The term 'soul food' first appeared in the 1960s, when 'soul' was a word used to describe Black culture. Even today, nothing beats soul food for heartiness, comfort, and flavor. We've analysed the data and searched reviews to find every state's best restaurant celebrating the tradition, with many of the recipes passed down through generations. Expect the likes of collard greens, beans, and cornmeal in many forms, along with crispy catfish, pork, and tender fried chicken. 

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.

It may be tiny, but the business J.W. Beverette’s Soul Food receives is huge. Its smothered pork chop, 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.

A small place with masses of soul (quite literally), roadside joint Cali’s is a passion project from husband-and-wife team Theron and Alicia. From their spot at the Mountain View Drive-In they cook comfort food classics low and slow, serving up heaping plates of excellent barbecue food as they go. The meltingly tender pork spare ribs are served by the half and full slab, the rib tips and fixins’ are raved about and the crispy, golden deep-fried wingettes come highly recommended too.

Cool spot Sue’s is bringing the soul back to Phoenix, one plate at a time. Instantly identifiable by the colorful paintwork on the outside which was designed by local street artists, the restaurant was created to honor the owner's late sister and customers say its food will feed your soul. The pork ribs are meaty, the chicken is smoked perfectly, the greens are fresh, and there’s a great choice of sauces and rubs. The peach cobbler is a firm customer favorite too.

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 which typically includes favorites such as smoked oxtails, fried pork chops, blackened catfish, and fried chicken wings. All meals come with bread and two sides including candied yams, black eyed peas, and fried okra.

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) will sort you out. Founded by former NBA All-Star and Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson and his wife Michelle, the roomy restaurant has a sports bar vibe and a second location in Los Angeles.

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Hole-in-the-wall joint The Blazing Chicken Shack II has a short but impressive menu. It might not look 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. 

Arrive hungry at Lilly’s Soulfood Restaurant, which has been open 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, do check out the peach cobbler and coconut pound cake.

Vegan 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 mac ‘n’ cheese are all cooked from scratch, plus there's a delicious menu of salads on offer.

Soul Food Bistro is huge but still manages to have a homely feel. There are two restaurants in Jacksonville serving a traditional buffet dinner, with 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. There's also specialty options such as herb-roasted salmon and chicken wontons. Customers rate the wholesome food and generous portions.

Popular items at family-run takeout joint Southern Kitchen and Grill are fried catfish, chicken wings, and the six-cheese mac 'n' cheese. Punchy sides such as collard greens, baked beans, black eyed peas and green beans are cooked with smoked turkey and served in separate containers so you get a big portion. The banana pudding and chessmen cookies are popular with customers too. 

Known by many as the best soul food 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. 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.  

One bite of a hush puppy from Louisiana’s Soul Bayou and you’ll be transported 2,000 miles from Boise to New Iberia, Louisiana, where the owner of this soul food restaurant is from. Hot, well-seasoned and rapidly prepared boudin balls, jambalaya, and catfish and shrimp po’ boys are further reasons it’s a popular spot. 

Food packed with flavor and big portions are what you get at Kathryn’s Soul, a restaurant in Chicago French Market. Owner Kathryn Miles started cooking age 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.

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

If you're looking for Southern food and traditions in the Carolina mountains, check out the Tupelo Honey Café in downtown Des Moines. The menu changes with the seasons, but expect sriracha-honey fried chicken and waffles, Bourbon peppercorn glazed meatloaf, and blackened wild caught mahi-mahi with creole butter.

From soul food favorites such as catfish nuggets, oxtails, fried okra and yams to comfort food classics including burgers and chicken strips, B.C’s Kitchen has it all. The spicy chicken wings, which have a generous amount of meat on them and lots of heat and flavor, are worth a look, and customers rave about the mac ‘n’ cheese. 

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, with other menu options including smothered pork chops, chili, barbecue beef brisket, meatloaf and pot roast. 

Soul food fans may already be familiar with Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a family-run operation in New Orleans' historic Tremé neighborhood which 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. 

This small spot is loved for both its food and the warm welcome it gives customers. Tyce's 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 will need to call ahead to secure your order, the effort will be well worth it.

The food at Soul Kuisine is all about 'quality, comfort and decadence', according to the website. Stand-out dishes include this salmon cheesesteak with fried shrimp and the 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, red onion, and honey mustard.

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.

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, there's no compromising 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 family-run restaurant, named after their late mother Angelea, serves up traditional soul food using generations-old recipes that are full of flavor. Meals such as smoked turkey leg, catfish nuggets, and smothered chicken are served with two sides and cornbread. Choose from collard greens, yams, rice, mac 'n' cheese, and spaghetti.

