For this months Dining Out article I ventured up to Mama’s On the Half Shell in Canton, Maryland, an old neighborhood in Baltimore. Canton has been gentrified in the past few years but retains much of its edginess and flavor as one of the oldest “working mans” hangouts in Baltimore. Mama’s is on the corner of Linwood and O’Donnell streets and overlooks O’Donnell Square. The square is surrounded by many restaurants, pubs and bars, making it great for pub crawls. During the warmer months the square is busy and hectic, but on a cold, windy January Saturday, the square was deserted. We were celebrating birthdays and so my grandmother chose Mama’s. It’s an easy drive up #95, through the tunnel and off at O’Donnell Street.

There are two levels, the first at the entrance opens into a bar/dining area. The bar extends almost the entire left side of the room with ample stools and is decorated with oyster cans. The windows open up in the summer to extend the area outside. There are a few tables in this room, but diners usually go upstairs. This room has a Victorian flavor with a fireplace at one end, which was a welcome feature on a cold day. The decorations center around the several display cases on the walls of oyster plates.

Upon arriving we were immediately welcomed and seated at a table upstairs close to the fireplace. Our server recommended starting with Bloody Mary’s which were tangy and spicy and garnished with a pickled string bean rather than the usual celery stalk. Since the server was right on with the Bloody Mary’s we followed his suggestions for appetizers. The Pan-seared Scallops served with creamed spinach over a potato cake was one of the best appetizers that I’ve had in recent memory. The potato cake was crisp, the spinach smooth and creamy, the scallops large and sauteed perfectly. The other appetizer was Crab and Artichoke Dip, which was lump crab meat, artichokes, gouda, boursin, cheddar, cream cheese and swiss cheese served in a bread bowl. This could have been lunch itself.

From the ample list of appetizers there are several that I plan to try on return visits; namely Oysters Rockefeller, Angels on Horseback (oysters wrapped in bacon), Fried Oysters and the Grilled Oysters.

For entrees we ordered Fried Oyster PoBoy, Reuben Sandwich, Fried Oyster Sandwich and one of the daily specials, grilled salmon filet served with rice and grilled shrimp. The Fried Oyster PoBoy had four deep fried oysters, coleslaw and tartar sauce, the Fried Oyster Sandwich also had four oysters with tomato, lettuce and tartar sauce, and the Reuben was the classic with corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and swiss cheese served on marbled rye bread. All sandwiches came with French fries. My salmon was a generous portion grilled with a sweet barbeque sauce, as were the shrimp.

There is no printed desert menu but the server announced that the deserts are made daily in-house. We opted for, and shared, bourbon cake and cheesecake; both great finishes to a good dining experience.

Obviously, Mama’s promotes oysters and seafood and there are many seafood selections on the menu, notably, Fresh Catches of the Day, Crab Cake Platter, Fried Oyster, Shrimp and Combo Platters, Crab and Lobster Imperials and Stuffed Shrimp. There is also a raw bar menu including oysters, mussels, clams and a unique item, “Blue on Blue” which is a Blue Point Oyster served in Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. For those who are not seafood eaters there are Baby Back Ribs, several Filet Mignon choices and a killer Mama’s Mac & Cheese.

The service was attentive without being fussy. Our server definitely knew the menu. All of our questions were answered and very good recommendations were made. Our tab for eight drinks, two appetizers, four entrees, two deserts and four coffees came to $184 before tip.

By the time we were leaving, Mama’s was filled with locals in their Ravens shirts ready to drink and watch the game. All of our food was exceptional, proving that it’s possible to serve great food by a knowledgeable wait staff in a relaxed, comfortable restaurant, making Mama’s a seafood heaven in Canton.
Mama’s On the Half Shell
2901 O’Donnell Street
Baltimore, MD
410-276-3160

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