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Joe Mamas
Category: Restaurants Cajun/Creole Cajun/Creole [Edit]
317 King St WToronto, ON M5V 1J5
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 340-6469
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
21 reviews for Joe Mamas
Review Highlights
"The Guacamole Bruschetta is great (and only $5."
(in 3 reviews)
"...if you dont mind standing up and listening to live music."
(in 6 reviews)
"The band that night was great (thursday."
(in 7 reviews)
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21 reviews in English
-
Review from Christine C.
Toronto, ON
1/12/2012 1 photo
Visited Mr.Joe Mama's on a Saturday night with a few friends for dinner/drinks. It's a small, trendy lounge right in the heart of the city. The crowd is a great mix of people, 25-35 age group and what a great atmosphere!
We arrived at about 8:30pm in time for dinner and the place was already packing it in, so I'm glad we had made a reservation. The waitress was a little hard to find at times but I chopped that up to short staff. I ordered the seafood pasta and although it wasn't the best I've ever had, it was pleasantly good! Next time if we go for dinner I'd be sure to arrive a bit earlier to enjoy the place being well lit and quiet enough for conversation flow during dinner. Reason for that is because around 9:30pm they have a live band that takes the floor and by then the lights go down, music goes up (a tad "TOO" up) and there isn't an empty table in the house! The band was called "Suga" and they were absolutely amazing!! Playing R&B classics all night long. We didn't aim to stay all night but enjoyed ourselves so much that we ended up shutting the place down - a winner:) -
Review from Nadia O.
Toronto, ON
12/10/2011
This is a neat jazz bar to have friends celebrate a birthday party. There was a good live band playing the night I went and the place was crowded like a can of sardines, the more the merrier here! Their signature corn bread is awesome but I can't say so much for the main dishes. The fried calamaris were the worst I've ever had, at least the home green salad was fine although I made a bad choice of drinking it with Zinfandel. The prices are reasonable considering you get to watch or dance to a live show; for 2 glasses of wine and the above cost $35 excluding tip.
-
Review from Angela L.
7/4/2011
One of my good friends adores Joe Mamas' jazz band, so I've joined him there on quite a few Thursdays over the years. The dark red walls of the dim, buzzy interior are great for kicking back and relaxing over live music played so loud that you won't even hear yourself think, let alone think of topics to talk about. It's almost always extremely busy and the availability of the distinct areas (sidewalk patio dining, inside dining, bar, and dance floor) is nice for changing things up.
I was recently brought back to Joe Mamas by the same friend on a weekend and was reminded of how seriously bustling the place gets. The R 'n B cover band played everything from Ginuwine to Bob Marley while the packed room swayed along in recognition. The token stagette party was properly serenaded by the band. Our bottles of wine and mains took a very long time to be served by our visibly overworked server. The tables were also quite tight in the dining area. Despite being sat at the very farthest table possible from the stage, it was still impossible to hear any of my friends sitting across from me.
Food-wise, the blackened sirloin salad I had was simply over seasoned. The rack of ribs that my friend was nice enough to share was fantastic. I've generally enjoyed good food at Joe Mamas though. If I ever came just for the food, I'd certainly ask to sit on the patio. The music is loud enough to be heard across the street! -
Review from trevor b.
Pickering, ON
12/9/2011
Went for drinks and it seemed like they weren't into making money because my drink was always empty. I could have drank probably 5 more drinks if the server cared.
-
Review from Bahi K.
Scarborough, ON
7/24/2011
An unequivocal five stars! A bunch of us organized a surprise going away party for a friend of ours and we had a very enjoyable experience. The restaurant staff were super accommodating of our situation, despite the fact that many of our guests did not show up on time for the reservation. Our server was extremely helpful and made great suggestions.
The food was absolutely delicious. The guacamole bruschetta and the spiced chicken skewers were unbelievably good (especially the latter). The mains also received rave reviews. My catch of the day (spiced tliapia) which came with two sides totally hit the spot, and the ribs that some of the other guests had also received high praise.
