We went to Mama Dip's restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. The food is terrible, the staff is awful and the entire restaurant is in need of updating. This wouldn't be so bad if the food was better. The chicken and dumplings were from a can, the biscuits were hard, dry and old. The rolls were from a package. I can not recommend this restaurant to anyone for any reason. Do not go to this restaurant, it will be a waste of money and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Plus the prices are way off based upon the quality of the food. JUST AWFUL, JUST AWFUL!!
Laura Carson
Sorry Mama Dip, amy husband and I are ourselves very good cookers of down-home southern cooking so after hearing about Mama Dip’s Kitchen we traveled an hour and a half for what we were hoping was some good old southern soul food. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!!! The menu looked appetizing and we were eager to try several items, we started with appetizers, sweet potato biscuits , and a combo plate consisting of fried green tomatoes,fried cauliflower, fried broccoli and fried pickles . The biscuits were about the size of a half dollar, hard and tasteless. spreading the cold butter on them to try and soften them up was near to impossible. The fried tomatoes were sliced too thick, tough and bland. The only real edible part was the fried broccoli which was very small fried bites. I ordered BBQ chicken, butter beans and collard greens with a side order of chicken and dumplings and cornbread. The chicken looked and tasted like they had sprinkled some dry substance on it that may have had a very slight BBQ bland flavor after being baked. The greens were from a can and the cornbread was flat and dry, but the absolute worst was the chicken and dumplings which were watery, super bland and the dumplings were as thin as a dime, definitely from a can, and not a good quality canned product! it was inedible . My husband’s fried chicken was ok after adding some salt and his mashed potatoes were fine as well as the butter beans, however the yeast rolls were from a can. When the waitress come to ask how everything was I was politely honest and said we weren’t happy with the quality or the taste of most of the food and since I wasn’t able to eat any of the chicken and dumplings could she please remove them from the check but we were willing to pay for everything else since we had eaten portions of it. She turned and left and never came back! after about ten minutes an overly happy woman came and said to follow her to the checkout. I asked about deducting the chicken and dumplings because I hadn’t been able to eat them, and she overly happily said they could not deduct the cost once ordered. I paid the check without a fuss and just as happily told her we would never be back! I wonder if Mama Dip, now being 100 years old knows how bad the quality of her food is. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t always as bad. A warning to all who read this, dip your forks elsewhere and don’t waste your time or money!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Alvin Lin
An utter disappointment from beginning to end. We ordered the Smothered Pork, fried chicken and fired green tomatoes.The pork was okay, lacked any flavor. Fried chicken was profoundly, terrible. Dry, lacking any hint of flavor.Green tomatoes were edible, I guess.The biscuits and cornbread were soooo dry and tasteless.Anyone that reccomends this place is undeserving of an opinion on food/flavors.Mama Dip, may you RIP, would be so upset at the direction the kitchen has taken. To the owners and managers, this establishment is a massive disservice to Mama Dip.Absolute shame.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Mark Turner
I have to be honest, this one landmark in Chapel hill has gone South!The fried chicken is dry and not seasoned, I ate 2 pieces and sent it back only to receive more dry unseasoned chicken, 20$ for 1/2 chicken jerky.I suggest the cooks travel over to Duke East Campus Student Union on Thursday at lunch they serve the best fried chicken in the state, maybe y’all could get their recipe.The cornbread is awful please change the recipe.The best thing we ate today was the coleslaw and okra were as we expected (good)We did not read the reviews on line until we had already eaten and I don’t think the management reads them either.
Milena Hernandez
I hate to leave a bad review but this food was not good at all. I do not consider this southern food, it is extremely bland and not worth the price at all. Service and atmosphere was fine but definitely needs work on their food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Martin Brown
Great down home cooking in a family friendly place. I've been eating here 43 yearsVegetarian options: My wife loves the vegetable plateParking: AmpleKid-friendliness: First restaurant we took our kids.Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp from the sidewalk
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bill Bryan
Classic country feel and amazing home cooked southern food. I always feel at home here and leave with a full belly and a take-out box! Chicken and dumplins on a cold rainy day will make everything in your life perfect! Grab a slice of pie or a cobbler too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Catfish, Pie, Dumplings, Chicken & Dumplings Side of Greens and Yams
Vickie Spicer
Great food perfect 10 !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brunswick Stew, Dumplings, Chicken & Dumplings Side of Greens and Yams
Ann Burrus
Love Mama Dips! Food is always great and the service is exceptional!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bryan L.
The food quality can be VERY spotty. Our favorite is dark meat chicken and gravy. Sometimes the food is bland and dry, others it's perfect. It seems to have gotten more inconsistent since the original Mama Dip sadly passed away. It's still a legendary place in Chapel Hill but I hope they aren't forced to close.
