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Cathedral Pkwy (B, C)
Cathedral Pkwy (1)
Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Monday - Saturday 3pm to 10pm $2 PBR Cans $2 Modelo Cans $3 Rolling Rock Drafts $3 Coors Light Drafts $5 Margaritas & Hound Dog Lemonades
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Some of the best food I had while in NYC. In fact, probably some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. Crispy and juicy without all the apparent grease.
Don't know why people are complaining about prices. Might be pricey for the area (I really wouldn't know), but definitely not for New York, which I found more often than not to be waaaay overpriced. In fact, it's a lot cheaper than most of the Southern places out here in LA. So the price, for me, was no biggie.
Sis had the pig feet and bro-in-law had the ox tail (I believe). All were good. I did the sampler, with my fav being, of course, the fried chicken. The collard greens and candied yams are mighty tasty too.
Can't speak for dessert as we went to the Hungarian Pastry Shop for that. But if I'm ever out in NYC again, I'd definitely hit up this place.
Miss Mamie's is like a cozy small town diner inside, sort of like a more down home, less cutesy Kitchenette -- perfect after my cold Winter bike ride, especially with the heat jacked up inside and the Christmas tree still lit for me to enjoy.
My decaf was also surprisingly comforting and seasonally appropriate thanks to added cinnamon. Coffee purists might be disturbed by this addition, but also might be disturbed by me drinking decaf.
I had a hard time deciding what to get, so I went for Miss Mamie's Sampler, which was comforting and seemed to add up to more than just the sum of its parts.
The fried chicken was tasty and heavy, but not too heavy. Not the best I've had, but very comforting. What I assume were uncle CL's ribs were better than the "North Carolina BBQ ribs", but I did really enjoy the sweet sauce on the North Carolina ribs. The catfish was perfectly fried, but a bit too fishy tasty. Mashed potatoes and gravy! Can't beat that. Good, but not great mac and cheese. Loved the rice with the hoppin' john (had to get some good luck for New Year's).
Since all that fried food and barbecue takes a while to settle, and they were out of chocolate layer cake I took a slice of red velvet cake to go. When I opened it up an hour lady the cake seemed a bit dry and the frosting a bit too wet, but it sort of worked. Still, there was a bit left on my plate at the end. To be fair, I only like red velvet about 1/3 of the time. I think it's one of the most overrated cakes ever, even though I loved following Ameena G's red cupcake quest on yelp a couple of years ago.
But back to Mamie's. 3.5 stars, but the coziness and the cinnamon in my coffee compel me to round it up to four.
I'll be honest, this wasn't our first choice. We wanted to go to Melba's but they were closed during the day so we decided to go here for some Southern/Soul food.
My favorites here were definitely the cornbread and Seafood Gumbo. I also liked the french fries and mac n cheese. However, the fried fish was okay but not excellent, and my brother was disappointed in the BBQ sandwich.
While we were pleasantly satisfied during the meal and shortly afterward, I definitely have to say that as the days went on my great memories of Miss Mamie's started to dwindle. Perhaps it is because the soul food I am used to in Miami, FL at People's BBQ is just so exceptional this place has difficulty comparing.
Their site confuses me, as it quickly goes from elegant and uncharacteristic to simple (thus epitomizing the place). Simple does not mean subpar, though, as the food was delectable. Nice laid back atmosphere, including the woman who helped me (who seemed angry/rude initially but I eventually realized was just tired from running the whole damn place. The vegetarian sides sampler (I chose the mac 'n' cheese, cornbread pudding, and Tom 'n' John) was awesome, perfect amount of spice and delicious flavor. The corn bread included in the bag was very good, albeit a bit cool (?). The Spoonbread punch was one of the best in-house beverages I've ever had, and their banana bread pudding redefined the dessert.
Used to be great, now...not so much.
It' had been at least a year since we went again last night. Noticed a few non-improvement physical changes right away: new, apt. house lobby chandeliers and track lighting; cheesy laminated menus.
Ordered my old, standby favs: smothered chicken, candied yams, and string beans.
Cornbread: when the complimentary serving came, it looked gray and sad; tasted ok.
Chicken: my "white meat only" order consisted of a few scrawny thigh and wing pieces; not a breast in sight; I recognized the flavor, but it was overly peppered and not very warm or fresh tasting.
