With a name like “Mothers” it has to be good, right? Well, the restaurant definitely gets my seal of approval. Not that it needs it…but every vote counts. Mothers Grille has been around in Maryland since 1997, which is not to be overlooked. It means longevity in the very up and down restaurant business.

Have you seen how restaurants pop up and within a few years, or even months, they are gone? However, Mothers Grille is a neighborhood joint that has continued to expand. The restaurant has three locations in Maryland including Federal Hill, Arnold and Timonium.

I pass by Mothers North Grille in Timonium almost every day because it’s right off I-83, a well used interstate in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The big red heart with the word “Mothers” is endearing. I mean, how could it not be? Most of us have a mother, love a mother, or are a mother. It relates.

I’ve been side-eyeing this place for a while, but in a good way. One thing I noticed in my travels back and forth was there are usually loads of cars in the parking lot. I’m taking this as a good sign because the restaurant probably has a faithful flock, or it’s highly recommended for its food.

^{Shrimp Po’ boy with sweet potato fries}

In my case, I browsed the online menu and thought I might try this place someday. Then I heard someone talk about how they enjoyed going so it did not take much convincing to take a friend up on an offer to have dinner.

We went on a Saturday evening around 5 p.m. and it was already pretty packed. Nonetheless, we were seated quickly and the service was extremely prompt.

I started out with a mocktail. I don’t drink, but I love a good mocktail and the server recommended a drink from the Hurricane Janiece menu called the Category 0. This is a mocktail made with passionfruit syrup, orange, pineapple and lime juice. Delish!

I’ll admit. I was the problem. There was so much to choose from. The menu offerings ranged from an assortment of burgers and wings to crab cakes, Po’ boys, and Jambalaya. I settled on a Cubano Stack, which is a Dagwood style stacked pulled pork sandwich with Canadian bacon, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and garlic aioli served with homemade chips.

^{Top pic: Category 0 mocktail/Bottom pic: Cubano stacked sandwich with homemade chips}

I was not disappointed. I could come back and make that choice again. I love the smorgasbord of contrasting flavors combining to create this cheesy, dilly, savory and sweet combo. From the Canadian bacon to the pulled pork and the dill pickle, I was feeling it. I was, and my sandwich was talking back to me like, “You know you like this!”

It was sassy!

Now the one thing, I could pass on was the homemade chips. I won’t speak against it, but it’s generally not my favorite, and that’s across the board. I don’t take away from it because I know that people love homemade chips…it’s just a matter of preference. I would probably get fries.

My friend ordered the Jazz Fest Shrimp Po’ boy and she was also more than pleased. Served on a sub roll, it had fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato, and Cajun remoulade.

It was big enough that she couldn’t eat it all, which she loves because that means she can warm it up and eat it again. She kept remarking about how fluffy her toasted sub roll was. That was a real thing to her…she was impressed with that so I’m just reporting the raves. Bread choice is important.

And as any good friend and taste tester would do, I mooched off of my friend’s plate to taste the golden fried, well-seasoned shrimp and the remoulade sauce, which had a bite of tanginess. It was all good. And the sweet potato fries were crinkle cut and had just the right combination of salty and sweet.

Like I said, I could see another run to Mothers Grille in the near future. I could become a normie. Maybe this is how they’ve managed to stay open for over 25 years.