Mama Kim Eats

The BEST. Amazing place and the food is totally divine. We came here for brunch and they had live music and we did not want to leave. We ate our food like we haven’t eaten for days! The chicken and waffles is the BEST in Sacramento hands down. The ambiance, the art, the music… WOW! This is a top rated restaurant without the attitude and price of an expensive place. GO HERE and go here OFTEN!

I ordered Shrimp, sausage and chicken gumbo. The food was very good! Asked if I can request extra cooking time for brown rice next time, the server told me nicely that it would depend on how busy they are. Next time I’ll have to try their lamb slider and desert! I think this is the first five stars I ever gave to a restaurant, for the great and attentive server, the amazing food, and the ambiance. :) must come back and try more of their food.

My BF & I had an amazing, gourmet, fun brunch today here as first timers visiting Sacto. Other restaurants with good reviews all had a long wait, when we called, and this one did not. Farmer’s Market fresh ingredients and fruit, exquisitely presented, and each bite was so flavorful! Very talented chef and unique menu items, in addition to some standard favorites.
The jazz trio playing were very talented musicians and singers with great harmony. The volume was just right – not distracting. Loved our experience & will be back next time in Sac.

So I must say this place was amazing! We are not from Sacramento but visit new restaurants in the area frequently and while not familiar with the neighborhood, pleased to say we found a hidden gem!
The menu is diverse, filled with high quality ingredients and the portion sizes are perfect! Ambiance is somewhat industrial but clean, well presented, and fits the simplicity and diversity of the menu.
Our wait staff was pleasant, and while we did not wait too long for our food, the kitchen is small so for a large party I would recommend reservations so they can plan accordingly,
Overall, chicken and waffles were amazing, and I don’t think we have had better cheddar grits! Local greens were cooked and seasoned to perfection!
Loved the Motown band playing during brunch! Perfect additional to an already fantastic brunch!

Came for brunch on a Sunday and the food was pretty good. Semi creative and large menu with enough items to please anyone. There was no wait and the food came out in a timely manner. Cool location across the way from an art gallery.
Don’t order the mimosas, they’re weak. You’re party is better off ordering a few glasses of champagne and adding a splash of OJ at the table.
What I loved most was the small three man musical ensemble, The Phillip Rayburn Band performing Motown hits.
This place is perfect if you want to listen to some soulful hits on a Sunday morning while grabbing a bite.

Great food. Live music… A little loud, but I like it. Great atmosphere, friendly service, easy to get to. Interesting flavor rich food. Prices are very reasonable too.

Oh Mama Kim how you disappointed me today. I reserved a table for four during brunch to celebrate my birthday with my family. Table was ready when we arrived and things were starting out so well. Well, that was until we waited over an HOUR for our meals. RIDICULOUS! We tried to be patient, ordering rounds of mimosas and getting full off of the Orange juice. But the time we waited for our food was just beyond me. There was no communication from wait staff or the manager. Kim c’mon let your diners know if something is wrong in the kitchen or with your staff. Let us as diners make an informed decision about dining here if the wait is unusually long. Don’t take my time for granted. When we finally got our food it was bitter sweet. At that point I didn’t think any of us were happy to eat. We were more relieved we didn’t have to walk out.
This was my second time here. The first time was great. Being a great restaurant includes consistency. Unfortunately with both experiences being on opposite ends of the spectrum, I won’t be back!

The food was outstanding and there was a band during brunch, my boyfriend and I had a great time. It’s pricey, but worth it. They don’t have booze however, just beer and wine.

Fantastic, fresh food, beautiful presentation.
My aunt brought me here for breakfast and we absolutely loved it. She ordered the crab Benedict, raving about it through each bite. I had farmers omelette converted to a scramble.
We saw a delicious looking salad up on the kitchen counter and learned they had created it special/​off-​menu for a vegan diner. Nice to know they’ll go out of their way for their patrons. We ordered the same and it was def as tasty as it looked.

After the 40 min. wait for any food… all I can say is AVERAGE. Nothing impressed me at all.
Chic n waffles — had nothing special. Chicken was cooked very well but flavor was bland… I would rather have the flavor of KFC. Waffle was not bad but just ok.
Jalapeño cornbread was ok… I’m not impressed with their special butter.
The price was TRUELY $$$ and I simply expect high quality for that price point.
Sorry it might’ve been there on a bad day but I will not be going back.

One of the best restaurants in sacramento. Might be the best breakfast spot in sacramento, I have more exploring to do tho. Highly recommended, good service & the food is even better. Not to many ppl know about this place & that’s good for me. Everything was fire!

I love the style of the restaurant, live band, and menu choices. I ordered the Poached Eggs and Duck Confit with a Mimosa, which was delicious. It did take a little bit to get our food though. It was probably because their was a big party at the same time and only 1 server. I definitely want to come back to try more dishes, and hopefully we can get our food faster lol.

Ears are flooded with harmonious tones of an amazing singer and band. Taste buds are tantalized by flavor.
That is all.