String Beans: Another sad, shrunken portion--and not the formerly full-sized attractive beans even, and overcooked.
Yams: Not an ample, happy-looking portion either, but tasty--best thing on the plate.
Our young waiter was friendly and efficient, but their was a loud, angry guy at another table, who was having an ongoing disagreement with the not-so-friendly waitress also on duty and with someone he was yelling at over his cell phone. Judging from appearances, he was staff, staff-relation, or owner. In any event, not a good vibe.
My wife's ribs looked shiny and perfect...just like the "ready to warm and serve" ones you get at Sam's Club. Not bad tasting...but for sure not "homemade". Her peas and rice were old and dry; she liked her puny portion of collard greens.
Not enough food to take a doggy bag like in times-gone-by--(perhaps that's why prices seemed as low or lower)--but then, regrettably, that was not a bad thing.
The inside is like walking into a local southern eatery, and the food has the same thing going for it. Big portions of calorie-raising, cholesterol rising goodness that will have your stomach singing your praises for the rest of the day. It's a tiny place, so large groups are definitely not a good idea. Some might consider the service slow, but I like to think this is because they're making everything fresh. My three stars is due to me being unimpressed with the cornbread (kinda dry to me) and everything pailing in comparison to my moms cooking...seriously, this food is good, but my mamas cooking is way better! Anyhwho if you need some soulfood and dont wanna deal with the preping and cooking, this is a great place to go.
The best soul food in NYC hands down!
Fried Chicken, like sliders, is the new big thing in New York. I guess it is recession-style.
But the problem with most recent NYC friend chicken haunts is that they are trendy places that don't understand the concept of fixin's. Who wants fried chicken with a sliced apple salad? Not me. I want a mound of mashed potatoes with lots of gravy and some greens. Thankfully Miss Mamies has that and more.
The best part? A huge delicious meal is less than what you would pay for chicken fingers at Applebees.
Honestly, it's very easy to be overwhelmed with the number of restaurants that offer southern soul food in Harlem. Most people go to the bigger named restaurants such as Sylvia's or Amy Ruth's. Located closer to Columbia than its competition, Spoonbread may seem slightly off the radar. However, it is well worth the long trip on the 1 train.
If you don't live near the area and the restaurant is a bit of a trip away, I recommend getting the sampler. It may seem like a lot of food, but in order to get the proper Spoonbread experience, you need to try all of the different kinds of food the place has to offer. As for sides, you can't go wrong with the collard greens, spinach, cornbread stuffing or the macaroni and cheese.
Don't forget to get the iced tea! It's one of the best in the city.
Fried chicken is like an ex-boyfriend: Comfortable. You forget about the stomach ache you had after your last encounter. You think, "Hey, just once won't hurt... I could go there again..." Eat the fried chicken, the collard greens, the mac & cheese, the red velvet cake (literal or, ahem, proverbial) ...
...And proceed back down the trans-fat-induced (OR walk-of-shame-induced) spiral you came from, sitting on your couch in an artery-clogged coma, unable to form complete sentences. Yes, you went there again. Was it worth it?
Unfortunately for me, both my Ex and Miss Mamie's Spoonbread are in New York. Exercising self control in 3... 2...
The waitress said "I've never seen a gentleman order the veggie platter before"
Its that kind of restaurant. By which I mean awesome. I ate more than half of my lady-friend's fried chicken, so the veggie platter was more of a tactic to get more than my fair share of side dishes. All of them were delicious. STOP CALLING ME A LADY! I AM GOING TO EAT SOME OF THAT CHICKEN! AND NEXT TIME I WILL ALSO HAVE CATFISH!
Unbeatable collard greens, Nicely browned cheese on top of the mac, FANTASTIC yams, and of course, damnably fine fried chicken, washed down by a jar of sweet tea with a refreshing minty twist.
Music was good too.
service was not too slow, but noticeably slow-- just slow enough to make you feel like just maybe you entered a wormhole and were transported somewhere south of the mason-dixon.
I loved the charming decor...so homey. But the food and service was alright. Admittedly, I didn't get the fried chicken that everyone loves, but for a 4-star Yelped restaurant, I'd hope that the other menu items would be decent...just wishful thinking I guess. I got the bbq sandwich with spinach and mac&cheese sides. The spinach was delicious - a little salty but well spiced - and the mac&cheese was everything I'd hoped for. But the sandwich was mildly awful. The kaiser roll bun was a bit dry. The bbq filling mostly consisted of chopped up Fat and unidentifiable crunchy animal bits. Gross. The bbq sauce was mostly sweet and hardly savory.
