Look so good- She added chesse. It dodnt look greasey or anything. Looked like one right off our own grill. The then hubby added onto his dinner some Mama's Mac & Cheese $2.50- This was the bomb! So perfect!!!! They have homemade Dessert- We got the Strawberry Shortcake- HUGE Between the 4 of us we didint finish it! We got this drink- i think it was called- Orange Crush! So yummy! They squeeze a fresh orange intot he cup of ice and add vodka and triple sec (mostly soda water too). Watch out however because they are so good and great you will suck them down and not relaize how many you have had!!! Overall with all the food, 4 drinks, and 1 dessert the bill came to like $86 which wasnt bad. About $20 a person. We left with huge doggie bags!!! read more

If you're looking for a fantastic Crabcake...this is the place. Seriously...they are a Wow! My only regret is that I didn't just order more of them instead of trying a plethora of other things. I will say I appreciated the recommendation for the grapefruit crush and Mojito's from another reviewer...they did not disappoint. This place has a neighborhood bar feel downstairs, upstairs and outside dining as well in the chic little Canton Square. It really made me wish I was kid-less that night so we could have played at some of the neighboring bars. I called and made reservations before I left Cleveland and the bartender who made my reservations (Lincoln) as well as all of the staff were very helpful and friendly to us...even with 2 small kids in tow. read more

The crab cakes where ok.The waitress was not good.She was doing other thing rather then taking care of our table.The waiter who came since we could not find her was GREAT!!!Im not one of them people who dont tip,but when im getting bad service and you force 18% on me NOT KOOL!!! I know i could have spoken to the manager. read more

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My family and I came here for Sunday brunch. Much like many of the restaurants in Canton it's in a refurbished row home. We decided to eat inside and went upstairs to our table. The wait staff was friendly and we decided on mimosas and I had the eggs Benedict. The mimosas were good and a generous portion. I loved the eggs Benedict. It was cooked wonderfully and even my 2 year old enjoyed it. I took a look at their typical menu and the items looked good. They had a lot to choose from and I may come back to try something off of it in the future. read more

My first or last stop ever time I fly into Baltimore. The selection of fresh oysters is fantastic. Service is outstanding and food menu is loaded with great choices read more

I have been to this place on multiple occasions and have never had a bad experience. The food is AMAZING. I just had the seafood potato skins tonight and the ywere phenomenol! The only thing on the menu that I would say be aware of is the fish and chips. It is a HUGE portion that seemed to be a little greasy for my liking. Other than that I have never had anything bad on the menu. read more

I've been there on two occasions. The first time I went, it was a Friday night and it was PACKED! I ordered the seafood club and it was very very good! It was worth the wait. The second time a friend and I went for brunch and the food was AMAZING! She orded the Grand Marnier French toast. It was delicious!! I ordered a Needful Breakfast. It was sooo good! My eggs were made perfectly, the potatoes were cooked and seasoned just right and the fruit was tasty! We ended up sharing and both left stuffed and satisfied! I'd go back again. read more

If you're about quality AND quantity, well, you've come to the right place. This place is all about good food and also never leaving you unsatisfied. I like pretty much everything on the menu; it really depends on what you're in the mood for. Their oysters are great but again, I need to eat like 1029301 oysters to feel happy so I usually don't order those unless I'm being "self-conscious" around other folks (jk..) All of their sandwiches are great. All of them. If you haven't tried their mac and cheese, you MUST. That's my most favorite place to get some good mac and cheese. They add panko crumbs at the top and it's just so buttery and delicious and cheesy. YOU MUST GET IT. Mama's on the half shell? Ha. More like mama's on the whole.. shell. Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. But I just wanted to write that.. So I did. : ) Happy eating! read more

Always good. When I moved to Baltimore it was advertised as a favorite spot from everyone I met. I've been twice and had the tilapia sandwich and the Ruben both excellent! read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Ruben w/ fries - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I've eaten a Mama's a million times and it's been a few years, but this time was especially memorable. They had a cream of crab soup special that was to die for. It wasn't as thick as usual and I liked that, plus, it was topped with a whole soft shell crab. One of the best I've ever had and I raved about it for almost a week. Although we don't live in town anymore, my wife and I tell people to go there all the time and when they do, they all say nothing but fabulous things. Make sure to start off with an orange or grapefruit crush. I had a couple of each on this occasion and then dove into seafood heaven. The clam's casino is a staple and my wife loves their fries. She didn't get the ones she loves on this trip, but instead got some generic ones like the kind you used to get at Roy Rodger's back in the day. Am I dating myself? I'm not that old, just what I thought of when they arrived. Oh well, who comes to a seafood emporium for fries anyways. The seafood melt served on an English muffin is amazing, but will put you into a coma, so I split it this time and was happy with the decision. The mussels, oysters, shrimp; crab soup, scallop app and blacked chicken sandwich are all fantastic. You can't go wrong with almost any choice you make. Another great visit and I look forward to the next one, whenever that may be. read more

