Proud Mary’s

I’ve been here 4 times and loved the music and food and wine every time. It’s a great place to bring friends and family. Thursday night the music is played at an ambient level so it’s perfect for a date. Try shrimp and grits if your hungry or get here during happy hour for a delicious small plate… only $ 5!

Proud Mary’s is a darling little place with classic southern style and décor. The entertainment is excellent and the southern food is spot on!!! Their shrimp and jalapeño grits are to die for. I’m looking forward to my next trip to San Diego just to eat their southern delights while listening to great musicians

This place is really great. It’s off the beaten path and generally not crowded. Their fried chicken is the bomb!

Consistently good food. Love the jambalaya. Nice ambiance. Had a great bottle of zin half off on Thursday night.

Great food and great service. Everything was made with care. The owner even made up a drink for me based on my preferences of just vodka, fruity but not sweet. When you go in there… ask him to make you a «Nice Job»…that’s the name we gave it. Also… ask for the homemade infused bourbon, it’s like drinking an apple pie. Love this place, comfort food beyond measure.

I was staying at the hotel next door and needed dinner. I saw that Proud Mary’s was a Cajun restaurant next door. Looking at their menu online I saw chicken and sausage gumbo over white rice and said to myself that’s exactly what I want so I walked over.
Upon entering the restaurant, I saw a large room that serves as the restaurant/​bar for the Ramada Inn. However I liked the interior décor with a lot of Big Easy and South Louisiana artwork.
I ordered the chicken and sausage gumbo along with a side salad. The salad came out first. It was a spring salad mix and was good (3.5). The entrée came out about 10 minutes later (see pic). First of all, that’s not a gumbo. It’s more of an étouffée. In other words it was too dry. Gumbo is a little soupy and this wasn’t. It had a lot of sausage in it and not as much chicken. The taste was ok (3) but really wasn’t a gumbo. For a gumbo I have to give this meal a 2. Plus my iced tea was $ 3.50 and that’s too expensive. For dessert I ordered two scoops of vanilla ice cream which was good.
However the entrée was a disappointment and that’s why I give an overall score of 2. I have had much better. Sorry!

We came out to visit this place chicken dinner was great. Bread pudding was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Great atmosphere great music. Jeremy was our server and gave us exceptional service you must come out and try.

A truly hidden gem located in a Ramada hotel! Quaint little spot to have delicious cocktails and pretty tasty southern food. Definitely try the Bourbon Slushy! Went for happy hour and stayed 3 hours! The chicken fried asparagus spears were well prepared and lots of flavor with the Chipotle ranch they were served with. The mac and cheese could have used a bit more flavor I think but the crushed goldfish crackers on top gave it a little umph! Will definitely go back again!

Found this place by accident, this was the 2^nd time I’ve been here. I was checking Unilocal while sitting in the parking lot at Daiso nearby, and this place comes up. Well duh, of course I’m gonna try Southern food, no brainer. That’s how I found this place.
Their biscuits are freaking amazing, me and my friend always order more. This is the 2^nd time we’ve shared their fried chicken dinner, so yummy. Their crab avocado dip is also excellent. They have live blues music on the weekends, check out their schedule on their site. Haven’t tried any of their drinks, go for the food.

Have to add that the Fried Pickles were excellent with Ranch! The Bartender was awesome once again. He rather than she (Michelle) took about if extra time to explain the traditional sides and sauces to help me achieve the perfect to go order on my BDay!
Another Happy Hour with the great Proud Mary’s Staff and good Jazz on the way!

This place is great! Not many places in san diego where you can listen to blues and enjoy great food! I came on thursday when they had some live music. Pretty chill bluesy vibe. I got the shrimp and grits which was pretty flavorful. My fam is from the south and grits a lot… these grits were pretty drowned in the sauce. but either way still very tasty. Got the food in a very timely manner. Cant wait to try out the rest of the menu. Not a 5 star just because the dish was very simple with no side and the venue needs a more lively crowd. Music is good.

