The Yummiest Soul Food in Tampa

The Wright Kinda BBQ

★★☆☆☆ 2.4 (9)

"The food was okay, this food Truck was at my apartment complex and I could tell the ribs had been sitting out for awhile. It came with BBQ sauce but it wasn't the best I would recommend getting that on the side."

T J’s Soul & Grill Sandwhich Shop

★★★★☆ 3.9 (10)

"I got the lemon pepper curry baked chicken with greens, Mac and cheese and a side order of black eyed peas. To say the least the food was fire! It was so much food it could have fed two people! My boyfriend got their fried chicken platter with Mac and cheese and greens and everything was well seasoned and came with corn bread. We will definitely be coming back and would recommend to a friend."

Mama's Soul Food

★★★★☆ 4.3 (19)

"First time going to the Lakeland location which it didn't dispoint me. The collard greens where on point the wings where nice and fresh and crispy also the banana pudding is a must."

Heavy's Food Truck

★★★★★ 4.5 (60) • $

"Heavy's is one of the better food trucks in both quality and quantity. I haven't always considered myself a BBQ enthusiast, and probably still don't, but I'm slowly becoming a convert thanks to incredible dishes at great BBQ places like Jazzy's & Heavy's. And do show up hungry - Heavy's portions are gigantic!My co-worker has previously enjoyed Heavy's food truck in St Pete, and highly recommended them. Although I also *like* them on Facebook, she notices when their schedule occasionally puts their food truck in Clearwater, and she alerts me so we can go. And now that we've been a few times, I fully understand the draw. Meals are HUGE, and delicious. Their collard greens are my favorite, but I also love their macaroni & cheese. I usually order pulled pork because it's so perfectly tender. It's also drizzled with their sweet BBQ sauce that I surprisingly love. My KC friend tells me this is Kansas City style BBQ. Whatever *style* it is, it's outstanding. And sometimes Heavy's has banana pudding, which is equally fabulous."

Mr B's Cafe Southern Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.3 (164) • $$

"ExperienceThe fam and I went to eat at Mr. B's after church last Sunday. We chose this place because we had been to this restaurant before (twice actually) about a year ago when we first moved from California. For some reason, I could never get around to write a review although each time I've patronized this restaurant in the past the food was great. I even recall ordering the same sides each time although usually I like to get new things on the menu if I've been somewhere multiple times.On this particular visit, it was like I recalled. We were welcome upon entry, seated right away, and our order was taken in a matter of minutes. The vibe is always nice to say the least.The FoodI was with a party of 6. 3 out of 6 people ordered the same thing--Honey Hot Fried (dark or white) Chicken w/ 2 sides. I was one of the three that ordered honey hot fried chicken (dark--leg and thigh) with macaroni and Lima beans. I also ordered some buttermilk fried okra that was drizzled with sweet chili sauce and a green goddess sauce. The others in my party ordered fish bites and chicken and waffles...all of which they raved about. For some reason, I did not enjoy my food this time. The chicken wasn't the same flavorful chicken it was when I tried it a year ago. The chicken didn't taste like chicken; however, my husband who ordered white meat (breast/wing) loved his chicken. He said it was juicy & flavorful. His chicken looked just as good as he claimed it tasted, but my chicken was the complete opposite. The legs looked smaller than most chicken legs you'd come across & the taste was not there. The Lima beans were overly salted with Lawry's Seasoned salt and my macaroni just tasted like velvetta cheese mixed with noodles. I'm not sure if they changed recipes or have a new chef but it was just not the same. Why I'll Be BackI'm sure after that, you probably think I'll never return but you're wrong! I will indeed be back. Perhaps I got a bad plate this time. I'm choosing to look at the situation differently. I've seen Top Chef or other cooking shows where the chef gets all the plates completed to perfection but somehow he/she manages to mess one plate up. That's a consistency issue not a customer service issue. I'm willing to revisit to see if there's any modifications made. I'm willing to revisit because the young lady that seated us and the young man that also helped attitude was stellar. So go try it for yourself and if you do here are my tips...Lena's Just So You Know Tips Do try the lemonade; it is great.The staff are attentive and friendly.Chicken & waffles are worth a try!"