Went there tonight for a light dinner with a friend. I've been to mamas plenty of times and have had overall great experiences. However, tonight was slightly disappointing. Our waitress was very pushy to get more orders out of us. I mean REALLY pushy. I understand that there were people waiting for tables, but that was toward the end of our time there. Plus, we were sitting in one of the more crammed corners--I'm sure people weren't dying to sit there. My friend and I just wanted soup. My friend didn't drink but I got a glass of wine . She ended up ordering a side sandwich to go for her boyfriend. The soup was great--the French Onion there is amazing! The wine I got was very good as well--I got the petit Syrah. However, our yummy mini meal and conversation kept on getting interrupted by our waitress asking if we wanted to order more. We also didn't have napkins until after we got our soups. By the time our bill came, she was pushing us to pay the bill. We almost got dessert, but I think we were over our server too much to enjoy dessert. I later heard back from my friend saying that her boyfriend got white bread instead of wheat, but still enjoyed his sandwich. I normally would give mamas a 4-5 star rating, but tonight I was disappointed. I served for 5 years, and I normally give servers the benefit of he doubt, but her pushiness and forgetfulness brought mamas down a few notches tonight. read more

Beer steamed mussels are huge! Should be an entree in my opinion. They were out of this world. My only recommendation is that the loaf of French bread they give you could be warm. Is that a problem? No! It was fantastic. Great bar scene, I feel like I should be peg legged with an eyepatch at all times inside. Waitress was superb and attentive. I didn't go upstairs, wish I had. I'm ready for summer because the outdoor seating looks fantastic. read more

If you want good food and exceptional service, don't hesitate to head to Mama's. My cousins brought my sis and I here on a visit to Baltimore and we had a fantastic time. Portions are huge, Food is delicious and service is friendly, helpful and prompt. The fish and chips was slightly disappointing, with great batter but mushy fish. But everything else was delicious and I would definitely get the scallops again. Luckily the helpful staff will tell you what is fresh and in season. read more

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We came here on a Sunday night, which proved to be great because there was no wait. Our waitress recommended crabcakes with asparagus and macaroni and cheese, my wife went with her advice and said it was great. I went with the stuffed shrimp and was also pleased, but after having some of my wife's crabcake that is what I would order next time. The crème brûlée was good but probably not super fresh, not as warm as it could've been to be perfect. But still good. Really excellent seafood, highly recommend this place! read more

Amazing place to eat. This Midwesterner loved their oysters and huge menu. The ambiance is inviting and a bit on the romantic side. The wait staff provided excellent service read more

Their Maryland Crab Soup basically lit up my day, while the cool black interior of the restaurant was super relaxing. The place was clean, the staff helpful. Inside, you'll find the walls, the furniture, the stairs, the flooring all dark, with a bit of light coming in from the windows. It's not exactly festive, but it's restful and has the constant background hustle of a popular local haunt. The walls you'll find are covered with old framed photographs I can't identify, but gives the impression that this old place has had a rich history and a permanent niche in the community (I think I read somewhere that this place only opened in 2003 though). I particularly enjoyed the feeling of a seaport lodge, and though it's not strictly by the inner harbor, it certainly feels that way. The price wasn't cheap, wasn't expensive, but the sandwiches were HUGE (and delicious too) and came with a generous helping of sides. In fact, there was more than we could eat, but then I'm not exactly large. Well, in any case, I left Mama's feeling full and with leftovers. Two small complaints: (1) the wait was a bit long, but the waiting staff friendly. If you come with friends, then it's not a big deal because you'll have a chance to settle down and just "chill". If you come alone though, you can't exactly bring a book to read, since it's a bit dim inside, but if you find something to preoccupy yourself, maybe just take a minute to appreciate the elaborate interior. (2) The mac and cheese was somewhat too soft, and felt like eating straight up melted cheese. That could just be a matter of preference though. read more