I can’t believe this place actually calls themselves a southern food bar. I’m from the south, and let me tell you. The food here is MEDIOCRE. I was so excited to try this but it was so disappointing. It was super loud in the bar. I understand there was a live show, but it wasn’t a concert. I shouldn’t have to scream at the person sitting next to me. I got the fried chicken. It was over cooked. The skin was flavorless, and it was just greasy. It can’t be greasy and have NO flavor, that’s just gross. My friend got a shrimp dish and the seasoning just didn’t go well. Tasted like it was rolled around in vinegar and tossed on a plate. Service was decent. But food is LACKING and that’s what I came for.

Great music, the food was pretty good, although my husband couldn’t eat his gumbo, it was way too spicy, my BonBon’s were tasty. Others had various dishes they enjoyed, especially the Mac and cheese. Wish we could have stayed longer for the music, another couple said it just got better and better.
Wasn’t thrilled with the servers response of «we WILL NOT split a check» when one of the couples asked about it, he could have said it much much nicer than he did.
Another place that forces an 18% tip on you, regardless, so that’s all they get, no matter how good the service is (not that it was exceptional service but he would have got more if they hadn’t tacked it on.)

I had a bad feeling when we walked up and saw that the restaurant was dead empty, but we felt obligated to eat here anyways. Huge mistake.
I was under some impression that the food would be affordable at Proud Mary’s – but then again I made that assumption by looking at the pictures on Unilocal.Almost any plate of food was around $ 16 on average while some of the more interesting items on the menu would easily set you back $ 20+.
THIS LOW 1– STAR RATING IS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE JAMBALAYA.
Ordered the jambalaya and it was quite possibly the worst I have ever eaten. It was an overload of spices to the point that I questioned did the chef accidentally spill few extra tablespoons of cumin? But that wasn’t the horrible part about the jambalaya, the entire bowl was full of pulled chicken and sausage. Every bite was pulled chicken and sausage with only two pieces of mini shrimp. It was actually gross to keep eating bite after bite of meat but no actual pieces of green bell pepper, celery or onions. Unforgivable jambalaya served to me and the chef and server working that night know what they were serving was poor quality food without a doubt.
I swear the shrimp used was as tiny as a dime coin and looked like it came straight out of a freezer bag. I was only able to find two pieces of shrimp in my bowl which feels even more like a ripoff. To make matters worse there was barely any rice to be found in my bowl and the bowl was so saucy that it was more like eating a stew than a bowl of jambalaya. Where is the rice? WTF?
As for the chicken & waffles, it was more like a slop of crap even though the fried chicken was okay. Why they added a slice of cheese to the fried chicken and used sriracha syrup sauce is beyond me.
They made something so simple such as chicken & waffles into a complicated even more unhealthier mess of food. I didn’t even bother to take a bite of the bacon since I was already eating waffles and fried chicken yet somehow still actually care about my cardio-​vascualr muscle. No thank you chef death!
I know of so many other restaurants where the food is of higher quality and the prices are cheaper than here at Proud Mary’s. We both left with upset stomachs and very disappointed at the poor quality of food while charging us some fancy restaurant prices.
There is the old saying, «You get what you pay for.» Well that saying does not apply here.
Do yourself a favor and try Bud’s Café Creole/​cajun food before you even think about eating here.