Overall the sandwich really brought this place down and shouldn't be on the menu. My friend who got the fried chicken seemed quite content with her order though.
As soon as I walked in, I fell in love with the setting. The place had sort of a retro setting from the 60's.
Now here's where they lost a star. As soon as we sat down, the service was horrendously delayed. It took forever to get the menu, it took forever for them to set up our table, it took forever to get our food, and it took forever to get my second order of lemonade. So expect to wait. The waitresses have a hard time looking up and it's really difficult to get their attention because they avoid whatever eye contact since they want to wait on you when they're ready. But, I must say I'm willing to be patient because the food is good.
On to the food; I ordered the jerk chicken and it was really tasty. The collard greens were okay but I can never tell whether I really like collard greens or not. The mac and cheese wasn't bad. I wished I ordered the rice and peas my other friends ordered, it was really good.
To conclude, I had a great time eating their food and would definitely go again. If you expect delayed service it's all good.
One can not properly visit Harlem without indulging in comfort food and soul food. Ridiculously large portions of familiar favorites are served up in eateries all over this part of town. But rest assured, this is definitely one of the better spots to give into those unhealthy cravings even if it is less famous. I liked this place for a number of reasons including the ambience. I could very well have been sitting in Mamie's parlour room circa 1950. It was folksy, comfortable, and utterly unpretentious. It was like going to grandma's house to eat. And what kind of food would one eat at grandma's house? I opted for the fried chicken, green beans, cornbread and mac&cheese. No tasting menus; this is what my grandma would have wanted. And I have to confess, I do see the wisdom in that as this food was good. The fried chicken was correct. They brined the bird to ensure juiciness. Their batter was slightly spicy and put to great use covering the bird ensuring a nice crispy texture without being overly done. Lovely. The green beans were served up in the French way and were nicely seasoned. The cornbread was decent. I think the only miss was the mac&cheese. Theirs is not creamy. It is rather, a baked variety incorporating multiple cheeses. It was good, but decidedly not great. I washed this down with sweet tea that reminded me of my time living in Virginia. Yes, saccharine (it's supposed to be), but the flavors of the tea are still underlying and present. The service was very attentive. Great place, and it is frequented by a motley mix of clients united in their pursuit of good comfort food. Recommend.
Awesome soul food place.
While it's a little on the small side, we got lucky and didn't have to wait long. There was a growing line of people waiting as we dined though. Service was smooth and friendly, but kind of slow paced. I'm guessing they make the food in small batches so that may be why it takes a while, or they just might be stuck in the southern mentality of taking it easy. As long as you expect a bit of a wait you'll be fine.
My favorites were the smothered pork chop and the smothered chicken. Both the pork and the chicken were moist and tasty, and the gravy just made it even better. I think I ended giving half away half my plate to allow for sampling and still had plenty. The gravy was excellent.
Sides were also very good. Collard greens, mac and cheese, candied yams, green beans...the only one I didn't really like was the mashed potatoes. The texture made it seem like it had been sitting around for a while since it was a bit hard and crumbly rather than smooth. Corn bread was kind of dry and not sweet, but I think that's what Southern style corn bread is supposed to be like, right? I still prefer the cakey style corn bread. Sharing an entree with someone getting the side platter dinner worked out really well - share the huge entree and a smorgasbord of side dishes.
As typical of many soul food places, there was way too much food, and it was of greasy. Even if the food wasn't good, I think I would still be drawn here because of the cozy atmosphere - and the awesome looking desserts. Must try dessert.
I love this place. Great atmosphere, friendly servers and good old fashioned comfort food. I often get the meatloaf with mac and cheese. They serve fried chicken, catfish, popcorn shrimp etc. They have drinks including punch and lemonade and beer, and a few cakes and puddings for dessert. The decor is lovely.
Despite it being very popular, there is rarely a wait longer than 5-10 minutes. If you are nearby, or even if your not, definately worth a visit.
The best Southern food I have found south of Harlem. The fried chicken is excellent but what's truly impressive is the candied yams and the collards (particularly considering they use turkey stock for the latter). you must conclude your meal with the banana pudding.
