Cities With The Best Soul Food In America, According To Reviews

In the southern United States, particularly those states in what is referred to as the "Deep South," such as Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, soul food isn't just another plate on the table — it's a culinary tradition with painful historical roots that enslaved people transformed into a delicious cuisine that thrives today. When Black Americans were enslaved during the time of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, they were fed only scraps. However, using innovative cooking traditions from West Africa and the other regions from where their families were trafficked, those rations were molded into delicious parcels of love. Today, our soul food recipes are based on those same practices.

Soul food is made up of dishes such as chitterlings (fried pig intestines), fried catfish, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, rice with red beans, sweet potatoes, and cornbread, all of which are served today in unlimited variations throughout restaurants in the South and beyond. However, if you're looking for the best soul food experience that travel can bring, these are the best cities to visit due to their deep roots and unmatched soul food restaurant scene. If you travel to these spots, you'll have more than your pick of the finest Southern specialties, whether from a white tablecloth or a cafeteria-style line. To learn more about how we assembled this list, we combed through bloggers and experts to devise the ultimate soul food city list.

The city known as the home of the NASA Johnson Space Center is also a hotspot for foodies, and it consistently finds its way into the conversation of the best food cities in America. When you look at its demographics, there's no reason why Houston wouldn't be in the discussion. It's the most diverse city in the United States, and its dining scene reflects that. Data USA states that nearly 25% of the residents are Black Americans, and a stunning range of soul food is available. Houston has tons of acclaimed soul food restaurants and even an annual city-wide soul food festival. It is almost enough for us to forgive George Bush Intercontinental Airport for being a total nightmare to fly in and out of. 

One of Houston's most popular soul food restaurants is Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food, run by Esther herself and famous for serving passed-down family recipes stemming from her great-grandmother. "I'm brand new to the Houston area and yesterday I had a mad craving for soul food," recounted one Google reviewer. "The taste is savory and fresh, the portions are massive, the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant was immaculate, and the service was outstanding." Another local favorite is Houston This Is It Soul Food, whose mantra of "where every meal gives you a Sunday feel" rings true. It serves towering plates of soul food eats, like oxtail and cornbread, at low prices with home-cooked vibes.

There's a good reason that New Orleans usually comes to mind when thinking about the best cities for soul food. According to a City Data survey, more than a quarter of all respondents thought New Orleans had the best soul food, and NOLA also had the highest number of voters for any American city. More than 15% of the best soul food restaurants in the country, according to OpenTable, are in the Big Easy, and New Orleans even has a food tour to help people try the city's most acclaimed soul food spots. Judging by the sheer number of soul food restaurants here, you really can't go wrong with any traditional eatery in this magnificently diverse city.

One charming favorite in the Crescent City is Li'l Dizzy's Café, a down-home breakfast and lunch joint owned by Wayne Baquet, who traces his restaurant lineage back to his father — the owner of acclaimed Creole and soul food spot Eddie's. The food is served in plastic containers, but don't let that fool you. "Those were some of the best, creamiest, richest grits I've ever had," said one Google reviewer. "The catfish was fried perfectly. Crispy and crunchy breading and the meat was flavorful, flaky, and moist. The mac and cheese was delicious too." Hungry diners also clamor for Two Sistas 'N Da East, which serves soul food eats upon checkerboard tablecloths.

Charleston is an epicenter of Southern history, and its culinary scene has evolved alongside that. After West Africans were trafficked to South Carolina as enslaved people, their descendants became the Gullah people, whose cooking traditions later formed the foundations of soul food. Today, those traditions are a major reason Charleston is known as a Southern culinary powerhouse, attracting award-winning fine dining restaurants with Southern twists like Husk, Peninsula Grill, and FIG. But even though Charleston has become a haute destination for comfort and soul food eats, it also knows how to rock its no-frills counterparts that don't need a chandelier to accentuate a life-changing meal.

That's particularly true at Hannibal's Kitchen, which has been serving its seafood soul food staples since 1985 in a modest space marked by wood tables and local artwork. "For a standout entree, consider the crab rice with shrimp, a flavorful combination of succulent seafood and fluffy rice," said one Google reviewer. "The side dishes are equally impressive, with options like candied yams, collard greens, a creamy mac and cheese, and warm cornbread." Another cheap yet steadfastly authentic spot for soul food in Charleston is Dave's Carry-Out, which, as its name states, is mostly geared toward takeout customers. Although the menu here is limited, you won't leave disappointed or with an empty wallet. "Everything was cooked to perfection and absolutely delicious," said one Google reviewer. "I will be dreaming about the fried shrimp."

