Mass. Hidden Gems: Sometimes, that amazing restaurant you love comes back
SPRINGFIELD — Sometimes, when I eat a big, delicious sandwich, I get a little sleepy. It makes sense. All the bread (and usually meats) can do a number on your body.
Then there's the po'boy from Mamou in Springfield . It's a sandwich with some kind of magic to it. When I left my late lunch at the reenvisioned Cajun mainstay, I expected the typical post-meal crash. Instead, I felt invigorated.
I had just housed a blackened catfish po'boy (with a side fries and then bread pudding for dessert) and felt like A) I could run through a brick wall and B) make an hour-long drive on the Mass. Pike without starting to drag from a post-meal crash.
Fortunately, only one of those came into play.
That's the power of Cajun seasoning — and a beloved restaurant coming back after the original closed.
Mass. Hidden Gems: Mamou in Springfield
The "Mamou" name is famous in Springfield. That's because of the legacy left by Chef Wayne's Big Mamou, which opened in 1996 and closed in 2020.
Chef Ivan Felix trained under original Big Mamou owner Chef Wayne Hooker , whose New Orleans-inspired cuisine was the stuff of legend around Springfield.
The city recently lost Hooker, who died in November at the age of 70 , five years after he retired and closed his Liberty Street restaurant.
In many cases, that would mark the end of the story for a beloved restaurant. But not this time.
That's because of chef Ivan Felix, who learned under Hooker at Big Mamou. In August, Felix opened Mamou on Worthington Street, a couple blocks from the original restaurant, as a welcome addition to one of the city's main business hubs.
Mamou is a little different in terms of atmosphere. The dining room is bigger. There's a large bar. The decor is sleek and polished, a departure from the rustic hole-in-the-wall vibes of the original.
But Mamou carries the torch where it matters most: the food.
Earlier this year, Felix told MassLive that customers are getting "a good 90%" of what they remember from the old menu at Big Mamou.
The Étoufée with Crawfish comes with a side of cornbread at The Mamou at 272 Worthington Street, Springfield, Mass.Sebastian Restrepo
What's good on the menu?
There really aren't many places in Massachusetts where you can get a po' boy that will knock your socks off. So that's my top choice here.
I like going with the blackened catfish version, fully dressed (with spicy mayo and green onions). But feel free to explore the extended Mamou protein universe: chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage, fried oysters or eggplant. You typically have the choice to get your protein blackened or fried.
If you're at all familiar with Cajun food, you've probably herd terms like "jambalaya," "gumbo" and "étoufée." Not only are those words fun to say, they're remarkably fun to order and eat.
The jabalaya is a magnificent medley of chicken, shrimp and sausage on rice with a savory gravy that will have you discovering new frontiers of spicy flavor.
I don't always get soup when I go out to eat. But when I do, it's when a restaurant has amazing options like Mamou's gumbo or chicken & corn chowder.
These are soups that will actually fill you up and fire off a cannon of rich, voluptuous flavors with each spoonful. The gumbo builds on a brilliant roux with some top-tier chicken, rice and excellent implementation of okra.
The fun thing about Cajun food is that even the dishes that sound boring can be fantastic. That's the case with red beans & rice.
The name doesn't spark much intrigue. But with each bite, the veil is drawn back to reveal one of the most satisfyingly simple meals you can have. Getting some blackened chicken on the side doesn't hurt either.
One recurring theme that stood out to me at Mamou is that the restaurant excelled at things it didn't really need to.
For example, my po'boy came with fries. I would have been perfectly content with an average side of fries. But instead, I got beautifully seasoned spud spears that had a delightful, earthy buzz of spice to them. I wasn't expecting that.
The return of a familiar classic of Springfield staples - The Mamou can be found at 272 Worthington Street, Springfield, Mass.Sebastian Restrepo
The hidden gem that came back
When we launched our "Mass. Hidden Gems" series earlier this year, I found myself thinking, "Man, the old Big Mamou would have been perfect for this."
That's why I was so excited when I saw that it had returned in a different form on Worthington Street. Not only is Mamou back in name, it has the food to match.
When I visited, I tried to temper my expectations. Whenever restaurants close, we tend to look back at them through rose-colored glasses.
It turns out that there was no need for that. Chef Felix (along with chef Jose Correa) has pulled off something remarkable.
The restaurant industry is a brutal one. Even when a place has amazing food, a great space and a loyal following, keeping a restaurant alive is hard.
Taking over after a restaurant has already closed? That's basically a miracle in the food industry — and we all get to reap the benefits.
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Check them out: Website | Facebook
What's the address?— 272-278 Worthington St., Springfield, Massachusetts, 01103
What's the parking situation?— No dedicated parking lot. Instead, you'll have to find a street spot nearby or use one of the private lots. There is a private lot across the street run by ProPark.
When are they open?— Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing.
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Monday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
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Tuesday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
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Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
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Thursday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
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Friday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
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Saturday: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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Sunday: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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Mass. Hidden Gems is a series highlighting restaurants and other businesses across the Bay State that we think deserve more attention. You can check out the rest of the series here .
Have a hidden gem that you think we should check out? Email nomalley@masslive.com your favorites.
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