We've been to Mama's on the Half Shell 5 times now. We really enjoy all of the food we've ever had there and enjoy the blue on blue. Just one major problem... the customer service is horrendous. The wait staff is typically pissy to the guests (maybe they are stretched too thin) and the bartenders aren't much better. There's almost always a wait, which is fine if we are treated well after the extremely long waits for dining tables. The restaurant has seating rules too so beware. We had a party of 8 and one person got stuck in horrible Friday traffic so she showed up about 10 minutes after we were seated. Once she arrived at the table the waiter told us she wasn't allowed to order a dinner entree. Seriously! I know they are trying to turn tables on a busy night but we were being great guests; ordering a lot of drinks and we all had pricey entrees. Last visit we showed up on a Monday and we were told we couldn't sit a table near the bar if we didn't order entrees. What a terrible rule. Would you rather have customers spending money on beers, cocktails, and oysters at that table or just leave it empty? That visit we stayed for 45 minutes and not a single party came in to sit at that empty table. I totally understand why everyone else gives Mama's 4 or 5 stars but I've had enough with the bad attitude, weird rules, and have pretty much decided we will take our business elsewhere in Canton and Fells to get our seafood and oyster fix. I hope that the management will consider being a little more relaxed on these rules when the dining area isn't so crazy or if they know they've got a table of 7 spending over $250 on drinks and food... let the lady order a meal. read more

Ok, got a tip to try this place from a born and raised baltimore local. Have to go back to her shop and thank her!! This will definitely be a spot we always come back to. First off the staff. ... extremely friendly and welcoming. The customers were equally as friendly and made us feel very welcome in this city. We ate at the bar and probably won't ever use a table cuz the bar tender was awesome!! Let's talk food... I ordered the single crab cake platter with Mac and cheese and coleslaw. The crab cake was full of huge lumps of meat and wonderful flavor. The tarter sauce had just the right amount of a bite to make you want more. The coleslaw was tasty and definitely allowed my palate to cleanse itself before diving into the delicious mac and cheese. Now that was one of the best I've had in a long time!!! Not greasy or runny the cheese was well blended and it was topped with a crunchy bread crumb.. YUM!! My hubby got the chicken Chesapeake. It was loaded with crab meat on top placed on a large helping of heavenly whipped potatoes with a cream sauce and asparagus. Both meals were surprisingly delicious for what looked like a dive bar. Will be back again and again!! read more

So out looking for brunch thanks to the Yelp newsletter one morning and ran into here! Great choice! I'm not a huge fan of the orange or grapefruit crush but the mimosas were good and i got a double! I ended up getting the chipped beef and toast. The bread was thick and buttery. My brunch buddy ended up getting the grand manier French toast that was very unique but very sweet. The pros are awesome here! There's fresh clams and oysters. I cannot wait to get back in here! read more

Quality seafood spot on the Canton square. Love going there for business lunches and date night. Can get pricey with booze. But overall, great seafood selection and variety. I love their Chicken Chesapeake and Lobster Roll. Make a reservation on the weekends just to be sure you can get a table. read more

We wanted to have a good Crab cake on the way from Philly to Durham NC and my wife found this place to be highly rated in Yelp. We were there 11am on sat morning and most the people in the restaurant is eating brunch. We had the crab soup, seafood platter and a double crab cake. The crab soup is mostly a veggie soup with several pieces of crab meat. The main dishes were too oily and so disappointing. I have been to several crab cake joints in Baltimome and this one is the worst. read more

Chicken Chesapeake is AMAZING. The crab and the whipped potatoes are just so good. The asparagus accompanied with the dish are among the best I have had! If you have the fresh catch Tilapia you better be hungry! It's a monstrous portion. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! We live in D.C. and go to Baltimore just to go to Mama'S! This place not only has the BEST food from Calamari,to the biggest oysters,from sandwiches, to tuna tar tar..MY FAVORITE but has a great selection of beers! My husband and I peronall go to do Oyster shooter(with beer) ! The atmosphere is GREAT..we like the downstairs..and the people aRE so friendly! Anytime we have people in from out of town we take them here!! Its in a great location to go out for drinks afterwards!! LOVE THIS PLACE! read more

FISH AND CHIPS! Don't get anything else because nothing compares to their fish and chips on freshly fried potatoes. Enough said. read more

We've been coming here for years on our annual trips up and down the east coast and always used to love it... For some reason, this time around it just didn't seem quite as good as it used to be... the menu is the same, but everything seemed to be swimming in fat or butter this time around... Maybe we just hit it on a bad day, but it definitely wasn't what it was... read more

Went here last night. Wasn't the worst, but not impressed. We ordered Maryland Crab soup, lobster roll, orange crushes and the bread pudding for dessert. Maryland Crab was "OK". The crab was cooked well and tasty, but the soup itself looked and tasted like frozen/canned vegetables from a can and downgraded the whole taste experience. Lobster roll was served cold over a hot bun. The lobster was drowned in mayo and ruined it for me. I hate cold lobster. I thought it was going to be more traditional, like hot with no mayo.. If I go again I'll try the crab cake. Orange crush was good. Expensive, but fresh oj and vodka/sprite is a good combo anytime. The worst part was dessert. Bread pudding was literally a dish of cubed bread suffocating in sugar and butter. The bread was crying out for oxygen.Bread pudding should not be this way, where you can't enjoy it. I had one bite and had diabetes. Probably number one of worst desserts ever, and I love sweets. Service was great though. Didn't have a problem with anyone. Everyone was friendly to the customers, but to each other not so much. The usual staff gossip. A couple people gossiping in Spanish about other staff behind their backs. Caddy stuff that I tried not listening to, but very loud not to. It's the holidays people come on! :D read more

We visited Mama's on the Half Shelf Wednesday night and was greeted by our server Meg who was totally awesome and customer service oriented. She kept our glasses full (great drinks) and bellies fed(good good). The manager Steven checked in on us and ensured we had an overall great experience! We will be returning soon!! read more

Nice and delicious crab cake, lobster roll, steamed PEI mussels and pan-seared scallops!