Savannah knows how to please its visitors — after all, this place is called the "Hostess City of the South." And as we all know, there's no better way to keep your guests happy than feeding them well. That's exactly what Savannah does, and this is one of the South's most exciting food destinations. That's a big deal for a small city that is sometimes overshadowed by Charleston, which is a two-hour drive away. One of the cuisines that Savannah does best is soul food, as it's served all over the city in every way you can imagine.

One of the best spots is Simple Soul of Savannah, which has 4.9 stars on Google. "The food was simply extraordinary, some of the best soul food I've ever tasted," said one reviewer. "Simple Soul is a gem that deserves a perfect rating. I wholeheartedly give it a 10 out of 10." For another find, head to Sisters of the New South, described by Guy Fieri on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" as "real-deal soul food." This spot serves soul food dishes from recipes passed down from co-owner Vicky Brown's family through generations, all by cafeteria-style serving that needs no pretension to declare its deliciousness. "This place came through with the W!!" said one Google review. "This place gets 5 stars only because I can't give it 6!"

Atlanta food has long been underrated in favor of Georgia cities like Savannah, but its spot as a food destination has finally arrived. Accolades certainly help, and many publications have been quick to sing the praises of its new restaurants and unbeatable burgers. Long story short, the Big Peach is now one of the best U.S. cities for food lovers to add to their bucket lists. But where Atlanta really shines is its soul food. The city is the self-declared world's soul food capital, a claim made by the Taste of Soul festival that offers live music and mouthwatering soul food.

But even if you can't make it to A-Town in time for Taste of Soul, you can always enjoy the soul food at the city's many soul food joints, more than two dozen of which are listed on the festival's website. One brilliant place serving soul food with a twist is Negril Village, which has won awards at the festival and offers a food truck and takeout from a ghost kitchen. "4 words: YOU WILL BE BACK!" said one Google reviewer. "Negril has absolutely the best Caribbean food and music in Atlanta." Another popular Atlanta spot for soul food is Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint, which gives its eats an upscale kick and marries them with live music at a restaurant that opened in 2011.

Memphis is the home of the blues and barbecue, and there's a reason that both have been able to thrive there. This city knows how to nourish its entrepreneurs. Writing in Commercial Appeal, one Tennessee reporter even said that Memphis might have more family-owned restaurants than any other city in America. In Memphis, the largest Black-majority city in the U.S., many of those eateries are soul food restaurants featuring passed-down recipes and comforting vibes that perfectly complement with down-home cooking.

For some of the best soul food that Memphis has to offer, head to Peggy's Heavenly Home Cooking for lunch. "The food here is amazing," said one Google review. "Everything tastes homemade and came out hot and fresh." Peggy is arguably best known for her fried catfish, and she honed her cooking chops by working at The Peabody for a decade before opening her own spot. Elsewhere, for soul food in a lively, colorful dining room, head to Alcenia's — especially for Saturday brunch, which offers a fun hodgepodge of Southern eats. "Some of the best soul food I've ever eaten!" said one Google user. "I loved the home cooked nature of it and grandma comes to greet everyone. Very much like family setting." That "grandma" is owner B.J. Chester Tamayo, and she just might give you a hug before handing you a plate of the best cabbage you've ever had.

Unlike many other cities on this list, Chicago is not in the South. However, soul food plays an essential role in the Windy City's world-renowned dining scene, as the city was a significant destination for Black Americans during the Great Migration. During and following World War I, half a million Black Americans headed to Chicago in just 50 years, bringing delicious culinary traditions with them. Today, 29% of Chicagoans are Black, and visitors with a craving for soul food can find plenty to devour throughout the Second City.

One of the most well-known soul food restaurants in the city is Pearl's Place, which serves Southern cooking with an upscale edge thanks to the eatery's white tablecloths and high-end ambiance. That doesn't make the food any less homey. Pearl's makes its own desserts every day and offers a soul food buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — making it easy for newbies to sample all types of soul food at once. "You will not leave hungry," said one Google comment, saying, "Cancel the rest of your plans, you're not going anywhere except to the couch after a trip to Pearl's." For a more laid-back experience, grab a meal at Morrison's, which often has long lines for a reason. This soul food spot is great for brave diners, as it offers items like chitterlings and ham hocks — just as it has been doing for four decades.