Longstanding neighborhood joint Bully’s Restaurant offers some real soul food classics. You can find neck bones, pig’s feet, chitterlings (hog’s intestines), beef tips with rice, fried catfish, and barbecued ribs on the menu. Sides include mac ‘n’ cheese, lima beans, yams, cabbage, okra, and fresh greens, and customers rave about them all.  

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Soul food with gourmet flair is what you get at Gourmet Soul, the brainchild of founder chef Lavinia McCoy. 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 decor is suitably swish too, featuring velvet chairs, a silver bar, and cool paintings.

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.

Not only does Soul Brothers Inc serve up delicious food, 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 siracha and lemon pepper.

Customers rate the service and ambience at EllaEm’s Soul Food – and especially love the 80s 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.

Georgia's Northside provides takeout Southern food courtesy of renowned 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 the fried chicken plate with coleslaw, potato salad and a biscuit, a classic pulled pork sandwich and fish and chips.

Looking for comfort food that's healthy too? Homely restaurant Vonda’s Kitchen has an all-day breakfast menu featuring spinach and ricotta pancakes and 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.

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

The best jerk chicken and barbecued ribs can be found at small takeout joint Taste of Heaven in Brooklyn. Customers rave 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 and collard greens and cornbread. While you’re there, check out the dessert options; both German chocolate cake and Key lime cheesecake make an appearance. 

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 comment on how well-seasoned and crunchy the skin is on the fried chicken. There are daily specials including smothered meatballs, chicken alfredo, and meatloaf, plus a range of delicious sides such as sweet yams, cornbread, collard greens, and mac 'n' cheese.

The all-day breakfasts served at Homesteaders are nothing short of legendary, featuring the likes of scratch-made buttermilk pancakes, locally sourced smoked bacon, ham and sausage and top-quality eggs. Other top orders at this cosy and classic Midwestern soul food spot include the chicken fried steak served with mushroom gravy and the Homebreaker burger (a 5oz burger topped with cheese, bacon, fried egg and hollandaise sauce), with hash browns on the side.

A cornerstone in 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. Sides include mac 'n' cheese and candied yams.

Wanda J runs this family restaurant named after her mother, who taught her everything she knows about soul food and inspired her love of cooking. The menu at Evelyn’s Soul Food has healthy options such as baked turkey and grilled chicken breast, along with classic comfort food dishes including fried chicken and fried pork chop. Okra and tomatoes is a popular side dish.

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

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 out of 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.

Grab a table at the bar at hip, lively restaurant Kin Southern Table + Bar and you’ll be in for a good evening. Light and buttery biscuits come served with honey butter, fried green tomatoes are accompanied by buttermilk ranch, and collard greens are cooked with smoked turkey. Be sure to save room for dessert – the beignets, served piping hot with chocolate dip, are said to be unmissable.

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 have run the restaurant since 1985. It’s famous for its crab and shrimp rice, which is packed with flavor, while the pork chop with red rice is a customer favorite.

This jazz-themed restaurant gets rave reviews for its upbeat atmosphere and great food. Customer favorites on the Jambonz Deux menu include jambalaya, BBQ pulled pork po'boy, and the soul food platter with catfish, ribs, red beans and rice, gumbo, cornbread, and a choice of garlic green beans, coleslaw or collard greens. There's also a specials menu with dishes such as the Indian taco, pictured.

H&T's Home Cooking Restaurant was opened by Hattie Palin and her husband Thomas in 2005 with the couple vowing 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.

Customers love the friendly service and homely cooking at Nana's Kitchen, run by chef Toshia 'Nana' Ramsey. Highlights on the menu include the beautifully presented waffles, rosemary baked chicken, smothered pork chops, and wing baskets with a choice of seasoning from Cajun to mango BBQ. Sides include sweet potatoes, black eyed peas, and green beans.

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

Caterer and pop-up events company Harmony’s Kitchen runs regular supper clubs with poetry and music, as well as great food. This spot 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, followed by a strawberry shortcornbread muffin. 

Located in the historic Farmers Market building in the heart of Old Town Petersburg, Croaker’s Spot is a seafood and soul food restaurant with another branch in St. Petersburg. As well as specials like this broiled haddock with vegetable rice and cornbread, the menu has dishes such as twin crab cake medallions, butterfly fried shrimp and fried fish salad, as well as fried chicken wings.

Simply Soulful is famous for its breakfast menu of Big Biscuit Sandwiches stuffed with a variety of fillings such as egg, cheese and meat, shrimp and grits, and chicken and cornbread waffles. Another menu highlight, the sweet potato pie, is made from a recipe passed down through generations.

Groovy interiors aren’t the only thing soul food restaurant Sumthin’ Good Soul Food possesses. 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. 

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.

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.

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