Soul food is plentiful in California.
"Soul food" is the term for traditional home-style African-American cuisine--black comfort food. It is usually heavily influenced by the South. Soul food standards include fried chicken and catfish, barbecued ribs and smothered pork chops. Side dishes are plentiful and include corn bread, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese. Desserts include peach cobbler, red velvet cake, sock-it-to-me cake and banana pudding. In California as elsewhere, the best soul food restaurants will be found in traditionally black neighborhoods in the urban centers: San Diego, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
Bonnie Jean's Soul Food Cafe
Bonnie Jean's Soul Food Cafe is named after owner Stephanie's mother, who contributed the recipes and the "heart and soul" of the cafe. Bonnie Jean's specialty is "Soul in a Bowl," a sampler plate of fried chicken, cornmeal-fried catfish, greens, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, plus baked potato soup, cucumber salad and jalapeno corn bread. The rest of the menu features delicacies such as deep fried gizzards, hot wings, chicken and waffles, smothered pork chops and chitterlings. "Sweet thangs" include red velvet cake, peach cobbler and sweet potato pie.
Bonnie Jean's Soul Food Cafe
1964 54th Street
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 262-8854
bonniejeansoulfood.com
Sister Pee Wee's Soul Food
Sister Pee Wee's Soul Food is a family-run fixture in the Grant Hill neighborhood of San Diego that features simply a counter, stools and Pee Wee's home cooking. The menu changes from day to day, but the dry-erase board often includes fried chicken, catfish, rice and gravy, green beans and corn bread.
Sister Pee Wee's Soul Food
2971 Imperial Ave.
San Diego, CA 92102
(619) 236-0470
Bertha's Soul Food
Bertha's Soul Food, near Watts, was established in 1965 and has been serving reasonably priced soul food classics ever since. The menu features daily specials such as chicken and dumplings, meatloaf and turkey wings in addition to its regular menu of smothered steak, fried chicken, chitterlings, neck bones and ham hocks. Gumbo is served on the weekends.
Bertha's Soul Food Cafe
1714 W Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90047
(323) 777-3373
berthasoulfood.com
Venni Mac's M&M Soul Food
Venni Mac's M&M Soul Food Restaurant is another neighborhood institution in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles. Specialties include pig's feet, gumbo, catfish and snapper, and barbecued ribs. M&M's, as it's known, also boasts that it has "best peach cobbler and banana pudding on the West Coast."
Venni Mac's M&M Soul Food Restaurant
496 Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 215-8186
vennimacsmm.com
Farmerbrown
Farmerbrown is a neo-soul restaurant, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and healthier preparations than traditional soul food. They are committed to supporting local African-American farmers by sourcing their ingredients from them. Local DJs spin soul classics inside. The menu includes fried okra, jambalaya (including a vegetarian version), shrimp and grits, and for dessert, bourbon pecan pie.
Farmerbrown
25 Mason St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 409-3276
farmerbrownsf.com
Powell's Soul Food and Catering
For old-fashioned family-style soul food in San Francisco, Bayview/Hunter's Point is the destination spot. Powell's serves classic dishes like smothered chicken, meatloaf, catfish and dirty rice. There's a jukebox in the corner filled with soul classics. They also offer a Sunday Gospel Brunch.
Powell's Soul Food and Catering
5251 3rd St.
San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 920-9022
Brown Sugar Kitchen
Brown Sugar Kitchen prefers to be known as "new-style down home," but with its recent receipt of a Michelin mention, and head chef Barbara Holland's authorship of New Soul Cooking, it deserves a mention here. The vibe is homey but upscale, with an emphasis on quality ingredient sourcing. Located in an industrial section of historic West Oakland and open only for breakfast and lunch, its menu changes with the seasons but always includes chicken and waffles and Blue Bottle coffee. Other possibilities include grits, gumbo, jerk chicken, cabbage slaw and a po'boy sandwich.
Brown Sugar Kitchen
2534 Mandela Parkway
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 839-7685
brownsugarkitchen.com
Nellie's Soulfood
For a more traditional soul food experience, head to Nellie's Soulfood Restaurant, also in West Oakland. The menu offers all the standards--fried chicken, catfish and snapper, liver and onions, fried and grilled pork chops, banana pudding, peach cobbler and 7Up Cake. Some items, such as macaroni and cheese, are only available on certain days.
Nellie's Soulfood Restaurant Bar & Grill
1155 3rd St.
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 625-1350
nelliessoulfood.com
Broadway Soul Food
Broadway Soul Food is consistently mentioned as one of the best restaurants in the Sacramento area, period. A tiny spot in the Oak Park area, it has become a neighborhood hangout. Notable dishes include the smoky collard greens, sweet yams and barbecued ribs.
Broadway Soul Food
3517 Broadway St.
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 453-8990
Tags: Soul Food, Soul Food, Bonnie Jean, Food Cafe, fried chicken