Mama Joy’s

This place is not a viable restaurant. It’s very smoky. Maybe for 1 beer. Don’t come here for food.

The last time I was in here was the day of the Roberta’s block party, which was a clusterfuck of a hot mess in and of itself. Mama Joys isn’t too far off.
My friends and I were pleasantly surprised with the table service, especially considering it was packed, and this is Bushwick. «East Williamsburg» if you’re a realtor, but let’s get real.
The bearded man suggested disco fries — what we got inspired more of a geriatric hip thrust than a disco. Soggy, flavorless, other depressing adjectives… but after seven beers, anything is edible.
Overall: meh. We were already drunk, so it was nothing to cry over (for god’s sake, they’re french fries). I’m still holding out for Bunna.

This place is really cute, full of locals, adds a lot of value to Bushwick, and has great chicken.
There are a couple of great places to drink in this hood now, but Mama Joy’s is a welcome addition with their delicious Fried Chicken. Although it was a little inconsistent in terms of their spiciness, it’s always pretty tasty. It’s solid. I’m a fan.
The bar is very spacious with table seating and bar space. They have a good tap selection like other Bushwick bars. (Although the amount available at any given time is probably not as extensive as some other places.) The bartender is always really friendly.
The food portion is generous. Their mac n’ cheese is enough to share with 4 people (as a side), and is recommended. Their pulled pork is pretty solid, although I prefer the chicken. My only complaint is that it’s not always spicy, but I love that it’s a dry crispy spicy chicken. I like sauce on chicken, but there is something to be said for a flaky crunch crust that is still FULL OF FLAVOR.
The place isn’t pretentious or fancy, but comforting and delicious. It’s really laid back and spacious like Pinebox (not quite as big, but Bushwick has too many cramped spaces that I really appreciate the open space). I like how I can always find a seat (not overcrowded like other restaurants in the neighborhood) and I love what they have on tap. What else does a girl need, other than friend chicken and good beer?

Mama Joy– I’m sad you changed your menu, and the quality of your food (which was only average to begin with) has declined steeply. Appreciate your $ 20 boozy brunch, but PLEASE DO NOT soak your chicken in ammonia solution, because literally that’s what it tasted like… Also, figure out how to make a gravy (not so hard, but you added WAY too much starch… I thought I was eating a gravy-​paste).

Very friendly staff who know their liquor. After two Bear Republic Amber Ales, Dan poured me a «high-​octane» mimosa with tequila and vodka, revolutionizing my conceptions of day-​drinking.
Also had the best pulled pork sandwich of recent memory. Served on perfectly-​grilled toast and accompanied by amazing shredded hash browns, it was a religious experience.
Would recommend very highly.

probably the worst service i’ve experienced in a long time. it’s unfortunate; i live a block away from here and i really wanted to be «wow“ed. especially because i’ve heard so many wonderful things about this place from friends in the area and it would have been a neighborhood go-​to for me.
we came in on a slow Sunday around brunch time. it was about 1/1:30p and the restaurant was half full. people came in and out to have a drink or glance at their menu. from the looks of all of the staff’s faces– i had a feeling that sh*t went down in the kitchen. when we were seated, the server looked extremely nervous. the pretty tatted bartender looked nervous as she was wiping down the counters, too. we were clueless as to what was going on– but a table of maybe 8+ people were all seated with NO FOOD on the table. they looked like they were there for a while judging by the number of drinks on their table. i took a peek at the other table of four and a couple seated next to us. NO FOOD or drink. what the hell was going on? we were there for about 5 mins when a couple sat down a few tables next to us, looked at the menu and said, «Oh my god… this is all they have on their menu? Like 4 items? WOW.» and left. at this point, i was dreading the outcome of my meal.
we tried to order the French Toast. out. Duck Confit. out. OK… then the Shrimp and Grits it is. mind you, shrimp & grits are my favorite. i didn’t grow up eating it or anything nor am i from the south to proclaim i know everything about shrimp & grits. however, i’ve eaten so many different renditions of it and i know what i like and dislike. the grits were super grainy and PLAIN. the shrimps were over-​seasoned and all i tasted was Old Bay… the lil salad paired with it was terrible. during all these unsettling tastes in my mouth, i remembered i had ordered drinks about 45 mins prior to getting my food. yes, it took 45 mins to get my food. i asked for water, it never came.
the server kept avoiding all the tables. the bartender still looked nervous and i could see a little dialog going back and forth. a few people walked in to be seated and the server informed them all that they have to close the restaurant down. why? they probably sold out of everything and had major issues in the kitchen. the server came back to our table after i asked for my drink and some water. she apologized and scrambled to get a pitcher of water. we asked for the check as soon as we finished our food. i felt really bad for them because i work in a hectic, fast paced and heavily client based service industry, too– but they really didn’t handle themselves professionally and i left with a negative view of this place. no manager, no «i’m sorry», nothing.
perhaps i’ll give it a chance once the shock and disappoint wears off. =(

