Mouthwatering, delicious, comfort food that’s good for the soul and touches the heart…well, what’s not to love about that. As self-proclaimed foodies and soul food lovers, we know Los Angeles has some of the best soul food restaurants around. Some are iconic gems just waiting to be discovered. Here are our top picks for the best soul food in Los Angeles. Take our advice, run don’t walk.
Fixins Soul Kitchen
Address: 800 W Olympic Blvd A150, Los Angeles
Fixins Soul Kitchen prides itself on serving up delicious and authentic Southern-style cuisine made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. The menu includes a variety of classic soul food dishes, such as fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread. The restaurant also offers a range of vegetarian and vegan options, including a vegan jambalaya and vegan gumbo. It’s no wonder that this restaurant has become a local favorite with the delicious food and “homey” atmosphere.
Phillips Bar-B-Que
Address: 2619 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles
Phillips Bar-B-Que is a legendary barbecue restaurant that has been a staple of the Los Angeles food scene since it first opened in 1980. The menu at Phillips Bar-B-Que features a variety of classic barbecue dishes, such as beef ribs, pork ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket. Everything here is made from scratch even their dipping sauces (yum!). The restaurant has a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, and pays tribute to African-American culture with its several decorated murals and artwork. After you’ve had one of the best meals here at Phillips, we suggest finishing it off with their signature peach cobbler. It’s homemade too!
Roscoe’s House of Chicken’n Waffles
Address: Locations Vary
Nothing more famous in LA than Roscoe’s House of Chicken’n Waffles. It is the most iconic soul food restaurant chain in LA, founded in Long Beach, CA in 1975, and known for their southern style atmosphere and delicious food. Don’t let the idea of a chain restaurant sway your decision to try this place. Their recipes are still authentic and taste homemade. Famous for a reason, right? Obvi, they’re known for their mouthwatering chicken and waffles (the name gives it all away), but don’t forget about their tasty side dishes like mac and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread. And you don’t have to be just in LA to experience the food, they’ve got some locations in Orange County too.
Comfort LA
Address: 2 locations, Downton LA and Inglewood
Never thought soul food could be clean, but Comfort LA has made it happen. They have taken the clean approach to soul food and revamped classic recipes with locally sourced, fresh, and organic ingredients. They’ve also implemented healthier cooking methods to create top-notch, Southern cuisine. Their menu carries classics like fried chicken, mamas beans and rice, mac n’ cheese, shrimp and grits, and more. So if you’re in the mood for a good soul food feeling minus the guilt, this is the place to hit up.
My 2 Cents
Address: 5583 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles
My 2 Cents is another health conscious option. Almost 15 years in the business, Chef Alisha illustrates a menu that covers the versatility of soul food. She’s even got a presidential fan. Yup, former President Barack Obama has visited Alisha’s place and she was honored to cook for him. I mean, who wouldn’t be? On her everyday menu are dishes like gluten free fried chicken, quinoa mac n’ cheese, and cat fish tacos. Again, we love these types of classics without the guilt!
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
Address: 202 E Manchester Blvd, Inglewood
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen has been serving up traditional soul food in a cafeteria-style dining experience in LA since 1999. The menu features a variety of traditional soul food dishes, such as fried chicken, catfish, collard greens, and cornbread. The restaurant also offers a range of vegetarian and vegan options, including a vegan BBQ tofu sandwich and vegetarian gumbo. This place will take you right back to your middle school and high school days for sure! Not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing, we’ll let you decide.
Annie’s Soul Delicious
Address: 615 N Western Ave, Los Angeles
Annie’s Soul Delicious is a family-owned restaurant located in the heart of LA. The restaurant is known for its comforting and homestyle dishes made with high-quality ingredients. Their stand out dish is their signature oxtail plate. The oxtails are cooked to perfection! We’re talking like falling off the bone sort of thing. Plus, they’re served with a rich, flavorful gravy that’s so yummy. But the menu doesn’t end there. You guessed it, they’ve got the classics, like fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, and yams. We’ll take one of everything, please.
Now that you’ve had food that’s good for the soul, why not visit The Best Night Markets in LA to get something extra.
