When I tell you this was the best meal I had all month, I mean it. Look, I'm from Dallas and there are some good soul food restaurants around, but it's been a minute since I've gone to any of them because you just get stuck in a rut when going out to eat sometimes. Coming back to MD for work however means I get to Uber eats on the company dime. No, I don't want McDonalds or Chipotle. Oh, look! Carolina Kitchen! My favorite item to get at any southern/soul food restaurant is always smothered pork chops with greens and mac and cheese. I was a little surprised at how expensive the plate was here but after ONE bite of the mac and cheese, I realized that it was well worth it. Best mac and cheese I've had. First, when my delivery driver dropped off my plate I was thinking to myself, Dang, this is heavy! I only ordered one plate but it felt like 2lbs of food. When I opened the container I was pleasantly surprised that it was packed! Two pork chops (sauce on side, thank you), huge servings of mac and cheese and greens and a cornbread. All fantastic. I can't speak on the other items, but I know what I ordered was straight fire. It was so good that I told a co-worker to check it out when I returned back to my home office so they can experience the awesomeness. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Look at this beauty! It was so much food and all of it done perfectly. No notes - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

I've always been a fan of Carolina Kitchen, so I stopped by recently because I had a craving for ribs. I was told the wait would be about 10 minutes, but it ended up being closer to 20, which was a bit frustrating. I also noticed ribs being served to other customers during that time, which felt a little unprofessional. That said, I ordered pork ribs, jerk chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, potato salad, and cabbage for my mom and me--and everything was delicious. The flavors were exactly what I was hoping for. Despite the longer wait, the quality of the food definitely delivered. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

This is my new primary location for Carolina Kitchen. This location has sooo many options, in the most convenient location and it's nice and cozy. I super wish that CK will go back to being a full service restaurant but I can deal this way for now. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

Everything I have had from them I have loved!! Meat loaf, fried fish, baked chicken and even turkey wings, all well seasoned and flavorful. My favorite sides are the yams, greens, potato salad (which I'm very picky about) and macaroni and cheese. One of the best things about them is that they don't skimp on the portions. Major plus because it's not cheap lol. Always have enough for more than one meal. My favorite location is the Capitol Heights one if you're not looking to drink alcohol. read more

The Mac and cheese was runny. Greens were good. The chicken was okay. My point of contention was the price. It's way too expensive for fried chicken 3 piece with 2 sides. The portions are large, lasted 2 days. The chicken had been sitting for a while because it's cafeteria style. It's hit or miss. I did like the reusable bag. They have a lot of competition and they need to step up their game . read more

Carolina Kitchen - Reusable bag - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

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I stopped in on an early Friday evening with a craving for fried chicken. I like that Carolina kitchen offers the buffet style line for to go orders. Unfortunately, they didn't have any fried chicken wings ready. The closest option was the spicy chicken chunks. It was essentially spicy marinated chicken breast. I ordered greens and Mac & cheese for sides. The restaurant was pretty empty when I went but the space was large and dimly lit with similar wall art/decor as their other locations. I would return again but would suggest that they prepare food in time for the dinner rush so that patrons are able to order what they want. read more

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Visiting from Ontario, Canada and stopped at this gem! Lots of seating area, big tables if you are with a large group, we have never been before and we asked one of the guests leaving how to order. They let us know it's done cafeteria style - we went at 7:30 which is prime dinner time, they were going through the trays of food as we were lining up. Lots of options from fish to different types of chicken, lots of sides to pick from. We ordered a 2 piece chicken white meat and 2 side and it was enough to feed 2 of us, the portions are very good. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Logo and signage - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

Just love the vegan menu! Everything is always so flavorful and delicious. Makes giving up meat an easy transition with all their yummy options. The vegan greens, Mac and cheese and greens are all delicious choices. The potato salad is interesting. I'm not a fan of sweet potato salad. Today I tried the Jack Fruit soup and it was so good! Already looking forward to my next visit. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Meatless Meatballs....so good! - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

Food, mostly delicious, Carolina Kitchen can "consider" REDUCING the sugar on the yams and they'd probably taste a LOT better; the Mac N Cheese is good, but sometimes gritty - not sure why; the meats and vegetables are on point . The Sweet Tea and Lemonade is good too. Service is good, no complaints there; and ambiance is okay - there's music and the decor is nicely done. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Fried Chicken, Candied Yams, and Collard Greens - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