Okay. I suppose it’s time to vent.
Living just down the street, I was at first very very excited to see this place open up. The first few times i came in, everything was great. The food seemed to be backed by a lot of effort, and creativity. The drink menu has the same qualities. Everything was very well thought out and equally well executed. Staff was friendly, attentive, and courteous.
Ahem. My times here since have been, well, underwhelming. I work between 65 – 75 hours a week. and Sunday morning is my solace. Sunday brunch was AMAZING. Mimosas were fresh and delightful, and $ 2. The duck biscuit and gravy was my always-​go-​to for a while, but has since been removed from the menu.
I can easily see the correlation between the increasing popularity of Mama’s and the lessening in quality of service. Perhaps a food runner or two should be added to the roster. I hear rumors of incompetence in the kitchen as well.
After all is said and done, Samantha is the reason i keep coming back. She is always behind the bar with a smiling face and bubbly attitude that never seems to waver. I’ve seen things come and go from the menu, but if I ever see the day that she is no longer, I will have no reason to return.

I was excited to see a new local joint pop up near my house, and I came in really wanting to rave about some killer southern food, but I just don’t think these guys have it together yet.
We had the shrimp and grits and pulled pork dinners. Each dish came on a big plate, overflowing with a very generic salad that wasn’t exciting enough to justify the real-​estate it took up. Basically just plain greens with a kind of lemony dressing. The shrimp and grits were pretty good but not extraordinary in any way. There was a nice buttery flavor on the grits, but if you’ve eaten grits in the South, filled with spices and butter and scallions and color, you’ll find them pale and lacking. The pulled pork was unfortunately very underseasoned and just didn’t have that robust melt-​in-​your-​mouth kind of flavor and texture you’d hope for. I didn’t have the cornbread but my friend said it was good, so props there. Servings were pretty small for the price, but maybe that’s what the giant pile of greenery was meant to hide.
The décor also seems a little half-​assed. I’m all about the «found» look, and a lot of restaurants around here use repurposed wood and objects to great effect, but something about the ramshackle way it’s put together (sponge-​painted walls, random pieces of driftwood nailed to the ceiling, pizza-​joint tables, bar panelling that doesn’t quite fit together) just feels like they’re trying to get away with a «Bushwick» aesthetic to mask cheapness. Again, if it looked great it wouldn’t matter if it was built from the contents of a dumpster, but as it is it feels sort of lazy and convenient and lacks ambience.
A final comment — the waitress was very nice, but nobody working at this joint seemed very excited to be there and halfway through our meal I think we saw why. The owner (I think) was behind the bar, and she was kind of chilling in a «bare-​minimum of courteousness» kind of way. She didn’t smile once while helping with our order or billing us, and then she started rebuking a member of her staff about BUGS like two feet away from us. It was pretty uncomfortable and weird, and sort of summed up the vibe of the whole night. Girl, if your restaurant has bugs, a server drinking a soda behind the bar is NOT the biggest contributor to the problem, and either way I sure don’t want to hear about it while I eat.
At any rate I wish them the best of luck as they mature, and hopefully they’ll take note of some of the negative comments that have been filtered here and improve. I hate dumping on a local business. Will revisit in a few months and see if they’ve gotten any better.
One extra star because my drink (screen door) was pretty good.

You had ONE job, «Southern» joint, ONE JOB…
The fried chicken I had was the 2^nd most bland chicken I have ever put in my mouth. Chicken is not that hard to flavor and spice up and I just don’t understand how they claim on their website to have perfected this fried chicken because it was a total joke and I feel duped and cheated. They didn’t even give us a biscuit with it.
The only pros were the beer and shot special of $ 4 and the hushpuppies were good. I will never ever eat here again. I might come only to get drunk off the beer and shot deal, but honestly, Wreck Room has the same thing and their atmosphere is much better. Get your shit together Mama Joy’s. Read the other reviews and do something about your awful fried chicken recipe.
Unilocalers do yourself a favor and read their filtered reviews.

