The Best Soul Food in Raleigh

Current Cafeteria

★★★★☆ 4.4 (13) • $

"I wheeled into the Current Cafeteria on a whim one day. Its hard to find good soul food, so when I see it n my area I make an effort to stop in. In this case I was glad that I did. From the outside the place looks kind of run down. Inside is the same way. Parking is limited to one side of the building, and is in that private lot only. Its kind of a pain to get into and out of being at a red light. Seating is the old 1970's welded up steel frame seating, where you cant move anything. Lucky there were a few tables on the wall. Its definitely not built for comfort. You order from a line like a traditional cafeteria from back in the day. The menu is a hand written board. The staff was friendly and helpful. I had the fried chicken with cabbage and lima beans, with rolls on the side. I added a tea to drink, and my total was $6.29 with tax. The prices here are great! They also take credit cards, which is great also. When I visited it was after lunch time, maybe 1pm in the afternoon. There was nobody in there except for the staff. The food was still hot and fresh tasting. Fried chicken was as good as I have had. It was cooked up nice with the perfect balance of taste, breading, crunch, and inside doneness. It wasnt greasy at all. The sides were spot on as well with the cooked cabbage tasting like real home cooking. My friend got hush puppies and after sampling these I wish I had got them. The hush puppies are awesome. Make sure you get them if you go. All in all I enjoyed my visit, the food is good old home cooking, and the prices are great.Outside looks a little scary, but dont let it fool you. The food has more soul than soul train.. and brother.. thats a lot!! 5 stars."

Let's Eat Soul Food

★★★★☆ 3.7 (25)

"Soul food is my favorite kind of food! I don't come here often but when I do I feel like I am at home. The staff is friendly and helpful. The food is gooood! Each day they have a different special. I love their chicken and dumplings, candied yams and collards! The cook cooks with love and you can taste it in each bite. The inside is small but comforting. There is plenty of parking and the prices are very affordable"

Boricua Soul Food Truck

★★★★★ 4.6 (24) • $$

"We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine:Parking: FOODTRUCKLocation: FOODTRUCKDecor/ambiance: 3Customer Service: 5+My wife went crazy when we pulled up alongside this truck. I guess she follows them on social media and had been wanting to give them a try. We jumped out of the car and ran up the truck. Its a standard sized Food Truck with the marketing plastered all over it. This one is special as its a mixture of Mexican and soul food. We ordered a bunch of veggies with veggie empanadas. She also ordered the cheesecake empanada and oh my lord was it amazing. We ran into this truck at a Cary food truck rodeo where there was tons of people. With all of the people at the truck they managed to do a great job kicking food out fairly fast. The food was hot and yummy. I feel in love with the veggie empanada. Also loved the cheesecake empanada. The collards, bean and rice and plantains were so yummy! Presentation of the food was great and the service was even better! This truck provided an amazing 5 star experience on Sunday at the Cary Chowdown!"

Levy’s Soul Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (19)

"Very welcoming and super friendly. They seem like they love what they do. The food was very good and the interior was very clean and nicely decorated. They is plenty of seating to enjoy your meal. Definitely recommend!"

Bestfood Cafeteria

★★★★☆ 4 (38)

"After being on the road all day, we popped in for dinner. The cafeteria has a cute shop in the front that you can browse through before you get to the cafeteria in the back. We got there close to closing time and most of the food was almost gone.I got the chicken pot pie, baked potato, and corn with blackeye peas. Don't judge the picture too much since it looks like someone threw up on my plate. All of it was very good and I couldn't finish all of it since it was a lot.It has been a long time since I have ate in a cafeteria. It was a bit of a throwback for me reminiscing the experience. The staff was friendly and got our plates filled up with what we wanted."

