Tori's Place

Good for the soul, Soul Food. I'm talking about flavor, portions, variety of dishes. This is *the* place to go.The service is excellent. The owner "Mama" does all of the cooking herself. Each order gets love and care as she puts them together. The young lady at the register that takes your order is both professional and very much a people person. The decor is unique, but it suits this little place. The music is 70s vintage soul music. Not too loud, perfect atmosphere to set the mood to get your grub on.I had an order of ribblets, with cornbread, greens, green beans, yams and peach cobbler. The ribblets were pure perfection. The sauce was not too spicy, it had just the right amount of tangy.The cornbread was heaven.The greens were exactly the way they should be. The right amount of seasoning without overwhelming your senses. The green beans were tender but not mushy, they had a good flavor.The peach cobbler was sweet but subtle. Each spice tied it together well. I had Diet Pepsi to drink.Best Beloved had the gumbo. While he liked the gumbo, it was a lot more than he could eat. He also enjoyed the cornbread.The yams were sweet and tender. Very much a comfort food for me.One side note: there is no designated handicapped parking. Part of the parking lot is gravel/grass.

TLDR:Two words: Fried Chicken! Or Gumbo! Well, that's one word but still... or hot-water cornbread, which is kinda three words and tastes just as good! Just GO there! Ignore the appearance of the exterior and pick almost anything on the menu, engage a bit of patience as you wait for your food, then prepare to be blown away by the flavors that will massage your taste buds into blissful submission. If you're in a rush, call-in your order at least 20 mins before you plan to pick up. The rest of the story:First, Miss Tori is one of the nicest people I have met in Sacramento. And she knows her way around a kitchen. I have been here several times and the staff, who seem to be mostly relatives, are always cordial and courteous. The portions are large, so bring your appetite or prepare to have left-overs. My personal favorites:Fried Chicken - Crispy, crunchy breaded crust with well seasoned, tender and juicy pieces, including the breast.Red Snapper - wonderfully, crispy and fresh with delicious breadingGumbo - this one surprised me! Healthy portions of chicken, sausage, shrimp, with vegetables and rice in a richly seasoned broth with a nice spicy kick. If you are offered a free sample, your response should be YES!Hot water cornbread - all of the meals come with this as a side. Its a thick, pancake of cornbread that has a hint of sweetness that plays well with the buttery richness. Keep napkins handy because they are kind of buttery, unless you are really from the old-school south and mix it with the greens, which are also awesome!Bottom line, this is the best soul food in Sacramento!

I had Tori's bookmarked for a while and we finally stopped by over the weekend. This is the type of spot that if you're not looking for it, you'll pass right by. The parking lot is gravel and doesn't really have spots mapped out (cars were parked a bit haphazardly when we stopped by).They have the restaurant enclosed where there's a patio "outdoor" area with tables and chairs and furniture. It's blocked from the outside but would definitely still be considered outdoor seating, since it's not temperature regulated. In this area you'll find the window where you can place your order.The women at the window are SOOOO nice. They welcomed us in and made small talk and insisted we try a sample of the gumbo. We already knew we were going to order it, but the sample solidified the decision. It is packed with ingredients and has the perfect spice level.We ended up ordering the fried, two pieces of their buttered hot water corn bread, gumbo with rice, a tiki punch and arnold palmer. Between the two of us this ended up being lunch and dinner. Everything was flavorful, well seasoned and came out HOT HOT HOT. We were super excited when it first came out and we had to be patient because both the chicken and gumbo were piping hot. The corn bread is unique because it's like a pancake and was really flavorful, perfect for dipping in the gumbo.As others have said, if you're short on time you'll want to call in your order. It is all cooked to order and this does mean you may wait 20+ minutes depending on your order and how many others are placing orders.The seating worked great as well, but on our 90+ or 100+ degree days it will get hot in their patio area. It is well worth it for the delicious food and I can't wait to head back to try more from the menu.