When it came to settle up, we were informed that it would be on one bill, which was no big deal and I took the responsibility of informing everyone what they owed and collecting the funds. Somehow the credit card charges on two cards that were used for payment (in addition to the cash) were mixed up, but our server was very gracious about reversing the charges.
Another point of note is that the automatic gratuity for our party was only 15% (as opposed to other places that automatically charge you 20%), and we of course bumped that up because of our outstanding service. Overall, the experience at Joe Mamas was uniformly positive and I look forward to going back again. -
Review from Christian D.
5/19/2011
(Good) music every night of the week. love the band on wed/thurs, playing jazz/blues/funk.
Half price appetizers before 8pm every night is great. The Guacamole Bruschetta is great (and only $5!).
Show up just before 8pm, order your half price apps. You'll have more than enough time to eat and have a full conversation before the band goes on at around 8:45. They play about a 50 minute set. Not too loud either, but loud enough that you don't hear random chatter.
-1 star because the bartender wouldn't split our bill.
"Sorry, I already entered it!"
well than.. re-enter it? I don't accept the excuse of blaming "our system". We live in the computer age, keep up (especially if you're on KING street).
And they don't accept debit!!! (credit is fine though) -
Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
12/13/2010
We came here for a work Christmas Party (60+ people) on a Friday night. The party including dinner and an evening of drinks, mingling, listening to live music, and a bit of dancing.
My initial impression when I walked into this place that it was going to be cramped but that quickly changed, and instead I would say it was cozy.
The food was decent, but certainly nothing special and not worth the premium they ask for it. I had the opportunity to sample:
Guacamole Bruschetta - Big portion, tasty enough, a bit different than your usual bruschetta
Grilled Tiger Shrimp Salad - Not bad, but nothing outstanding
Steak and Shrimp - Pretty tasty, though there was no wow factor
Cajun Mixed Grill - The steak was not juicy though it was ordered 'blue rare' which seemed a bit odd, and both the chicken and ribs tasted just like meat brushed with sauce you could buy from the grocery store.
After 9pm the place turns 21+ only, but the crowd is older than that (30's and 40's). The band playing had a real R&B vibe to them and were quite good. There were a few people dancing (the dance floor is very tiny).
There was a very friendly blond server taking care of our group who did an excellent job of making sure everyone had what they needed. Considering they're a small venue they did a pretty great job of taking care of our party of 60+. Thumbs up for that.
My personal recommendation for this place would be to go ahead and check it out if you're in the area already and looking for drinks and live music, but skip eating dinner here. My impression was that this place would be best suited to going out with a small group or just a date. -
Review from Melissa G.
North York, ON
10/4/2010 ROTD 8/17/2011
Since I haven't written one of my fun Yelp reviews lately, here I am!
Returning with a ton of new places to yelp about, here is my latest discovery on the King Street strip of restos near my apartment... JOE MAMAS!
During TIFF, I was thinking about restaurants I have not experienced or ate at near my apartment.
Living behind the long strip of restos on King Street, in between John Street and Peter Street, we came across Joe Mamas and had an amazing meal there! And it definitely did not lack in romance in terms of its atmosphere for any people look for a fun date spot!
Joe Mamas is a warm feeling restaurant with the sounds of jazz and R&B music in the background - creating a sexy and sultry feeling right when you walk in. The dark red and deep wooden interior also makes you feel all romanced.
For dinner, I ordered the Surf and Turf Fettucini, which was packed with juicy pieces of chicken breast and HUGE tiger shrimps - all topped off with white wine alfredo sauce and a small amount of parmesan cheese. This lovely meal was $23, but it was a HUGE portion and did not skimp on the shrimp.
My friend ordered the classic Honey Garlic chicken, smothered in the tasty honey garlic sauce and cooked to perfection. She paired her chicken with seasoned veggies and some wild rice - all for $20.
For dessert, we split the "melt in your mouth" (as I would call it) RED VELVET CAKE! This cake was absolutely to die for! I am being serious!
After our meal, dessert and coffees came to an end, our bill came to around $55, which is more expensive than usual but well worth it!
