Sometimes you feel a little down. Sometimes the weather is just bad. Sometimes you are just flat out hungry. If you are experiencing any of these things, it is always a good idea to go grab some soul food.
Mama Lee’s has two restaurants in San Antonio, and for lunch I decided to eat at the one off of Walzem Road. As you walk in the door, you are greeted by a staff that is happy to have you at their restaurant. My buddy and I pulled up a chair, and the waitress was incredibly friendly. The menu had tons of down home favorites, and I couldn’t decide between the catfish or meatloaf. I asked the waitress which she would go for and she said, “Oh you got to go with the meatloaf; it is really good here.” I got the meat and two plate and for the sides she recommended the macaroni and cheese and string beans.
As we sat at the table, we noticed that the restaurant started filling in nicely; it looked as though this was the place to be! I didn’t have to wait very long until I had a plate of heaping food in front of me! There were two big slabs of meatloaf, a major portion of macaroni and cheese and of green beans, and a cornbread biscuit.
The smell coming from the plate was amazing and I dug in. Now, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with meatloaf. I think this is for several reasons, most namely the fact that the name has always been a turnoff to me. I mean, “meatloaf” just kind of sounds gross. Taking a bite out of this meatloaf was heaven; it was really juicy (I don’t like dried out meatloaf) and you could taste the influence of the bell peppers and ketchup. The pieces of meatloaf were so big that I was only able to eat one and a half of them!
Even though the meatloaf was amazing, the macaroni and cheese stole the show! This was the best mac n cheese that I have ever had (and I have even gone to the restaurant in New York that ONLY serves macaroni and cheese)! It seems that there were several types of cheese and there was plenty of it that was gooey and just mixed right. The temperature was perfect as it came out piping hot (I hate lukewarm macaroni and cheese). I could have made a meal just on that alone! The green beans were pretty good and the bacon seasoned them excellently; even though I was full, I had to try to pack them away because I haven’t been eating enough vegetables lately.
As we left we ran into the owner who was really nice; it seems like happy people always make the best food. I tell you what, if I am ever feeling down and out, I sure know the place I am going to get some good comfort food!
Value: 8.5/10 ($8 for a lunch of meat and two sides might seem a little pricey, but you get so much food that you could easily have an extra meal from the leftovers!)
Atmosphere: 8/10 (a very open floor plan with lots of paintings on the wall)
Service: 9.5/10 (everyone was so friendly and the waitress was great at interacting with us and making suggestions)
Taste: 10/10 (EVERYTHING I had was exceptional; regardless of what you get for the main course, be sure to get the macaroni and cheese!!!!!)
Website: www.mamaleessoulfood.com
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