Mama Lee’s Soul Food

The food here is great. I love the catfish. I’ve tried just about everything and it all was filled with so much flavor. The customer service is great too. U feel like your right at home. The only thing that I don’t like is the cleanliness. The restaurant overall look is out of date. It makes me nervous sometimes when I think about how the way my food is being prepared as far as sanitary reasons go. But I just can’t help but to keep going back ya know.

It was not bad but not the best. fast service and home cooking are a plus. but the side dishes looked different. maybe that is supposed to be that way. I liked my fried chicken and my daughter liked their mac and cheese. My wife said the catfishes were OK but nothing too special. will I go back again? yes if it is on my way but won’t make a special trip though.

Unfortunately, many people confuse this location on Valley Hi with the other now closed location on Montgomery. The Valley Hi location is no looker and could really stand a little upgrading and deep cleaning but with that said, the food is slamming! My Hub and I were promptly greeted and waited on. I had the 1 meat plate of meat loaf, yams and Mac and Cheese… all delish! My Husband had 2 meats, meatloaf and fried chicken along with mashed potatoes and corn, he loved it all but neither of us could finish it all both had the cornbread muffin, I’m told it was good but I’m not a bread eater especially with that much food around. Hub and water as he is a Coke man and they only sell Pepsi products but was out of Pepsi. I had the Red Kool-​Aid. We enjoyed our food very much and shared our reviews on Facebook, their were many «likes» and great comments on the food. We will definitely go again.

As close as I live to this place this was my first time here. Had the fried chicken with 2 sides. Chicken was really good. I liked the seasoned crust. Had the white meat. Breast was good size. Wing. Forget it. This is something you’d get at KFC. Barely any meat. Sides: Mac/​cheese –a little to dry. Sweet corn –okay. Service was good. Price from I heard has gone up. Good thing for group on. If not 1 meat & 2 sides would have been $ 9.00plus drink $ 2.25. Oh drink was Kool-​Aid with just the right amount of sweetness.

Never disappointed! Both of the locations are awesome but this one is by far the fastest. I recommend the meat loaf and candied yams– putting them both on your fork at the same time and of course the kool-​aid. It’s super sweet and so good. The collard greens and fried chicken are also my go tos.

First of all, I love mama lee’s food since the first time I tried it three years ago however I have to say that the west side restaurant needs more personel. I have to give it to the waitress as she managed to take care of the tables, and the register with a great attitude. People were patient and sympathetic towards the situation, So good job on her part. However waiting over 30 minutes to have your order taken and only having one person to run the whole place is not the best way. Maybe this was only a one time incident but if it is not please consider the above.

Took a long time to get the food, lots of people traffic, but the food was good. Shout out to Mr. Mac n Cheese and fried cabbage!!!

Mama Lee’s fills a void in San Antonio for decent southern cooking.
This place has been resurrected since their TV appearance and the food is better than ever. I have had a number of their main dishes and haven’t been disappointed. In particular, I like the fried chicken. The chicken always comes out hot and crispy with crispy skin very well seasoned. They don’t over bread their chicken which is nice. The meatloaf is always tasty and has a nice glaze to it. The fried catfish is coated in seasoned cornmeal and always tastes fresh and crispy. I had the smothered pork chop and found it to be a bit thin and dry so it was a good thing it was smothered.
So why then did I give them just 3 stars? The sides. In my opinion the sides are ordinary and unremarkable. The mashed potatoes do not taste seasoned at all but they definitely taste homemade. The gravy has a nice taste though so make sure to get it with gravy. The mac ‘n cheese was either old or not cooked right. It was a bit dried out and the cheese was not flowing as it should. The greens always taste a bit earthy for my taste. I know this is common with greens but steps can be taken to overcome this taste.
Overall, I do like Mama Lee’s and I will go back. The main dishes are good enough to overcome their weaker sides. If you’re pining for southern food or soul food, give Mama’s a try.

They still have the best fried chicken, but lately things have changed a bit at Mama Lee’s. The prices went up, and the fried chicken I selected came out about 5 seconds after being ordered and was cold. The sweet tea was good as always, but good luck getting a refill. There are also now weird posters all over the walls like an elementary school project. Stick with the basic artwork. I will still visit Mama Lee’s, but now for the price and the drive they need to step it up.

This restaurant seems to be playing hard to get! It’s closed on Saturdays (but that will change in January) and it’s tucked into an unattractive and poorly designed strip center near an HEB. Don’t let the exterior of this restaurant fool you! They have put all their attention to the quality of the food they prepare and it is great! The fried chicken is amazingly moist inside and crisp outside and the Mac and cheese may be the best I’ve ever eaten. The cornbread muffin was perfect and even the green beans were cooked with bacon and well seasoned. Even though I was stuffed from this wonderful meal, we took 2 desserts to go because you should never walk away from homemade pie, especially if it’s sweet potato pie. I loved its perfect pie crust and yummy filling but I was surprised to taste my husband’s peach cobbler. It was truly inspired! Great food at amazingly low prices! We’ll be back!

First off, this is one of those places that the outside doesn’t begin to define what’s on the inside! I recently described a place in Denton Texas where the outside was fancy but the food (what should be the soul of the establishment) wasn’t that special. Mama Lee’s Soul Food on the other hand is the exact opposite and most importantly, Mama Lee’s Soul Food is why I Unilocal!
It’s a very small place located on the beginning of the Southside, not far from Marbach. It’s not fancy at all from the outside or inside, but once you get to the soul of the place, the food that is, you’ll never look back! I really loved this place!
I had the baked chicken, collards, and yams. OMG! (Oh my goodness!) It was great! I tried some of my friends mac n cheese and again OMG! Fantastic! We really packed the place with a bunch of co-​workers so the poor staff was a little overwhelmed, but overall they were quick and doing their best with such a large crowd.
It reminded me so much of the food I grew up on and I look forward to returning. Thank you Mama Lee’s, it was Thanksgiving, Christmas and Sunday dinners rolled up into one!

We are new to the area and decided to try Mama Lees after reading reviews. It was delicious. I had the fried chicken that was crispy and juicy. My husband had the smothered pork chops which were equally as tasty. We dined in. The dining area is not as esthetically pleasing as one would like but the waitress was very polite. We definitely will go again.

As usual, everything was spot on! Today I had fried chicken, mac n cheese, and red beans, with a double serving of sweet potato pie for dessert! Yes, I’ll definitely be headed to the gym, but it was worth every calorie! The fried chicken is well seasoned, juicy, and fried to a perfect crispness. You can taste the homemade love in every bite.
I do not rate much for «ambiance» as my concern is cleaniness, tasty food, and good service. A no-​frills dining room, but all you need a chair that allows you to unbutton your pants after you eat!
Service was excellent as always, friendly, accommodating, and fast. I went after the lunch rush so the dining room was only half full and no one was waiting for to go orders.
Do yourself a favor and check this place out. Don’t let the area scare you off — this a working man’s neighborhood.

This is the best soul food I have ever had in a restaurant— hands down! If you are hungry, love comfort food, and want to get the best bang for your buck in San Antonio, Mama Lees is your place.
Although the atmosphere at Mama Lees is not much for looks, the food is fantastic. From the fried chicken to the catfish, they know how to fry it right! The mac n’ cheese is my most favorite side but they also have red beans and rice, collard greens, fried okra, and most of the classics.
And the most fun part about this place is that they serve Kool-​aid! You would never had thought I would drink as much kool-​aid as an adult, but I do at Mama Lees! They also have excellent sweet tea.
Due to its proximity to Lackland AFB, this place will be packed around the lunch hour. If you plan to get in and out within the hour, go early!

I tried this place for the first time yesterday.
For $ 10 you get two meat and two sides. Which is a pretty good deal considering the size of the meat.
The two meats that i choose were catfish and ham. Both of them were equally delicious. The décor is a little run down, however, that’s not the point of going there. The waitress was also very polite and enthusiastic. Would/​will go again.

I took Dad out to lunch today. We went to Mama Lee’s because I had a Living Social deal. Before they offered it, I had never heard of the place. I couldn’t remember eating at any restaurant before that called itself a «soul food» restaurant. The menu on their website listed meatloaf, fried chicken and catfish, and pork chops. There were great sides like dirty rice, mac-​n-​cheese, collard greens, fried cabbage and candied yams. Call it what you want. It sounded like Mom’s home cooking to me.
The place is not very big. It is not going to win any prizes for it’s ambiance. But, it was clean and comfortable.
The servers were attentive and very friendly. I got the impression that they were family, or at least some of them. There was some confusion over whether or not I could use my Living Social voucher directly off my iPod Touch. I hadn’t printed it, because Living Social says you don’t have to. Mama Lee’s was new to the program and thought they needed the print out for their records. I told them not to worry, I would pay cash this time and use the voucher the next time. A few minutes later, they told me they were going to accept the one on my screen after all.
Now, there was one major disappointment at this restaurant. Both Dad and I went there mentally prepared to enjoy some meatloaf. Dad likes meatloaf. I LOVE it. It is my absolute favorite food. I guess it must be really good here, because they had run out of it by the time we got there. No biggie, I will order it next time.
We both ordered the fried chicken, but our sides were completely different. Dad had sweet corn and fried cabbage. I had mac-​n-​cheese that was some of the best I have ever had and collard greens. All of it was terrific. The chicken was seasoned really nicely. It was very crispy, but hardly had any crust on it at all. I wish I knew how to do that!
I had a piece of sweet potato pie for dessert. It was huge and delicious. The only thing missing was a scoop of vanilla ice cream the way my mother used to serve it.
My final judgment: Don’t go here looking for fine dining and fancy food. You won’t get that. Go here to eat down-​home cooking like your mama fed you when you were growing up, if you had a mother who could cook this good. I did, but she is no longer with us. Nice to know Mama Lee’s is there to fill the void!