I would definitely recommend Joe Mamas as a food spot, a key date spot, a resto stop if you are catching a movie at the Bell Lightbox later in the night (it is right across the street from it) or if you are looking for food with that great Southern taste! -
Review from KL M.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2010
I'm somewhat surprised by the prevalence of four stars granted to this place, but, hey, to each his own.
Reading more into it, I gather I missed out on the music scene here, which may have affected my grading. From what I did experience, they serve up a lot of meat, ranging from bland to quite good. I know this, having been here only once, because we ordered the (fully-loaded) meat platter, which fed us for days. The only item that really stood out was the ribs. You can pass on the others. -
Review from Kimberley C.
8/2/2011
Ok, so maybe I'm biased, being from the states and from a family with southern roots, but I just don't understand the rave reviews this place gets. I mean, what kind of place claims to serve southern/soul food and doesn't have fried chicken on the menu?
As tourists during the Caribana festival, my friends and I had been walking around all day and were hungry, thirsty and tired. One of my friends was in the mood for fried chicken so we figured this might be a good spot. Despite my friend's disappointment when we found out fried chicken was not on the menu, we decided to stay since they had a good Sunday afternoon special going on...1/2 price starters, soups, and salads if you sat at the bar. The place was pretty empty, probably because it was a bit early for dinner on a weekend. The decor has a dark jazzy feel and there was a stage in the corner, but live entertainment didn't start until the 8 or 10 (understandably). All the drinks are named after Motown singers. I think I had the Gladys Knight which was very good and probably the best thing I ordered there. For my meal, I ordered the catfish sticks and the tiger shrimp salad. The catfish was freshly made, hot and flaky, but had no seasoning or flavor. Catfish is pretty bland on its own so it definitely needs good seasoning. The tiger shrimp salad has a lot of fruit in it, which I liked, but the shrimp was over cooked and underseasoned. My friends did not rave about their food either. In addition, the food took a really long time to come out. Yes, it was hot, but it doesn't take long to cook seafood or make a salad.
Maybe the night time scene/ entertainment scene make this place a hot spot but the food certainly does not. -
Review from Andrea W.
7/26/2010
The live music was the innitial attraction. So we walked in and te quickly sat all 6 of us. Music was fantastic and so was the glass of cab.
The food was incredible. We had the fried brie, which I could eat for days. Complete afrodisiac. Then we had the rack of ribs.......... Please do yourself a favor and eat here. I highly recommed this place. It has become my go to place in torontos entertainment district. -
Review from T L.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2011
Very overpriced, very poor service, very bad food. Our waiter didn't check on our table at any time during our meal. Food was overcooked and tasted awful. Very disappointing experience.
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Review from TOFoodReviews n.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2011
Despite all of the new multi-story buildings going up in the area, the Entertainment district is still full of lively, exciting, cool and truly unique places to check out; from the theatres to the restaurants, it is a great area to spend a night or two and explore. I hesitate to say I "stumbled" upon this particular location as it is quite visible across from the main strip of theatres on this part of King Street, but I did enter on quite the spontaneous whim.
Their contemporary and inviting atmosphere is infused with Motown and Blues décor and music, which sets the mood perfectly for their southern dishes. They offer up a nicely balanced menu of traditional Cajun-style grub and the more typical Canadian restaurant fare; from fish and fried foods galore, to goat-cheese-adorned salads and honey-garlic chicken, there really is something for everyone.
I popped in early and was greeted with the notice of half-priced appetizers before 8:00 p.m. - a great opportunity to try a couple. There are plenty of barbecued chicken, rib and steak platters to choose from, but what could be more appropriate than their cornmeal crusted catfish sticks? I had them with the goat cheese and Cajun-roasted pistachio salad, and it turned out to be a delightful meal.