Make reservations if you would like to have a great experience. I came here on Father’s Day with my goddaughter who wanted to spend the day with me. It’s always fun spending time with my goddaughter.
We were one of the first groups to arrive; however, we didn’t have reservations, so we were seated at the patio. After about 15 – 20 minutes, we finally received some attention on the patio when we were given our glasses of water. Having reservations at this restaurant is a must because those who did were promptly greeted and tended to with a smile.
Our brunch started with a plate of fruit. It was nice and refreshing to start off our meal with fresh fruit. The Jalapeño Cornbread came at the same time as our entrees. My goddaughter had the vegetable frittata with smoked sturgeon, and I had the eggs benedict with the filet and fingerling potatoes. I gave my goddaughter the meat from my order, and I had a smidgen of the filet to taste. Overall, the food we had was good, but it was not worth raving about because the slow service overshadowed the experience even though the staff were courteous and friendly.
From what we observed, there were many unoccupied tables in the dining room during our time at the restaurant. No shows? I’ll have to come back here when it’s not associated with some holiday or event because there are items on their regular menu that I would like to try out. Will service be the same on the next visit? I guess I’ll have to find out when I return.

I came here for Sunday brunch with the BF and I felt so underdressed! Located on Del Paso Blvd, I wasn’t expecting anything fancy or elegant. This place surprised me because the décor was simple but put together so nicely.
The place was pretty packed but luckily we didn’t have to wait to be seated. The menu was small but every dish sounded so good. We ordered the half dozen of oyster, fried chicken and waffles, and the smoked pork with eggs, cheddar grits, and greens. I didn’t know they had unlimited mimosas (didn’t see it on the menu) for an extra $ 15 so I ordered a really good bloody mary… then switched over to mimosas
It took a while for our food to arrive but it was ok because I was just sitting back, sipping on my drink, and enjoying the live jazz music. The singer had an amazing voice and was so personal to all the customers. I could have sat there for hours just listening to him sing.
The chicken and waffles… can someone say party in my mouth! The syrup was delicious and I don’t even like syrups! My pork was a little tough, but the eggs were cooked perfectly. The cheddar grits were super creamy. I would have been happy with a large bowl of their cheddar grits alone!
Great place, great ambience, great music, great service, and most importantly, the food was amazing! I can’t wait to come back with my family!

It always disappoints me when I end up not liking a place with high reviews :(
We came here during Father’s Day for brunch, and the first thing you should know is that although this place is listed as two dollar signs, it’s definitely on the more expensive end. It was $ 25 per dish when we went, and their menu has very few selections. They do however give you a complimentary fruit platter and a plate of bread and spread (not exactly sure what kind of spread). The fruits were all very fresh and the bread was good.
My boyfriend and I shared their chicken and waffle dish with a side of watermelon salad. The waffle was nice and fluffy, but their chicken was a little too dry for my taste. Definitely not worth the price we paid. What made our experience worse was that there were a TON of flies in the place. It was like we were fighting a battle just to eat our meals. We were seated next to the door so that could’ve contributed to why there were so many at our tables. But still, it’s a problem that they should check out.
A redeeming factor of this place was that they had live jazz music, which was very nice. They played a few of my favorite oldies but goodies, so it made the experience a bit more enjoyable.
Would I ever come here again? Probably not.

On my suggestion I came in for brunch this past Sunday with fellow Unilocaler Carol P. We had never been before I was full of anticipation.
My assessment is on the following categories, Ambience, Service, and Food.
Ambience: 5 stars
I totally loved the ambience of this place. Sort of SoHo, modern look to the place. Open and spacious, long and small wood tables closely clustered together, lots of natural light and a nice outdoor patio. The best part of this place was the live band that arrived shortly after 11am. They were awesome. They played lots of top forty songs that we all are familiar with but were not too loud that it was overbearing. The Seeing Eye dog for one of the band members just chilled and slept while they performed. Those guide dogs are so special to me. I just love watching them and marvel how wonderful they are for their owners. Plenty of close parking as well.
Service: 4 stars
Only down side was Carol asked for lemon slices for her glass of water. It must have taken them 15 minutes and two reminders to waiter to bring to her. The first time she was even told the bartender hadn’t sliced up the lemons yet? Huh? Is slicing lemons above your pay scale? Service was also very slow for our food to arrive. Place didn’t seem very busy, so would wonder what the wait would be like if it were busy? Since we were enjoying our conversation, and the live music it wasn’t too bad for me but definitely don’t go if you are starving or in a hurry. This is a place to go when you just want to enjoy a nice leisurely meal. Besides the lemon issue the server was friendly and attentive and even brought Carol out her phone that was left on the table.
Food: 2.5 stars.
Started with the sangria $ 7. Now on an empty stomach any alcohol should give me a nice buzz or least feeling very relaxed. Didn’t notice any warm fuzzies so probably not much wine in this sangria most likely more juice and fruit. I had the French toast $ 12
which was more like a bread pudding baked in a small ceramic deep dish bowl topped with whip cream, fresh strawberries, and caramel drizzle. Good thing is it satisfied my sweet tooth but definitely not your typical French toast.
I ordered a side of bacon $ 4. Either 3 or 4 slices arrived really undercooked. Now I don’t like my bacon super crispy but this was definitely under cooked. It was my mistake not to send it back, and I nibbled on the cooked parts and mentioned to Carol if I ended up the ER that night we probably know why.
So when I put the three categories together I see my average is probably a 3.5 but since no half star ratings I will round up to a 4 star rating. We both agreed it would be a great place to bring an out of town family or friends, a nice alternative to downtown or a greasy spoon diner. But since my meal came to $ 28 with a $ 3 tip to waiter, and $ 2 for musicians it is a not a «regular go to» place for brunch, least not on my budget. Better to save for special occasions.