One star was docked for the completely unacceptable mac & cheese - not bad but very average.
SOMEBODY CALL THE POLICE!!! I think the owners have my Nana and her girlfriends chained up in the back making this food!
This was simply one of the best soul food experiences of my life - outside of my Nana's kithcen! The food here is top notch.
If I had to rate the food individually:
Fried chicken ***** - not greasy at all; not overbreaded; nicely seasoned; and soooo moist!
Mac & cheese ** - needs work!
Collard greens ***** - perfect!
Potato salad *** - was a bit tangy, but better than most.
Spinach *** - was steamed. I (personally) would have preferred that they were sauteed.
Uncle CL's shot ribs *** - meat was well seasond and well cooked, but didn't fall off the bone as claimed.
Yams *** - Good, but they were slices of yam as opposed to mashed with marshmellows - again this is a personal preference.
Coconut layer cake **** - it was like biting into a sweet cloud!
Banana pudding ***** - Nana I love you and as soon as I find a way to break you out of the chains they got you in back there in that kitchen...Imma come save you! In the meantime, stay up and keep hope alive!
The good:
The fried chicken
The mac n cheese
The candied yams
The waitress - I think her name was Arlene. She was wonderful
The atmosphere - very cute, cozy and comfortable.
The bad:
The cornbread (it was extremely dry. Probably the worst cornbread I have had)
The sweet tea (every sip that I took, made me more thirsty and did not quench any thirst)
The food is delish! True soul food. You know the kind that your mom makes on Sundays after church. They lose a star cuz the prices are a bit high. But if they slashed those prices in half, I'd be there everyday!
Sides were mediocre - mac and cheese and mashed potatoes were just meh, I didn't want to finish either.
I received the wrong dessert in my takeout order.
They nearly forgot my cornbread as I walked away.
The BBQ chicken was good, but there was barely any dark meat.
PLUS, I waited a good 10 minutes before I could even put in my order for takeout. The workers were just so uninterested in helping.
When you have a craving for rich soul food, this is the place.
I had the smothered chicken, side of cabbage and rice and beans. My friend had the fried chicken, side of yams and side of mac & cheese. Each dish cost about $13.95 (including 2 sides).
My smothered chicken was made extra delicious because of the peppery gravy that covered 3 pieces of goodness. This is gravy made the way it should be: from scratch. It was a light-coloured, thin liquid, so unlike the overly corn starched brown messes that usually masquerade under the same name. When gravy is made with this kind of care, it's salty, peppery, and actually flavourful. I could taste the fresh chicken broth underpinning the gravy.
The chicken was also moist and delicious, and the side of cabbage (with flecks of grated carrot) was a peppery, salty treat. My friend's mac-and-cheese was an orange, golden, gooey treat. It managed to avoid being overcooked or oversalted; here it was just right, mainly because the cook relied on the bechamel sauce to penetrate the macaroni and provide some of the salt.
The cornbread starters were gone in no time. They were good, if more "homey" than one might have expected, with larger pieces of cornmeal flour than in general. Here it was more bread and less cake.
Definitely a return trip in order!
Hmmm food coma! I have a place in my heart for southern food and it is not artery blockage. I lived in NC for 8.5 yrs, which interestingly enough the food is based there.
Two things you should know.
Cornbread is not always moist, hence the butter.
The tea is always sweet and you may need water. It is called SWEET TEA for a reason.
As my friend M.T. would say....... "This is on point" and for once I can agree with her, yes THE FOOD WAS ON POINT!
If you have never tried traditional southern style, come, experience and enjoy. Remember, good food takes time to prepare.
Um. Overrated. I went here with a bunch of people for lunch during orientation and in addition to the server being totally unfriendly, they weren't serving at least two of the lunch menu items -- at lunch time! Incidentally, these items were my first and second choices, and I ended up having to settle for my third choice, the meatloaf. It was fine, the collard greens were fine, neither was anything to rave about. I was just really annoyed by the fact that the already small lunch menu was shortened even further because they weren't serving certain items.
I used to adore Miss Mamie's. The food is considerably better than Pink Teacup, which is the Southern food place in Greenwich Village.