The food was absolutely perfect....not overly seasoned and everything was fresh and delicious?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sweet Potato Biscuits, Macaroni and Cheese, Smothered Pork Chops, Catfish, Chicken & Dumplings Side of Greens and Yams
Will Stanaland IV
The food at Mama Dip's is out of this world delicious. The staff was quite awkward. Remember servers and supporting staff, your attitude and how you treat your guests, is a large part of the dining experience. I will be back soon and would love to update this review in a more positive light.
Try this place at your own risk! My experience was uneventful to be polite. We can start with a $65 bill for 2 - robbery. That included 1 - 3 piece Chicken dinner (white), 1 - Fish & Shrimp Combo, 2 - premium sides, 2 - waters + 1 - lightly sweetened Tea (no refill.)So, let's get into it... There are no pictures b/c we want others to judge it for themselves & not off the pictures. We should've known what it was from the gate with the dynamic of people inside eating & coming out. But we gave it a shot. At second glance, the amount of microwave work told us to cut & run while standing in the front waiting to be seated. But we held strong & took our seats. The list of desserts on the table brightened the mood a bit before ordering, so we proceeded. We ordered (see list above,) waited & waited, but it wasn't packed. Giving benefit of doubt... maybe everything is freshly made to order. We get our food & I instantly knew right then we were going somewhere else to eat afterwards...!Chicken was heat hot, but hardly seasoned. The Fish and Shrimp Combo was heat hot. Be warned - This combo consist of half of a Catfish fillet & 4-6 salad Shrimp. I've had dinner shrimp with the shrimp tails being bigger than these shrimp that came with this combo. The 2 - sides that come with each dinner that you're forced to order ALL tasted straight out of a can. The premium sides were OK (mac & cheese, fried okra.) No need to tear down the biscuit & cornbread b/c they crumble on their own... which lead to no desserts based on the taste of everything else. Or maybe all the ingredients are saved for the desserts... but if you're ever in Chapel Hill & looking for a meal - try this place for yourself!
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 4
Kelly S.
The fried chicken was recommended to us. We didn't eat any sides: just chicken. Our experience: 1. DRY 2. No seasoning 3. Smallest chicken I have ever seen 4. Did I say DRY? Pass for us
We went to Mama Dip's restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. The food is terrible, the staff is awful and the entire restaurant is in need of updating. This wouldn't be so bad if the food was better. The chicken and dumplings were from a can, the biscuits were hard, dry and old. The rolls were from a package. I can not recommend this restaurant to anyone for any reason. Do not go to this restaurant, it will be a waste of money and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Plus the prices are way off based upon the quality of the food. JUST AWFUL, JUST AWFUL!!
Sorry Mama Dip, amy husband and I are ourselves very good cookers of down-home southern cooking so after hearing about Mama Dip’s Kitchen we traveled an hour and a half for what we were hoping was some good old southern soul food. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!!! The menu looked appetizing and we were eager to try several items, we started with appetizers, sweet potato biscuits , and a combo plate consisting of fried green tomatoes,fried cauliflower, fried broccoli and fried pickles . The biscuits were about the size of a half dollar, hard and tasteless. spreading the cold butter on them to try and soften them up was near to impossible. The fried tomatoes were sliced too thick, tough and bland. The only real edible part was the fried broccoli which was very small fried bites. I ordered BBQ chicken, butter beans and collard greens with a side order of chicken and dumplings and cornbread. The chicken looked and tasted like they had sprinkled some dry substance on it that may have had a very slight BBQ bland flavor after being baked. The greens were from a can and the cornbread was flat and dry, but the absolute worst was the chicken and dumplings which were watery, super bland and the dumplings were as thin as a dime, definitely from a can, and not a good quality canned product! it was inedible . My husband’s fried chicken was ok after adding some salt and his mashed potatoes were fine as well as the butter beans, however the yeast rolls were from a can. When the waitress come to ask how everything was I was politely honest and said we weren’t happy with the quality or the taste of most of the food and since I wasn’t able to eat any of the chicken and dumplings could she please remove them from the check but we were willing to pay for everything else since we had eaten portions of it. She turned and left and never came back! after about ten minutes an overly happy woman came and said to follow her to the checkout. I asked about deducting the chicken and dumplings because I hadn’t been able to eat them, and she overly happily said they could not deduct the cost once ordered. I paid the check without a fuss and just as happily told her we would never be back! I wonder if Mama Dip, now being 100 years old knows how bad the quality of her food is. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t always as bad. A warning to all who read this, dip your forks elsewhere and don’t waste your time or money!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
An utter disappointment from beginning to end. We ordered the Smothered Pork, fried chicken and fired green tomatoes.The pork was okay, lacked any flavor. Fried chicken was profoundly, terrible. Dry, lacking any hint of flavor.Green tomatoes were edible, I guess.The biscuits and cornbread were soooo dry and tasteless.Anyone that reccomends this place is undeserving of an opinion on food/flavors.Mama Dip, may you RIP, would be so upset at the direction the kitchen has taken. To the owners and managers, this establishment is a massive disservice to Mama Dip.Absolute shame.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
I have to be honest, this one landmark in Chapel hill has gone South!The fried chicken is dry and not seasoned, I ate 2 pieces and sent it back only to receive more dry unseasoned chicken, 20$ for 1/2 chicken jerky.I suggest the cooks travel over to Duke East Campus Student Union on Thursday at lunch they serve the best fried chicken in the state, maybe y’all could get their recipe.The cornbread is awful please change the recipe.The best thing we ate today was the coleslaw and okra were as we expected (good)We did not read the reviews on line until we had already eaten and I don’t think the management reads them either.
