Soul Cafe

my wife and I are frequent patrons of Soul Cafe. Sheila has hit another home run with her Blackened Catfish, served on a bed of sautéed vegetable. better than good. recommend highly while available. Marc Bailes

Soul Cafe is the place to be for brunch! We're been here a couple of times. We sat at the bar and the service was great! Ordered a Mimosa and a Paloma with Mezcal and it hit the spot! Then we ordered the Tres Locos and the Green/Red Chili empanadas. Delicious!! 4 stars because there could be a more diverse musical selection but we will be going back.

Hello Everyone: I am writing this review for Soul Cafe in Scottsdale. Note: We did not go to Happy Hour or sit at the bar. This review is for the dining room and menu serving the dining room area. We were greeted when we walked in, our reservation confirmed and seated in the dining room area on time.The server we were assigned to was Jania. She did a nice job. We had reservations for 4:15 PM (we wanted an early dinner that day), so she had plenty of time to attend to us since all the other folks there were at the bar. We were the only people seated in the dining room area when we arrived.I would like to say overall, our water being refilled, empty/used dishes being removed timely and attention to our needs - the staff did a nice job. The restaurant has several staff members rotating around checking on tables and they all seem to understand their role. No complaints there! For a before dinner cocktail we ordered the Blueberry Mule - very nice and refreshing on a hot Arizona day. Ingredients were nice, but I expected to taste more of the "blueberry syrup" indicated to be an ingredient on the menu. Therefore, we gave it a four out of five stars. We ordered the Trio of Dips which is a basket of potato chips and three dips for our appetizer to share.The chips came out quite hot and since they were sill hot they were bendy (not crisp). But, as the chips sat in the basket and cooled they got crisper. Therefore, I recommend giving the chips a toss a few times and letting them cool a bit before indulging.What we did not like: All three of the dips tasted basically the same, therefore we were a bit disappointed. We could see visually different ingredients, such as the spinach, but the overall flavors were flat. Therefore, we would give this appetizer a 3.5 out of five stars.For a salad to share we ordered the Watermelon Strawberry Salad. Based on the menu description we envisioned watermelon and strawberries, mint, goat cheese and toasted almonds with the balsamic reduction with a garnish of arugula. Instead, all the ingredients came on a bed of arugula. The feta was nice and creamy. The watermelon did not have a lot of taste, but the strawberries were flavorful. We had a hard time finding any toasted almonds. I never tasted any mint.Therefore, we would give this salad a three out of five. For our entrees I ordered the salmon and my husband ordered the beef stroganoff.The salmon ($32.00) comes on a bed of items: butternut squash, hazelnuts, brussel sprouts, dried cranberries, jalapeño bacon. The piece of salmon was a nice size and done per my order. My issue with this dish was the items "under" the salmon were chewy - the brussel sprouts and butternut squash had not been cooked long enough. Additionally, the jalapeño bacon was very fatty and I was unable to chew it. I also ordered the sauce the side which came as ordered. Therefore, we gave this dish a three out of five.My husband ordered the beef stroganoff, $26.00. This is served with pappardelle pasta, grilled tenderloin, creamy mushroom sauce and sour cream in the center.The mushroom sauce was nice, not too watery with a true mushroom flavor.We found only three very small pieces of tenderloin about 1" long and maybe 1/4" thick. In my opinion the only pasta for a stroganoff is exactly what they served it with pappardelle. The sour cream was a nice touch, making the sauce even richer.Due to the lack of meat in the dish, we gave it a four out of five. Lastly, we had the Rhubarb Pie with ice cream.I liked that they served the scoop of ice cream in a bowl separate from the pie (not on top of the pie). Not everyone wants melted ice cream dripping onto their flaky pie crust!What we were surprised about was that the pie was served hot. We did not ask for it to be heated up nor did the server indicate any of the pies were served hot.I do not care for heated pies - but hubby ate it.The "scoop of ice cream" was really a 1/2 scoop, not a full round scoop.The pie size is enough for two people to share.The rhubarb had a nice flavor. Sometimes when people make rhubarb pie, they add so much sugar that the tartness of the rhubarb is diluted. In my opinion this filling could have used a tad less sugar, but overall, the flavor was nice.Due to the "hot" pie and 1/2 a scoop we gave this a 3.5 out of five.I hope you find this review helpful so you can decide what to order from Soul Cafe if you choose to go!Sincerely,Chef Lynn

Very odd experience. We actually didn't end up staying. The energy and ambiance of this restaurant was unsettling in a sense. They sat all POC in the back with all of the POC servers and bussers as the whole front was all white people. It didn't help the fact that the looks we received weren't welcoming from those working. Overall it's maybe a nice place just not the right place for us. Thanks!

How can such an ugly fish be so delicious? One of this weekend's specials was fried catfish which was fantastic accompanied by french fries, hush puppies, and coleslaw. As a kid I hated the thought of catfish but not anymore, it is really good. Catfish was among several weekend specials at Soul Cafe including my wife's choice of fresh halibut, broccolini and mashed potatoes. There were other choices like the fried eggplant that I had last week which was also very good. As usual, our server, Ciara, was exceptional and Soul's manager, Annamaria, is a gem in her own right. You need to check this out and you will not be disappointed. In case you are wondering since I often post about Soul Cafe, I do not work for them, not related to anyone, just a fan of good food at a reasonable price with outstanding service in the neighborhood.

Soul Cafe is a good vibe place!Stopped in for a late morning breakfast following the GF's medical appointment. The patio seating in the shade was perfect (even if a parking lot view).The inside bar and dining areas were fairly busy for the time of day, post bfast - pre lunch.I had the Crazy Biscuits (green chili and sausage gravy) and the copine had avo toast. Both came w choice of egg style. The food was fantastic and abundant.Hugo was professional, courteous and energetic as our server!

Soul Cafe is a great spot for lunch and dinner, but it's absolutely amazing for brunch! Their brunch is my favorite, thanks to the wonderful Latin vibes on the menu.For brunch, the Christmas tamales are my absolute favorite. Their green chili is sooo good, and I can't get enough of it. I also loveeee their pancakes--the lemon ricotta and the raspberry pancakes are soooo good. The pancakes are perfectly soft in the middle with a slight crunch on the outside. I would come here just for the pancakes alone.Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fantastic brunch experience!

I finally got to try this place for dinner. Now I know why it's always packed. This place was amazing!! Celebrated my birthday dinner here. Service was stellar ( shout out to Victor). Great selection of cocktails and wine.The food was amazing and delicious. I definitely want to come back to try other plates/ apps and desserts.They have so many great desserts to choose from. Their pies are yummy served with ice cream.You haven't been, I highly recommend you try it.

Can I give 6 stars?Service, food, atmosphere- always on point. Every staff member we encountered was delightful and genuinely enjoyed what they were doing. Menu is varied. I keep coming back and vow to do so until I've tried everything they offer.

I have been craving a restaurant that serves excellent beef stroganoff. I found that at Soul Cafe. It was tasty, plentiful and enjoyableThe service was good. Ambiance was spacious, open and plenty of flow of conversations. A bit pricey, but it's Scottsdale.