Review: Mama's Cafe offers modern twist on comfort food

By Ken Fountain

Here's a piece of biographical detail about myself that I don't often discuss. Shortly after returning to Texas from California in the mid-1990s, I took a job as a waiter at the former Black-Eyed Pea restaurant on FM 1092 in Missouri City while going to college.

I'll just lay it out there: I was not a particularly great server. I wasn't terrible, but I found the pace of working in food service often unrelenting (unlike, of course, the leisurely pace of working for a newspaper), and eventually I moved on to other things.

But I always liked the restaurant itself, and was saddened when the chain declared bankruptcy a few years and closed most of its locations. (I understand that some still are going in north Texas and Colorado.)

The large space in Township Square sat empty for some time before a pizza restaurant opened there (which, I admit, I never frequented.) That establishment also closed and again the space was vacant.

That changed recently with the much-anticipated opening of Mama's Café & Brews, which it turns out is a new twist on the old Southern and Creole comfort food niche of the old Black-Eyed Pea.

Let's start with the decor. The big, open dining room remains, but the tables and chairs are bit sleeker and modern than the ones in the old restaurant.

Gone are the old bay windows, replaced by single-panel windows that stretch nearly from floor to ceiling. Some rather funky, colorful artwork lines is seen throughout, as well as some shelves of decorative art pieces.

In a nod to the restaurant's name, there are two walls with photos of matronly looking women, in what I suppose is some sort of Mamas Wall of Fame. Back in my day, the kitchen could be clearly seen and heard by patrons. Now the kitchen is ensconced by a large wall with chalkboards laying out the daily specials.

As for the fare, well there's plenty on the menu. As I said, most of the offerings are of a traditional Southern bent, with a few other things to round out the selections. Main dishes include meat loaf, pork shops, chicken-fried steak and chicken, as well as many seafood offerings.

Lunch entrées include rib-eye steak, pork chops, shrimp and fried chicken. There are different specials for each weekday, as well as appetizers, soups and salads. There is also a full beer and wine menu. For my first foray, I went with the chicken-fried steak sandwich. It had been some time since I'd had one, and nothing says Southern comfort food like chicken-fried steak.

Once I'd received it, however, I decided I probably should have gone with the full meal and not just a sandwich. The gravy quickly overwhelmed the Texas toast, forcing me to resort to using a fork and knife. The steak was good, not the best I've ever had, but good enough to try again. My dining companion was quite pleased by Creole gumbo.

I topped off my meal with peach cobbler, which was excellent. The service also was quite fine.

Mama's will likely establish itself as a go-to restaurant for Fort Bend residents seeking out comfort food.

Mama's Cafe and Brews

Address: 3434 FM 1092

Road, Sugar Land

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Entrée prices: $14-$22

Kid-friendly: Yes

Alcohol: Yes

Senior discount: Yes

Healthy options: Soups and salads

Star of the show: Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars