The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Review | Mama Was Right, Looks Deceive

By Yesenia Camacho

I had been told by a few friends and relatives that Mama Lee’s Soul Food was a fantastic family owned restaurant in Valley-Hi. Therefore, I set out to check out the place for myself. Upon arrival, like many of San Antonio’s best hole-in-the-walls, Mama’s is tucked away inside a mid-sized shopping center. From the outside, it’s not the slightest bit attractive. Its basic green colored lettering on the front glass window does nothing for welcome appeal, but follow me in.

I walked in, selected my table and sat. Immediately, a waitress greeted my friend and I enthusiastically and took our drink order. In no time, she took our food order which consisted of a catfish, steamed rice and sweet corn meal and the other of meatloaf, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. In nine minutes flat, we were eating. The meatloaf was appropriately soft and the tomato sauce smothered over it was perfection! The macaroni and cheese and mashed potato were mostly home made complimenting the meal exceptionally.

Mama Lee’s Soul Food is Homey on a Budget. Photo by Yesenia Camacho

The attentive waitress walked over to our table to offer tea refills and to ask if we were okay often enough to make clear that Mama’s cares about service and customer satisfaction.

Mama Lee’s Soul Food menu includes a basic variety of meats like meatloaf, catfish, friend pork chop, smothered pork chop, friend chicken, baked chicken and ham. To accompany their entrée selection, customers get to choose two sides from the not so usual list:  mac and cheese, sweet corn, steamed rice, string beans, collard greens, friend cabbage, candied yams, Sammy’s okra, red beans and mashed potatoes. Meals Range from $4.50 to $9.95 but are definitely worth the price.

Side After Side, A Meal is Complete. Photo by Yesenia Camacho.

The restaurant was established by Peedy Harris and Kenlee who both retired from the military in 2006 and decided to make their long ago dream of opening up a soul food restaurant come true. Mama Lee’s Soul Food is located on 310 Valley Hi Suite 205 in the Northwest side of San Antonio.

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