From Alabama to California, these are the best soul food restaurants in America serving fried chicken, mac and cheese, gumbo, cornbread, and unforgettable comfort food.
When most of the world thinks of “American food,” their minds usually go to hamburgers, hot dogs, ….maybe a slice of pizza or two…then back to hamburgers. It isn’t entirely false, but it isn’t the whole picture either. Especially when it comes to American Soul Food.
Soul food originated in the American South during the Transatlantic Slave Trade era, specifically in the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, by enslaved Africans who needed to create an entirely new culture after slaveowners violently stripped them of their own. Discarded and undesirable animal scraps became dishes that connected an entirely new ethnicity of Americans descended from slavery.
Soul food was resistance in the form of comfort, and is now the backbone of true American cuisine. Fried chicken, catfish, candied yams, mac and cheese, and dressing (or stuffing, depending on where you’re from), cornbread, and even banana pudding got their humble start in the kitchens of African-Americans in the South and are now the most decadent dishes on any menu.
Well, chitlins are still chitlins, but I digress.
Today, the cuisine is gaining global recognition, with discussions spanning cooking television shows, community platforms like Who Made the Potato Salad by KJ Kearney, and books like American Soul by Anela Malik, all exploring the flavorful roots of soul food and its impact on the larger American food system.
Soul food kitchens are constantly evolving, and so are their menus, serving everything from classic favorites to innovative takes on recipes that span centuries. In no particular order, these are the ten best soul food restaurants in the US, so good they’ll make you wanna slap yo mama.
1 OF 10
Yo’ Mama’s
WHERE: Birmingham, Alabama
Speaking of, we have to start this list off where the cuisine began – in the Deep South. Yo’ Mama’s is owned and operated by the mother-daughter duo Denise and Crystal Peterson. Yo’ Mama’s was the only restaurant in Alabama to receive a James Beard Foundation grant, along with numerous other accolades, such as a feature on Netflix and routinely ranked as one of the best restaurants in Birmingham.
But Yo’ Mama’s menu never strays far from home, with familiar comforts like chicken and waffles, fish and shrimp plates, and shrimp and grits. Plus, its convenient location places diners near city attractions like the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, the McWane Science Center, and other things to do in Birmingham.
2 OF 10
Sol’Delish Express
WHERE: Charlotte, North Carolina
It’s hard to have a bad meal in the Carolinas, but make room in your itinerary (and stomach) to eat at Sol’Delish Express in Charlotte, North Carolina. Though new on the scene, Sol’Delish Express has already solidified itself as a community favorite.
Known for its Carolina Gold rice, a crop already steeped in Black history, the region’s Gullah Geechee culture of the Lowcountry was a large contributor to rice-based dishes being considered soul food. Get a taste of it at Sol’Delish Express with their crab cakes and yellow rice dishes; it’ll keep you energized throughout exploring Charlotte’s best tourist attractions.
3 OF 10
Bo-bobs
WHERE: Houston, Texas
Nestled inside a gas station, Bo-bobs has made waves with its unassuming exterior, hosting the best soul food in Texas and an atmosphere that feels like a homecoming. Though Texas BBQ may arguably be the most popular food item, the thing to order at Bo-bobs is anything seafood, especially the gumbo – after all, one of Houston’s nicknames is Bayou City.
Like many soul food dishes, gumbo pulls from a variety of influences African Americans blended to create the new cuisine. Bo-bobs is nearby Freedmen’s Town, also known as the “Mother Ward” in Fourth Ward Houston, a community built by formerly enslaved people in the late 19th and 20th centuries. So after your soul and stomach are full, you can learn more about Houston’s Black History.
4 OF 10
The Grey
WHERE: Savannah, Georgia
The expansion of soul food throughout the USA started with the railroads. As African-Americans moved out of the Jim Crow South, in an exodus known as The Great Migration, they took their recipes and seasonings with them. One of the best soul food restaurants in America, The Grey, bases its concept on this history. Plus, eating at The Grey is one of the best things to do in Savannah, Georgia.
Occupying a lovingly restored 1938 former segregated Greyhound Bus Terminal, The Grey represents the soulful message of Southern food, layered with the personal stories co-owner and Executive Chef Mashama Bailey learned from the generations of matriarchs in her family. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but to get you started with a few staples, order blackened pecans, cornbread dressing, and the smoked sweet potato.
