The South's Best Soul Food
Soul food is at a crossroads. On one end, there's a half-century of cookbooks, restaurants, and television shows honoring the potlikker tradition. On the other hand, more and more down-home joints close their doors every day, while up-and-coming restaurants borrow the soul food label to convey authenticity. It's a head-scratching mix of adoration and condemnation: Some love it for its greasy deliciousness, and others shun it for its deep-fried ways. But in the South, new life is springing from the barbecue joints, old-school buffets, and fish houses of yore. Chefs are embracing the recipes passed down by their elders while also taking inspiration from global cuisines to create a bountiful spread of healthful, innovative, and—yes—traditional menus. Though the food may look and taste a bit different, these restaurants still set the most welcoming of tables.
Bertha's Kitchen:
Charleston, SC
Albertha "Bertha" Grant would be proud of her three daughters who work tirelessly to preserve the neighborhood institution she built in 1979. Grant set high standards for dishing up seriously good food—and the next generation has kept it up. On an old whiteboard near the ordering counter, you'll find the usual soul food suspects: baked chicken, fried fish, okra soup, pork chops, and collards. Try the baked chicken; the meat falls right off the bone. On the side, get stewed cabbage salted with bits of ham hock and the buttery-soft lima bean rice.
Photo: Robbie Caponetto Juicy hot fried Chicken on a Stick at Bolton's
Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish:
Nashville, TN
While Nashville hot chicken may be all the rage, Bolton's tiny cinder block kitchen offers heat seekers another (slightly tamer) spice ritual known as "hot fish." Hot chicken is still served, of course. Founder Bolton Matthews learned how to fry from his uncle, who cooked at the famed Prince's Hot Chicken and opened his own shack in the eighties before passing on the family's secret sauce to his nephew. The floured fish fillets, served between two slices of white bread, are doused with enough heat to make your eyes water without burning off your taste buds. Go for traditional catfish, tilapia, or whiting—or choose grouper, which offers a flakier and sweeter base.
Photo: Chris Granger Vegetable plate at Bully's
Bully's Restaurant:
Jackson, MS
There's no denying the care that pours in from every corner of Bully's. Owner Tyrone Bully, who is at the restaurant every day from 6 a.m. until closing time, built this brick neighborhood joint from the ground up alongside his father in the eighties. The staff still follow the recipes set by Bully's first cook, Ma Pearl, from 1982. And while the fresh veggies are a draw—it's not unusual to dine next to employees peeling sweet potatoes and stripping greens—it's the smothered pork necks, turkey necks, and oxtails drenched in peppery gravy that reign supreme. Served on an old-school, red cafeteria tray, the vegetable plate from Bully's mixes meaty flavors with classic vegetables. Order an entrée that includes fresh collards cooked with onions and spiced with cayenne pepper, a hearty mixture of turnip and mustard greens, and smoked cabbage. Polish off your meal with a melt-in-your-mouth cornbread muffin.
Robbie Caponetto A meal at Busy Bee Cafe
Busy Bee Cafe:
Atlanta, GA
Since 1947, hungry patrons have packed into the Busy Bee Cafe for its world-famous chicken that's brined, breaded, and then fried—yielding crispy skin and delicious, moist meat. Owner Tracy Gates remembers visiting her grandmother, who would make fried chicken by brining and seasoning it the night before and then frying it to crisp perfection for Sunday dinner. It's an impressive trick to re-create this recipe day after day. "The secret," says Gates, "is to create a brine that can season that chicken to the bone." Pressure-frying the chicken in peanut oil produces meat that's well seasoned and juicy but with a crispy crust. Gates recommends pairing it with candied sweet potatoes that are made with lemon, vanilla, and orange extracts. "This extra step is worth it for the cleaner flavor," she says. But save room for the cafe's real star: the selection of classic desserts—from banana pudding to sweet potato pie—that will leave you with a wonderful sugar rush. Our favorite? The unique Key lime cake with three tasty sweet-and-tart layers topped with white cream cheese icing and dotted with chopped walnuts.