Pure Soul

★★★★★ 4.9 (199) • $$

"Pure Soul is pure genius!!! The best vegan restaurant I have ever enjoyed! I am having fried fish today with their Bilbo's greens and kale Caesar salad. I am also enjoying a side of fries and a piece of fried chicken. I am starving!They season their food well. Their Arnold Palmer is the best proportions! Textures are on point!Congratulations on being voted #1 YELP Restaurant in the Carolinas!"

StarBar

★★☆☆☆ 2.2 (45)

"Dear Raleigh Yelpers: Be amazed that I went to a new locally owned business and reviewed it first!Having received an email with a menu with items such as fish and spaghetti, chicken and waffle, and shrimp, turkey wings, porkchops, chicken, and/or fish with grits . . . well I had to give it a try.The business has been open for about three weeks. I arrived for lunch around 11 a.m. - and I was THE lunch customer! I ordered the smothered chicken and grits - fried white meat chicken over grits with gravy. Any southerner knows you have to do grits rights, and this place nailed it! No little cup of grits - it covered the plate and were done perfectly. The chicken was tender and juicy. Wonderful presentation as well on a red squared plate.The sweet iced tea was made from some concentrate - you could tell it wasn't brewed tea. The serving time was about 30 minutes. I would suggest that if they want to have a steady lunch business they may want to have a simplified lunch menu with fewer choices so folks can get in and out on their lunch hours.Lovely facility. Lots of red and black in the design. Second floor has VIP booths and another bar with an aquarium. The lounge I believe is open after 10 pm on weekends."

Ole NC BBQ

★★★☆☆ 2.6 (14)

"Enjoyed this place a lot tonight. Stopped in here while visiting my grandad from out of town. I love North Carolina style barbecue and this place was great. The pulled pork and chicken was delicious. Also the hush puppies were awesome. We will definitely visit here again in the future."

Great Grandson's Meat & 3

★★★★☆ 3.7 (7)

"I was so disappointed when grandsons closed almost all of their buffets. But luckily they opened up a couple of these smaller restaurants that are just as good, just not as much variety. I eaten at this one and another one several times and food is always delicious, piping hot and big portions for the price! I also love how they bake their mac and cheese, I get so tired of going to someplace that calls themselves a southern restaurant and their mac and cheese is this gloppy mess of macaroni and canned cheese. I highly recommend grandsons especially if you're in this area, they're really aren't any good food options other than this restaurant. Oh and it's super clean as well!"

The Chicken Hut

★★★★★ 4.6 (149) • $

"First meal in NC for me!Friends took me here and it was their first time too, but it came highly recommended. Ordering is like a cafeteria line. Staff at the front takes your order of protein/sides, and you wait for them to put it together.I opted for a fried chicken plate which included full wings and drums, collard greens, and mac and cheese. The fried chicken is fried fresh, and comes out piping hot! Chicken is juicy and the crunch is perfect. I enjoyed the mac and cheese the most out of the sides.Staff was friendly and offered us complimentary cake as well since it was our first time. These plates come large...so I would actually share a plate with one other person. Parking lot attached as well. Definitely a must visit when you're in the Durham area!"

Jack's Seafood and Soul Food

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (36)

"7/30/22: Visited for this location for the first time today. It's nestled in a little, busy shopping center off of Rock Quarry Rd. next to Pizza Hut. There is plenty of parking in the lot. There is nowhere to sit inside the restaurant. All of the chairs are piled on top of the tables. It is completely carry out at this time. There's a sign that said "Masks Required", but they don't enforce it. There were many people standing inside the restaurant without one on, so...The cashier was friendly. The food came out quickly. I just don't understand why the fries were already soggy. Also, the yams tasted watery. The popcorn shrimp, smothered pork chop, and fried chicken was good though. I'd definitely go back..."

