Momma Os Seafood MR — Restaurant in Alaska

Somewhere in the middle to the end of one of the countless strip malls that inhabit this slightly-nicer part of Anchorage, Momma O’s politely yet firmly calls out for our attention. First interactions with the counter service were amusing, as with my initial orders swatted back at me with less-than-encouraging comments from a gentleman leaned up against the wall behind the cash register. After two rebuttals I asked him for his own suggestions that included a light damning of the steamed clams: “I’m a steamed clams guy, and these are OK”; the uncommon declaration of a smaller winner in immortal chip shop battle of halibut vs. cod (that means the cod of course), and an explanation of his unusual perched position against the wall (last week’s neck surgery after which he happily “feels 100% better already”). His assertiveness won me over and I was quickly happy to let him lead the ordering process. This was the right move. Think of Momma O’s as a fish-and-chips kind of a place, but with better and broader options than some of the east coast style ‘fried-food-only’ joints that have become almost the only places to consistently get inexpensive food within a day’s flight of the Atlantic. On this side of the world; the recently-repaired John is the owner-in-the-making, and he seems determined to balance his evolving menu between the lovely, flaky grace of local grilled cod, the boldness of Alaskan halibut, and some creative southern flavors that clearly speak to him quite personally. The local cod he recommended was grilled to perfection, flaky but firm and just wonderfully textured. Cod is such a light fish that it is often obliterated on plates with gimmicks aimed at people that really despise the taste of seafood but are swayed by the idea of its exclusiveness and health benefits. Blackening and cajun rubs are two frequent culprits, neither in my opinion should be a part of any fish dish that is less bold and oily than a smoked salmon or mackerel. Similarly and as intimated by John, the frying process also diminishes the flavor. While a good cod and chips is wonderful, it is so more because of the marriage of contrasting fish and potato and vinegary, citrusy acids and their textures than because of how it frames the natural taste of the fish. If I digress, it’s to underscore how well Momma O’s stays away from these pitfalls and allows the diner to taste his food. The fried scallops were delightful, small and dainty but deep in their tastes and with the lovely resilience from a good ‘deep veined’ product as is common in those northern waters. All of the friend ingredients except the vegetables were coated in an absolutely perfect fried fish batter, which, to be clear, is almost like a tempura, but somehow longer and more giving and more suited to cling to protein-rich flesh. A related thought is that the presence of malt vinegar bottles on North American fish restaurant tables is a good sign. It proves that some of us are learning why our neighbors across the pond refuse any other condiment with their staples. At some stage John stopped at our table with a small bowl of what he termed a “creole”, in this case what I’d describe as a light gumbo. He had already told me that he does not use okra in his gumbo, relying instead on a roux base for thickening. What he does use is discretion, certainly the better part of valor where the ingredients are as delicate as in this dish. His veloute of a tomato-based sauce draped silky around the rice, and the shrimp were firm and full of flavors. The herbs and spices present but not dominant. A wonderfully-executed, sophisticated dish that felt almost too formal for a strip mall in Anchorage. But any thoughts of pretense are counterbalanced by the (very) casual atmosphere, the banter with the staff (friendly) and the solid value running up and down the menu. We boarded our planes late into that night in the almost-total midsummer absence of darkness, with the distinct pleasure of being full and content and knowing we had a place...

Our first time here, we tried their Rockfish, with sides of rice and fries, and also grilled Asparagus to complete the meal. Their menu is extensive and we took some time pouring over the variety of choices!

The meals arrived a short time later and we were impressed with the wait time to receive it. My son’s fries were amazing, as he devoured them immediately. The Rockfish was fried to perfection. Tender and moist, with a delicious coating that was crisp and light. They give you ample portion sizes here, which was favorable, as we each got to take portions home. It was accompanied with a fabulous house tartar sauce, which complimented the fish. The rice was a nice serving size, but not remarkable. The Asparagus, was crisp and tender, cooked perfectly through. It was a bit on the burnt side, but it did not affect the taste to speak of. All and all, the Asparagus was a 4.8 out of 5. And again, the portion size is something to be celebrated here and will not disappoint!

Our waitress was warm and personable! 😊 She made us feel welcome and was very attentive. Coming back often for water refills and to check on our food satisfaction.

The nautical decor was captivating and reminiscent of seaside restaurants along the Oregon coast.

We had a very enjoyable meal and will be back in the future. As is often the case with the arrival of good food for hungry stomach, I am often remiss at taking pictures! I highly recommend this place for...

On our visit to Anchorage were looking forward to trying the Alaskan halibut and chips. We read the positive reviews and decided to eat dinner at Mamma O'S. We ordered fried Halibut and chips, grilled salmon and Cajun shrimp over rice. The restaurant was not too busy but the order took a while. I and my family, my wife and two kids, decided to share and sample each dish, we started with grilled salmon: it was cold and tasteless, almost like it had been reheated. Then we tried the halibut: it was battered and fried, the coating was crisp but the inside of the fish was weird not a chunk more like mashed up pieces and had some green stuff in the middle. Having never had halibut before I kept my doubts to myself as I didn't want to spoil everyone's meal. It was only after we left the restaurant that my wife remarked that she was having doubts about what we had been served, maybe refused pieces of fish and the insides of the fish?? Unfortunately we did not take any pictures but will definitely warn everyone to beware of what they may be served. Hope we do...