Their beer and a shot special is a solid way to get the night started, or throw it into a tailspin toward the end I suppose.
I don’t love the décor or the feeling of the space in general, but it isn’t terrible. It’s pretty spacious, and rarely packed, so it would be a good spot to bring a group of friends.
Haven’t eaten here much, but the last time I stopped by a light snack was necessary before aforementioned beer and shot. I had a biscuit and coleslaw ($ 4 together), which hit the spot. The slaw wasn’t to mayo-​ey, and was great with a little tabasco tossed on. The biscuit came with a yummy compote.
Perhaps next time I’ll dive headfirst into the heavier soul food offerings.
3.5 stars

Welp… this place is a hot mess for sure.
INTRO
–We walked in and the atmosphere was like a really weird cafeteria made up of both pizza place tables and uneven regular tables. ok whatever. Sat ourselves.
–Waitress seemed extremely fake like she was over the whole thing and forcing herself to be nice to the idiots. Like, I caught a definite vibe.
–She told us they were out of both duck and pork. (at 7pm on a Saturday night???)
APPETIZERS
–Fried green tomatoes were both scorching hot (my dad’s girlfriend like, seared her tongue) and underripe.
–Hush puppies were OK but the aioli didn’t really work with them.
–We ordered plain mac & cheese and it came out with pulled pork in it. Hmm,…okay…fine, we’ll eat it with pork. Except I think they either forgot to include cheese or it had a very very low cheese content. Anyway it was extremely greasy with swine. I love pulled pork though so I kept eating it.
–My dad asked for the cornbread with the bourbon-​soaked cherries and the waitress gave him a bunch of «je né comprend pas» bitchy looks, all like «what are you even talking about? cherries?» and went «what? you mean cornbread? sure, yeah, okay cornbread» which pissed me off because she was acting like he had dreamed up the whole cherries thing. meanwhile I know they tout their bourbon-​soaked-​cherry-​studded cornbread.
–cornbread came out and it was heavenly regardless of cherries or no cherries. super good. that’s the only good thing about this restaurant I think.
MAIN COURSE
–we waited a very long time for our entrees and the waitress had to apologize and say «the kitchen is backed up but everything’s on it’s way right now».
–my roommate’s plate came out with barely any braised beef (like, a child portion) and four (4) baby carrots. Some dude who wasn’t our waitress brought it and was like «uhh more carrots are coming, that’s uh, that’s just embarrassing» regarding the four (4) baby carrots. However, no further carrots were brought.
–My mashed potatoes were cold and my dad said the chicken fried steak was just OK.
OUTRO
–We asked for dessert and the waitress said there was no dessert available. cool.
–When the waitress brought us the check she was like «I apologize for the wait so I bought your mac n cheese.» That is nice and all but I think «on the house» may have been better terminology.
VERDICT
O helllllllll naw

Man oh man was I IMPRESSED by this place. This is the place to go to if you live in brooklyn and crave good southern contemporary food. I went with my beau and two more friends. This place is so cute and small very «hipster-​ish» lol (if that’s your scene). Our waitress was very friendly, knowledgeable and DEF knew her beers and cocktails.
To start we had the Mac & Quack (duck confit) and the reg Mac & Cheese (with shredded pork). SO DELICIOUS with a little kick to it! (and it wasn’t so creamy and cheesy which is how i prefer my mac & cheese). As my cocktail I had the Heirloom Apple (which was divine, I had 3 lol) le boyfriend had some stout draft beer which I might say was pretty good. For the entrée I had the Fried Chicken. The only complaint that I have about the chicken is that the meat was dry, good seasoning but dry. The corn and mashed potatoes were on point.
All in all this place is great, ambiance, food, drinks, staff, music. Will def be going back.

Cool spot. Friendly staff. Great place for Bushwick but the food is just not good.
Signature dish is there fried chicken. Not much flavor. Probably will come here for a drink but not for dinner again.

This is one of my favorite bars in the area. The bartenders are always great to talk to and totally friendly. The back patio is also open and a great place for a nice conversation (and a smoke). Great music and always a quiet place to chill with friends.
Ask for Samantha. She’s one of my favorite bartenders. Always polite and well-​mannered. And always up for a friendly chat. You will not find a better bartender in Bushwick.
The beer and whiskey selection is great. Never tried the food but from what I hear it’s really great.
Definitely try this bar!

Is this a medium sized bar with some tables in it or a restaurant with a medium sized bar in it? I can’t tell. There’s a full menu with food servers. But at 8pm on a saturday the music was already at have-​to-​shout-​over-​it night time volume. Not dinner time volume.
Pluses: I like the décor; its unpretentious. The staff seemed nice. I dug the crowd that was in there. And the music choices were good. Boiled peanuts on the menu. The dinners we had were tasty.
Minuses: Loud, as I said. And the dinners we had were TINY! A small child wouldn’t have been full from those dinners! They were like bar snacks in the entrée section at entrée prices. Unacceptable.
I’ll go back to drink but not to eat again.

