10 soul food rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Paschal's ★ 4.7 · Atlanta
downtown · 180 Northside Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Paschal's in Atlanta has served soul food since 1947, when brothers Robert and James Paschal opened on Hunter Street. The civil rights movement met here; SCLC was anchored at the bar.
Tip: The current Castleberry Hill location since 2002 expanded with a banquet space; the original Hunter Street site is preserved at Clark Atlanta.
Busy Bee Cafe ★ 4.7 · Atlanta
downtown · 810 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30314
Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta opened 1947 on MLK Drive and won the James Beard America's Classics Award in 2022 for its decades of soul food service near the AUC campuses.
Tip: Cash and card. Lunch and early dinner only Tuesday to Sunday; line forms before noon weekends.
Bertha's Kitchen ★ 4.5 · Charleston
north-charleston · 2332 Meeting Street Rd, North Charleston, SC 29405
Bertha's Kitchen in North Charleston has run family-owned soul food cooking since 1979. James Beard America's Classics winner in 2017; the Gadsden family kept the kitchen running through three generations.
Tip: Lunch only Mon-Fri; closed weekends. Counter ordering, cash and card.
Hannibal's Kitchen ★ 4.4 · Charleston
eastside · 16 Blake St, Charleston, SC 29403
Hannibal's Kitchen on Blake Street in Charleston has run family-owned soul food cooking since 1985. Crab rice, lima beans over rice, smothered pork chops, sweet tea included.
Tip: Mon-Sat lunch and dinner; closed Sunday. Counter ordering.
Yardbird ★ 4.4 · Miami
south-beach · 1600 Lenox Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Yardbird in Miami Beach is the Lenox Avenue Southern table that put 27-hour brined fried chicken on the South Beach map and runs brunch through dinner daily.
Tip: Book the patio if it's open. Locals brunch Saturday before the queue takes the dining room past 1pm.
Revival ★ 4.4 · Minneapolis
uptown · 4257 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
Thomas Boemer's Revival on Nicollet runs Southern fried chicken in Minneapolis since 2014. James Beard semifinalist; brined birds with biscuits and pimento cheese.
Tip: Walk-ins fill the bar by 18:00; the Saint Paul Selby location has shorter waits.
Big Jones ★ 4.3 · Chicago
andersonville · 5347 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
Big Jones in Chicago is Paul Fehribach's Andersonville Southern kitchen on Clark Street, with shrimp-and-grits and buttermilk biscuits that anchor the brunch menu.
Tip: Sunday brunch tables go on the books two weeks out. The bar takes walk-ups if you arrive at 11:00.
Sylvia's Restaurant ★ 4.2 · New York City
harlem · 328 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10027
Sylvia Woods's Harlem soul-food restaurant has served fried chicken, collards and yams in New York City since 1962. Sunday gospel brunch is the institutional service.
Tip: Sunday brunch books up two weeks in advance. Weeknight dinner is the easy seat for the same menu.
Red Rooster Harlem ★ 4.2 · New York City
harlem · 310 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10027
Marcus Samuelsson's Lenox Avenue Harlem room runs an Afro-Swedish-Southern hybrid menu in New York City. Live jazz downstairs at Ginny's Supper Club after 22:00.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the room's big draw; bookings essential. Bar walk-ins for a quick supper around 18:00.
Amy Ruth's ★ 4.0 · New York City
harlem · 113 West 116th Street, Harlem, New York 10026
Amy Ruth's on West 116th Street has served chicken and waffles in Harlem, New York City since 1998. Dishes named after Civil Rights figures and Harlem musicians.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the destination; weeknight dinner serves the same plate without the wait.