However, I went back tonight (it's been at least a year) and was sad to find that the prices have gone up and portion sizes have gone down (recession, economy, etc.). Also, they've added 15% gratuity to parties of 4 or more. Strange, because I probably would have tipped more, in spite of the fact that service crawls.
Everything here is always insanely slow (the only reason I can think of is the adage that says that everything is slower in the South), albeit super-friendly. Four of us were waiting for an hour before our food arrived. They did offer us extra cornbread as we sat there (which has never happened before), but it ironically arrived after the food did.
All entrees come with two sides--as it turns out, they gave two of us mashed potatoes instead of mac and cheese. The waiter told us not to worry, and he'd bring us extras, on the house (which he did--it took maybe 20 minutes, but he said it was fresh out of the oven).
I had the lamb chops special ($15.95)--five small, thinly cut chops that were a tad on the salty side. A friend had the short ribs ($16.95), which were delicious (falling off the bone). The other two people had the tasting sampler ($17.95), and the trout (the waiter said it's his favorite).
the drinks are perfect if you love sugar--the fresh squeezed lemonade is a bit expensive at $4.95; the sweet tea is a bit less. I never manage to actually get to dessert--the red velvet and coconut cakes look amazing though (slices are about $4.50 for most things, I think).
Tip: Miss Mamie's is on http://restaurant.com--you can buy $25 gift certificates for $10 (or less, if you have a coupon code). However, they mandate that you have to have a minimum of 4 people in your party.
One of my favorite restaurants in the City. Delicious soul food, great service, and good prices. Oh yeah, and homemade lemonade served in a jar! Just thinking about the place makes me hungry.
Great for any meal with friends or a date, perfect for brunch or Sunday dinner.
I'm not sure if I'm 'down' with the prices being about 30% higher than Amy Ruth's for similar food. Maybe now, in 2009, it is better. Worth a try otherwise. My only other clear memory of the place is the lemonade is good, and the service is pleasant. Convenient if you plan to visit central park, Museum of Natural History, etc.
It was cold today, winter is coming, and as I was walking to CPW, I remembered that I had made a mental note to try MIss Mamie's Spoonbread Too, and suddenly there it was, and it was lunch time. SCORE. I walked in to an empty restaurant (two couples were chomping away) and a reserved, but nice waitress handed me a menu as I unwrapped my winter coat and scarf and sat down.
Honest soul food. Not cheap, but I was up for some comfort food. I went with the fried chicken and mac & cheese special. (there go my calories for the day) to drink I had hot tea.
The waitress brought me warm cornbread and butter as I waited for lunch, and pretty soon, it arrived. The chicken was great and filling. I ate one piece and took the second breast to go.
The mac & cheese - well, it was promising, but it tasted like it came from a steam table that wasn't very hot. The top layer of orange cheddar wasn't melted or soft, but the macaroni was melt in your mouth. (I am used to my pasta being aldente - but the texture of this macaroni was perfect, I just wish that it had been warmer, and the cheese had been either creamier or runnier)
Lunch for one $10.45
Three stars - The chicken was juicy, the waitress was sweet and the atmosphere is very comfortable. I like it better that Rack & Roll.
I came here with three Asian people from Maryland, one of whom I was dating at the time. It was fucking cold outside, and I hadn't eaten since a bowl of instant ramen the night before. Must have been, since I woke up feeling like I had stones in my tummy. Brunch at Miss Mamie's? Of course.
TIP: An entree with two free sides can feed two people just fine. Unless you were starving like I was. Then go home and cook yourself a steak.
The fried shrimp doesn't taste like fried or like shrimp. That is to say, it's truly phenomenal. The candied yams and collard greens were exactly how I expected them to taste. On any other day I might've passed on this mac and cheese, - it was a little congealed and had a viscosity close to that of caked gelatin, but c'mon, at brunchtime there's no complaining. The banana bread pudding was very bready, but the banana is reeeaal. My girlfriend said she liked Magnolia's better. Take it or leave it.
Soul food's days in Manhattan are numbered. (Grr is for gentification. There's a reason they had to charge $13 for an entree. Too bad these yelppie price ranges are totally inflated/yuppie/bourgie/etc.) Don't let this place get away.
ATMOSPHERE: Great place to people watch, especially if you sit outside. Quite charming little place with interesting decor.
SERVICE: A little slow...maybe it's a southern thing. They really like to let you wait for everything. I was the last to be served for drinks and food, even after talking to the waitress twice.
