Big Mama's rib shack...I must say...going into this, the name had me SOLD! visions of cornbread, fried okra, greens and slow cooked pork clouded my mind on the drive into Pasadena. The location is unassuming from the outside and, quite surprisingly, adorned in a modern color palate complete with sharp furniture, dark woods and crisp lines. It looked much more like a Pasadena lounge than a Southern rib joint inside...Not bad at all, just unexpected.
We were with a large party, so I had the fortune of trying a little of this and a little of that...My plate was blessed with everything from jambalaya to catfish and cornbread to ox tails. I opted for the pork ribs with fried okra and red beans and rice. I finished that with a fried chicken thigh...Big Mama is quoted saying ""baby, if the colonel made fried chicken like me, he'd a been a general"" Cute. But not sure that was on the spot...Coulda been closer to ""Honey, had the Colonel made fried chicken like me, he'd a been medically dishcharged for his blood-pressure"" SALT CITY! The ribs were succulent...meaty, moist and falling off the bone. The sauce was a little sweet for my liking...but definitely did the job. The fried okra receives a passing grade...had I closed my eyes and been served it, I may have mistaken it for Carl's Jr's fried zucchini...Not a big winner, much like the chicken dinner. The red beans and rice were nice! Smoky and rich with just the right amount of chili powder and paprika to spice up the night. The service was moderate at best...I would have imagined the waitress would have paid more attention to the biggest table in her room...Finally, Big Mama was OUT OF DESSERT when dinner was over. Dessert was gone? wow. Interesting.
So I had a bite of everything and can rate on a 1-5, 5 being best
5-sorry Big Mama...hey the Coronas were COLD!
4-red beans and rice, cajun fries
3-ribs, fried catfish, fried chicken, bbq chicken
2-fried okra, blackened catfish, jambalaya, gumbo
1-mac n cheese, greens
ENJOY!
Pros: tennnnnder ribs of love, decent soul food
Cons: More salt than that lake in Utah
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