The Birmingham food scene has seen big gains in the past years, with tons of James Beard Award winners establishing the city as "the dinner table of the South." Highlands Bar & Grill (temporarily closed) in Birmingham was even named the James Beard Foundation's most outstanding restaurant in America in 2018. But it's not all about fine dining in this Southern city — they don't mess around when it comes to soul food.

One of the tastiest and longest-running soul food eateries in Birmingham is Eagle's Restaurant, which has been in business since 1951 and gets its fresh produce from the nearby Jefferson County Farmers Market. Everything here is served cafeteria-style, which Andrew Zimmern didn't seem to mind when he visited for his show "Bizarre Foods" in 2013. However, you don't need to be a food celebrity to understand Eagle's flair. The restaurant has earned 4.5 stars across more than 800 Google reviews, with one visitor saying, "They did not disappoint me!!! The food is full of flavor, you get plenty of food and they employees were very pleasant and inviting." Another spot beloved by comedian Roy Wood Jr. is Niki's West, which one Alabama food critic (writing for Al.com) called "the undeniable king of meat-and-three restaurants in Birmingham." Dating back to 1957, it's a popular spot for regulars partly due to its massive menu, meaning you never need to eat the same thing twice.

For decades, Louisville has been best-known as the epicenter of bourbon, and the Kentucky city has seven distilleries in its downtown alone. But Derby City knows that every good drink needs some good eats, as "Top Chef" also acknowledged when it hosted its 16th series in the city. Louisville is home to more than 2,500 restaurants, some with nationally recognized chefs at the helm. Soul food is one of the cuisines that Louisville does best — this city knows how to bring the South to its tables.

One of the most well-known spots for soul food in Louisville, thanks primarily to an appearance on "Food Paradise" on the Travel Channel, is Shirley Mae's Café, which has been located in the famous Smokeville neighborhood since the 1980s. The building even has its own Black history— it was once a post-Civil War encampment for formerly enslaved people. The food? Magnificent, of course. "Words can't describe how good this place is," said one Google review. "If authentic soul food with excellent portions is what you're looking for, this is the place." There's also Big Momma's Soul Kitchen, which has a menu that changes every day with just a few spotlighted entrees. There are plenty of reasons to visit Louisville, from some of the best museums in the nation to that famous bourbon, but the soul food might just be top of the table.

Nashville has long been known as the hometown of country music, but all that creativity requires fuel. These days, Smashville is a food destination in its own right. The city is a culinary delight, and no visit is complete without following the food lover's guide to Nashville's best eats. That delectable food scene includes a fair share of soul food restaurants, which are as plentiful in the city as country music stars. 

Want to taste the best soul food that Nashville has to offer? Start your journey at H&T's Home Cooking, another spot so traditional that it doesn't have a website. This restaurant is known for its "meat and three" offerings, which is exactly what it suggests — a meat dish with three comforting sides. One Google reviewer's husband was so enamored with the food he demanded his wife write a review. Another excellent option is Monique's Home Style Cooking, most beloved for its fried chicken and has been serving it up, as well as other soul food eats, since 1999. A Google review referred to it as a "hidden spot of Nashville's finest," and we aren't going to disagree.

Since the 2010s, Richmond, Virginia's food scene has been blowing up. The city has slowly transformed from an underrated restaurant destination to a spot where the likes of "Top Chef," "The Big Brunch," and "Spring Baking Championship" have set up shop. Richmond is one of the most underrated cities in America's South, but soul food restaurateurs have long known the city's prowess when it comes to country cooking, partly due to its rich Black history.

For one of the most revered soul food meals in the city, don't sleep on a trip to Mama J's Kitchen. Despite its humble and down-home feel, this place gets plenty of love, with a 4.4 average score across nearly 4,000 Google reviews. Unlike many other soul food restaurants, Mama J's Kitchen serves liquor, so you can pair your meal with a beer or even a signature cocktail. You can also choose from tons of other spots for a drink, as Richmond is one of the best U.S. cities for beer lovers to visit. Beer and soul food? Where do we sign?

Soul food restaurants can often be humble hidden gems, so it wasn't easy for us to determine which cities held the best of the best in America. But to figure it out, we combed through restaurant roundups created by bloggers and big-name publications as well as visitor reviews to determine which cities had the most soul food restaurants, the oldest soul food restaurants, as well as the most interesting soul food scenes with lots of different offerings and vibes. We also considered which cities had soul food scenes that were most highly acclaimed by food critics and those with the most dynamic histories.