Mama San Soul Shack

There’s no denying this place is on hit. My initial melancholy at the loss of the former tenant of this same lil’ bungaloo (of hard-​core Mexican pedigree), was replaced and relieved immediately upon sampling the offerings of the new tenants. Although Mama-​san is decidedly leans heavily to the Asian Fusion side of the equation vs. the soulful side, I’ve loved everything I’ve tried on this menu.
The pork meatball bahn mi was a deep, rich, clean bite, zestfully flavorful, controlled chaos w/​o being sloppy. I thought it a little steep at $ 10 (you can still get THREE sammies of comparable size/​heft at Best Baguette for about $ 10, afterall, and they have that amazing home made bread), but I didn’t feel cheated, by any means.
The kim chee was the BOMB-​diggity dot com! I love it when there’s still crunch to the cabbage, and it’s fizzy and pops you a nice garlicky spicy one right in the kisser. This stuff looked home made, and regardless, it was excellent.
Although i wasn’t especially hungry for extra food, when I saw curry mac n cheese on the menu, I simpy could not forgo. I liked it alone, and liked it even better w/​some of that crunchy, spicy pickled kimchee mixed in it. Soulful Succotash, comin’ right atcha.
There is a surprisingly robust selection of tasty beverages available at Mama San’s, and I enjoyed that they give love to fellow stalwart o’ No Po: Occidental brewing.
If there’s any room for improvement at this jumpin’ little joint, I’d love to see them expand and deepen the menu a bit. Sure they had collar greens, and I did try ‘em and love ‘em… but how ’bout a little more soul? At least some catfish or cracklin bread or SOMTHIN’! I’d also love it if they stayed open later, but I do realize, St John’s even in the present age tends to be a sleepy little community, notwitstanding the ubiquitous skater cyber punk kids down at the square.
6 months into the groove, please just Keep it comin’ Mama San, you all are on to something very good there and a welcome newcomer to this neighborhood, w/​o question. DEFINITELY keep that sweet soul music boomin’ — - In less than an hour there at lunch, I was treated to a time warp courtesy of the Temps, the ‘Tops, Sly and the Family Stone, Chaka and Rufus, Peaches and Herb… even Big Bad Billy Paul «Mrs Jones, Mrs Jones Mrs Jones Mrs Jones… we got a thiiiiiiiiing, going oooooooonnnn…» Keep showing these youngsters how the day-​yum thang gets done. Big Pimpin’ style…

Great food! The food is great, the atmosphere is laid back, and the staff is awesome. Highly recommended, happy this opened in my neighborhood.

I’ve been meaning to try Mama San Soul Shack for a while and the stars finally aligned a few weeks ago. I was greeted with a smile and a fine selection of local beer and specialty cocktails. Once I placed my order for the Ramen bowl with roasted pork, I grabbed my beer and my seat. Soon, the server brought over the house made pork rinds. Perfect combination with my Occidental Altbier. The Ramen bowl was delicious and came topped with a perfectly cooked egg. Chef Christopher told me the secret behind the pork, but he didnt tell me I could you. I’m back for dinner tonight and having the banana leaf pork. Fantastic! When you’re in St. Johns, make sure to stop in.

I have been wanting to try Mama San’s Soul Shack since it opened and finally made it there last night. Their special was a gumbo that included chicken, andouille sausage, crab and shrimp so we ordered that along with the southern fried chicken wings, the pork meatball ban mi and the mac and cheese. The purple drink with vodka was tasty, not too sweet with an interesting flavor.
The chicken wings were really good, not too greasy with a nice crispy skin that didn’t fall off the meat when you cut into it. The gumbo was amazing, spicy, flavorful and not overwhelmed by the taste of green bell peppers. The shrimp in the gumbo was a bit overcooked but overall it was a delicious dish that I would go back for. The ban mi had decent flavor but too much bread, I find this problem often when I eat ban mi so I’m pretty sure it’s me. The mac and cheese is one dish that kind of threw me off a little. The noodles are served in the bowl and the cheese is ladled on top. It is not the best presentation but the flavor was alright.
The restaurant is small and very cute and the tables outside will be great in the spring and summer. Our server was extremely friendly and informative about the menu. I will definitely be going back.