The catfish sticks are a must. After I ordered, a small plate with one tiny morsel of something arrived in front of me - this was worrisome. Thankfully, it was just a mini-muffin sized, mildly sweet portion of cornbread (a side note: not enough restaurants give you complimentary bread at the table anymore; it does not have to be an overflowing basket of buns, but just a small bite of something light and delicious starts the meal off right). When the fish did arrive, I was more than impressed with the serving size. They were light and crispy and with smokey-sweet Cajun spice and served a tangy tartar sauce.
The salad had a hint of that same Cajun spice on the pistachios, but was otherwise just as expected for greens, except for one crucial detail - the copious amount of cheese! Finally, a restaurant after my own dairy-loving heart! I have too often overpaid for goat-cheese-promising pastas and salads that have fallen short. Joe Mamas, on the other hand, gave me a meal-size salad, with more than my fair share of cheese, and all at half-price no less!
I eased myself into my first southern cuisine experience with a dinner of appetizers, worried that I might be confronted with an over-spiced and over-fried spread. Thankfully proven wrong, on my next visit to Joe Mamas, I'll be diving into their menu with less hesitancy. -
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
12/6/2009
Great music venue and appies place. IT has everything you want on a casual girls night out.
Are you tired of the bar scene? Don't want to go to another pub? And want to dance but don't want to have to resort to going to an entertainment district club?
Go to Joe Mamas!
I've been here a few times and have loved it everytime. The vibe is casual, the bar is full, the drinks are affordable and the food is souther/filling/fried and delicious.
And they have live music too where some people end up on a small, and slightly awkward the dance floor after 10pm.
The resto is split into two with half sit-down for food and half bar with an obvious pickup vibe. The crowd is friendly and its a nice place to end up on a weekend when you don't want to have to think too hard about having a good time with a small group of friends. -
Review from Mariko M.
4/17/2010 3 photos
After a very long week, my friend and I decided to go along King Street for dinner on a Friday night. As there is a block of restaurants to choose from, we had difficulty finalizing on a place to eat. Fortunately for Joe Mamas, by the time we were in front of it, my feet were killing me (the joy of wearing heels to work) so we decided to just go into this establishment.
We were greeted by a friendly hostess who sat us right away. Before ordering food, the friend and I decided to order a drink. Their drink menu has a variety to choose from - all their drinks are named after Motown legends. The Marvin Gaye is what we decided on and had two glasses of it each. With our drinks came corn bread, which I found to be delicious.
The friend and I kept everything simple and ordered the exact same entree : the BBQ chicken breast with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. It wouldn't be right to rave about the entree because I truly think that I've had better elsewhere.
We left before the live music began, but I've heard from numerous sources that the music is always great. I wouldn't come here for simply the food, but for the experience. King Street has always been a favourite of mine. The atmosphere is great and there are so many places to check out after your meal.
For a reasonable night out with friends, start at Joe Mamas for dinner. -
Review from Gaurav S.
Toronto, ON
2/12/2009
Disclaimer - I haven't eaten here yet!
Apparently Joe Mama's has a decent steak, but - for totally valid reasons that I will explain in detail below - I've only dipped into this spot after the kitchen is closed.
So... what's the scenario?
It's nearing midnight. It's Thursday (or Friday, or Saturday). You're with a lady friend (or a manly friend). You're not quite sure where to take your date next, but your m.o. is to impress and elevate this night to the next level.
Your answer: Joe Mamas.
Snug tight in Restaurant Row on King St. (just west of John), Joe Mamas' evening entertainment is, bar none, the most consistent and top ranking in the T Dot. The house band (Shugga) consists of 10 players who are constantly rotating, so on any given night, you'll catch 5 of them jamming out for you and yours.
The players are stupid tight and they love what they do. In fact, you can often catch them winking a little kudos to each other when a band member steps up their game with an unexpected little something special, to break the crowd off right. Improv + Talent = 1 happy G.
The band has two rotating vocalists who are both superb, but if you get the white boy (don't front, he looks like a fit version of Drew Carey) you're in for quite a night!
Belting out soulful pop classics by Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and some hot contemporaries like JT, this dude is ON POINT. I couldn't find any YouTube clips that do the night justice, so you'll have to trust me on this one.