Service was great. Place was recommended by a friend who lived in Baltimore. Food was on point. I got their wings and beer mussels and they give you a ton of mussels. read more

A week before I got married my (then future) husband took me there to try the grilled oysters. Since day one, I've been hooked. It took about 20 minutes or so for us to be seated, which given that it was Memorial Day I didn't think was terrible. The waitress was friendly and promptly took our drink order. We started out with the grilled oysters and we each got a soup, he the cream of crab, while I went with the Maryland crab. The grilled oysters with barbecue sauce is one of the best appetizers I've ever had. The tangy barbecue sauce with the salty oyster works perfectly. The soup wasn't bad, but not the best crab soup I've ever had. I had the seafood paella and my husband had the seafood steamer. Both were phenomenal. It is probably one of the only times I've finished a complete meal at a restaurant. I'm sorry to say I didn't have any leftovers to take home. We've since been back (numerous times) and each time I've been just as pleased as the first time. Definitely a must go to in Canton. read more

I was referred to Mama's while visiting Baltimore. I was told they were short staffed so my order may take a little longer. I order the crab dip for the table and the soft shell crab sandwich for my entree. Crab dip was good; however, the soft shell crab was terrible. The breading was extra heavy and mushy. The old bay sauce didn't blend nor make it any better. I literally ate one piece and didn't touch it again. It took a good 20+ minutes for the server to come back and check on us, by then I didn't want anything else. She called her supervisor / manager and she came over to see what was wrong, I articulated what was wrong with the entree and she told me she could NOT remove the item from my check. So not only was the service extremely bad, the dish was bad as well and they still added gratuity. I gracefully paid my tab in full, but do not recommend and will not return. This was a horrible experience. read more

I came here with friends on a Friday night and I enjoyed the atmosphere, the service, and the drinks! I had the Kentucky Ginger which is their bourbon cocktail. It's absolutely delicious and very smooth. Our waitress was super friendly and patience with us. Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong entree. The lobster roll tasted like it came from a can with way too much mayo. I obviously should have ordered crabcakes or there fried oysters. read more

I've been trying to go to Mama's on the Half Shell for a while now, but always get hit with hour + wait times, now I know why. This is a great place to get seafood. My girlfriend and I went this past Saturday and endured about a forty-five minute wait. We passed the time with beers, orange crushes, and grapefruit crushes. I wish I could tell you that the orange and grapefruit crushes were all hers, but I'd be lying. Please tell me that vodka, fresh grapefruit juice and a splash of soda doesn't sound delicious...please. The good - Food - I would recommend the seafood chowder; any variety of raw oyster; and the fried oyster po boy with mac & cheese. - The aforementioned grapefruit crush - Atmosphere - it's a bit of an older crowd, but a good one none the less. The Bad - The food prices weren't that bad, but the drink prices were up there. - There seems to always be a long wait time. read more

If you live in Baltimore Mama's is one of those go to places for good drinks and good. The bar is always crowded with people waiting for a table, but the upstairs is quaint with a cozy fireplace which is great in the colder months. My Sunday brunch go to is the French toast and the mimosas are heavy on the champagne. For lunch or dinner I would recommend the crab cakes, oysters, any specials, and the seafood chowder, which is a meal all by itself. Expect a wait but the food is worth it and it's a great locals spot. read more

We went here on a Hot Saturday around noon for lunch. There was great outdoor seating and great service. I saw some customers food and it look delicious. My food and service was excellent. read more

Mama's on the Half Shell - Chicken Chesapeake ( juicy flavorful chicken breast with rich Crab Imperial) on top of Whipped Potatoes with curry gravy at the base. - Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Sat in a spilled orange crush as soon as we arrived. Orange crush all over my maxi dress... damn. No biggie, really. Service was decent enough, but definitely didn't blow my mind and the food left much to be desired. I would not recommend ordering the crab dip. Or the crap cake sandwich. Both were BLEH for lack of a better word. I heard the food here was very good but I was definitely underwhelmed. Probably won't return here to eat, but possibly to drink. Margaritas were good and the Mojitos looks excellent from afar. read more