FOOD: The southern fried chicken was not as good as I expect it to be considering this is southern cooking. I will admit that is was quite moist compared to other fried chicken joints. Half of the chicken was crispy and the one piece was slightly cold and had soggy skin. I also had the collared greens and mac-n-cheese for sides. The collared greens were not flavorful; needs more smoked ham hocks, and thought it was on the sweet side. The mac-n-cheese was not cheesy. It was like a brick of soggy macaroni and bland yellow cheese on top. The crust was not even a crust. My wife had a bowl of Gumbo, and it was quite salty and sour. Seemed like they dumped a whole bottle of Tabasco sauce in there. So, she couldn't even finish half of it. The BBQ wings were only okay.
Great soul food; consistently, the worst service I've found anywhere else in the city.
It's true; the sides are often luke-warm. But this place makes full use of every calorie, so even though you FEEL disgusting, you feel disgusting and are kind of loving it.
I heard about this restaurant from NPR's story, "The Importance of Soul Food." After hearing the interview with the owner, I knew I had to make this one of my stops on my trip to New York this last summer.
Being a soul food newbie, I ordered the sampler - which gave you the choice of chicken (fried, BBQ, or smothered, which is fried chicken smothered in gravy), choice of seafood (fried catfish or breaded prawns), ribs, braised oxtail, candied yams, collared greens, and mac 'n' cheese.
+ Candied yams tasted like heaven!
+ Mac 'n' Cheese was so yummy that I wanted more and I'm lactose intolerant!
+ Braised oxtail and ribs were so tender and practically fell off the bone
+ Waiter was very friendly and funny!
+ Very generous portions!
This is happy food. I can't eat here without smiling.
Fantastic sides, the black eyed peas are out of this world. And the short-ribs fall right off of the bone. Absolutely love the collard greens here.. they are meaty and delicious, not bitter at all.
If I had any gripes, it would be that I don't love the cornbread. It's a bit dryer than I like... (it is still very good).. and the Banana pudding isn't what it could be. I don't care for meringue on my banana pudding.
Regulars include Billy Clinton and Oprah. It's simply some of the best soul food you can get your cholesterol soaked hands on.
I love this fried chicken. Every time, I get the mac and cheese and spinach. And carrot cake if they have it that day. And sweet tea. Sometimes I get the sweet tea to go if I want it for the next day. Sometimes, the sweet tea has a hint of mint in it.
This is not cheap, tho. I've read reviews that say that it is cheap comfort food, and it's really not. And just like comfort food, it takes a looong time. I think it's just the service or their system, as the food does not looked freshly finished. They are just slow. So if you are going to pickup, call way in advance. If you are going to eat there, get ready for a long wait.
Upon walking in around 2PM on a Saturday, every table was occupied but was clearing. The atmosphere was homey and relaxed, maybe too relaxed that the service suffered and was a bit slow. The employees on the floor seemed a bit clueless on how to consolidate their task, which first created a very long wait while we waited for a table to be cleared after some customers had already left. When we were finally seated but the quickest service we got was getting our menus and placing our drink order, which we didn't get until after ordering the meals and receiving our cornbread and silverware. While waiting for our food we became a bit worried that as slow as service was our food would take even longer and having read a few reviews it only made the idea more justified. However in this moment our food did come out quickly.
But I feel like I am being a bit harsh since the food was very authentic to Southern cooking, the portions were not too larger or too small and the servers were friendly.
I had the BBQ chicken with the mac & cheese and collard greens, and my boyfriend enjoyed the fried chicken with mac & cheese and amazing and delicious candied yams, that I kept sampling.
All in all the experience was a plus. This would definitely be a place to eat on a cold winter's day at a not so busy hour.
As long as you have the time and are willing to wait for good food this is definitely a place you should enjoy.
Way up on the quiet west side of Manhattan, in the Manhattan Valley/ Morningside Heights/ South Harlem vicinity, there exists an epic battle of saucy proportions. Who reigns sovereign as the barbecue champion of the area? Dinosaur Bar-B-Que or Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too? Living smack dab center of this war, I've always been a bit torn in
choosing which restaurant to go. Though I usually end up at Dinosaur, but for some reason, I traded sides and ended up at the Southside at Miss Mamie's on a recent Saturday afternoon.