I visited there a couple of nights ago for the first time. I ordered the BBQ Chicken Bowl and it was delicious. It was a nice portion and was reasonably priced. The customer service was really good and the vibe was real chill. Will definitely be eating there again.

Totally impressed!!! The fusion of Asian and African meets US is AWESOME! The Seiten Bowl is the BOMB! Dranks… yes, full bar.

A creative menu, but not very well executed. Fries were tasty but over salted. The Mac & cheese was rather bland. The pork bowl had more flavor but was a strange mix of rice, noodles, egg, veggies, kimchi, banana leaves, meat and more– it just didn’t all tie together. We had a hot cocoa and a hot toddie, both of which were good. I’d recommend this place more for the drinks and for snacks/​bar food like fries, maybe the corn dog, than for a full meal– particularly considering the small portions for the price. The warm drinks help with the rather cold restaurant as well. Service is friendly enough and the place is clean, with a clean though strangely dark restrooms

Overall just very mediocre. I wanted so badly to like the new addition to the neighborhood but I can’t see myself recommending or coming back. Rice bowl was good, decent flavor but lacking some pop (spice).
The kimchi was a little too cold and just didn’t put well with the warm dish, should’ve been room temperature rather than straight from the fridge.
The southern wings were very greasy, good breading, but lacked any flavor. The grilled wings were much better but still lacked flavor and spice, the only good flavor was the char.
Value for money was certainly lacking as well. $ 12 for a rice bowl is high. Only table in the place and our food still took over 10 minutes to get to us, even then one of the three dishes didn’t come out until after the other 2 diners were finished.
Also, bundle up on a cold day, no heat inside!

We had the bahn mi sandwhich with soft fluffy pork meatballs, delish! Also got 2 of the special pork ramen which was very good. Excellent broth, tender pork, the fried black eyed peas were a great touch. I’m sure they weren’t, but the ramen reminded me of the package ramen noodles that cost a quarter or so. The edemame and mac and cheese rounded out our meal and both were good as well. We’ll definitely be back!

Nothing soulful about this dinner. Very over priced for the quantity of food you get.
Ordered the Thai wings and southern style wings. Both lacked in serious flavor and were extremely greasy, so expect to wash your hands after or bring a wet wipe (none provided).
Also ordered the curry green beans. $ 6 for a small portion.
Was also not impressed at the service. Two of my table mates were served long before I was, and we were the only patrons in the restaurant.
If you enjoy over paying for small quantities and bland food, than this is the place for you.

Well it’s a cool spot and. Abut expensive but the food is terrific. We had the special ramen for $ 13. It wasn’t a massive quantity like slamming a big bowl at uwajimaya but it was delicious.
The ramen was just al debate and the soup was nice and spicy. The eggs were perfectly poached and the pork was nice and tender but not fatty.
The fries were hand cut and the sirachi mayo was good. The atmosphere was Portland cool and we loved the fusion flavors. Nice job!

Unbelievable people. Gorgeous. Incredibly cooked eggs. Noodles. Music. Sexy humans. People all loving their delicious dinners. Fun fun fun fun. Especially the friendship – goldenchild.

Went in last night and ordered 2 sides to go. Collards and Corn Bread. I’ll start with the Collards. On the menu it says southern style with ham hocks. There were no ham hocks present. I think they mean that they cook it with ham hocks and it’s just the flavor that is infused. False advertising if you ask me.
The corn bread was the worst. There were about three little sticks of it and it was completely dried out and burnt. I choked on it and starting coughing it was so dry. I can’t believe that they would box this up and send it out for human consumption.
I called them back and let them know what my impressions were and the guy I talked to said to come in and they will take care of me, so I will give them that. I saved part of the order.
This is a new place and I see some nice reviews here, but just going off the 2 sides (and a cost of $ 10) I would not go back again.
I plan on going back in today and we’ll see what happens.
Update: Went in and talked to one of the owners named Andy. Great customer service and he gave me 2 more sides Mac & Cheese and Fries. Both were a lot better than the 2 the other night.
Really, I think this place is fine. It’s new and there are some kinks to work out.

