Mama's on the Half Shell Owings Mills — Restaurant in Maryland

1st time to the Owings Mills location AND LAST TIME TO ALL MAMA'S ON THE HALF SHELL. I've been to the Original location as well and was NOT satisfied with the FOOD there either, But I didn't have the same issues (I'll explain) as i did in the Owings Mills location. As I said before I'm not a FAN of their Food AT ALL but the new opening in Owings Mills caused a CRAZE. Sooo we decided to go for a birthday. Originally her friend made a reservation for 10 but being a significant birthday more people showed up. Me Personally Running a Business the more people coming to spend money the Better. . Not Here. The staff itself was AMAZING I will say, forgot our waiters name but, he did what he could and a great job as well as his supervisor on sight when we 1st arrived. Accommodating us with extra tables and chairs as needed. Everything ran smoothly until food began to come out. Food came out in Completely random orders. Some Mains came out before appetizers and salads came out almost the same time as entrées, with some people still waiting for food that ordered before everyone. Food began to go everywhere with us having to yell out what plates were in waiters/waitresses hand to figure out what dish went to who. We had several extra (doubled) orders that they brought out and orders that were just wrong that no one ordered we tried our best to send back and sort through while everyone was trying to eat after the Long wait. A lot of small things were messed up but we allowed them to fix them with simple fixes without having to remake an entire meal (which they probably should have) but we had been waiting and didn't want to be too difficult with a large party. We had a couple people order the "Shrimp and Chicken alfredo" (which we've since seen MULTIPLE people COMPLAIN about after this visit) my niece who was the youngest at the table complained that she did not enjoy the alfredo AT ALL and wanted to exchange for something else THEY SAID NO and left the plate in front of her the entire dinner while everyone else ate. Of course we made sure she got something else to eat BUT THEY LEFT THE PLATE SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T ENJOY RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE with a full table, we barely had space for anything on. When the bill came they CHARGED US FOR EVERYTHING! THINGS WE DIDN'T ASK FOR, THINGS THEY BROUGHT TOO MANY ORDERS OF, AND THINGS WE ASKED TO EXCHANGE! EVERYONE THAT ORDERED ALFREDO WAS DISAPPOINTED! But ONLY ONE CHILD ASKED FOR AN EXCHANGE FOR CHICKEN WINGS THAT COST $20! WE WEREN'T ASKING THEM TO JUST TAKE IT OF THE BILL! On top of that we asked for Shrimp and chicken alfredo NO SHRIMP and THEY SAID THEY WOULD DISCOUNT FOR NO SHRIMP (DID NOT ON THE BILL) paid Everything because that wasn't the issue but they just opened and have a party of 20 and 1 person wants to make an exchange and you say no because your menu has fine print in it's Hot contract is CRAZY! AND IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLY HOT 🔥 UPSTAIRS. *sidenote they did give ONE person in our party a PASS. I wonder why? But you could...

We had the opportunity of dining at the Owings Mills site with a visitor from london. We thought that this would be an amazing opportunity for her to get Maryland seafood and one of the finest restaurants for seafood. We started off with the the soups and fried oysters. Unfortunately out of the six or so fried oysters only three of them were not spoiled. The soups were curdled unfortunately so it had a very thin cottage cheese texture which I've never experienced here in Maryland with cream-based seafood soups. She ordered a crab cake and shrimp salad and bacon sandwich with fries. The fries were cold and she took one bite of the sandwich and wasn't happy with it on any level. We did not even try it because when we looked at the cut piece we can certainly say that is not a crab cake that is Maryland strong. We were informed that management does not give refunds once it hits the table. Not the type of policy that I've ever experienced, but I don't think that this is Management's fault they have to use a great amount of discretion because I'm assuming that because the meals are expensive you may have people who are purchasing and eating a half or more and then returning it because they want their full refund. This unfortunately was not the case even the french fries nor the bacon on the sandwich were properly cooked and were freezing cold when they reach the table. None of us were satisfied with our food but we only had one item to return and that is our friend from London's. I was so pleased that after speaking with Troy, the Manager, he refunded her meal at minimal we did not ask for any refunds on the other food because we basically ate it and it would be unfair to ask. We had a bill for four people over $100 even with her meal refunded. She loved her drink as did sll of us. One person didn't eat they only had appetizers. Marie/y was new and just started but she was really nice and pleasant so I give the three stars purely on the customer service unfortunately I was really let down. I was so excited about having oysters closer to Owings Mills rather than having to go to Reisterstown to Reters or Oceanaire downtown. By the way I'm not sure if Troy is married but he certainly is a looker he is definitely a sight for sore eyes. At least that is what our...

My recent visit to Mama's on the Half Shell in Owings Mills provided a mixed dining experience that left me with contrasting impressions.

To start on a positive note, the drinks were a highlight of the evening. We opted for an old fashioned and a crush, both of which were well-crafted and enjoyable. Despite my recent switch to Manhattans, the old fashioned proved irresistible, and I ended up ordering two. The shrimp dish stood out as a highlight, offering a delightful burst of flavor. On the downside, the fries accompanying the meal were rather average.

Moving on to the main course, the Chicken Chesapeake arrived surprisingly quickly, contrary to my recollection of needing advance ordering at the original Canton location. Unfortunately, the dish fell short of expectations, with dry chicken and merely average potatoes. If I were to return, I'd likely stick to the shrimp, which left a more positive impression.

The scallop appetizer, however, was a success. Served piping hot, it provided a delicious introduction to the meal.

One aspect that added to my mixed feelings was the 18% gratuity automatically added to the bill. While I appreciate the convenience of this practice, our server failed to communicate this beforehand. As a habitual tipper, I usually start at 20%, and this almost led to an inadvertent double-tip. Interestingly, I confirmed that the Canton location, does NOT, enforce an auto gratuity, applying it only after 9 PM or for parties of 6 or more. The discrepancy between the two locations raises questions about the reasoning behind this policy difference.

Despite these culinary and service nuances, Mama's on the Half Shell in Owings Mills boasts a beautiful atmosphere and commendable customer service. The auto gratuity, however, left me questioning the consistency of their policies between locations.

In summary, Mama's on the Half Shell in Owings Mills offers a mixed bag – delicious drinks, standout shrimp, and a few disappointments in between. It's a place worth considering, but perhaps with a cautious eye on the...