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usually my food is A1 but today I'm pissed ! I'm assuming they changed their recipe for the turkey wings & they were HORRIBLE it's like someone opened the big side of the seasoning and dumped it on the wings!! no gravy no nothing just seasoning smh. the sides were good of course but them damn turkey wings was trassssh read more

Welcome! Welcome! This place was 10/10 in all aspects! The ambience was welcoming and warm. Like coming home almost from the hostess to the bar staff, cashier and servers they were friendly and attentive. The dinning room was open and clean. There were various people dinning and the staff would come around to check on everyone even though it's more of a takeout/self-serve vibe. Okay star of the show.. the food!! Y'all. The food was delectable, like perfectly seasoned crispy whiting. The greens were so good and tender. The max and cheese was gooey and crispy around the edges sooo cheesy! The cornbread... oh my god... the cornbread. A crispy sweet cinnamon topping with moist inside served warm! my friends got the fried chicken and agreed everything else was absolutely delicious! Skip the lemonade :/ probably my only thumbs down. It was straight sugar lol I added an entire cup of water to my lemonade and it was still too sweet. Other than that everything was perfect! read more

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*Late Night Post Alert* Now I KNOW you've been to this spot before!! Trust, it's been a few nights that the dub ($20) in my pocket got me a fulfilling meal from this spot!! You forgot? LET'S GO!! . Where I am: @carolina_kitchen . Menu Includes: *See Website* . Items Reviewed: Their Creole Grilled Salmon Platter (Grilled salmon with crab meat, shrimp, on a bed of mashed potatoes, Mac n cheese, & greens $39). The Salmon....LIKE THAT!! A creamy Cajun mild sauce, well cooked shrimp & crab!! The Mashed Potatoes...DELICIOUS! Good, I would've just chose a rice for this. STAMP their Greens!! Full of flavor, not overly salted, tasty!! Their Mac n Cheese...LIKE THAT!! Creamy, I tasted a multi cheese blend!! Their 3 Piece Fried Chicken Meal (A fried chicken Breast, wing, & a drum sitting on rice & gravy, with 2 sides of your choice-yams, potato salad, & cornbread $20). STAMP the Fried Chicken!! Crispy, juicy, my GO TO when here!! The Yams...STAMP!! Imagine how surprised I was when I dipped into what I thought weee BEANS!! Sweet, gooey goodness!! The Potato Salad...DELICIOUS! Yes the vegetarian salad was better...more flavor!! STAMP that buttery sweet cornbread!! Their Chesapeake Platter (with spicy wings, a crab cake, fried shrimp, a fried lobster tail, with 2 sides of your choice-I got their plant based potato salad, & greens just to try $60). The Lobster...LIKE THAT!! Now the SAUCE put on this platter was super salty on this day. But the proteins w/o the sauce HIT!! The Crab Cake...LIKE THAT!! Meaty, & well fried!! The Shrimp...LIKE THAT!! Plentiful, crisp!! The Wings...DELICIOUS! The sauce was sweet & tangy, I just needed them more crispy. The Plant Based Potato Salad...LIKE THAT!! This surprised me!! Tasty, creamy, & hearty!! The Plant Based Greens...DECENT. Hearty, but I needed more flavoring. Their Plant Based Sampler (their faux shrimp, crab cake, bbq chicken, & meatballs. Rice, beans, mac n cheese, & chickpeas *Gifted* they wanted me to try it). All these items were BETTER than your average plant based food...but come in and judge these for yourself!! Their Plant Based Chocolate Cake, & Carrot Cake ($8 each). STAMP them both!! If I didn't know they were plant based...I couldn't tell!! . Online Navigation: Easy . Parking: Rough . Recommendations: You can never go wrong with The Fried Chicken, Mac n Cheese, & Greens . Music:YouTube-Backyard Band Socket Series 4 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews read more