JC's Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (13)

"I took a group here last night and all our meals were wonderful!!! I had ox tails again (YUM), michael had fried chicken (YUM)-- we both had cabbage and lima beans our sides. Lakenda had trout (YUM) with a double side of cole slaw and she got hush puppies rather than the cornbread (YUM) we had.Lovely people. I hope they adopt me :-)"

Family Diner

★★★★★ 4.5 (27)

"This place is the real deal! Authentic southern breakfast with delicious options. The biscuits are the best. Real southern cat head biscuits. Every item we tried was outstanding. They really have something for everyone. Ask for the buttered biscuits. The service was great too, and we really enjoyed our meal. Worth a drive from anywhere."

King Chicken

★★★★☆ 4.4 (79) • $

"OMG, we loved Kings - definitely a must stop if you're in the area.I ordered a couple of Chix Thighs that came with one of their delicious Cat Head Cheese biscuits, also a side of Hush Puppies and a small Sweet Potato Pie.Super nice staff, huge menu and delicious southern food. Everything was so yummy and definitely the best sweet potato pie I've ever had. So yep, we'll be back, next time we're in NC."

Soul Forking Good

★★★★☆ 3.7 (11)

"I've passed this truck plenty of times waiting for the perfect day to visit and Sunday was that day! On Sundays and Thursdays, they also serve soul food (turkey wings, oxtail, meatloaf, and hamburger steak) with an assortment of sides. The turkey wings were large and flavorful and they come with white rice. I chose yams and collards as my sides. Everyday they serve wings, fried shrimp or fish, and sides, with daily lunch specials. Their popular strawberry peach lemonade was worth all the hype. The banana pudding cake was so delicious. They also have strawberry crunch cake on select days. I will pay them a visit time and time again because of the large portions, dinner and wide variety, and price value. They are closed on Monday and Tuesdays."

Tru Soul Food Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (52)

"Hot damn that was a good meal!Turkey BBQ, catfish, pork chops all of it was delicious. My family got an assortment of sides the Mac and cheese was certainly the standout, but all was excellent (cole slaw, potato salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, French fries...."

Home Plate Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (8)

"The real deal! I'm from NC and this is how a fish camp bbq joint should be. Delicious food and friendly service!"

Wilson Soul Food Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Order 2 fried chicken wing plates, & tenders. The sides we picked out were fried okra, mac & cheese, yams, potato salad, and fries. The food was hot, packaged well, the flavor was amazing. The Mac & Cheese was great which is very hard to find lately. The potato salad tasted fresh regardless of the fact that we ordered about 30 minutes before closing. The yams could have been a little sweeter but that's just my personal preference no reason to take off points on the rating. Oh & the wings were fried perfectly they were crunchy, but still juicy and not dry when you bit into them and the flavor was great. Great job! & thank you for the extra silverware, hot sauce and ketchup. Very impressive for a DoorDash delivery I may add."

Finger Lickin Fried Thingzz

★★★☆☆ 2.6 (17)

"Excellent new shop opened this week in the former Empanada Factory space on S. Main St. This is the 2nd area shop for this concept; the original on Bragg Street in Raleigh. It's a simple menu - they have fried wings, shrimp and fish. And that's it! Platters served with fries, coleslaw and white bread. Your choice of 1, 2 or 3 meats. Everything is fresh outta the fryer - beautifully crisp and golden brown on the outside, moist, tender and flavorful on the inside. Shrimp is superb - not mushy, with a nice crunch to every one. Full sized wings (none of those flats and drums here), perfectly battered and fried crunchy. Portions are huge - 5 wings and at least 10 shrimp with the 2 meat order. More than I could finish, so the good news is I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The word is out. This place is P A C K E D. About 9 tables inside, all full. Takeout business going strong. A must try if soul food is what you crave. DELICIOUS!"

Jessie Bell's Soul Food Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (22)

"A great comfort food restaurant. It is cafeteria style, with daily specials. They have plenty of sides to choose from. I had meatloaf with mac and cheese and cabbage. Everything was great. I can't wait to go back."