Carolina Kitchen Bar & Grill:
Hyattsville, MD
Those who say Maryland isn't the South haven't been to Carolina Kitchen. It has two locations around the state and one in D.C. serving up country fare with a side of Chesapeake flavors. (Think fried lobster tail and fried green tomatoes.) You'll be hard-pressed to find better pork chops than the ones here: two juicy chops with a crispy, peppery crust on a bed of white rice covered in grandma's gravy with macaroni and cheese and collard greens.
Croaker's Spot:
Richmond, VA
Croaker's Spot claims to possess the "Soul of Seafood"—and that's no idle boast. The customers clamor for the Fried Fish Boat, which comes with several thick strips of fried whiting buried under a layer of sautéed onions and green peppers. The tomatoey sauce ladled over the fish has enough kick to make you skip the customary dashes of hot sauce. The star side dish is the grits, which are cooked with Cheddar cheese and (surprisingly) ranch dressing.
Eddie's Restaurant:
Shreveport, LA
Many in Shreveport claim to have written the original recipe for stuffed shrimp, but it's Mavice Hughes Thigpen who makes the best case. Her father, Eddie Hughes, was the man known for inventing stuffed shrimp; he's also the one for whom her restaurant is named. The dish is made by filling a butterflied shrimp with a Creole spice-seasoned mixture of crabmeat, mirepoix, and breadcrumbs. After it's stuffed, the shrimp is rolled in flour, dipped in an egg wash, dredged in flour again, and pan-fried.
Photo: Robbie Caponetto The Florida Avenue Grill
Florida Avenue Grill:
Washington, D.C.
"The Grill," as locals call it, bills itself as the oldest soul food restaurant in the world. Opened in 1944, The Grill survived the 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, and still stands in its original location in the U Street Corridor. The kitchen serves breakfast all day, alongside lunch and dinner items like smothered fried pork chops and baked chicken. These days, the spot serves up even more healthful options, such as turkey bacon and veggie sausage, without missing a beat in the flavor department.
Hoover's Cooking:
Austin, TX
Drawing from his childhood growing up on a family farm in Texas where farm-to-table was standard fare rather than a movement, chef Hoover Alexander blends the soul of home cooking with ripe tomatoes, fresh greens, flavorful okra, and a shot of Tex-Mex at his East Austin diner. Alongside usual items like chicken-fried steak, the menu also includes unique dishes such as Jamaican Jerk chicken and New Orleans Muffuletta. For an offbeat happy hour drink, ask for their speciality creations.
Lassis Inn:
Little Rock, AR
According to current owner and chief cook Elihue Washington, Jr., the Lassis Inn first opened in the thirties as a sandwich shop operated out of the back of someone's home, but so many customers requested fish that it quickly became the main menu item. Try the "big-boned buffalo." The name might evoke visions of a Fred Flintstone-size piece of red meat, but it's actually a type of bony, white-fleshed, freshwater fish. The buffalo fish's larger bones are butchered with enough flesh on each side of the bone to resemble spareribs. The rib is then dredged in seasoned cornmeal and fried like a fish fillet. The result is a crunchy, hot, and meaty rib that is complemented on the plate with sides of creamy coleslaw and a slightly sour chopped green tomato relish.
Southern Living Lucretia's Kitchen soul food Louisville, KY
Lucretia's Kitchen:
Louisville, KY
It's truly a family affair at Lucretia's Kitchen in Louisville, Kentucky. The secret is in the sauce recipe, which has been passed down for three generations in the Thompson family. Affectionately nicknamed "liquid gold" by loyal diners, this mouthwatering condiment elevates the already-delicious soul food at the Louisville staple. Drizzle it on the homemade ribs or simply use it as a dipping sauce for potato chips. Cornbread slathered in butter (never margarine) and collard greens adorned with potlikker drippings are just some of the beloved side dishes that grace the menu, but it's the fried chicken that continues to reign supreme. And it's no wonder head chef, Lucretia Thompson, fries her chicken to crispy perfection – she's been cooking up the Southern delicacy for family reunions since the young age of 13. Don't forget to complete your meal with a bowl full of creamy mac & cheese.