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The restaurant needs to be treated for bedbugs and the managers need training on customer service. I hated to post this here but the restaurant does not have a company page and no one has returned my call to address my concerns even after I have called 3 times. December 12th, I visited this location, along with 6 other colleagues, for lunch. We placed our orders and had been sitting less than 10 minutes when a bedbug was spotted crawling on the table. I immediately got up to get management but to no avail. The manager on duty never came around to look at what was killed on the table but instead stated that she had been there 9 months and never encountered that problem. She didn't look at my pictures or take my name; however the cashier at the front took my name and number. Traumatized, I left the restaurant with an extra plate that I purchased. I contacted the manager immediately for a refund and she said I had to bring the food back along with my receipt. My food cost $25.44, and that's okay if I don't get a refund, I'll live with the loss because I'm never going back. What I tasted before seeing the bedbug was good, but after that, I was immediately sick. All I will say is eat here at your own risk. I took pictures of the bedbug on the table, & while I was attempting to talk to the manager, one of my colleagues took a picture underneath the table, just trying to make sure... & look what he caught....a bedbug under the table. I'm really surprised at the overall experience especially since this restaurant has not been opened long. read more

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Welcome welcome welcome!!!!! Great location great customer service and great food. I love this location. Keep up the great job Carolina Kitchen. Love the welcoming atmosphere and hospitality. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Meatloaf Mac and cheese collard greens - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

Please don't ever come here. First off, the staff provides horrible customer service. Everyone had an attitude in the place including the manager. The icing on the cake is that the food is worse than the bad customer service. Paid over $70 for 3 plates and the food is bad. Mac n cheese is probably the worst velveta cheese. Run from this place. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Sweet and sour chicken with black eyed peas and Mac and cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

Short ribs were fantastic! Fried chicken wings were yummy! Catfish was perfect and made fresh, So you have to wait a bit. Also the sides were very good especially the mashed potatoes, greens, and cabbage. The only items that could be better was the fried chicken breast (which was overcooked and dry) and the Mac n Cheese which was just ok, but the kids loved it. Finally the red velvet cake was one of the best I've ever had and I'm a connoisseur of deserts. So good! read more

I went here with my s/o and my 15 month old son after church. Ordering here is a challenge because it's what I would call a nicer "cafeteria style" and there are absolutely no prices anywhere so if you order with your stomach and not your wallet you might be very surprised once you get to the register. But I did take a peek at a menu posted behind the counter and the jerk chicken, bbq chicken, meatloaf and maybe items in the first section are around $18-$25 and come with two sides but things like jerk salmon are $44+ with the sides. My advice when it comes to price would be to go online to the order pickup section to see how things are priced. I ordered the jerk salmon which also comes with rice and the two sides for which I got Mac n cheese and greens. The greens had a Smokey bbq flavor and the Mac n cheese was very cheesy. The man and baby did not like it but I love cheese so I liked it. He ordered the bbq chicken with the mixed veggies and yams. The yams were good, very sweet tho and I didn't try the mixed veggies because I'm just not a fan but the bbq chicken was good. It was a good portion too, like a whole half chicken. The staff scooping the food were pretty patient with answering our questions about price and what the items were. We ate in the dining room and they had staff wiping down tables and someone brought us over a high chair for the baby. It nice enough for a post church meal but casual enough that you can grab n go. I would go back for a grab n go but not often because those prices were up there for food that I can cook myself. For someone that doesn't cook and wants a home style meal this is a good place to go. read more

My first time at this location and I must say that it's very modern, updated and upscale. I was greeted by a staff member upon entering and as I excited she enthusiastically shouted, "See you tomorrow" with a warm smile. I ordered the smothered chicken with collard greens (omg...they were so delicious) and potato salad which was my motivation for going in the first place. I just LOVE their potato salad. The menu and taste were certainly consistent with other locations. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

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I have mixed feelings about my dining experience at Carolina Kitchen's newest location in Capitol Heights. I've been a fan since the first one opened at Capitol Boulevard many moons ago. The owner has always had an eye for detail and all of his restaurants are impressive looking inside to say the least. This one is just as impressive. So on my weekly lunch date with my mother, we decided to try the new CK knowing the food will be hot and tasty! Upon entering, there's the customary hostess stand but where is the hostess?!? I asked the workers behind the food stations, do we seat ourselves and she responded, yes! Does a server come to us or do we have to order our food at the counter even though we're dining in and she responded, yes...well DA*N!! So after getting my mom's order, I went down the line and received our meals in white styrofoam containers. I then had to stroll down to the self-serve drink dispensers to get our drinks. Now, if this was a discount establishment like Golden Corral, I wouldn't feel so annoyed. Carolina Kitchen is NOT cheap! I'd say they're more expensive than Kitchen Cray and Milk & Honey and guess what, both of these minority owned establishments offer FULL service accommodations. That said, can a brotha get real silverware because it's extremely difficult cutting a fried pork chop with a plastic knife..SMH!! I'm not sure how Carolina Kitchen does dinner service, but for lunch, it's do it yourself.. Food was excellent though..LOL! read more

