Mama's Cafe

Mama's Cafe is housed in a funky little building on Westheimer Avenue. Outside, an old-fashioned Coke sign advertises steak and beer. The cement floor and walkway is speckled with a dog's footprints. The place has a great ambiance, but unfortunately there's a strange sewage/sulfur smell that hangs around the front door, which is probably no fault of the restaurant but doesn't exactly inspire you to eat much.

Inside, the building is much larger than it looks from the street, and thankfully smells better too. The menu is comprised of simple, Southern-inspired foods. I went with a chicken fried steak salad, which was served with very good homemade cornbread and butter.



I'm not going to lie, the salad wasn't anything special. That's probably because of what I ordered. As my husband pointed out, there's not much you can do to mess up some greens with fried chicken on top -- and there's not much you can do to make it great either. It was fresh, filling, tasty and cheap. There's not much more I can say besides that.

Service was friendly and competent. I would -- and will -- definitely go back to Mama's, if only because it's a fun, casual place that wasn't too crowded on a Saturday. If you're looking to eat at a local joint with a great atmosphere, give Mama's a try -- but maybe hold your breath for a second on the way in.