The story of Mama J’s begins during the childhood of Velma Johnson (affectionately known as Mama J), who was born one of fourteen children to Willard and Alease Roland. In their cozy home on the West End of Richmond, Velma and her siblings took part in all of the household chores, including helping their mother and grandmother in the kitchen as they prepared large family meals. This is where she learned the magic of the recipes that are now served at Mama J’s.
Southern & soul food with a full bar are offered in a casual, modern cafe setting with a chill vibe. Based on 3 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.4 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No-contact delivery
Address:
415 N 1st St, Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 225-7449
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Reviews
Audrey White
The food is phenomenal and it is served pretty quickly! Servers are pleasant and attentive. The restaurant is a small space and on a city street so the wait can be long. The smoke from the kitchen burned my eyes so I had to wait outside until my food was ready. If you have a smoke allergy I would definitely order take out but don’t miss this down home cooking!
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robin haynes
Our food was absolutely delicious! The service from the reception/host to the young man at the bar. Very polite, professional, and fast. Our food was cooked seasoned and we loved it! What’s not seen in our photos are the desserts! Off the chain ( make you want to slap you Mama ) GOOD! Peach Cobbler, Coconut Pineapple Cake! We came back to the ATL with our bellies full of the best food! Thank you so much and we will be back
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Stephanie Lovell
Recommended to us by our friend, we answered our craving for Southern food by walking over to Mama J’s for lunch.
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Megan Simms
They were busy with a one hour wait. Luckily for us we needed a table for 2 and a party of two were leaving when we arrived and no one else had 2 in their party. We went to Mama Js for the trout dinner, but they were out of trout. We decided to stay and just eat something different. The catfish bites were temperature hot , well seasoned, and delicious. The cabbage was excellent. The fried chicken was hot and seasoned well. If you have to monitor your sodium intake, the fried chicken may not be for you. I didn’t order the smothered pork chops, but I tasted it. The pork chop it’s self was good, but I didn’t care for the smothered gravy taste. The pork chops were not enjoyed, but I think that was because he was disappointed in not having the trout. The Mac and cheese is average. The greens were good, but the cabbage was the best. The catfish bites are the champ. Good. Quick service was provided and the waitress kept a smile on her face.
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VICTORIA CUNNINGHAM
Can I give this place 20 stars !!! Listen… food that takes you back way back
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Margie Nguyen
Always a treat to stop by Mama J’s when I’m in town. Great food, nice people and a good time. Service was a little slow, looked under staffed. Food took 20-30 min to come out but it was hot and delicious as always. Don’t forget to grab one of their cakes!
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Thomas Marason
My first time eating here. The waitress recommended the fried catfish, and I was not disappointed. They serve the best tarter sauce I’ve ever had. Very subtle and smooth. I ordered a side of baked Mac n cheese, which was good, and washed it all down with some good sweet tea. I will definitely be coming back to eat here when I’m in the area again. Nice staff, nice atmosphere.
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Celeste “Lola” Brewster
I don’t want to rate it harshly since it’s a small business. So I will state the facts of my experience. The food is a la cart so there are no meals but the ones you create and sides are $5 each. Kids meals don’t come with a side or drinks. This makes the price one would pay increase by $10 easy. I had the catfish and while it was perfectly cooked it lacked the seasoning I expected. However, the portion size was great. 1 piece was the size I’d usually see with 2 pieces of catfish. The chicken tenders for the kids were delicious. The salad, however was the oldest salad I have ever been presented with. Appeared it was made up last week and preserved in the fridge. Lettuce rotted, cubed deli meat etc. The greenbeans are cooked with sugar, which I didn’t like. However, the mac’n cheese was delicious. While we still gave a good tip to the server, it wasn’t due to her service. My partner literally had to walk up to the drink machine behind the bar and request a refill for everyone at the table. She was on the floor often but rarely looked our way. It was surprising considering their restaurant only had 8 tables. Yes, it is small but it does have a bar that seats about 5. It took too long of a time for our food to be served considering the amount of customers. While I didn’t see every employee, based off the 5 I did see not including the bartender, I felt the service could be faster. I enjoy trying new restaurants, but this one I’d pass. I read the story about Mama J being 1 of 14 children and learning to cook at an early age big meals and like the personal touch the story adds. It’s located downtown Richmond.
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Savie Lee
The food here is pretty good. However, I barely had any caesar salad under the heaps of Parmesan that came on top of it. Cheese is good, but this was too much. Additionally, they forgot the Mac n cheese that I paid for on my to go order. Everything else tasted good, but it wasn’t very hot. I expected better!
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AEW Designs
First time eating here and was blown away by how good the food was. I ordered the pork chops smothered and was instantly transported back to my Grandma’s house. Most of the menu is A la carte and the prices are good. So stop by and like their shirts say, “Welcome home!”
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