I never would have thought such a great Happy Hour destination existed in the Ramada Inn Hotel. But, once a co-​worker told me about the good Happy Hour at Proud Mary’s Southern Bar & Grill, I knew we had to check it out. She specifically told me about the mac ‘n cheese, and, since I’m always on the hunt for a great mac ‘n cheese, I was down to check the place out.
We went for dinner on a Friday night around 5 p.m. – Happy Hour is from 4 – 6 p.m. – and I was surprised to find that the place was practically empty. Proud Mary’s was pretty easy to find — there’s a big sign and you can take advantage of the Ramada Inn’s ample parking. But when I walked into the restaurant at around 5 p.m., there were only a few people sitting at the bar and all of the tables were empty! Not really knowing what to do, I just sat myself down and waited for a server to come (the only guy there was behind the bar, helping customers).
My friend and her husband joined me a few minutes later, and a server came and brought us waters and gave us menus. I initially thought all appetizers on the menu were $ 5 during Happy Hour (from what my co-​worker said), but it turns out that Proud Mary’s features a separate, smaller Happy Hour menu. But it’s okay — even though the mac ‘n cheese was not part of that Happy Hour menu, I knew I wanted to try it anyway!
We decided to order several appetizers and share them, family style. I definitely found some of my favorite dishes from the appetizers and Happy Hour menu:
«Proud Mary’s Mac ‘n Cheese»: Although this dish is not part of the Happy Hour menu, it’s worth trying if you love mac ‘n cheese. Though this app isn’t as cheesy as some other mac ‘n cheeses, I enjoyed its creamy texture. It featured five different cheeses and a hint of Cajun spice with a baked (breadcrumb) topping. I couldn’t really detect the Cajun spice (was probably very light), but the breadcrumb topping added a crispy, crunchy layer and more texture to the dish (the top layer of a good mac ‘n cheese dish is always important). I probably would have liked it more if there was a more prevalent cheese flavor (sharp Cheddar or blue cheese), but this savory dish was still delightful.
«Shrimp & Crab Bön-​Bons»: I couldn’t picture paying the regular $ 8.99 for this appetizer when it’s not Happy Hour, since you only get three pieces with this dish! But during Happy Hour, it’s totally worth the $ 5 price. The deep-​fried shrimp-​and-​crab bite-​size morsels are served in a remoulade and diablo sauce, which had more kick to it than the mac ‘n cheese. I loved the creamy shrimp-​and-​crab bites, and I would order this app again, but only during Happy Hour.
«Shakin’ Bacon Tater Tots»: This was probably one of my favorite dishes on the Happy Hour menu. Consisting of tater tots topped with bacon bits and the creamy five-​cheese mac ‘n cheese sauce, these little tots were absolutely addicting! If I were ordering for myself during Happy Hour, I would probably just get these tots and the bread basket (see below) and be completely satisfied. Or, possibly, these tots and one of the available desserts. This is a must-​get app, especially if you’re at Proud Mary’s with a larger group of people (you might want to order more than one).
«Basket of Biscuits»: The bread basket cost $ 3.99, and it features several different breads (I tried all three and they’re all great!). The cornbread pieces remind me of the muffies (muffin tops) you can find at Panera Bread, and they were warm, moist and chewy … and without corn kernels, just how I like my cornbread. The fresh-​baked biscuits sported a crumbly exterior and moist, soft interior, and they were served with honey butter — what a great pairing! I would get this bread basket again for these biscuits alone. Finally, the third type of bread (it was a harder one in a triangle piece, sort of like a sourdough), was not as moist as the other two, but it was great for sopping up extra cream sauce from the mac ‘n cheese and the tater tots. I especially appreciated how fresh and warm the rolls were; the variety was great and I would order these biscuits again in a heartbeat.

Met a few co workers for happy hour and to try out some good food ~ we hoped! I was blown away! All of their appetizers are $ 5 so I tried a couple. Started with the bacon tater tots. Tots covered in melty cheese & covered with bacon ~ mmmmmmm!!! Ordered the chicken & waffles next ~ just as good! Chicken was perfect. Someone else ordered the fried pickles and we both agreed they were the best we’ve every had! I like that they fry the spear and not slices. I wanted to try the jambalaya, but I was stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite. Next time.
Most HHs I’m drawn to are for the drinks, it’s the food here. Don’t pass on the bourbon slushie tho, I had two!
As we were leaving live music was being set up.

Cute little place. I came here for HH with some coworkers. Wasn’t that impressed with the HH menu but my coworkers enjoyed their food.
Will write an updated review when I go back for dinner one day as I want to try their fried chicken which I hear is really good!

