Mama's on the Half Shell
Baltimore, MD 21224-4821
Phone: (410) 276-3160
- Price:
- $$$
- Hours:
- Daily 11am-2am
Editorial Review for Mama's on the Half Shell – by Laureen Miles Brunelli
The Scene
Like its neighbor and namesake Nacho Mama's, this place has a sense of fun. With the bar area's tight layout and friendly atmosphere, you can't help but be a bit chummy with fellow patrons while slurping oysters and beer. Upstairs 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 Food
A delicate red wine vinaigrette simply accents the huge oysters on the half shell, while the more complicated oysters Rockefeller are indeed rich enough for a millionaire. Just the right amount of Old Bay holds together the crab cakes' chunks of back fin. Small touches, like the crunchy dill pickle in the tartar sauce or the crouton slathered in a savory olive paste for the Caesar salad, prove that every detail counts.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
What to DrinkTo speed things up, combine drinking and eating with a vodka-and-cocktail-sauce Oyster Shooter or the Blue on Blue--a Blue Point oyster and cocktail sauce shot with a four-ounce Pabst Blue Ribbon chaser.
User Reviews for Mama's on the Half Shell
03/11/2008 Posted by PeanutNeal
This is my first time writing a review. And I never take the time to do these things, but I have to say that Mama's on the Half Shell is AWESOME! My husband invests in Real Estate in B-more (we're from Germantown, MD) so every time we go visit his properties, I make him take me to Mama's. The Fish & Chips are amazing--that's what my husband gets. And it's a huge portion, so we often have to take 1/2 home. I'm sorry to say that I've only gotten one thing there--and I LOVE IT--it's the Seafood Melt. It's crab, shrimp and scallops on a tomato-topped English muffin with cheese melted on top. It's incredible! I probably should stray from this, but I just can't go to Mama's and NOT order the Seafood Melt. It's too darn good to pass up. The side dishes are great, but I've found one I'm in love with...the macaroni & cheese. Incredible. It's by no means low-fat, but it's worth every single calorie. If you've never been to Mama's, what are you waiting for? Such a great place to take out-of-town guests who want to experience real Maryland seafood...you won't be sorry!
Pros: THE FOOD!!!
Cons: Sometimes there's a wait, and no real waiting area except the bar, which gets crowded.
04/09/2007 Posted by fostoner
My wife and I have visited this establishment 2 times together. We went for lunch one day and it was good. We decided to go back on Easter for a quick lunch... that was the last time I will go to Mamma's. My wife does not eat seafood, but I love it. I ordered the Barbequed Shrimp wrapped in Bacon, along with a Diet Soda and the Oyster "PoBoy" Sandwich. My wife ordered a hamburger cooked MEDIUM (any cook should know how to cook a hamburger). My BBQ Shrimp arrived after a 10minute wait. The shrimp were chewy and overcooked, a total of 4 shrimp encased in Bacon making 2 wraps. The shrimp were so overcooked and somehow the bacon was raw I don't know how you cook shrimp "wrapped" in bacon and have the shrimp overcooked and the bacon raw. The sauce was pureed tomatoes with sugar in it. I was amazed that this appetizer cost 10 dollars for 4 shrimp that were so small. It is obviously a numbers game at Mama's when it comes to quality of ingredients. All together I think it was $1 worth of ingredients in the appetizer. I was done with my app. and the waitress brought the hamburger and oyster sand. Mama's is the place for the french fry lover. mounds of greasy fries covered our plates. I wondered about all the fries they must throw out... seeing how no human could possibly eat all those in one sitting and fries are useless when heated up. My wives burger was Stone cold in the middle and Raw and Mooing. She had to send it back to have a new burger made (as the waitress lied and said they did.) The brought back the same burger that was cut in half... and so hot that Mr. Burns from the Simpsons could have used it to power the generators in Springfield. Obviously they micro waved the burger as it was well done at that point. My wife didn't want me to make a scene and complain about the micro waved burger... so I didn't. So if you like to eat where the cook s don't know squat about cooking I recommend Mamma's on the Half Shell. I WILL NEVER GO BACK THERE ........ EVER!
Pros: Live and Learn when Dining here...
Cons: Cant cook worth a damn.... 50 / 50 shot of your order being right. Cramped Dining Rooms
Users Like You Also Viewed
Jordan's Steakhouse
8085 Main St
Ellicott City, MD 21043
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
801 Aliceanna Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