Burger Barn

★★★★☆ 4.2 (21)

"My annual go to spot when I'm traveling through North Carolina. On my most recent stop here I had been working a photography run on US-158 with another photographer and said "Hey, I know where we're going for lunch". We pulled into the gravel parking lot and walked up to the counter. I already knew what I wanted while my friend looked over the menu. We both ended up getting Bacon Cheeseburgers and Onion Rings with a soda. My burger was as good as it always is and my friend was duly impressed with his a well. I did notice the onion rings had changed since last year. Previously when I had them they were hand made. These appeared to have been frozen from a bad. They were still good. I love to slather my onion rings in mustard and that's exactly what I did. I'm looking forward to another visit at Burger Barn soon. Real soon, in fact right after everything is back to business as normal I'll be taking a trip down to Lewiston, NC. Guess what's on the way!!!"

Sea & Soul

★★★★☆ 4.3 (44)

"This place offers some really crazy good soul food with a southern twist! And I love it! What I like about this place is that it is open late at night and it's right off the highway. If you're ever hungry and you're around town I would recommend this establishment!"

Stancil's Grill

★★★★★ 4.9 (9)

"Just ordered their ribs and fish meal and it came with two sides y'all. The vibes is beautiful they got these two beautiful ladies up here taking orders and making your food fresh! Please come down here and try this food if y'all are real ones. These ladies are nice and friendly and their food was so good I flew home just to slap my mama (jk, I love my mama) but for real... their food is delicious ! Come by and support these beautiful ladies!"

Gardner's Barbecue

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (23) • $$

"Stopped here on my way to South Carolina. Not very far of the hwy, this place opens at 11 am for a full buffet lunch. They have a special for $25 including two drinks and a buffet. That buffet includes items like chopped pork bbq, chopped turkey bbq, fried chicken, baked chicken, fish and baked fishy fried oysters, greens, cabbage, rice, hushpuppies, fries, boiled shrimp, and a whole host of desserts like peach cobbler, banana pudding, cakes, and ice cream. Yes, I said you have access to all of that for just $25 for two people!The chopped NC-style bbq was delicious. This is a vinegar-based, no sauce-style of bbq so be aware of that if it's your first time. The fried chicken was delicious. I only wish that they had replenished it while I was there bc I wanted more fried wings, but only large pieces were left."

Soul Seasons Cafe & Catering

★★★★☆ 4.1 (18) • $

"Really good food, loved the seasonings, and the texture. Everything was good, even the leftovers!"

Gardner's Barbecue 301 Flagship Store

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (88) • $

"Very good and not too far from95. I had a craving for fried chicken and it was satisfying. Waitress gave me an extra side for free. I'll be back. There's a buffet & table service."

Let's Eat Soul Food

★★★★☆ 3.8 (10)

"I've wanted to stop here for some time, but because I rarely come into this strip mall I kept forgetting. Today I finally made it. I thought I'd keep it simple and ordered just one fried founder filet, hush puppies, and cole slaw. They don't have soft drinks in the fountain, just cans. Also drinks in bottles. Even though I thought I said I'd be dining in, my food came to the table in a take out bag and container. I give them a plus for using an environmentally paper food container, but the utensils are plastic. When I opened the box I was surprised to see several filets rather than just one. Probably because the fish was nearly as thin as a paper plate. The tarter sauce is not homemade, but rather in a pkg like ketchup comes in. Even though the fish was lightly fried, the very thin edges were so crisp the tiny plastic knife couldn't cut thru it, so I ended up eating with my hands. There's way too much salt in the breading IMO that sadly overpowers the flavor of the fish. The hushpuppies were so over fried on the outside it was a battle to get my small plastic fork thru, but they were soft inside. The cole slaw, while tasty, had a strange grayish color which didn't make it look very appealing. If you come here don't expect to have a mellow dining experience. Although there were only a handful dining in (most customers seemed to be getting take out) two Very loud tv's are competing with each other. One plays the network news and the other an ongoing gospel performance. It was really ear splitting and unsettling. All and all a so-so experience, for me at least."