I hate to leave a bad review but this food was not good at all. I do not consider this southern food, it is extremely bland and not worth the price at all. Service and atmosphere was fine but definitely needs work on their food.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Great down home cooking in a family friendly place. I've been eating here 43 yearsVegetarian options: My wife loves the vegetable plateParking: AmpleKid-friendliness: First restaurant we took our kids.Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp from the sidewalk
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Classic country feel and amazing home cooked southern food. I always feel at home here and leave with a full belly and a take-out box! Chicken and dumplins on a cold rainy day will make everything in your life perfect! Grab a slice of pie or a cobbler too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Catfish, Pie, Dumplings, Chicken & Dumplings Side of Greens and Yams
Great food perfect 10 !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brunswick Stew, Dumplings, Chicken & Dumplings Side of Greens and Yams
Love Mama Dips! Food is always great and the service is exceptional!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food quality can be VERY spotty. Our favorite is dark meat chicken and gravy. Sometimes the food is bland and dry, others it's perfect. It seems to have gotten more inconsistent since the original Mama Dip sadly passed away. It's still a legendary place in Chapel Hill but I hope they aren't forced to close.
Restaurantji Recommends
OK food and service. Great country vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
The food was absolutely perfect....not overly seasoned and everything was fresh and delicious?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sweet Potato Biscuits, Macaroni and Cheese, Smothered Pork Chops, Catfish, Chicken & Dumplings Side of Greens and Yams
The food at Mama Dip's is out of this world delicious. The staff was quite awkward. Remember servers and supporting staff, your attitude and how you treat your guests, is a large part of the dining experience. I will be back soon and would love to update this review in a more positive light.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Smothered Pork Chops, Half Fried Chicken, Pie, Gravy, Dumplings
Try this place at your own risk! My experience was uneventful to be polite. We can start with a $65 bill for 2 - robbery. That included 1 - 3 piece Chicken dinner (white), 1 - Fish & Shrimp Combo, 2 - premium sides, 2 - waters + 1 - lightly sweetened Tea (no refill.)So, let's get into it... There are no pictures b/c we want others to judge it for themselves & not off the pictures. We should've known what it was from the gate with the dynamic of people inside eating & coming out. But we gave it a shot. At second glance, the amount of microwave work told us to cut & run while standing in the front waiting to be seated. But we held strong & took our seats. The list of desserts on the table brightened the mood a bit before ordering, so we proceeded. We ordered (see list above,) waited & waited, but it wasn't packed. Giving benefit of doubt... maybe everything is freshly made to order. We get our food & I instantly knew right then we were going somewhere else to eat afterwards...!Chicken was heat hot, but hardly seasoned. The Fish and Shrimp Combo was heat hot. Be warned - This combo consist of half of a Catfish fillet & 4-6 salad Shrimp. I've had dinner shrimp with the shrimp tails being bigger than these shrimp that came with this combo. The 2 - sides that come with each dinner that you're forced to order ALL tasted straight out of a can. The premium sides were OK (mac & cheese, fried okra.) No need to tear down the biscuit & cornbread b/c they crumble on their own... which lead to no desserts based on the taste of everything else. Or maybe all the ingredients are saved for the desserts... but if you're ever in Chapel Hill & looking for a meal - try this place for yourself!
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 4
The fried chicken was recommended to us. We didn't eat any sides: just chicken. Our experience: 1. DRY 2. No seasoning 3. Smallest chicken I have ever seen 4. Did I say DRY? Pass for us