Mama Lee’s. It’s easily a «5» as far as the food and the service. I could eat there every day if there was no chance of having a massive heart attack as a result. The food is delicious. There’s nothing on the menu I wouldn’t eat. I particularly enjoy the catfish, but the fried pork chop and smothered pork chop are better. Did you hear me? ALL the food is good. I recommend everything they’ve got. The service is very good too; friendly and courteous.
Why the «4»? There’s just not enough room. I’m sure they’ve turned away hundreds just because they don’t have the space to seat everyone. Not entirely sure that’s a bad thing though, because it could cause quality control issues. You cannot go to Mama Lee’s at lunchtime if you are in a hurry. One «large nearby employer without financially imposed limits on their employees for lunch hours» tends to send people over there in waves. I can say that because I used to be employed by that «employer.» Bringing your group of 10 – 20 people in when the place is already crowded… you get the picture.

Oh Mama Lee’s, how I have missed you. We haven’t had a meal together in such a long-​long time. For every visit, I walk outta there not only satisfied, but guilty because I know my body has to pay for it on the treafmill later. *Sigh* How I cherish our past meals.
Nothings like a homecooked meals that’s not only delicious, but cheap too! And their portions are very generous.
If you’re planning on dining here for lunch, I’d advise you to get here early. Not a lot of seating capacity, but if you decide on coming here near payday… be prepared to wait.

Thanks to Erin T.‘s RoTD, I am now fighting sleepiness and trying to ignore the mild pain in my lightly singed fingertips.
Mama Lee’s fried chicken gives Gramma Paula Dean’s buttermilk fried chicken in Savannah a run for her money. I was wondering when I would come across another worthy soul food meal. I can truly compare this to another in-​the-​middle-​of-​nowhere suburban Georgia establishment called Lee’s Restaurant, where one only ventures for the food and nothing else. Lee’s didn’t even have A/​C back in the day, but I was more than willing to overlook it for wonderful food.
It was obvious my Mama Lee’s fried chicken was made to order, since the cute waitress asked me if I minded waiting 15 minutes. The nicely seasoned skin had a gentle crisp to it. The meat was as moist as can be. I could actually cut into the chicken breast with a butter knife with little effort. The meat was perfect. I have never seen as much moisture in a cooked piece of chicken breast. Color me impressed.
My sides were corn bread muffin, sweet yams. and stewed okra. They were delicious. I don’t even like corn bread, but I enjoyed Mama Lee’s corn bread muffin very much. I’ve never been disappointed by sweet yams and this was no exception. The stewed okra was made with small onion slivers, chopped tomato, cubed sausage, and a little bit of a spicy kick.
My husband had the fried catfish with collard greens, dirty rice, corn bread muffin. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal as well.
We were told that Mama Lee’s has opened a bigger, new location just outside of Loop 410 where Walzem turns into Montgomery (
). That’s great news for us due to proximity. Their fried chicken is the only one in the area I can eat without feeling guilty, and the only freshly made fried chicken to burn my fingertips and yet I would gladly grab another wing right after I’m done with my meal.

If you want some good olé’ slap your mama soul food then Mama Lee’s is the place to go.
Conveniently located near Lackland AFB, this mom and pop joint (or «boutique restaurant» if you’re uppity lol) has many southern staples such as fried chicken, smothered pork chops, fried fish and a dozen veggies.
I came here with many family members who were in town for Thanksgiving. We all sampled many different items and most of it was pretty good. I had fried chicken with string beans and mac and cheese and was very satisfied with my choice. The string beans were flavored very well and weren’t too salty. The mac and cheese was homemade and cheesy, which I always appreciate. The fried chicken was good but could have been seasoned a little more.
Other dishes that got compliments were the Fried Catfish, red beans and rice, yams and I believe the collards. Also, according to my brother in law Big John, the peach cobbler is to die for.
So whenever you get tired of the typical SA meals of Mexican or BBQ, put a little soul in your belly by visiting Mama Lee’s. Service is friendly and you’ll feel at home!

I loves me some gumbo!
I tend to lean towards the thicker, chocolate rouxed gumbos like they dish up at Central Market, but I have been to Lafayette in the heart of Gumbo country and I know they serve up a thinner concoction like the one here at Mama Lee’s. Besides, I am a Coconut born in California and raised in Texas with what has been clinically diagnosed as gumbo envy so what the hell do I know?
Mama Lee’s served a spicy, nut brown, broth chock full of goodies like fish, shrimp, sausage and chicken all brought together in a symphony of flavors that struck a cord deep within the soul of this diner. Homemade corn muffin on the side and a you have a breakfast fit for a king.
A sofa king!