Carter's BBQ & Soul Food

★★★★☆ 3.8 (11)

"Friendly folks with very good carry out ribs made our Saturday return trip a success from Bok Tower. The sides of collards, limas and hush puppies were delicious. The wait was short and the packed the go order up nice."

Al's Finger Licking Good Soul Food

★★★★☆ 4.2 (38)

"Where to begin?!? Today I not only was privileged to enjoy excellent takeout SOUL FOOD, but I met the nicest family-- Mom Jacqueline (owner) & two of her grown children. (Dad Al manages the sister restaurant which has specialized in Tennessee-style barbecue the past decade). This restaurant opened December 2018. Finally someone understood when I laughingly uttered, "I don't want any white people sweet potato pie." (Thank you, Brittany.) Unfortunately for me, there was no sweet potato pie today, so I settled for old fashioned peach cobbler. ("Settled" is a poor word choice since the bite of cobbler was delicious!) And luckily for this woman craving soul food (celebrating a 60 lb weight loss), Oxtails were on the menu, as well as my favorite (collards) & fresh yams. All were wonderful, even the little cornbread muffin that wasn't dry, yet crumbled appropriately. I now have many days worth of Heavenly leftovers! I'm psyched! Once sweet Brittany (who's 32, yet looks 17- I'll try to forgive her) took my order, owner Jacqueline took me around back to check out the new lot-- complete w/ a covered stage, a covered VIP eating area, lots of ground space for chairs, & even a Porto Potty. The area can be rented for special occasions, & the owner will hold special events here. (Yesterday was its grand opening-- complete w/ a band). This restaurant owner also provides catering. Oh, & a walk up window has just been added-- come up to the window facing the side street to place your order. The musical artwork lining the dining area is brilliant, this local family is wonderful, the food is superb, & street parking is plentiful. If you're in Ybor, stop in! Heck, if you're out of county as I am, still stop in! It's worth the trip. (Thank you, Tampa Yelper Mark P, for the recommendation.)"

Mama's Soul Food Restaurant - Brandon

★★★★☆ 3.5 (111) • $$

"It's a NO for me!I wanted to try a new restaurant and decided to finally give it a go.The establishment is clean and welcoming. I immediately noticed the signs about "no refunds" and "no time for foolishness". The signs made me question the quality of the food. What is happening to make the business hang such signs?It's time to order and the servers and cashier were friendly. I'm vegetarian so I knew I was going to get the veggie plate. The appearance of the macaroni and cheese looked questionable.it didn't look hot or seasoned, but I tried anyway. At a glance I couldn't tell if the greens were freshly prepared or canned, I decided to try anyway. I added yams and fried okra, and all meals come with rice & cornbread.Ones I got my food I KNEW why the signs were up. The food was not good at all. The greens had a peculiar smell to it, it was so odd that I felt it would cause food poisoning and didn't finish. The Mac and cheese was mushy and had zero seasoning! The yams were alright. The okra was hot but absolutely no seasoning. The corn bread, wow, it was old and stale. The white rice and gravy clearly wasn't fresh but I ate it.Overall, the food was not fresh and quality wasn't there. The owner needs to evaluate practices."

Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood

★★★★☆ 4 (122) • $$

"Stopped into Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood. Because I am not familiar with the area, I looped around the block because I missed the entrance.Parking and seating are limited, but the menu is ample and the ambiance is fantastic. Prices are very reasonable. I ordered the meatloaf plate with collard greens and yams. Added a large ice tea and a blue velvet cake.The team is super accommodating and knowledgeable. As I waited for my food the line for to go orders was non-stop.If you want some seafood or soul food from good people--check it out. You will not be disappointed and you will hear laughter while you wait and eat.Definitely a hidden gem in a sea of options"

J&J Jam'Soul

★★★★★ 4.8 (9)

"Made-to-order is the way to go. Having converted to a vegan or "plant-based" diet recently, the offer a delicious vegetable chunk meal (seems like some type of plant-based protein patty diced up into small half inch chunks) made in your style of brown stew, curry, or jerk. I tried the brown stew - it was a bit sweet in my opinion, but a great alternative. The rice and beans, cabbage, and green beans were on point and marinaded with love. That ox tail was calling my name, but I stuck with my plant-based guns. The vegetable patty seems to have been passable for vegan - the owner made sure there were no egg or dairy-based products in the ingredients list. The vegan brownie was very... decadent and rich to say the least; think of like a brownie edible dough. Overall, I was glad they provided plant-based options. I feel like a lot of Caribbean/Jamaican joints are starting to offer more plant-based options.Order ahead for all made-to-order selections. Chef cooks it up fresh and there may be a wait! If you're looking for something ready to go, YMMV.Looking forward to trying the curry next!Overall, great experience. Staff was accommodating and friendly."

Blue Flame

★★★★☆ 4.1 (60)

"First time trying this spot since being home on a visit. I would for sure go back. I enjoyed my curry goat and my wife enjoyed her curry chicken. The salmon and spinach rice were good as well! The beef Pattie's are homemade and was a perfect breakfast the next morning.We ordered pickup and were told 25 mins. When we arrived the food was ready and they were ready to check us out. Nice friendly service from the staff and there is a parking lot close by."

Florida Cracker Cook Shack

★★★★☆ 4.2 (67) • $$

"Great brisket and Mac n cheese. Place had good atmosphere, great fast service. Lots of things to try."

Table 22

★★★★☆ 3.8 (98)

"In Tampa with family and decided to check out Table 22 for brunch.We had reservations for 6 at 12:30 and were seated right away when we arrived.I was surprised that the restaurant wasn't very busy but it was a win for us.They offered a Margarita Flight tasting,which we all sampled. They all were sweet and strong.We ordered the Knighton Egg Flight(forgot to take a picture!) and Egg Rolls for the table-Salmon and Philly Cheesesteak . Both were quite tasty.For the main meal, I ordered the Black Wall Street French Toast and my Hubby ordered the Harlem Corned Beef Hash. Both were simply amazing. Tasty and melt in your mouth delicious.The atmosphere was very chill with good music playing in the background. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be having a good time and enjoying the good vibes. We loved the decor as well.Our server was attentive and gave great insight into what we might like. We will definitely itely be visiting again on our next trip to Tampa."

Lillie Mae's Southern Cafe

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (18)

"I ordered from Lillie Mae's Southern Cafe using Uber Eats. It was a rainy night, and there ended up being a major delay in delivery due to an error made on the restaurant's end. They gave my order to the Grub Hub carrier. When the Uber Eats carrier showed up, they figured out what happened. So everything got delayed because they had to cook a new meal. (I thought most of the food was served cafeteria style? But maybe the chicken was fried to order.) That was very disappointing, especially since I had hangry kids waiting for their dinner.I had the goat curry. It was pretty good, but it was a little on the salty side. For my sides, I got the collard greens and the candied yams. I thought the yams were on the sweet side and the greens were on the salty side but otherwise succulent. I got the kid's fried chicken meal for my son. Sadly, it was pretty cold and no longer crispy when it arrived at my house. But it still tasted good! The black eyed peas were good (with hot sauce, otherwise, I found them bland). The mac and cheese was fine.I think seasoning is a bit of an issue here. And of course, make sure the right order goes to the right person!"

