Authentic soul food, preserved by generations of Black cooks, is alive and well both in local restaurants and at the eighth annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival, which takes place this month, May 17-18, at the Main Library at Goodwood.
Here are some of the many Capital Region soul food restaurants to try for dishes like oxtails, chitterlings, smothered pork chops and chicken, meatloaf and more. Where is your favorite local restaurant to eat soul food? Let us know by emailing [email protected].
Café Express
2451 North St.
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A Mid City staple founded in 1994 serving stick-to-your-ribs oxtails, turkey necks, and spaghetti and meatballs. Grab breakfast here, too.
D’s Soul Food Café
23440 Railroad Ave., Plaquemine
Sample fried chicken, collard greens, liver and onions, and more at D’s. Owner Deborah Dickerson is also behind the catered chitterlings at the Soul Food Fest.
Dorothy’s Soul Food Kitchen
1221 Gardere Lane
Sink your teeth into a long list of soul food staples and take in the cozy spot’s many framed aphorisms like, “Raised on sweet tea and Jesus.”
The New Ethel’s Snack Shack
1553 Fairchild St.
A beloved north Baton Rouge institution, recently reopened by a mother-son team. Find famous red beans and rice joined by smothered pork chops and other rotating specials.
Owens Grocery Market & Deli
2444 Balis Drive
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Founded in Valley Park 87 years ago, this family-run neighborhood mecca started as a dry goods store and morphed into a blue plate special paradise.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.