5 OF 10
Soul Vibez
WHERE: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago was often the first stop for many African-Americans moving out of the South, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that the city is also home to one of the best soul food restaurants in America. Soul Vibez, now expanded to multiple locations, has brought a new level to soul food veganism. Black Americans are leading the plant-based movement, with research showing they are up to three times more likely to be vegan or vegetarian than the general U.S. population.
Chef Fab, owner of Soul Vibez, folds robust plant-based options into the menu that feel cohesive to the restaurant’s story. You could spend a lifetime exploring Chicago’s attractions, but if you’re only visiting for a vacation, there are plenty of things to do in Chicago in between delicious bites.
6 OF 10
Soul 2 Go
WHERE: Columbus, Ohio
Coming up on its five-year anniversary, Soul 2 Go is a family-owned soul food restaurant that has already become a favorite in the Columbus culinary scene. Chef Will curated a menu that both celebrates the rich culinary traditions of the South while leaving room to innovate with modern twists that incorporate the multicultural landscape of America.
The city of Columbus itself was instrumental in innovating soul food, with the company Glory Foods creating a line of canned, pre-seasoned Southern staples that made traditional soul food accessible to a wider audience. Soul 2 Go’s signature item are the soul bowls, which combine the best soul food items into one dish. Bring your appetite because the portions are hearty while still maintaining flavor in each bite.
7 OF 10
The Reserve Restaurant
WHERE: Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is a pillar of America’s Black culture, so it’s no wonder that Maryland’s top soul food restaurant, The Reserve Restaurant, would also make the ranks of one of the best soul food restaurants in the country. With Executive Chef Phil Crump at the helm, diners can order entree platters of honey-baked BBQ, crab cakes, lamb chops, fried fish, and more, with a generous helping of two classic sides.
But Baltimore’s Black history – and future — doesn’t stop at its food. Center your next trip to the city at The Ivy Hotel, owned by philanthropic couple Eddie and Sylvia Brown, and get a comfortable welcome to exploring the cultural side of Baltimore, Maryland.
8 OF 10
Sunshine Soulfood Cafe
WHERE: Orlando, Florida
Recently named one of the top food destinations in America, Orlando has much more to offer than just a lot of great theme parks. There are many fantastic restaurants in Orlando, but if you’re looking for soul food, the correct answer is always Sunshine Soulfood Cafe. Pulling from the area’s Caribbean demographic, Sunshine Soulfood Cafe blends American soul food with the island influences of Jamaica and Haiti.
Combining rich collard greens with succulent empanadas is not an entirely new concept to soul food; as the country and its scope of Black identity grow, so does the cuisine to reflect that. In a state as diverse as Florida, fusion seems as second nature as breathing, but for Sunshine Soulfood Cafe to top the list, it makes sure to stay rooted in flavor.
9 OF 10
Taste of Heaven
WHERE: Brooklyn, New York
New York City truly is the city that never sleeps, and that includes in its soul food. Named after the owner’s daughter, Taste of Heaven is a family-owned restaurant in the borough of Brooklyn that has been hailed as one of the best soul food restaurants in the state by celebrity food reviewer Keith Lee.
With a menu full of soul food classics like spare ribs, turkey wings, and BBQ chicken, don’t be surprised if you find yourself leaving the restaurant still licking your fingers. If you haven’t visited Brooklyn in a while, the neighborhood may feel unrecognizable. Thankfully, Taste of Heaven is one staple that holds solid.
10 OF 10
The Toast & Jam
WHERE: Inglewood, California
The essence of soul food is the culinary traditions that get passed down through generations, and that’s exactly what’s happening now at The Toast & Jam in Inglewood, California. Loved for over ten years as Rusty Pot Cafe, owner and Head Chef Linda Credit learned the art of soul food from her mother, the restaurant baton is now being passed to her daughter.
Rebranded as The Toast & Jam, the menu keeps its same charmingly delicious signatures that make it one of the best brunch restaurants this side of Los Angeles County. But if you’re coming from other parts of the city, don’t worry. Their specialty scrambles are worth the highway traffic. The future of soul food is still being written, but one thing is guaranteed: it will be delicious.