Carolina Kitchen - BBQ Beef short ribs@ Carolina Kitchen! - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

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Great southern cooking. Pork chops with gravy was seasoned perfectly, Mac and cheese was delicious, yams delicious, collard greens were a little too salty for my liking, but others enjoyed them. read more

Food is always on point! My favs are greens, fried pork chops, beef ribs and mac (occasionally). Potaoe salad is too sweet and should be considered a dessert...way too much sugar in it! I always have leftovers for the next day! read more

Every time I see this location it is pretty pack and I love that for them but I caught them on a rainy day and it was empty (yay for me) ! I went and was pleasantly surprised. I have visited all of the Carolina Kitchen locations and I must say I like this. They do have a good size menu (you do have to scan a QR Code for the menu). They also offer vegan options which is a plus. I ended up ordering the Creole Grilled Salmon, the serving size was huge and it was delicious! It was enough to share and we still didn't finish it at one time! It was fresh and seasoned very well. It was worth the price for sure and I would definitely order it again. read more

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Treated myself to a "cheat meal" for lunch so I decided to give this newly opened location a try. Because it was lunch time, I did take out instead of dining in. Upon entering, I noticed that the restaurant's decor was well put together and very appealing -- it was so colorful and inviting with flowers, elegant chairs, and cultured portraits. Definitely much better decorated than other Carolina Kitchens I've gone to. Thankfully, there wasn't a line for takeout so I was able to just walk in and place my order. The overall spread looked good. I got the fried whiting, collard greens, and black eye peas. My food was flavorful and thoroughly cooked . I also got a buttered cornbread muffin and it was good also! The taste of the food was similar to the taste to the food at other locations that I've tried, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but most times the food tastes different pending the location. I guess the franchise deserves a "A" for consistency. Overall, my experience was okay -- not bad but also nothing to rant and rave about. read more

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They served me a stale cake and bad service. The wait staff was inattentive and tired. I miss the Carolina kitchen that was in the boulevard. This one isn't the same. Not even the Mac and cheese taste good anymore read more

Carolina Kitchen - Nasty coconut dry cake - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

I tried the new location tonight and I was disappointed. I have experienced every location and always had a great experience and tasty food. The service and showmanship were superb. I just knew the food was going to be smacking. The food was lacking flavor overall. I ordered beef ribs, Mac, greens, and baked beans. The ribs were fatty,poorly rendered, and appear to be cooked in the fat without draining at any point during the cooking time. They tasted and felt like slime. The Mac was overcooked and curdled. The noodles only need to be cooked half way due to the baking process and time. The greens were good as always and the beans had little to no meat in them. I was shocked because CK is my go to place to get a good Sunday dinner any day of the week. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Mac - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

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The food was AMAZING! I had the meatloaf, cabbage, and candied yams. I highly recommend them. This location is different than the other ones I've been too but in a good way. They have a plant based section which to me is a nice addition. I didn't try anything from it this time but am planning to on a future visit. Also, you get your food from the line and seat yourself (U'm not mad at that because it eliminates having to order and then wait for your food). The line moves fairly quickly so waiting in line wasn't bothersome. read more

The line moved very slowly. The servers are aloof. There was a hold up in paying for food because after the food was placed in containers, they were being stacked up in a unstable pile and not being picked up by the next worker in line to move the food down to the cashier. Maybe more training would help. At least the food is hot and fresh. Although, I still don't understand why the menu and food prices are not clearly posted, I asked why and was told that there is a QR code some where on a wall where the information can be found. This should not be the only way for patrons to view the menu. Nor is this useful for persons who have disabilities where using a smartphone to view a restaurant menu is not a feasible option. read more

I'm so pissed. Used to be my favorite soul food place, not anymore. Went to get some fish, look what was in my fish. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

The food was really good. I ordered the salmon, mac and cheese with greens. I had a side of okra. For $15 it was good and fried perfectly but not worth thr price. The container was small. The service was ok. At this location you walk up to the buffet counter vs wait to be seated. If you've been here before, you know that but as a first timer, I did not. Also, the employees just stare at you when you're waiting instead of telling you. The side of okra took at least 15 minutes to receive. Ambiance was fine, good music. They were playing motown oldies. Thankfully, it was low enough to have a conversation. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Creole salmon, mac & cheese, greens - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

