If you're ever in Gary, do yourself a favor and stop by Kelly's Soul Kitchen. This spot became a…read moremust-visit for me every single time I was in town--and for good reason. My go-to plates were the fried catfish and the jerk chicken, both packed with flavor and cooked to perfection every time. The collard greens and potato salad were absolutely on point--true comfort food done right. Everything on the menu just hits. What really made this place special though was the people. After a few visits, they started calling me "New York," and from that point on, it felt like family every time I walked in. The owners are incredibly welcoming and genuinely appreciate their customers. One of my favorite moments was being introduced to their strawberry banana pudding. I'll be honest--I was hesitant at first because I'm not big on banana flavor, especially when it tastes artificial. But this? Completely different. It made me a believer. So much so that now I even make my own from scratch at home. That's how good it was. It's a small, no-frills spot with just a couple of stools at a bar-style table--no real seating--but honestly, that doesn't matter. When the food is this good and the people are this real, you don't need anything fancy. Whether you're grabbing food on the go or standing there enjoying every bite, it's an experience. Kelly's Soul Kitchen isn't just a place to eat--it's a place you feel.

It was a super hot day and the family and I just got thru a beach day at Ogden Dunes. Hubby and I…read morewere feeling hungry so decided to stop by at Kelly's Soul Kitchen. We are both big fans of rib tips and haven't found a place that compares to Stevie B's in Wicker Park that closed years ago (RIP lol) and decided to check this place out. We shared the rib tip platter and it came with Mac n cheese, sweet potatoes, cornbread, and we ordered an additional side of collard greens. Everything was about $22 and the portion for the price was pretty good. The rib tips were decent - nice flavor, soft but could have been more "falling off the bone" status lol. The sides were also pretty good. Decent food, nice portion, good price. The restaurant is small. Hubby was the one that placed the to go order while I stayed in the car. He said not really a place to dine but more of a carry out spot instead. Our order came out pretty fast - about 10 minutes.

The gumbo was alright. It had a nice consistency, but the flavor was lacking. Needed more kick. It…read morewas a bit underwhelming. Just an average meal.

Stopped in for a bite to eat while we were traveling. Wow does this place have great food. I had…read morethe fried catfish, which is the best I've ever had. Mac and cheese was out of this world. Hubby ordered gumbo and that did not disappoint. We were able to speak with the owner as he is also the chef! We will definitely be back for an authentic seafood boil on our next trip through Gary!

I ordered the 6 piece chicken dinner with Collard greens and rice and peas...My man ordered a…read morePhilly Cheesesteak/fries..Everything was a hit.,..We ordered and had a 10-15 wait time for our food. Upon receiving the bag I knew it was gas!!! Split the lid open and my god....Idk what's doing on in these reviews but..Cause I had that Ray's fish and shrimp and wanted to throw that garbage against the wall! Keep it up ya'll...

Terrible! I ordered 3 dinners. Curry goat, steamed cabbage, rice and peas. Horrible! The goat was…read morelittle dry cubes of meat with no curry gravy at all. The cabbage and rice were not properly seasoned and seemed old. They did not have half the things on their menu. I will never go there again.

Take a long time have to order ahead but fresh and worth the wait!! I ordered the catfish and Mac…read moreand cheese with sweet potatoes and greens

The food was old and hard and overly seasoned. I ordered baby ribs and was given two over cooked…read moresmall ends of a spare rib with no meat on them. I ordered a regular tip that looked like a mini tip it had about 6 rib tips in it an 2 was pretty much fat only. Customer service is poor as well. I placed a phone in order on another visit and was told I had an hour wait and after I waited an hour I was told they weren't preparing any phone in orders, only pre-paid orders from the website which was totally understandable had I been informed a hour ago. I didn't even know they had a website. Needless to say my holiday meal was ruined

Gowdy's has the best seafood in Gary, Indiana. I love the fish, catfish, shrimp and everything…read morehere. The seasoning was delicious and soulful. The fish was flaky and not greasy. What a treat to come to my hometown and get such delicious soul food. The owners were friendly and even took a photo with me....I will be back for more of this great food. Gary, Indiana support this incredible restaurant. God bless and keep serving this wonderful food. I will be back soon. Paula P. Wilson

Terrible the food was cold the order was short I had a…read moreparty at my house I ordered the 100 Fish Nuggets got the food home no sauce This is the third bad experience with Gowdys When the uncle ran things the food and service was excellent

I've been 3 times now and have enjoyed every meal. My mom lives in Indiana and now it's a must…read morestop. Last time I tried turkey chops for the first time and they were delicious, moist and flavorful. The yams are always on point and so is the Mac and cheese. A little too much juice in the serving of greens but other than that no complaints.

GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME! I waited about 15-20 minutes for two dinners and it was worth every minute!…read moreThe sheer amount of food you get is worth the price as well. Each dinner easily could feed two people! CONS: 1. The corn muffins were a bit dry/overcooked and were more savory than sweet like I'm used to. (Still tasted good though) 2. The mac and cheese was a bit drier than what I was expecting but still had a good flavor! PROS: 1. Rib tips/bbq sauce had a great smoky and sweet flavor! It was also super tender. 2. Smothered cabbage and potatoes were simple and flavorful. The gravy wasn't too salty or super thick. 3. Catfish was bomb! They have a variety of lemon peppers to choose from and I was recommended the chipotle lemon pepper. It was flaky, moist, and had a good crunch! 4. SO MUCH FOOD! 5. Very kind staff :) Overall, great experience and definitely will be coming back!

Food was really good! Not overpowering with seasonings. Catfish and chicken tenders were the best!…read moreStaff is amazing.. very polite and attentive. J mosas were fire!! I had 2 flights. The place is nice overall. Not that big but big enough to not feel crowded. It's clean, normal level of noise. It screams family and good vibes! I'll definitely be back to hangout with the family

I wasn't very impressed with either the food or the service during this visit, everything felt…read morepretty mediocre. I ordered the pancake breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, and grits. There were eight other people in my party who ordered more complex dishes, and they all received their meals before I did. I ended up waiting about 30 minutes just to get my pancakes, and then another 30 minutes before the rest of my food came out. The restaurant wasn't busy and there seemed to be plenty of staff, so I'm not sure what caused the delay. Our server was quite inattentive throughout the experience. However, I do want to give credit to a young man who stepped in to help, his effort didn't go unnoticed and was appreciated. This wasn't my first time here, and I've heard great things about this place, which makes the experience even more disappointing. I'm unsure if I'll return, but I'm open to the possibility that this may have just been an off day. On a positive note, the restaurant was clean and it's a nice space for gatherings.