Soul food is exactly what it sounds like: food to feed your soul. With roots in Black American culture and the Southern States, it’s developed over generations – and it delivers big on comfort and flavor. Whether you’re feeling homesick, or you just want to spend some time bonding over a meal with your loved ones, a little soul food is sure to hit the spot. We’ve searched for the best soul food restaurants across the US, so you know where to go.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover America's most unmissable soul food restaurants, as we count down to our favorite of all.

Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.

Customers rate the service and ambiance at EllaEm’s Soul Food – and they especially love the 1980s music playing in the background. Favorite dishes include slow-cooked oxtail served swimming in gravy, beef meatloaf smothered in tomato sauce, golden fried shrimp and grits, and tender slices of grilled liver with sautéed onions.

The all-day breakfasts served at Homesteaders are nothing short of legendary, featuring the likes of scratch-made buttermilk pancakes, quality eggs, and locally sourced bacon, ham, and sausage. Other top orders at this cozy and classic Midwestern soul food spot include chicken-fried steak with mushroom gravy, and a burger called the Homebreaker, which comes topped with cheese, bacon, a fried egg, and Hollandaise sauce, with hash browns on the side.

Big portions of flavor-packed food are what you get at Kathryn’s Soul, a restaurant in Chicago French Market. Owner Kathryn Miles started cooking when she was 10 and, after working in the corporate world for 20 years, gave it up to pursue her restaurant dreams. Customers love the loaded baked potato with shrimp, cheese, bacon, sour cream, and chives, as well as the meatloaf, which comes with a choice of sides (including creamy spinach, mac ’n’ cheese, and garlic red skin potatoes). Regulars also rave about the banana pudding.

This boutique take on a soul food restaurant is both a purveyor of Creole-inspired cuisine and an intimate space for people to gather. Offering a home away from home, Soulé puts on a menu of Cajun salmon bites, blackened catfish, and honey-drizzled fried chicken – and it stirs up some excellent reviews. Diners love the shrimp and grits, and the dirty rice is a popular side.

Looking for comfort food that's healthy, too? Homey restaurant Vonda’s Kitchen has an all-day breakfast menu featuring spinach and ricotta pancakes, as well as silver dollar pancakes with berries and maple cream, which customers love. Meanwhile, classic Southern dishes such as fried chicken, fried catfish, and mac ’n’ cheese are made with fresh, local, organic ingredients.

The whole deep-fried Cornish hen might catch your eye when ordering from Sunday’s Eatery – and who could blame you? But there’s a lot more to this soul food spot's menu than this seasoned chicken, cooked to a deep golden brown. Fans say the fried ribs are among the best items on the menu, and they love the relaxed atmosphere, too. This popular joint is owned by Miami rapper Trick Daddy, and its All Purpose Soul Seasoning is available to buy online and in-store.

When the Morrison family moved to Charlotte, they couldn’t find any soul food – so they set up Nana Morrison’s Soul Food to fill the gap. Customers love how well seasoned and crunchy the skin is on the fried chicken, which is a firm menu favorite. The daily specials range from smothered meatballs to chicken Alfredo and meatloaf, and they're made even better with the addition of sides including sweet yams, cornbread, collard greens, and mac ’n’ cheese.

A cornerstone of its Cincinnati neighborhood, Rasheedah’s Cafe has been serving halal soul food to customers since 1993. From the fried chicken to the beef short ribs, salmon croquettes, and cornbread, everything is said to be phenomenal, and diners say it's like eating at home. Sides include mac ’n’ cheese and candied yams.

A welcoming atmosphere and speedy table service await those who venture into The So Full Café. Part of the Black Swan Catering Company, the café opens on Sundays, with a weekly changing menu that typically includes favorites such as smoked oxtails, fried pork chops, blackened catfish, and fried chicken wings. All meals come with bread and two sides (choose from the likes of candied yams, black-eyed peas, and fried okra).

Customers love the friendly service and good old-fashioned cooking at Nana's Kitchen, run by chef Toshia 'Nana' Ramsey. Highlights on the menu include beautifully presented waffles, rosemary baked chicken, smothered pork chops, and wing baskets, which come with a choice of seasoning (from Cajun to mango BBQ). Large portions are piled high on the plate, so no one goes home hungry.