First time here 6/19/24. I live in Oak Park and wanted to pick up my uncle David to go out to eat for Juneteenth. He lives in Rio Linda so I do a Google search for catfish platters nearby because that's what he wanted to eat. I find this gem of a place I drive there. At first I hesitated because of the outside and how it appeared but then I drive around and I see a line of people and a bunch of parked cars waiting to pick up food, we decide to go inside and dine in we go in and we are greeted by a sweet lady in the window. We place our order with her and wait about 15 minutes and it's ready. My uncle got the catfish plate and I got myself a small gumbo. I could tell it's all fresh because the celery and the gumbo was fresh and crunchy and a side of greens. We got tasted very fresh. My favorite thing has got to be the cornbread pancakes. They are juicy and buttery and delicious.Just went by today 6/22/24 again for a lunch snack - $98 later and I am a happy foodie ! I got so much today including the pudding ! I called it in ahead of time and it was ready as stated in 20 minutes. Nothing missing and everything tastes fresh! The potato salad has a nice spicy kick to it ! Love it ! Everything is flavorful and cooked just right !

I can't believe we never knew about this place that has been around for 13 years! The best soul food I've ever had outside of the south. We sampled quite a few items and everything was delicious! I'd highly recommend the fried chicken, gumbo, black eyed peas, and mac n cheese. The cornbread was amazing!

Tori's food is spectacular!!! Her fried chicken is beyond belief!!! It is seasoned perfectly with a thin yet crispy coating with juicy chicken well cooked. The collard greens and yams are everything y'all. I'm going back for the gumbo that is ordered on the weekend like crazy. I love this spot.

I have not been here since before the pandemic. This was a favorite place for myself and my husband before he died. I am very happy that they survived the pandemic and that they are still supported by the community. If I lived closer, i'd come more often. There is a nice mellow mix of old school soul and mellow jazz as a very calming background. Since I was last here, the place has become more "enclosed" - though still not a proper "restaurant", it does offer better respite from weather than before. I am reminded of a Caribbean/Central American Beach/Southeast Asian/African beach village vibe. The only thing missing is the BEACH! Food is great, cooked to order and at a reasonable price. The neighborhood may be depressed but the food is delicious and the service is TOP NOTCH!I got my order to go and will share with my neighbor who is sick. There is more than enough food for two sick Seniors. I couldn't resist: I had to taste the corn cake! OMG - just as good as the first time. If you like EXCELLENT food and enjoy the cuisines of this country, please support Tori's and places like it that may be out of your way. YOU - and each of YOU - will make the difference on the continuing survival of magnificent food establishments like this.

First of all, this is the only restaurant in Sacramento that has Soul Food that's impeccable. No matter what you order, it'll be tasty & comforting. The atmosphere isn't bad at all& the food is fresh. What more can you ask for....

CHECK YOUR FOOD BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!I live in the city of Lathrop which is 1 hour and 8 minute drive (ONE WAY), to visit Tori's Place. This was my second visit. The first visit came after I seen Darius Cooks review her restaurant. First experience, excellent so of course I'm going to support my people. What I experienced today - I can no longer support. I ordered several items, one being the fried chicken. When I got home and opened the food, I was met with day old chicken that was dropped back in the fryer or chicken cooked in old grease. I think my first thought is on point. I call Tori and am told I have 24 hours to return the food for another order. I DONT LIVE DOWN THE STREET. I explained this several times. I asked for a refund to my credit card of only the chicken and was told no. That's not an option. It baffles me that there was zero consideration for my time, money, and gas especially since she knows damn well this chicken was old. People... look at the pics .

My son and I found this place on yelp and had great reviews so we went to go try it for lunch today. The Customer Service was awesome. They made you feel right at home very polite and the food was fantastic. We had the gumbo came with hot water cornbread so delicious and we ordered some greens and mac & cheese to try very delicious. Will be back soon.