Every time I'm here, I wonder if there's something I'm missing out on. Is there a secret password you're supposed to say while ordering that makes the food amazingly delicious? I even start fretting that maybe my taste in barbecue is off since I'm never nearly as impressed as others are with this place.
Though the outside of the store isn't much to look at, the inside of the store is absolutely charming. It looks less like a restaurant and more like a diner from the South circa 1960s.
Some of the decorations are kitsch overkill; in addition to the bright summer colors and hand quilted decorations, there's also rusted kitchen utensils tacked onto walls, strawberry decorations, and a white picket fence looking thing that goes along the wall. They don't have air conditioning so several white ceiling fans spin slowly while making slight blurring noises. When I came here on a rather warm day, it made me feel a little giddy to see men in white shirts fanning themselves in between bites of ribs and little girls wiping sweat off their brows while drinking sweet tea from mason jars.
The food is pretty good, but nothing to go crazy about. If you're ever in the neighborhood during the day, the lunch special is a pretty good deal; you get a hefty entre and a side for $8. All other non-special entrees come with two sides.
[Cornbread]: The cornbread here hits just right above average. My biggest issue with it was that it was neither sweet nor savory; like the city of Washington D.C., it was neither Northern nor Southern, and all around bland. I also tend to prefer my cornbread a bit on the crumbly side (so I can get some extra corn deliciousness as the crumbly texture is from the corn meal), but this was a solid dense piece; that alone isn't a problem, but it could have been a bit more moist.
[Carolina ribs]: I confess that while I absolutely love ribs, I'm not an expert; but from my ignorant tastes alone, I just wasn't too satisfied. The order of ribs comes with three rather large pieces. I understand that these aren't baby back ribs, and thus a bit tougher, but the meat just didn't cut it for me. It was slightly on the too tough side and really had no flavor outside of the sauce. The sauce was a bit too watery, and neither sweet nor saucy enough; it was as if it was trying to achieve a nice mix of both, but failed to satisfy either camp.
[fried chicken]: This was quiet excellent, and I think it might be the best southern fried chicken that I've had so far in the city. The fried part was absurdly beautifully crispy and the chicken was tender, moist, and flavorful. Awesome.
[mac and cheese]: A bit of a disappointment. It came with a rather thick crust on top, that was a little too solid and a little too unappetizing. The mac and cheese was a little skimpy on the cheese flavor and wasn't too creamy.
[mashed potatoes]: Mash potatoes were standard. It could have been creamier and could have had some stuff inside (you know, bacon, skin, etc.), but was fine as is. The gravy was delicious (it was white colored, intensely flavorful, and super thick), and I wish they gave slopping proportions of it, instead in a tiny plastic mini-dish sort.
[candied yam]: Surprisingly not as sweet as expected from the name. Spicy, soft, and well done. Pretty well done dish.
Oh, and like everyone said, the service is apathetic and slow. I was standing around, waiting to make my order, and the lady had her slow-motion button stuck. Of course, the polite thing would be to acknowledge the line of customers, and tell them that she'll be right there, but she just glanced at us with complete nonchalance and went back to what she was doing slowly.
The place has no air conditioning, so go at your own risk. My friends and I sat outside; and while the idea of having lunch with a view of Morningside Park sounds brilliant, there's also a two-lane heavily trafficked road in between you and the park. Maybe my food would taste better without all the NYC asphalt dust.
So this round goes to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, but I hear Amy Ruth's is also absolutely amazing.
I have been using Yelp for over a year now and I have never felt compelled to join until now.
HORRID HORRID HORRID place! HORRIBLE customer service! mediocre food! WORST DINING I took the good reviews into consideration and went very excited only have my dreams dashed in a matter of seconds. The waitress was unfriendly with a nasty attitude.
My bbq "fall off the bone beef" beef ribs were anything but! they were COLD and CHEWY! that's dispicable. My sides were stone cold and rock hard. When I politely told the waitress (with NO attitude i might add) she rolled her eyes and said "well whatdya want" I should have left right then.
After waiting half an hour for my salmon while my friend's chicken got cold. She came back with my plate rudely saying "try it out so we know its cooked" amazing. This was after she mixed up my plate with the table next to us. When I asked for the manager to tell of my dreadful experience she blew me off and offered to warm up my friend's cold chicken then scampered away to hide in the back. I would NEVER recommend this piece of trash place to anyone! I hope it either shapes up or goes out of business. Preferably goes out of business.