Family-run carry-out spot Detroit Soul was founded in 2015 by brothers Jerome Brown and Samuel Van Buren. Although it's known for serving comfort food with a healthy twist, the spot doesn't compromise on flavor. The mac ’n’ cheese is popular with customers, while the pork chops, catfish, and fried chicken are also worth checking out. All meals come with two sides and a large cornbread muffin.

This cozy, welcoming eatery dishes up some of the best fried chicken in the state, and it's added to plates heaving with comforting sides. The tender, juicy, and crispy chicken can be paired with Caribbean rice, fried plantains, and potato salad, among other tasty accompaniments. The restaurant is run by Sandra Pittman, whose mother taught her how to cook – and how to cater for customers like they're family.

Customers at family-owned Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille comment on the friendly staff as much as the delicious food. Each day, you can get fried and baked chicken, catfish, and sides such as smoked turkey greens, sweet potatoes, and baked mac ’n’ cheese. There’s also a rotating menu featuring specials like spaghetti and salmon croquettes.

Simply Soulful is famous for its biscuit sandwiches (which come stuffed with egg, cheese, and your choice of meat), as well as shrimp and grits, and chicken and cornbread waffles. Another menu highlight, the sweet potato pie, is made from a recipe passed down through generations. The whole menu is a love letter to matriarch Mary Elizabeth Hammond, whose cooking lives on in the restaurant.

Oozing old-school vibes, Oakland’s Burdell is a joint infused with nostalgia. The menu is full of family recipes, and the ingredients are sourced from Black-owned businesses, so eating here is the perfect way to support the local community. Named Food & Wine’s top restaurant for 2024 (and with a Michelin Guide mention), Burdell is loved for its moist cornbread, its chicken liver mousse, and its boiled peanuts, which are served with peanut miso and house spice.

H&T's Home Cooking Restaurant was opened in 2005 by Hattie Palin and her husband Thomas. The pair vowed to provide 'the best homestyle meals with excellent service' – and, if reviews are anything go by, they're doing just that. Expect big helpings of classic soul food, including meatloaf, fried catfish, shrimp and cheese grits, and fried chicken. You can also find a second outpost in Madison.

This family-run restaurant, named after the owners' late mother Angelea, serves up traditional soul food using generations-old recipes that are full of flavor. The likes of smoked turkey leg, catfish nuggets, and smothered chicken are served up as heaping plates, with two sides and cornbread. Choose from collard greens, yams, rice, mac ’n’ cheese, and spaghetti to complete your meal.

Located in the historic Farmers Market building in the heart of Old Town Richmond, Croaker’s Spot is a seafood and soul food restaurant – and there's another branch in Petersburg. Specials like broiled haddock with vegetable rice and cornbread (pictured), plus menu items such as twin crab cake medallions, butterfly fried shrimp, and fried fish salad, show off the joint's skilled seafood preparation, while fried chicken wings deliver even more soul.

Longstanding neighborhood joint Bully’s Restaurant offers some real soul food classics. Running as a hospitality business in some form since 1903, it's been under the management of current owners Dave and Sherry since 2000. You can find neck bones, pig’s feet, chitterlings (hog’s intestines), beef tips with rice, fried catfish, and barbecued ribs on the menu. Delectable sides include mac ’n’ cheese, lima beans, yams, cabbage, okra, and fresh greens, and customers rave about them all.

Following the closure of soul food restaurant Simply Soul in 2018, Nay & Jay's food truck remains the only Black-owned eatery in the area. Its chicken wings are said to be the best in the state, and there's a menu of pizza puffs, sandwiches, and hot dogs with fries and tater tots. In 2025, the team set out to open a bricks-and-mortar location to create a permanent home for their soulful menu.

If you're looking for Southern food and traditions in the Carolina mountains, check out the Tupelo Honey Café in downtown Des Moines. Starting out in Asheville, North Carolina in 2000, this small chain soon arrived in Iowa, and the location gets plenty of attention. The menu changes with the seasons, but you can expect to find the likes of sriracha-honey fried chicken and waffles, bourbon-peppercorn glazed meatloaf, and blackened mahi-mahi with Creole butter.