Good food brought to you by good people.
Staff is diverse, incredibly friendly and sincere. You can tell they are happy.
Establishment itself looks and feels inviting. They really did a number on this spot.
Menu is simple and smart. We got the bahn mi, curry mac, and pink drink and loved it all. No need for hot sauce, the food is flavorful and spicy on its own.
We will surely return again, and often. What a wonderful addition to my neighborhood.
UPDATE
Have since also tried their corn dogs (delish and so cheap) and the BEST burger I have had in my life. However you may feel about the price of the burger or if fusion isn’t your thing it DOES NOT MATTER. Get the damn burger.

Running errands in the St John’s area and realized I was starving. That was how I randomly found Mama San’s.
The food is like a random fushion mix of Korean/​Hawaiin/​Soul Food. Everything was mad delicious. My recommendation is just try everything and find what you like.
The actual restaurant is small, maybe 5 tables. Best bet would be to get to go.

I always look forward to a new restaurant in St Johns. Some make it and some don’t. After our visit here last week it was our impression that Mama San Soul Shack is going to be one that makes it.
It has counter service and they even give you samples of their drink choices to help you decide.
We ordered the Chicken Wings and Soul Burger. My wife said the wings were some of the best that she has ever had. They were not greasy at all. The burger was the best with kimchi that I have ever tried. And I’ve tried a lot of different burgers. The Mac N Cheese was good but needed a little more flavor and maybe a little kick to it.
All in all, food and service was excellent and worthy of 5 stars.

Fun NEW place. Fun ambience, very friendly staff, unique menu consisting of Asian/​Southern Food fusion (interesting), and GOOD!
I’ll definitely return for another try, but based on first visit this is a hit.

I must say I really wanted to like this place but it was a pretty disappointing experience.
Let me give you a few pluses before I tell you why it was not great:
–The food was tasty, I had curried green beans and a seitan bowl
–We need more restaurants in the area and this one is unique in its offerings
–It was clean
Things that made me unhappy:
–Steep prices, a similar bowl elsewhere would be $ 8 – 9 and this one was $ 12
–For two people our lunch was $ 33 and I had to get my own water from a plastic Igloo cooler (super tacky)
–Only one veg option for bowl and the seitan while flavorful had a texture similar to chips… I prefer something thicker and juicier (tofu, faux chicken, even beans)
–While they have indoor seating it still feels like you are eating at a food cart and not a restaurant (décor certainly was not emphasized in planning)
–It was ridiculously loud between the dishwashing and the music
All in all an okay place but no real reason to go back.

This place serves «Asian-​Southern Fusion» food. Kind of an odd fusion, but with the right combinations it works. I was drawn in by the $ 5 Mac and Cheese, which didn’t disappoint. I also ended up getting the hand dipped Nathan’s corn dogs, which also were good. The purple drink was a unique taste and refreshing.
The atmosphere was very chill, along with the Samurai Champloo type music playing. The owner is also the head chef and was out visiting with customers.
I don’t think Unilocal should label this place «fast food,» because that gives the wrong impression (unless the goal is to lure people away from fast food chains).
This place is awesome. I loved the quality of food and reasonable prices. I’ll definitely be back and try other stuff on the menu.

What a delight. A surprise. A gem, in my own back yard. I had seen this place had set up shop, but until you walk up to the shack and see the large picnic tables inviting you to sit and enjoy yet one more magnificent fall day in St Johns, you just don’t know what you’re missing!
The burger was just wonderful! Perfectly done at the medium-​rare they offer it. It really has a great flavor and odd toppings that give it a zesty punch. For $ 9, I wish it had come with a small side of one of the cool pickled veggie sides. But this menu is so appealing, I cant wait to try other stuff.
The drinks are fabulous! They have drinks called pink drank and purple drank. And a mojito & margharita slushie… hello!?! Where have you been all my life? I didnt love my ice-​tea drank, but I do like my iced tea a bit more on the fake side. So my friend and I traded and I devoured his awsome pink drank for $ 7.
Love love love it’s quirkiness, it’s interesting menu, fast and efficient staff, awesome outdoor seating and of course the location!