Came here just for a Side !!! Went here today and it wasn't packed but they had a lot of other black-owned businesses in there for a meeting or networking idk. I got a large cabbage and collard greens mixed for 9$ !!... I saw during Thanksgiving the taller ones but the lady said that's because it's the holidays ..it was very flavorful with a kick but it balanced it out !!. I'd definitely get this side again read more

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Worst food. Everything was Ninja sweet. Why we gotta put sugar food in all our food. Leave that to desserts. Potato salad tasted like a sweet souffle, OVER SWEET. Try dill. Why we stay stuck. read more

Creole salmon, excellent! Got it on a bed of mashed potatoes lawdt it was perfection. Greens . Mac n' cheese . Love the environment, love the staff aways welcoming. read more

Carolina Kitchen - Creole Salmon on mashed potatoes, greens, mac n' cheese. - Soul Food Near Me - Capitol Heights, Maryland

This is our go to for good Soul food ! The Ambiance is incredible the food is hot and delicious and the service is exceptional the bathroom is clean and plenty of parking. They have everything You could dream up including desserts and don't forget the delicious cornbread. read more

When are you open and when do you close? Smh. The food is good, but way overpriced. Service not so much. And the prices have gotten way out of control. Beef ribs went from $20 to $25 to $45? Stop it. And the young lady on sides is light handed with the scoops! Which is likely on purpose. It was a good little run but the economy ain't messed up that much! The greens are good, but not that good! read more

At the advice of a great Yelp review AND it being quite some time since I've been there, treating myself to Carolina Kitchen proved to be a must on the first weekend of the new year. Trust and believe I was not disappointed in my trip. The interior appeared to have been upgraded since my last visit, into an upscale eatery worthy of one patronizing. There is still the buffet style serving line, loaded with delicious fare at reasonable pricing for this economy, and the staff serving you are skilled and very curious. I decided to indulge in a slice of coconut pineapple cake, which was mouth watering delicious, and yes, I know I started with dessert, new year, new day, new ways. My entre if the day was the 3 piece fried chicken platter, with cabbage and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was splendid, with some crunchy from the edges just like I like it. The cabbage tried to outdo the Mac and cheese and while it was great, not overcooked and seasoned just right, but I still rank it slightly below the Mac and cheese. Ahhhh, and my fried chicken. What establishment with Carolina in its name, could fail to do justice to some fried chicken, and Carolina Kitchen will have you thinking that big momma or auntie was in the back working her special magic on the "yardbird" as it was lightly crunchy, moist, tender and flavorful on the inside. Come on down and bring your crew, none will be disappointed... read more

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I took one taste of the collard greens and had to spit them out. Macaroni and cheese was just ok. Fried chicken wings ok. I will never go to central ave carolina kitche. They need cooks who know how to make soul food. The one in Largo is better. read more

Carolina Kitchen is a staple in the DMV. They make classic southern dishes and offer you two sides with each entree. They added a twist with the Capitol Heights location. They offer a salad bar and some vegetarian options. The service is remarked and the dining room is spacious and flows with the same themes at the other four locations. My personal favorite at this location is the salad bar. I get a classic Caesar salad, with their flavorful grilled chicken. Sometimes I opt for grilled shrimp and it's amazing either way. Happy eating! read more

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Went to The Carolina Kitchen 9009 Central Ave Capitol Heights, MD 20743 on Friday Dec 5 around 8pm walked in got greeted immediately with welcome welcome went specifically for PLANT BASED meal the employees were kind and attentive nice vibrant young man helped us very knowledgeable allowed us to taste test we decided on the jerk wings, seafood gumbo, yams, and cabbage everything was very delicious we were very satisfied when leaving out the young lady said see you tomorrow we thought that was cute I hope this place gets good business and stays open and the service remains good we usually go to Everlasting vegan but decided to give this a chance and we weren't disappointed unfortunately I didn't take pictures as I usually do but everything was a 10/10 read more

This food was disgusting. I had barbecue chicken strips dinner and a pork chop dinner. Chicken strips was so dried out. The Black Eyed Peas was disgusting. Same thing with the pork chop dried out and it was expensive do not eat here read more

The food is delicious. Down home country cooking! There's so many choices and the desserts are delicious as well.