Soul food with gourmet flair is what you get at Gourmet Soul, the brainchild of chef Lavinia McCoy. Its dishes, such as fried salmon over coco rice with Cajun cream sauce, and shrimp and grits, are perfectly plated and receive rave reviews from customers. The décor is suitably fancy too, featuring velvet chairs, a silver bar, and cool paintings.

You should plan to arrive hungry at Lilly’s Soulfood Restaurant, which has been open for more than 30 years. Huge, delicious mains such as tender pork chops with gravy, and honey roasted chicken come with a choice of sides that includes mac ’n’ cheese, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and corn. The restaurant is famous for its ice cream and desserts, so be sure to check out the peach cobbler and coconut pound cake.

Known by many as the best soul food spot on the island, and run by a husband-and-wife team, Smokin’ Wings & Southern Things’ dishes are always well seasoned and hot. If you order the catfish (baked or fried) you get a generous helping of three fillets, while the rotisserie chicken is infused with spices and topped with grilled onions and red peppers. The breakfast bowl with egg, sausage, cheese, and grits is also a menu highlight.

The most renowned Black-owned restaurant in Montana, with a mission to bring 'big city living to small town plates,' The Sassy Biscuit Co. serves biscuit waffles, griddle cakes, dropped biscuits, and 'Knife and Fork Sammies' (huge, saucy sandwiches dripping in condiments and cheese). The star dish is the Semper Fi – a fried egg, crispy bacon, Cheddar, and aioli in a biscuit bun.

Tucked away in Penn Square Mall, Spunkie’s Soul Food is waiting to be discovered by folks looking for the best soul food in Oklahoma City. It might be close neighbors with Panda Express and Popeye’s, but those in the know skip those fast food options for an altogether slower and more delicious experience. Crispy fried catfish, meatballs, and fried chicken all come with a choice of rib-sticking sides (mac ’n’ cheese, candied yams, baked beans, and fried okra), and there are delicious cakes to finish off your meal, too.

Colorful interiors aren’t the only noteworthy thing about soul food restaurant Sumthin’ Good Soul Food. It also serves excellent chunky pork butt in sweet and tangy sauce, 'out-of-this-world' fried cabbage, well-seasoned collard greens, and delicately sweet cornbread. Open since 2017 and run by owner and head chef Jay Harris, it's a family affair that's been named the best fried chicken spot in West Virginia by Taste of Home magazine.

Hole-in-the-wall joint The Blazing Chicken Shack II has a short but impressive menu. It might not look like much from the outside, but it's what's on the inside that counts. The star items are the fried chicken wings, catfish, and oxtails, which come with sides such as red beans and rice, mac ’n’ cheese, and fried okra.

Locals drop by CC’s in Midtown Phoenix for breakfasts and lunches full of soul (both of which are available all day). Run by a mother-and-son team from California, this casual joint delivers a lineup of family recipes and starts each month with a Soul Food Sunday Service. The jambalaya is a customer favorite; it's described on the menu as an 'untraditional preparation of a Louisiana classic,' and it sees sausage and chicken cooked in a rich tomato stew, then topped with fluffy rice.

Vegan food and soul food don’t usually go in the same sentence, least of all on the same plate, but chef Abundancechild Xi-El is changing that with the menu at her restaurant, Drop Squad Kitchen. 'Bacun' and waffles, 'turkee' subs, 'lobsterless' grits, vegan steak subs, and vegan mac ’n’ cheese are all cooked from scratch, and there's a delicious menu of salads on offer, too.

Craving comfort food in California? Fixins Soul Kitchen's 24-hour brined fried chicken, cornmeal crusted catfish, mac ’n’ cheese, and Adult Kool-Aid (red Kool-Aid cubes, Sprite, and Ciroc vodka) are sure to satisfy. Founded by former NBA All-Star and Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson and his wife Michelle, the roomy restaurant has a sports bar vibe. There's a second location in Los Angeles, and further outposts in Detroit and Tulsa.

Soul Food Bistro is huge, but it still manages to have a homey feel. The two restaurants in Jacksonville serve traditional buffet dinners, giving customers their pick of dishes such as slow-braised oxtails, golden fried shrimp, and herb-roasted chicken. Sides include sweet buttered corn, honey-glazed carrots, and seasoned string beans. Specialty options, including herb-roasted salmon and chicken wontons, throw in a curveball for extra excitement. Customers rate the wholesome food and generous portions.