Very small-​time bar.
This place is great if they have exactly the thing that you were craving, but I have never seen a smaller menu in my life. There were like 8 menu options. That’s it! And, there was only one (1) veggie option. Thankfully, I live close enough to just eat at home. The same thing goes for the beers. I really enjoyed the pumpkin ale, but it came off of a list of like 6 beer selections.
The tables are diner booths, and there are strange wooden planks on the ceiling. I’m not sure if the owner got drunk and decided to make art, or if the ceiling may fall down on us at any moment!?!
There was one unisex bathroom. Ummmm, really? Not even one for each gender? And while I don’t see this bar catering to crowds, oNe???
And yet, this bar does have a kind of Cheers quality to it. $ 6 for a pint is high. Drop the price and maybe the crowds will come. Although, they can only stay for a few until they have to use the bathroom…

If you live off the Morgan stop on the L, you will never have reason to go to another neighborhood bar and I will tell you why:
1. The staff is fun to talk to.
2. Décor is unpretentious and fits the neighborhood vibe.
3. They have amazing food (and brunch specials)
4. It’s posilutely affordable.
So if you like your bank account and having good craft beer at the same time, you better get your behind to Mama Joy’s

Went for brunch, the food was good but a bit salty, the bloody marys however, no good, we couldn’t even finish them. I think they were made with tomato sauce. The service was very good and friendly. The ambiance was very new Bushwick lofty and industrial, but I couldn’t tell if it was finished or not, seemed a little too beat up.
One of the friends I went with got (I think) some kind of pork burger, he said his was really good, my other friend wasn’t a big fan. I might be willing to give it another try, but there’s a ton of other places in the area popping up, so we’ll see.

FAB new addition to the nabe! bartender was awesome, friendly patrons, well-​priced selection of beer & cocktails, menu design = adorbs, and the shrimp ‘n grits is INSANELY DELISH! 1 star off for décor fail, which is kinda depressing. on all other (much more important) fronts… A+++!!!
Plan on returning to devour their brunch ;)

LAWD!
Sam and I are huge neighborhood biz supporters. What can we say — we love our hood. Maybe it’s the drunk Puerto Rican men screaming innuendos at us, maybe it’s the smell of freshly baked bread at the Mexican bakery, perhaps — the sprinklers at Maria Hernandez park on a scorching hot day?
Probably 80% of the unreasonably attractive people in our hood. I think we both could agree that there’s nothing to hate about our hood.
Tons of A+ businesses are popping up in Bwick, and we’re all for trying all of them right when they open.
We heard Mama Joys opened the Friday before we came.
When I first walked in, I was questioning if we were in the right place. It was dim, and resembled a dive bar from an episode of True Blood or something. I was waiting for some hot vampire to come suck on my neck — but alas. No vampires. Despite my sadness from said hot vampire — — I love the décor and the vibe at Mama Joy’s, friendly and non-​pretentious. Staff was extremely easy on the eyes as well.
Cocktails were stiff and cheap at a whopping 6 bucks. They had a special drink this night, I forgot what it was called but was basically an Arnold Palmer with enough vodka in it to kill a small tribe in China. SOLID.
We started off with the jalapeño hush puppies w/​some sort of lemon aioli. SOLID. They came out piping hot, fluffy, and had a nice kick to them.
I had the Shrimp and grits with brown butter. LAWDDDDDDDDDDDDD, I wanted to slap someone when I had that first bite. The grits were perfectly buttery, and the shrimp had a really simple Old Bay seasoning. I liked that it was simple, the perfect melody of spice — butter — and heaven. It’s safe to say, I licked the plate clean.
Sam had the pork duo — pork belly and pork shoulder with cornbread and bourbon+tobacco infused cherries. I thought it was pretty tasty, the pork shoulder was a bit dry but the flavor was great. The tobacco cherries lent a nice smokey flavor to the whole dish.
I think in the end both Sam and I agreed that my dish was best, it was the epitome of simple down south homecookin’. I liked that there weren’t any bells and whistles, just really straight to the point authentic food. We’re both fans! I’ve actually been thinking about coming back for a week now — I have recurring dreams about the grits and I need my fix pronto.
If you want a fucking amazing meal — meaning appetizer, entrée and 2 cocktails for a good price. Come to Mama Joys!