Soul food is a history, culture, and community served on a plate. This Memorial Day, honor those you cherish with a feast that nourishes the soul as much as the body.
We’ve compiled a list of 15 iconic soul food restaurants across America – the holy grails of gravy, the meccas of mac & cheese – that are practically guaranteed to transport you back to those cherished moments.
Plus, we’ve got three more that came this close to making the cut, just in case you’re feeling adventurous.
1. Sylvia’s Restaurant (Harlem, NY)
The undisputed queen of soul food has been feeding Harlem since 1962. Celebrities and locals alike crowd into this institution for chicken smothered in gravy that’ll make you wanna slap somebody.
Their famous candied yams and mac and cheese aren’t just sides—they’re the main event.
2. Willie Mae’s Scotch House (New Orleans, LA)
Forget what you think you know about fried chicken. Willie Mae’s serves what the James Beard Foundation crowned “America’s best fried chicken”—crispy, spicy, and transcendent.
The unassuming cinder-block building hides culinary magic that survived even Hurricane Katrina.
3. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant (New Orleans, LA)
Holy ground for civil rights history, where leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. planned while feasting on Leah Chase’s legendary gumbo. The late Chef Leah, who cooked well into her 90s, fed presidents and freedom fighters alike.
Her Creole classics bridge African, Spanish, and French influences.
4. Paschal’s (Atlanta, GA)
Martin Luther King Jr.’s war room during civil rights battles now serves the most politically significant fried chicken in America. Their secret 75-year-old recipe hasn’t changed since 1947—crispy outside, juicy inside, revolutionary all around.
Atlanta legends talk strategy over their famous peach cobbler.
5. Martha Lou’s Kitchen (Charleston, SC)
A hot pink cinderblock shack housed Charleston’s soul food royalty until 2020. Martha Lou Gadsden’s lima beans alone converted vegetable-haters into believers.
Her daughters now carry on her legacy at Bertha’s Kitchen. No fancy frills—just paper plates groaning under the weight of crispy fried chicken.
6. Bertha’s Kitchen (Charleston, SC)
Blue-painted cinder blocks house a James Beard American Classic where three sisters keep mama Bertha’s legacy alive. The cafeteria line moves slow because everything’s cooked fresh daily.
No shortcuts in soul food paradise. Their okra soup could convert the most stubborn veggie-hater.
7. Busy Bee Cafe (Atlanta, GA)
Since 1947, this Atlanta institution has been brining chicken for 12 hours before frying it to golden perfection. During segregation, it became a safe haven for Black entertainers and civil rights leaders.
Their cornbread arrives hot enough to melt the butter on contact. The oxtails fall off the bone with barely a glance.
8. Florida Avenue Grill (Washington, DC)
DC’s oldest soul food restaurant survived riots, recessions, and gentrification since 1944. Their hotcakes have fueled generations of politicians and civil rights leaders plotting America’s future over breakfast.
The smothered pork chops fall apart under your fork.
9. Hoover’s Cooking (Austin, TX)
Texas-sized portions meet soul food finesse at this Austin legend! This is where chef Hoover Alexander blends Southern classics with Tex-Mex flair.
Their chicken fried steak spans multiple plates and comes smothered in peppery cream gravy that’ll haunt your dreams. Five different hot sauces grace each table.
10. Roscoe’s House Of Chicken And Waffles (Los Angeles, CA)
Sweet meets savory in perfect harmony at this LA institution that turned chicken and waffles into a West Coast obsession. The crispy chicken skin shatters between your teeth while maple syrup creates flavor fireworks you never knew possible.
Celebrities from Snoop Dogg to Barack Obama make pilgrimages here.
11. Sweetie Pie’s (St. Louis, MO)
Miss Robbie, former Ikette with Ike and Tina Turner, traded music for mac and cheese that made her a Food Network star. Despite family drama that rocked headlines, the food remains transcendent.
Especially those yams candied to perfection. The fried chicken gets a 24-hour special seasoning bath.
12. Bully’s Restaurant (Jackson, MS)
Housed in a cinderblock building that looks like time forgot it, Bully’s slings Mississippi soul food so authentic it won a James Beard Award. Their oxtails simmer for hours.
The greens still have garden dirt clinging to them before hitting the pot. Cornbread arrives crusty-edged from cast iron skillets.
13. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (Savannah, GA)
Family-style Southern magic happens at communal tables where strangers become friends. The fried chicken recipe remains unchanged since 1943.
Twenty-plus dishes arrive simultaneously: black-eyed peas, candied yams, collards, cornbread. Cash only, no reservations, worth the line that forms at 9am.
14. The Four Way Restaurant (Memphis, TN)
Civil rights history simmers alongside the best turkey neck bones in Memphis at this 75-year-old institution. Martin Luther King Jr. regularly strategized here over plates of their legendary fried catfish.
Their turnip greens swim in potlikker so good folks drink it like soup. The sweet potato pie recipe remains a closely guarded secret.
15. H&H Soul Food (Macon, GA)
The unlikely friendship between Mama Louise Hudson and The Allman Brothers Band put this tiny spot on the musical map. When the broke musicians couldn’t pay, she fed them anyway.
Their salmon croquettes crackle with crispy exteriors hiding soft, flavorful centers. The mac and cheese arrives with a perfectly blistered top.
16. Mikki’s Cafe (Houston, TX)
Houston’s soul food royalty serves smothered turkey wings that could make you propose marriage to the chef. Their oxtail gravy deserves to be bottled and sold nationwide.
Beyoncé and Solange have been spotted waiting for tables just like everyone else.
17. CONTENDER: Cornbread Cafe (Detroit, MI)
Motor City’s best-kept secret serves cornbread so buttery it should require a cardiologist’s note. Their smothered chicken bathes in gravy that took three generations to perfect.
The candied sweet potatoes come topped with marshmallows that develop a perfect caramelized crust.
18. CONTENDER: Mama J’s Kitchen (Richmond, VA)
Velma Johnson (Mama J) traded her sheriff’s badge for an apron, and Richmond’s food scene has never been the same. Her catfish nuggets convert even the most stubborn seafood skeptics.
The cake jars featuring homemade desserts in mason jars sell out daily. No fancy frills, just soul-warming comfort on a plate.
19. CONTENDER: This Is It (Houston, TX)
Three generations of soul food expertise culminate in oxtails so tender they surrender at the mere sight of your fork. Since 1959, their smothered pork chops have been bringing grown men to tears of joy.
The line moves quick despite the constant crowd. President Biden made a campaign stop here—smart man.