YUPPI

★★★★☆ 4.3 (138) • $$

"Located in a foodtruck near Causeway and 50th st! This is their current location (old location was in Ybor storefront). Yuppi is known for their WINGS. They are so crunchy but a medium not thick batter. FLAVOR oh my goodness, 10/10 It was a 15-20 minute wait when I walked up. The wings are made to order. I saw alot of people come get their call-ahead orders, I would do the same next time. Probably call and place your order when you're 15 min away. 10 wings is $20 and includes fries. The fried shrimp was also delicious and huge. But the shrimp get soft quickly compared to the wings which tasted crunchy even 30 min after you pick it up. Sides: recommend cornbread and potato salad! They run out of their cornbread by 8pm. The mac n cheese was not cheesy and lacked flavor. I would not get this again. And don't forget to grab a bread pudding! They have a facebook page and instagram for daily updates."

Sista's with Soul

★★★★★ 4.5 (6)

"First, I want to say is the location is perfect!!!! I traveled to Bartow for business and remembered Public figure Tony Gaskin mentioning in a post from maybe around September 2016 "if you are ever in Bartow to try this place." Well, not the exact words but you get my point. The restaurant is nestled in the heart of downtown Bartow, very easy to get to. When my brother and I walked in, immediatelyI felt a homely nice vibe. The hostess was very welcoming and pleasant. She explained everything and also informed us the menu changes daily which I thought was interesting. I ordered the fried fish, eggs and grits and my brother ordered the grits, bacon and grits platter. We also ordered homemade strawberry lemonade and apple juice that were served in huge mason glasses. Oh my the food was AMAZING!!! Everything was fresh and well seasoned. Please don't hesitate, if you are interested in great homemade southern foods....try them!!! It's a must!"

Eli's Bar B Que

★★★★☆ 4.1 (129) • $

"I was in Dunedin on a Friday and was feeling like having some BBQ. While there is a smokehouse in Dunedin, I wanted something more traditional so I decided to checkout Eli's.Here's my take on the experience:Quality of food:  Good. I tried the pulled pork sandwich and a side of baby back ribs. The pulled pork sandwich was a little dry and definitely needed a lot of sauce. They have good sauces that go really well with the pulled pork. The baby back ribs were in some sweet tangy sauce and it was fun to pick off meat off the bones. All in all...it was good but I just had higher expectations since I had heard a lot about Eli's. I wasn't blown away by the meats.Decor: okay. Eli's is going for a very low budget operation so they really don't have any decor and all the seating is outdoors. There are picnic benches and you get your food from a walk-up window.Cleanliness: good. The tables looked clean, although, they might have been kept clean by previous good customers.Service: good. I think it's just a small husband and wife operation and the lady that took my order was very nice and sassy :) Price: good. This place is cash only and the pulled pork sandwich was around $7 which is a good price.If you're in the mood for some classic BBQ and are in Dunedin on a weekend and are okay with "we close when we are sold out of it" type of a BBQ joint then Eli's is a worthy try."

Burnin Barber-Que And More

★★★★☆ 4.3 (19)

"Amazing smoked barbecue! I am so glad they are near my house so if I am craving some fall of the bone BBQ, I can stop by and pick it up. It's a small hole in the wall type shop that has a family feel. I have had their ribs, brisket, and fries and all were delicious. You can smell the smoker when you get near the place. It feels like homemade food and is just great for the soul. Make sure you get some of their sauces before you leave!"

Freds Market - Riverview

★★★★☆ 4.4 (854) • $$

"This place gets packed and with good reason.I admit, when I hear "buffet", I usually turn my nose. Buffets usually offer mediocre, dry, bland food. But THIS place... this place was great! All of the options were always stocked. They have disposable gloves available at each end of the buffet lines. The food is not overly salty as some southern places can get (for my taste). I honestly have no complaints. You will leave full and you will need a nap afterwards."

Simmons Soul Food & BBQ

★★☆☆☆ 1.5 (2)

"Slow service, ordered shredded pork dinner and it had a lot of fat and gristle on it, small portion for price. Baked beans were good."