I am so happy that one of my coworkers suggested this place for our happy hour meeting! Word!!!
Easy to find, easy to park, not yet that popular so easy to sit down, great happy hour prices, amazing food, attentive and personal service (Jeremy!!), no hipsters, no pretentiousness! The décor is pretty basic, but even this designer chick can live with that, because the other things much outweigh that.
As mentioned I only tried this place for happy hour. I had a bourbon slushie ($ 3.50) and chicken and waffles (at around $ 5.00). The slushie was strong and yummy! It is great to have a blended drink for a change. And they top it off with the bourbon so it is the real deal. You only need two or three max, trust me! Chicken and waffles was delicious and was a perfect little bite between the happy hour drinks.
My whole group can’t wait to come back here again for happy hour. And I would be curious to try it out for dinner some time.

One woman can make you fly like an eagle, another can give you the strength of a lion, but only one in the cycle of life can fill your heart with wonder and the wisdom that you have known a singular joy.
Twin Peaks
Growing up as a latchkey kid I recall Friday nights running down El Cajon Blvd. to the local KFC for dinner. That was the golden age of fast food fried chicken with a choice of KFC, Pioneer Chicken, and Picnic n’ Chicken. Now I drive around town searching for good fried chicken. I read on Unilocal Proud Mary’s had the best so I bookmarked it to visit.
Watching Twin Peaks I was often left dazed and wondering what exactly happened the previous hour of my life. This place is like the Bang Bang Bar from the show. I wandered in here Thursday at dinner time. The bar and restaurant was empty except for the bartender. It was unsettling as the space was pretty big and the perfect spot for working the working man as there was big rig parking in the lot.
I ordered the fried chicken. You get half a chicken for $ 17. This was a huge dinner and I saved the biscuit for later. The biscuit was pretty good, kinda like KFC biscuits. The chicken had good crunchy batter, juicy, tender meat, and a unique flavor. Wish I could have had all dark meat. I rank it better than the Chicken Pie Shop or places like Coco’s but I didn’t feel that singular joy I felt after Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken. Like Twin Peaks this was a strange but satisfying experience.

TOOSDAY DATE NIGHT!!!
WIFE: Where ya taking me tonight?
CHUN: The Ramada…
WIFE: WTF? I think I deserve better… at least the Ramada hotel downtown???
CHUN: Actually… the one in Kearny Mesa…
WIFE: You better be joking! Gross!
CHUN: Um… no, I’m quite serious…
–The exterior entrance and building ain’t much, its not TGI Fridays or Olive Garden.
–The interior is on the tacky side, with a divey looking bar in the back.
–One lone, but friendly and efficient waitress/​bardtendress running a packed bar and 5 – 6 tables
–Besides one table with two 40-​something ladies, clientele was all men. I mean REAL men. Tough guys with manly jobs: truck drivers, construction workers, plumbers, mechanics, UPS employees, painters, welders… big arms, pot bellies, and no fashion sense whatsoever. Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. They want football and MMA on the big LCDs; Golf is for yuppy wussies.
However, the food here is frick’n delicious!!!
$ 5 Mac N Cheese… quite possibly the best $ 5 Mac N Cheese in Amurr’ca!
$ 12.99 Jambalaya… I’m pretty sure this is best Jambalaya I’ve ever had.
$ 15.99 Fried chicken dinner…2 breasts, 1 wing, 1 thigh, 1 leg, and absofucinglutely delicious! Its tastier, spicier, and a little hotter than the average fried chicken. Comes with veggies, mashed potatoes, and 2 biscuits… I had to ask for for a to-​go box (a rarity for me!)
***SIDE NOTES****
HAPPY HOUR: $ 3.50 draft beers, $ 4.25 Wells, $ 5 Appetizers (including the awesome Mac N Cheese), and $ 3 Bourbon Slushies which you just have to try at least once. Or twice. Or more.
RAMADA: Yes, its kinda weird going to local hotel restaurant, but hey, if you’re too drunk to drive home: get a room! Cheaper than a DUI! Or if you’re saucy enough to seduce one of the local He-​Mans here, you can quickly get a cheap Ramada room… who knows, he might even pay.