This isn't my favorite bbq in the city (that would be Hill Country, though Dinosaur & Rub come close). But this is a great meal option for when you're uptown & want some comfort food. The chicken wings & bbq ribs are delicious, the mac & cheese scrumptious as well & you MUST try the strawberry lemonade... I (& my husband) could drink it by the vat!! The down-home ambiance is part of the whole experience & the service was accommodating. Portions aren't ginormous but a little goes a long way, ha. Admittedly, the 1st time I got food here (salmon croquettes to go... it must've been a special because I don't see them on the menu), I thought it was "meh" & overpriced... I'm so glad that the hubby & I gave this place another chance. So while this isn't an "omg-amazing" place, it DOES make for a really satisfying meal!
Really good! I had the North Carolina ribs, macaroni, black-eyed peas and cornbread. Very delicious. Friendly service and cute decor.
Miss Mamie Spoonbread - of the Uptown New York Spoonbreads - dishes out BBQ and soul food in this homey establishment that requires a cartographer and a city planner to determine whether it's in Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, or Harlem.
This is more of a family/neighborhood joint than, say, Dinosaur BBQ so save this for a quiet lunch/dinner and not a night out.
Summary verdict is to stick w/ the soul food and shy away from the bbq. Recommend the fried chicken, sweet potatoes, and sweet tea. Longer version below....
Following Yelper advice, I ordered the sampler platter and a sweet tea on my first visit. This got me a pork rib, a beef rib, a fried chicken drumstick, a piece of fried catfish, and three sides. Here's what I thought...
Fried Chicken - Artery-cloggingly delicious. Not a food I crave much but much more satisfying to eat a piece of fried chicken vs a bland chicken tender or a reconstituted chicken nugget. Worthy of ordering as an entree but make sure your co-pilot orders something different lest the plane go down when you both go into a coma upon ingestion.
Pork Rib - A lot of meat but the sauce was too heavy and sweet for me and the rib meat was tough. Worth eating as part of the sampler or off a friend's rack but I wouldn't order it as my main dish...
Beef Rib - Meaty and moist but equally satisfying and satisfactory. I would've preferred a tangy BBQ sauce over the gravy that was smothered on top.
Fried Catfish - Quite light for a fried fish. Accompanied by lemon and tartar sauce. I liked it but it felt like Southern Fish & Chips (minus the chips). Not that I don't like Fish & Chips but it felt out of place with the other samples.
Sweet Potatoes - Fantastic. Brown sugar rests on top of the sweet potatoes and liquifies to the point where it becomes like a syrup. Must order.
Mac & Cheese - Solid. Lighter than I thought it would be. The cheese is dried vs molten. I'd get it again but wouldn't come just for it.
Black Eyed Peas - More like Fergie's face, less like Fergie's body.
Collard Greens - Delivered by mistake instead of sweet potatoes (which thankfully they corrected). These are an acquired taste that I've yet to acquire.
Sweet Tea - Awesome. My sweet tea experience is mostly limited to crappy fountain sweet tea found in Popeye's or the Daisy May's version. What I liked best about this one is the mint flavor is more pronounced than the sweetness. Makes it more refreshing.
Red Velvet Cake - They didn't charge me for the slice as I ordered it after the bill came. I found it to be ok. After having this and a few Red Velvet Cupcakes around town, color me ambivalent to red velvet unless you're using it for an Elvis painting.
Service - Pleasant. Slow. Mildly incompetent (didn't fill my water even after asking, collard greens instead of sweet potatoes)
You know you are all about a place when you'll transfer twice on the train and walk 2 blocks in 20-degree weather just to get there. If I had to say one thing that stands out above the rest it would be the service. Our server was EXTREMELY attentive, anticipating what we would need (refills, to-go boxes, etc) and bringing it to us before we even asked for it. The barbequed chicken is great. It just falls right off the bone. The cornbread and macaroni and cheese are also way above par. Skip the mashed potatoes, though. They weren't the best, maybe I just hit them up on a bad night or something...
A word about the iced tea. If you order it you will automatically get it sweetened with mint. It's delicious. You will leave there stuffed, warm and satisfied, with a box of leftovers. What more could you ask for?
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