Janniemaes Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Southern food good for your soul... if you're in Tampa and you craving soul food make a pit stop at janniemaes cafe located on 22nd st across the street from Middleton high school parking lot you want be disappointed oh yeah and believe the hype too"

Auntie's Soul Food & More

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (23) • $

"A fine addition to the growing array of quality food sources along the N/S Central corridor of Tampa. A family operation recently featured in the Tampa Trib specializing in soul food......and it is top of the pack of Soul Food in my taste. Serving lunch and dinner with a dozen entrees including standards like fried/baked/BBQ chicken, port ribs, turkey wings. oxtails, and even chitterlings. Only $7.99 for most with rice, cornbread and choice of two sides, including collard greens, mac & cheese, beans/potatoes, okra/tomatoes, cabbage, limas, candied yams etc. To maximize tasting range, my wife & I shared stewed turkey, meatloaf, greens, limas, mac & cheese and candied yams. Best sides I have had in a long time with most well stewed and superbly seasoned/doctored. Fresh crispy salad and other veggie alternatives are available...but why go that route in a soul food source?Served with hospitality and pride in a tiny, bright yellow strip-mall unit directly across from Taco Bell. Mostly geared for take-out but some tables available....and the desserts are an array of home-made cakes We tried a wonderful red velvet for $3 per slice......so this is overall authentic top-notch food at a real bargain, and centrally located. Wish them well and give them a try...you will be comforted. Walk it off later."

KC Sunshine Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (37)

"When it's good, it's very good. When it's burned, it's not. I used to love this place, and tried much of what's on the menu. However, it's hit and miss. I've had inedible burgers and BBQ, and delicious burgers and hot dogs (especially with chili). The lamb gyros are huge, as are most food items, but the meat is often charred on the edges. Wings are fine, as are Pork Loin and Cuban sandwiches. Onions rings are good, as are fries (usually). I haven't tried the Bowls or stir fry. The baked beans are (usually) good. Cole slaw ok. I don't like Grippo's chips, which is all he has. If you want big portions while at the beach, and are willing to take the delicious/inedible gamble- give KC a try. Note that opening/closing times are loose by 15-30 minutes. Food is 3 star, location is 4 star."

Steph's Southern Soul Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.6 (364) • $$

"Absolutely delicious down home food the staff is incredibly helpful and friendly. I can't recommend this place enough. The place is charming with a wonderful southern ambience."

Chicken King

★★★★☆ 3.7 (57) • $

"We visit Hernando each winter and stop for breakfast at Chicken King a couple of times. The place is clean, the service is great, and the breakfast is very good at a reasonable price. It appears to be a local hangout as most people seem to know each other. i would highly recommend."

Jerk Hut Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.6 (451) • $$

"Service was good our waitress told us her favorite things on the menu and we went from there. We started off with drinks and the original bartender guy didn't make a good old fashion and yes I know you're asking why get that from a Jamaican restaurant and the answer is, it was in the drinks menu and that's what my friend wanted lol. Our waitress saved the day by remaking it herself and it was perfect. We came on a Tuesday night which was open mic nite/a locals jam session and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!"

Mama's Soul Food Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (188) • $$

"I've been in this area for about 5 years and have been looking for a really good soul food restaurant.I ate here yesterday. Once I was done I bought another plate for today. I had the jerk chicken, green beans, and mac&cheeseThe jerk chicken was so good! And the mac and cheese - can I just have to whole container please? Everything was realllly good. It all felt like a big warm hug from your favorite auntie.While there, I dropped my soda and made a mess. Was I completely embarrassed? Yes! Did they treat me like the clumsy person I was? Nope. They were all so kind and gracious! Even the other customers were really cool. A couple of them were talking football, but alas, no mention of the Niners or Raiders .I didn't take any pictures - I was too busy inhaling and savoring my food. I caught myself eating with my fingers and had to calm myself down a bit. I was starving and eating amazing food. This place is definitely worth the drive for me.Enjoy!"