Soul Kuisine's food is described by its owners as being all about 'quality, comfort, and decadence.' Stand-out dishes include a salmon cheesesteak with fried shrimp, and a chicken mac bowl. We also love how the sandwiches and wraps are named after iconic singers, like the Gladys Knight – grilled or crispy chicken topped with bacon, Swiss cheese, red onion, and honey mustard.

Customers love the daily changing menu and classic tunes playing at this Louisville soul food restaurant. Daddy Vic's serves fried chicken and catfish every day, and other menu options include smothered pork chops, chili, barbecue beef brisket, meatloaf, and a pot roast. Family owned and operated, the joint uses recipes handed down through the generations.

If you’re a fan of chicken and waffles, there’s no better place to go than Frank’s Famous Chicken & Waffles, which featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Customers love pairing the joint's pecan and bacon waffles with its perfectly seasoned fried chicken. It's not all about the chicken, though; the fried catfish, fried gherkins, and sweet tea get rave reviews, too.

It may be tiny, but the business J.W. Beverette’s Soul Food gets is huge. Its smothered pork chops, oxtails, yams, green beans, collard greens, catfish nuggets, and peach cobbler attract customers from all over. Visitors also love the friendly service and, as there are only seven tables, people are more than happy to get takeout if there are no seats available.

Georgia's Northside provides takeout Southern food courtesy of chef-owner Alan Natkiel, who previously ran restaurants in New York and appeared on TV shows such as Good Morning America and The Rachael Ray Show before returning to his hometown of Concord. The menu includes a fried chicken plate with coleslaw, potato salad, and a biscuit, a classic pulled pork sandwich, and fish and chips.

Popular spot His Place Eatery is known for its excellent hospitality and gourmet take on soul food. Chef James 'Mackie' Jones has handcrafted every recipe, dry rub, and seasoning on the menu. Expect fried chicken with red velvet waffles and a cream cheese drizzle, a deconstructed chicken pot pie, and in-house hickory-smoked meatloaf with pepper bacon and sweet and spicy sauce.

Soul food fans may already be familiar with Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a family-run operation in New Orleans' historic Tremé neighborhood that dates back to the 1950s. In 2005, owner Ms. Willie Mae Seaton was presented with the James Beard Award for America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region. Now run by Willie Mae's great-granddaughter, the restaurant remains as popular as ever.

Starting out as a food truck in 2012, Saint Lawrence Gridiron has blossomed into a sit-down eatery, cooking New American food with a Southern flair. With a passion for smoked meats, from-scratch cooking, and taking good care of both staff and customers, the restaurant serves dinner and brunch menus filled with uplifting dishes. Expect to find classics like mac ’n’ cheese, and shrimp and grits, as well as new creations like poutine with brisket, black bean paste, and Gorgonzola.

A gem of a family-run restaurant, Addie Lee’s Soul Food serves crispy fried chicken, saucy and tender barbecued beef ribs, and oxtail, along with sides including sticky rice, yams, mac ’n’ cheese, collard greens, and pinto beans. The welcoming staff get just as many compliments as the food, which regularly sells out by the end of the day.

Set up by retired caseworker William Coleman, Mississippi Chicken Shack serves the best fried chicken around, according to happy customers. Choose what kind of meat you want from leg, thigh, breast, and wing, and enjoy it with two of the musically named side dishes. We like the sound of 'Tina Turner' mashed potatoes with 'Rolling on the River' gravy. A piece of cornbread is thrown in for free.

Fried chicken might be the star of the show at this popular Southern joint, but the snacks and sides definitely shouldn’t be ignored. Fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits fritters, and a dill pickle potato salad complete the soul food experience. Of course, the chicken’s important too – choose your cut, flavor (customers say the Nashville hot style is super authentic), and sauce for a succulent meal with a crunchy coating.

You can’t miss soul food and seafood joint Hannibal’s Kitchen thanks to the big orange building it’s located in. Inside, the walls are covered in photos of the Huger family, who've run the restaurant since 1985. It’s famous for its crab and shrimp rice, which is packed with flavor, and the pork chop with red rice is another customer favorite.