Fuller's Old Fashioned BBQ

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (72) • $$

"My fave buffet spot in town. I had the opportunity to go yesterday. Oh man I've missed this place. I started with a salad. The red onions were pungent as they should be. So good. Then I went for my veggie plate and my meat plate. The cabbage and the turnips so yummy!!!! I wish they had some fresh fried chicken. The popcorn shrimp and chopped bbq was good. I go to buffets for the smorgasbord of veggies and nothings different with Fuller's. The corn of the cob was so sweet. Can't wait to go back. The butter beans. Everything."

Soul's Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (7)

"Really good food here, and as someone who doesn't eat just vegan food, I would say that this is on par with non-vegan options.Everything we ordered was so crispy and well seasoned, but just enough so that you could alter the taste to your own preference with sauce. I especially liked the krab kake, really hit the spot. Give this place a try if see it!"

Walt's Grill

★★★★★ 4.6 (13)

"Unbelievable that this has one review. 100 yards from Franklin Street but worlds away. A historic meat and three type of spot. We got the fried chicken, a side of culture, friendliness unmatched, ice tea, Carolina blue surroundings and unbelievable hush puppies. All for 7 bucks, incl tax! Id say 95% of Chapel Hill doesn't know this place exists.. But they should. Go here instead of Mama Dips if you really want the southern experience. Go go go. Cash only, decent parking, friendly service and awesome food!"

Everlean's Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (11) • $

"I have been here a couple of times they have a special everyday for lunch. Service was good ,food was good. I highly reccomend this place"

Woodard Family BBQ & Grill

★★★★★ 4.9 (22) • $

"Ummmmmmm...SIMPLY THE BEST!!!! (In my Tina Turner voice) I love this place! Love love love. Every Friday is fish Fridays and I will be in the place. The cabbage and green beans are phenomenal. They're my go to sides. I also love succotash when they have it. Now, let me get to this pork chop. I haven't ate a pork chop in sooooooo long and man this was a perfect way to get back in the pork chop game! Delicious!!!! So yummy...frfr. And it's clearly the neighborhood spot, it stays packed! Run don't walk to Woodard Family BBQ & Grill."

Jerk Man Island Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4 (21)

"Update- they added fried salmon bites to the menu and now our official regular order is one plate with curry goat with rice and mac and another with fried salmon bites with yams and mac. The goat and salmon are both divine. Huge portions, hot, flavorful, enough food for up to 4 people, you get your money's worth, and extremely satisfying."

Jack's Seafood & Soul Food Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (162)

"Quick tip: call in your order during popular lunch or dinner times especially since there's not much parking or room to wait inside. Jack's has always been one of my Raleigh favorites. I love so many of their menu items and honestly have never had a bad meal. They have many a couple of changes like there's an increase in cost when you pay with card instead of cash and they charge for refills. With the increase in supplies and food cost I'm not surprised by these changes. When it comes to real soul food Jacks will always be my go to. Their sides are flavorful and they don't use pork to season them."

The Coop Food Truck

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (2)

"Bonus points for adding a lot of veggies to the not-fried skinny burger.The Coop is a chicken-only food truck. Although it says fried chicken, there are some things that are not and that's the direction I went.The roasted chicken sandwich was fine and a decent size. If you prefer white meat, the sandwiches are not going to be for you. I'm not sure if they have anything but dark meat on the menu. The menu wasn't specific except for listing thighs and wings and I didn't think to ask that question. The sandwiches are available with fries for an added charge and you can get regular or Cajun. I splurged in one of the few ways you can with food truck food. Ho-hum. I didn't think the Cajun fries were anything special and not worth the extra couple of dollars.The service was lackluster -- but then it was a nice day out and the people working probably didn't want to work. I get that but attitude affects perception.Overall, The Coop is okay as far as food trucks go; it does okay but it's not one I'd actively seek out again."