There are plenty of lunch spots in downtown Birmingham, but Yo Mama’s has a cult-like base of customers who come to the restaurant on a regular basis. Even attracting famous people who come in town to visit like Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Hillary Clinton.

Yo Mama’s was brought to Birmingham in 2014 by Denise Peterson, and her daughter Crystal Peterson. The restaurant is the dream of Denise, who retired from AT&T after more than three decades and who, for many years, catered on the side for family and friends. She runs the kitchen, and her daughter Crystal is the restaurant’s manager.

Since opening nine years ago, the restaurant has seen a lot of success. It was featured in an episode of Netflix’s “Fresh, Fried, and Crispy”, The Cooking Channel, and most recently named one of Birmingham’s Top 25 Restaurants to Dine In by Yelp. The Peterson duo is also set to open a new restaurant concept, after being awarded $1.3 million from the city of Birmingham.

The Second Avenue North staple is known for their Shrimp and Grits Plate, Fried Fish, Hot Chicken Plate, and their famous Chicken and Waffle, of which Crystal said they serve about 100 plates a day.

What’s so special about the Chicken and Waffle?

The chicken and waffle are served with optional fruit toppings like peaches or strawberries and blueberries with whipped topping and homemade syrup.

“The waffle mixed by hand from scratch everyday and our fried chicken wings are made with special seasoning, and it’s all gluten-free,” Crystal told AL.com. “Some restaurants don’t know the gluten-free cooking process because it’s easy to cross-contaminate. So we try to offer a healthier version of fried food. Everything on the menu is gluten-free.”

“Think of it as breakfast, lunch and dessert all in one dish,” AL.com’s Bob Carlton wrote in 2020. Initially served only during its twice-monthly Saturday brunches, the chicken and waffles have been on the regular daily menu since 2019.

The restaurant offers both bone-in and bone-out options to serve with the Belgian waffle. Lunch-goers can either get six fried chicken wings or three chicken tenders.

“It’s cuter to eat chicken tenders when you’re with your work colleagues,” Crystal said. “But the wings are a game-changer because the bone marrow gives a lot of flavor.”

Crystal added that a lot of other restaurants are offering chicken strips, instead of chicken tenders, because it’s cheaper due to the meat coming from the breast of a chicken and then cut into strips.

The restaurant was included on AL.com’s 2016 list of 50 Essential Birmingham Restaurants, and recently listed in Southern Living’s Best 30 Restaurants in Birmingham. Earlier this year, the restaurant was also named as a favorite by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and comedian Roy Wood Jr.

Also, in 2018, the Alabama Media Group recognized Denise Peterson as one of 30 Women Who Shape the State.