This barbecue food truck brings real soul to Sioux Falls once a week with its popular Soul Sundays. Parking up outside a school, a store, or another location around town, the truck puts on a meaty menu of smoked meatloaf, turkey legs, and burnt ends, with everyone’s favorite soul food sides – think cornbread, green beans, collard greens, and sweet and buttery corn on the cob. Impressed locals have declared it the best barbecue in the city.

This small spot is loved both for its food and for the warm welcome it gives customers. Go See Tyce BBQ serves a Jamaican-influenced menu that provides a dose of soul food at its best. Both the curried chicken and jerk chicken are celebrated for their taste and authenticity, while the sides get plenty of attention, too (particularly the sweet and crisp plantains and collard greens). Saturday is Fish Fry Day at Tyce’s, and while you'll need to call ahead to secure your order, the effort will be worth it.

The best jerk chicken and barbecued ribs can be found at takeout joint Taste of Heaven in Brooklyn. Customers enthuse about how tender and full of flavor the meat is, and how it just slips off the bone. Dishes are served with two sides, including mac ’n’ cheese, collard greens, and cornbread. While you’re there, check out the dessert options; both German chocolate cake and Key lime cheesecake make an appearance. 

We have Chef Julius’ grandma to thank for the talent at Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen; Julius learned basic cooking from her at a young age. Start with the fried green tomatoes with pickled okra and ranch dressing, and follow them up with either fried chicken with maple hot sauce, or the catfish. Both options come with two sides and cornbread.

Triple A's came from humble beginnings delivering food from the local sports center. It then moved to a shack, and finally a bricks-and-mortar store (with a new menu to go with it), and it's slowly built a solid reputation. There’s plenty on the menu to get mouths watering, from crispy chicken wings on a bed of sweet and fluffy beignets to hearty shrimp and grits breakfasts. Fans say the mac ’n’ cheese is the perfect side.

Not only does Soul Brothers Inc serve up delicious food, but it also entertains customers wherever they are with its Not Your Average TV Dinner podcast. There's a menu of tasty tacos, including the O.G Street Tacos – tacos filled with a choice of ground beef, steak, chicken, shrimp, and jackfruit with lettuce, tomato, and Cheddar cheese – while wings come with a choice of sauce, including honey garlic sriracha and lemon pepper.

Catering and pop-up events company Harmony’s Kitchen runs regular supper clubs with poetry and music, and it serves great food, too. It was born in 2019, when then-student Harmony Edosomwan started selling food to classmates to make extra money. Expect maple glazed chicken, roasted oyster mushrooms, baked mac ’n’ cheese, rice, roasted vegetables, and salad.

With a food truck, a store front, and a catering arm, Soul Fire Food has all your needs covered in Topeka. Specializing in lunch and dinner boxes, loaded frybread, and fries smothered in cheese sauce and perfectly seasoned meat, the joint makes sure no one goes home hungry, no matter where they buy their food. The ribs and brisket both melt in your mouth, earning them rave reviews from visitors to the store and truck. Devoted fans can track the truck on the website to follow it around town.

This humble seaside food truck has five-star reviews from customers who love its flavorful food, with some saying Surf 2 Soul serves the best chicken and waffles they've ever eaten. Other popular choices on the menu include a shrimp po'boy, a salmon and crab cake roll, and seafood gumbo. There's also a tasty seasonal cobbler made with locally sourced fruit and fresh whipped cream.

Inventive takes on classic soul food make this Atlanta joint stand out. Here, you can expect exciting dishes like collard green fried wontons (pictured), crawfish poutine, and Sicilian jambalaya, all of which mix soul food with other cuisines from the US and around the world. This hip eatery puts an elevated spin on traditional comfort food, and it does so with great success. It’s a hot spot for brunch, when diners say the herb and cheese grits are a must-have side.

Halfway between home cooking and fine dining, Heard Dat Kitchen elevates soul food while holding on to its spirit and familiarity. Run by the eponymous Chef Jeff Heard, the joint dishes up specials such as blackened fish with mashed potatoes and lobster cream sauce, and crawfish pasta topped with fried shrimp and green onions. But it’s the bread pudding that customers say is worth making the trip – some even say it’s the best they’ve ever had.

Now find out where to get the best chicken sandwich in your state