Mama Dip's Kitchen:
Chapel Hill, NC
In 1976, Mildred "Mama Dip" Council opened her diner with only $40 worth of ingredients to make breakfast. She used the earnings to make lunch and then the lunch proceeds to make dinner. Nearly four decades later, customers return for Mama Dip's self-described "dump cooking," relying not on precise recipes or measurements but instead on experience and improvisation. The shoot-from-the-hip simplicity is evident in dishes like her Southern Fried Chicken that's breaded only with flour, pepper, and salt. Don't miss the dense sweet potato biscuits served with a side of molasses.
Photo: Caleb Chancey
Niki's West:
Birmingham, AL
Since its opening in 1957, Niki's West has been Alabama's go-to meat 'n' three. Along with a long cafeteria line packed with daily specials (such as Fried Chicken Livers and Lemon Pepper Catfish), diners can also choose from the extensive made-to-order steak and seafood menus. You can't go wrong with any selection, but the broiled fresh snapper is a simple standout: The thick, flaky fish comes on a bed of rice, which captures butter as it drips off the fillet.
P&D Soul Food Kitchen:
Orlando, FL
Though the restaurant is tucked away inside a business complex, Paula and Dennis Cox serve up great home cooking. Daily specials include the roast pork and dressing: Tender, cumin-spiked pork is shredded into large chunks, doused with its own cooking juices after several hours of roasting, and paired with a pudding-like cornbread dressing dotted with bits of celery. Be sure to order some of the piping-hot sweet potato biscuits, which will probably remind you of the fluffy tea cakes Grandma used to make.
SALTBOX Seafood Joint in Durham
SALTBOX Seafood Joint:
Durham, NC
With its picnic tables and freshly caught Carolina seafood, this tiny shack in Little Five Points is the closest you'll get to a beachside fish camp in Durham. From smoked collars to chowders built on a stock of grouper bones and chef Ricky Moore's anise-inflected "white mirepoix," no part of the fish at SALTBOX Seafood Joint is wasted. The menu is updated daily according to the supply available at the market; both fresh and seasonal ingredients are something Moore insists upon. Don't miss his fried grouper bites. Conceived as another way to use the whole fish, the grouper bites take a tumble in a seasoned dredge with toasted coriander, fennel, and Aleppo before they're fried. We like them either way they're served—as an appetizer meant for dunking in house-made tartar and cocktail sauces or on a soft, buttery roll slathered with luscious shrimp butter.
Sweet Georgia Brown:
Dallas, TX
This South Dallas meat 'n' three isn't much to look at from the outside, but it should be your first stop for a legit soul food experience. Imagine heaping Styrofoam containers filled with piping-hot meat and veggies that no one person should eat on his or her own. Everything is cooked to order, and the meats are smoked daily. We highly recommend the smothered pork chops, which are tender on the inside, lightly fried on the outside, and coated with a nice dose of pepper. Pair them with a side of mac-and-cheese, cheesy rice and broccoli, or cabbage.
Sweetie Pies:
St. Louis, MO
Long before landing a popular TV show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Robbie Montgomery (a former background singer for Ike and Tina Turner) and the Mississippi-style cooking she serves up at Sweetie Pie's was a fan favorite. Try the well-seasoned, crispy-on-the-outside-and-juicy-on-the-inside fried chicken; the velvety smooth greens; and the creamy, mildly smoky black-eyed peas. Wash it all down with a tall glass of sweet tea. It hits that perfect balance between lemony tartness, tea leaf bitterness, and sugary sweetness without being so syrupy that your spoon could stand straight up in your glass. Thanks to Sweetie Pie's marketing effort, you may be drinking their sweet tea at home. It may even be available at a store near you.
Sweet Potatoes:
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem is in the midst of a food boom, but chefs Stephanie Tyson and Vivián Joiner have doled out prime meals in the Downtown Arts District since 2003. Diners go crazy for the sweet potato cornbread and fried chicken that's marinated overnight in buttermilk and seasoned with a combination of dried mustard, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme.
Photo: Quentin Bacon The Grey's decor is a nod to its past as a bus terminal
The Grey:
Savannah, GA
Chef Mashama Bailey transformed an old Greyhound station into one of the city's most popular spots. Mixing influences from her childhood years in Savannah with her experience living in New York, Bailey serves up dishes that are as traditional as they are modern. She's cooking what she likes, and the town is eating it up.