The downside is as such. The decor isn't all that fresh and I wouldn't write home about the wine selections or beverage options. The standing area is really tight and bar service isn't the best. I'd suggest grabbing a table as the waitresses get around (almost too) quick.
Joe Mamas is the perfect spot to have a few drinks, enjoy some incredible music, indulge in some playful conversation (in between sets) and be on your way. It kills me to make this place sound like a strip club, but the space and service lead me to believe that you're there for the entertainment, not the food.
If you keep your visit short, sweet and well-timed, you'll consistently have an amazing night, and your date will likely end after breakfast - zing! ;) -
Review from james h.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2010
location
In restuarant row - theatre district.
format ..
essentially this place has 2 options
1 - sit down dinner to the left
2- bar and stand up area to the left . it gets very crowded later at night
and if you dont mind standing up and listening to live music..then this is the place for you
To the rear their is a stage which is visible to both restuarant and bar
with an adjacent dance floor which is the most compact I have ever seen .
again they do pack em in to that tiny dance floor
Music
Monday: 7:30pm - 11:30pm
Tuesday: 8:00pm- 12:00am
Wednesday: 8:00pm- 12:00am
Thursday: 8:30pm - 12:30am
Friday and Saturday: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Sunday: 6:30pm- 10:30pm
I''ve had just about everthing on the menu from goat cheese to
chicken and ribs ..the prices range from $9 to $23 for mains
its a bargain .
the food is fantastic ....
However the best part is the vibe - live jazz - funk
This is not a place for rowdy teens ..yes there is an abundace of
boobs , botox and bacardi
I love it .. -
Review from Sean H.
Toronto, ON
12/16/2010
I went out to Joe Mamas with my Ultimate Frisbee team last night. This was the first time I had been to this joint. I have avoided (rightly or wrongly) this stretch of King st. However, Joe Mamas has made me curious to explore some of the other restaurants on this strip, even if they are touristy.
Joe Mamas is a pretty cool place. Bathed in red and having a really cool in house blues band gives it a hip vibe that is good for drinks or casual dinner with friends. The food is primarily 'continental' with a southern/creole spin. Instead of white bread, the servers bring warm cornbread muffins and you can order dishes like cornmeal crusted catfish, which is exactly what I did.
The cornmeal crusted catfish is a nice take on the battered and fried white fish (aka fish and chips). I wouldn't say that this dish would be near the top of my fish and chips list. But it is definitely a nice dish and the cornmeal batter is different from the typical flour batter. There is a nice crispness to the cornmeal and the catfish stays nice and moist. Cornmeal is certainly not a light airy batter, but it manages not to be overly heavy. I got the seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes for my 2 sides. These were pretty good. Although, something makes me think that the seasonal vegetables don't change with the season given that they were peppers, broccoli, beans.
All and all I would say that this is a decent restaurant. The food is alright and the service was pretty good. But what really makes this place worth checking out is the band and the overall vibe of the restaurant. We were there on a Wednesday night at about about 8pm and there was a pretty good crowd. -
Review from Jason B.
12/8/2010
Possibly my favorite Toronto hang- beautiful decor and ambiance, a delectable and diverse menu, with incredible live jazz and blues every single night! There aren't many better places to take a date or just hang with some friends! They even have half price appetizers at the bar before 8pm!
-
Review from Deborah G.
Montréal, QC
2/22/2009
I didn't get a chance to eat there but the music was great! I would defiantely go back. It's cozy and a great place to go on a date. The band that night was great (thursday). The drinks were cheap 5$ martinis!! We had great time.
http://www.joemamas.ca -
Review from Sonia P.
Toronto, ON
2/26/2011
The food, service and ambience were great! We went on a Friday night, without reservations and though the place was packed, the hostess was nice enough to accomodate us. Fun. lively atmosphere with a nice band playing. Food was delicious - based on some of the previous reviews, we ordered the catfish sticks and ribs which were excellent. I also had the soup with lobster and shrimps covered in philo pastry - it was delicious. Overall, fun place with a good vibe and great food. Worth a visit!
