The woman in front of me in line started talking to me as soon as I walked up. Her mom had just died โ buried on Monday โ and she didnโt want to cook tonight. She and her husband had driven across town, from โAโ Mountain to Houghton and Irvington roads, to try YaMamaโs Soul Food.
โMy mom wouldโve loved this place,โ she told me on her way out.
YaMamaโs, 10265 E. Irvington Road, is a rare glimpse of Southern comfort cooking in Tucson. The restaurant also happens to operate out of a convenience store.
YaMama's Soul Food is owned by couple Lashell Lamay and Frank Montgomery.
Frank Montgomery co-owns YaMamaโs with his wife, Lashell Lamay. In addition to smoking all the meats for the restaurant in his backyard, he also runs an auto body shop and buys, renovates and sells or rents out houses in Tucson. โWeโre go-getters,โ Frank said.
The couple has raised seven kids together โ โand half the neighborhood,โ Frank said.
โNeighbors, cousins โ they knew when it was dinnertime,โ Lashell said.
Frankโs interest in real estate informed the location of the restaurant: โlots of foot traffic,โ he said, while being less expensive than midtown rent and closer to their home in Corona del Tucson. โIt was the opportunity to get a foot in without spending $400,000 for a building,โ he said.
Find YaMama's Soul Food at 10265 E. Irvington Road. Pictured is the fried okra.
The convenience store is more comfortable than most. It has a dining section with surprisingly cozy seating and windows with views of the Rincons. Youโll spot YaMamaโs menu, in the back right corner, as soon as you walk in, an inviting portal with specials offered by the number of meats on the plate: choose between ribs, pulled pork, barbecue chicken and hot links. Breaded chicken sandwiches are $2.59.
The menu is Southern comfort food: catfish, black eyed peas, greens, barbecue, fried okra, โrice and beans and cornbread,โ Lashell said. Their potato salad has a mustard base. Their recipes have been passed down between generations, taught to Frank and Lashell in childhood kitchens.
โI learned from my mom, just handed down through generations, his mom and grandma,โ Lashell said. โMy mom would come down, weโd share recipes. And once we got together, we were just the cooks of the family. Sunday dinners and all that.โ
YaMama's Soul Food has black eyed peas on the menu, among other sides that cost $3 each or come in a combination plate.
When I asked if any recipe had a special story or family connection, Frank said, โAll of them.โ
โHave you seen โSoul Food?โโ they asked. No, I admitted. (The movie came out when I was 14 months old.)
โThey invite the whole family to Sunday dinners, chicken to catfish, cornbread, everything. If you see the movie, thereโs always somebody in the family who thinks they can do the cornbread better. Itโs a competition, itโs fun.โ
YaMamaโs Soul Food Restaurant
Location: 10265 E. Irvington Road
Hours: Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday
For more information, check out their website or their Facebook page.
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