DEFINITELY UNDERWHELMED… eh…
So we made a reservation on
for Sunday brunch. Walked in, heard the awesome live music, and couldn’t wait to sip on a bloody mary while munching on some chicken and waffles.
Well, the bloody mary sucked. It was super plain… didn’t have any spunk… blah.
Now onto the food… hmmmm…We started off with the oysters. They were ok… once again, no flavor. I’d rather have taken them raw with a slice of lemon.
The chicken and waffles? BURNT. The chicken was so burnt that the skin was barely edible… the waffles looked as if they were from the freezer. The slaw that it was served with was quite strange… lettuce and apples really don’t mix. I also asked for no nuts on my salad because I am allergic… but my plate still came with them on it.
We also tried the benedict… the eggs were overcooked… not runny whatsoever. Everything just had the pre-​cooked and re-​heated flavor. Wasn’t impressed whatsover…
It gets 2 stars because of the music… other than that, no thanks.

My sister found this place through the Unilocal app and it looked promising. Their website mentioned that they started as a food truck so I was excited to try it. We arrived on a Sunday around 11AM and it was pretty empty, not sure if this was a good or bad thing at the time. We were seated promptly and our waitress was very friendly when she greeted us. After looking at the menu for a little bit, she came back with an iPad and showed us pictures of the items on the menu! I’ve never seen this before and we liked that idea.
Based on the pictures and the descriptions, here’s what we ordered:
Chef’s special omelet with smoked trout and fingerling potatoes — didn’t get to try the omelet but I liked the potatoes.
King Crab and Spinach Benedict with Spicy Tomato Hollandaise on Cheddar Chive Biscuit with Fried Green Tomatoes — pretty good benedict but I couldn’t really taste the biscuit. The side of friend green tomatoes were still warm even after being on the table for about 10 minutes.
Phil’s Fried Chicken and Waffles with Honey Mustard and Apple, Grape, Shaved Celery and Pecan Salad — I thought the waffles were great and the fried chicken was nice and crispy. The only thing I didn’t like was the honey mustard drizzle was too sweet for me.
Jalapeño Corn Bread with Red Chile Butter — I tried only a little piece, I couldn’t taste the jalapeño.
Fresh Baked Bluberry Scone — good scone, the glaze was a little too sweet though.
A nice surprise was that they had a small jazz band playing during brunch. Service was pretty good throughout the meal. Our water was always being refilled but when we asked for to go boxes and the check it took forever. Other than that, it was a decent meal with a nice ambiance. With the left overs we didn’t get hungry as we made the road trip back to LA.

So much effort has been put into making Del Paso Boulevard a more respectable location. The hip little strip that Mama Kim’s occupies is part of that transformation. The place just oozes cool, from the moment you approach and hear the live jazz flowing out to greet you, to when you leave and pass an inviting art gallery next door.
The dining room was full when we arrived, so I asked if we could sit at one of the high tops on their patio. The patio area is very unique. More enclosed than outdoor, it’s a good option for diners who want a little more elbow room, but still want to be a part of the festive scene. There’s a few tables and a very plush sectional that provides a comfy spot to rest your tush if a table is not available.
The patio is also a good option if you’re more interested in talking with your fellow diners than you are in just listening to the music. Don’t get me wrong… I think live music for brunch is a rare and beautiful thing. But it was loud in the restaurant and seemed like it would be hard to converse. If you’re forced to brunch with the in-​laws, that might be a good thing :)
I ordered the King Crab and Spinach Benedict while the BF went with a special of Smoked Trout Hash. We were both instantly impressed with the colorful presentation of the plates. Beautiful slices of pineapple, kiwi, and berries accompanied our entrees.
The Bene was a little disappointing. One of my eggs was over-​poached, denying me of that glorious liquid gold flow of yolk. There was maybe a scant ¹⁄₃ cup of crab meat total on my biscuit. Unfortunately, with a whopping $ 19 price tag, I expected a little more. I will give them points for a tasty tomato hollandaise, a side of creamy fingerling potatoes and, of course, the pretty fruit.
The BF was very pleased with the hash, but a side of sourdough toast never materialized after our entrees were dropped off by a different server. Our waiter only reappeared at the end of our meal.
It’s a fun brunch spot with pretty good food. Just be prepared for higher prices and slightly lackluster service to go with those breakfast tunes.