I visited this restaurant on a Saturday close to opening time I was told it would be a minute because they're still setting up. It took quite a bit time to get my food, even though I was the only one in the restaurant. The service was descent. I had a gift card and wanted to use all of it. So I ordered two dishes. A few items I wanted to try was not available. I order the CJs platter two pieces of chicken and two pieces of perch with a side of dirty rice. The chicken was good. The rice was a little dry and the perch was not my favorite. I also order the Blacken salmon pasta and a side of wings. The pasta was really good. I would order it again. The restaurant has plenty of seating.Great pictures on the wall of different artists on saturdays nights they have live music. There is plenty of parking outside. read more

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It's been a minute since I've been here but o can truly say that the live music with the good vibes in the restaurant and the food was hot and delicious. I had simple burgers and fries. I don't know who did those fries hit they weee not frozen fries. Someone cut those from fresh potatoes. Absolutely freaking yummy. The burger I had was made to order medium well and packed with flavor and juicy. The service is top tier, very clean and they disinfect every table after each customer leaves. Kudos y'all!! I'll be back soon! read more

Deeply disappointing experience. Won't return. We went to CJ's Soul Food yesterday around 2:00 PM, and the restaurant was nearly empty--three other parties total. With that few customers, we expected attentive service. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill quickly. Service: We waited 30 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. Eventually, the chef came out, handed us menus, took our drink order, and mentioned that not everything on the website menu was available. That turned out to be a massive understatement. The website menu is wildly out of date. Items that are still prominently listed online--but no longer available--include: - Vegetarian Soul Roll - Fried Green Tomatoes (one reason we chose this place) - Aaliyah's Angel Eggs - Crawfish Étouffée (another reason we came) - Beef Polish Boy (another reason we came) On top of that, they were sold out of: - CJ's Soul Roll (the main reason we came) - Smoked Collards Dip - Banana Pudding (also a reason we came) If these items are gone permanently or frequently unavailable, the website menu should be updated or taken down. As-is, it's misleading. After another 15 minutes, our food order was finally taken. The food didn't arrive until 3:20 PM--80 minutes after we walked in. Once the food arrived, the service didn't improve. No one checked on us. Not once. My chicken tenders arrived with no sauce. I had to ask. A young boy brought BBQ sauce, with no options offered. The tenders were so overcooked and tough I needed a knife to cut them. My companion ordered catfish and wings. No sauce was offered or provided--no tartar, no cocktail sauce, nothing. He said the catfish and wings tasted good. The mac and cheese was thick and pasty, not creamy. Atmosphere / Operations: The owner's son was present and clearly old enough to help, but spent most of the time wearing headphones and on his phone while being repeatedly yelled at from across the room. If he's working, he should be engaged. If not, he shouldn't be in the way. We also watched three DoorDash drivers come in to pick up orders--only to leave empty-handed because customers had ordered Soul Rolls that weren't available. If an item isn't being made, update the DoorDash menu. This affects both customers and drivers. The photos show how empty the restaurant was. With so few customers, there's really no excuse for service this slow or inattentive. Bottom line: This place needs serious attention to basics: - Update the website menu - Update the DoorDash menu - Greet customers when they arrive - Check on tables - Plate food properly (or at least offer sauces) - Improve communication and front-of-house operations We won't be back and can't recommend it. Based on this experience, it's hard to see how this business can survive without major changes. read more

CJ's Soul Food - A ghost town and yet 1 server couldn't manage it. - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

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The service is horrible , we waited over an hour without any service not even a hi or anything

I was so disappointed in this meal, because I have NEVER had an issue with the quality of food. I couldn't give a minus score, so I rated my meal a one star. My husband enjoyed his fried catfish and yams. Dessert was MISSING! Please see attached receipt. I patronize this establishment frequently, that's why I am so shocked and surprised to receive food like this! read more

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Well the music was great but we came in and they never came up to us for about an hr then after that we just left lol this is why blank owned restaurants don't survive because you guys operate in sup per conditions . Why are we in a Crowded restaurant and no one came and seated us or even acknowledged we came in the door that's so unprofessional when you could just hire more people and rent a bigger spot lol like we just left and went to a different restaurant after waiting over an hr . read more

Thursday night gf and I wanted to try something different. I hit green before I went in and music and vibes are good a lot of modern day rap / chill rnb very culturally influenced backdrop of Kobe Bryant / etc. was rlly cool to see service was good with only looking like 2 ppl food was decent as well Mac n cheese hit. the beans wasn't my favorite burger was rlly good read more

CJ's Soul Food - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

Felt like I was transported to the South during the meal! If you're looking for quality comfort food, CJ's is the place for you. I would come here repeatedly just for their fried chicken. The batter is so thin, yet so crispy and the meat is tender and juicy. I got the CJ's platter this time, which came with both fish and chicken. You could choose from a variety of different fish so I chose the roughie, which was a white meat that was super soft. It came with a side so I chose the collard greens, which was savory and drenched in meat juice. I was also really excited to try the Étouffée. It came with shrimp, chicken, crawfish, and sausage in a savory and spicy stew. It also has a scoop of rice on top of it so you could mix it in or eat it separately. The portion is on the smaller side but it was very flavorful. The CJ's soul rolls were delightful and unique, since they are fried egg rolls filled with collard greens, mac and cheese, and candied yams. The sauce it came with was very sweet so I made sure to only dip it in a little, but the rolls themselves were delicious. My favorite side is definitely the corn bread. They are small muffin shaped breads that are slightly sweet and grainy. The mashed potatoes are solid as well. They have plenty of seating indoors and a fully stocked bar. I believe they also have live music on some nights. The service was on the slower side when I went, but it's probably because there was a huge group that was there and it was very busy that night. The servers are friendly as well. read more

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Hello, I visited this place while in Columbus on a business trip based on a recommendation and I'm so glad I did! CJ's totally "get it", they delivered the full package - from customer service, to the good food, the bar service, and atmosphere! it was a very pleasant experience. Kudos to management, you guys have a great staff and a great vision keep doing what you're doing! read more

Went there for the first time Sunday Great little Place Service was awesome Food was Spot on I had fish & Dirty Rice My Wife had Shrimp & Grits Definitely worth the trip we live 30 miles away My Wife has already planned a trip with 2 of her friends read more

The food at CJs is amazing portions great. Impeccable service from Alexis. She was attentive and informative. The murals of all of the greatest made the dinner even better. Great food Impeccable service good music and ambiance on point WHAT ELSE IS NECESSARY. LETS EAT!! read more

CJ's Soul Food - Smoked Leg Quarters Aretha's sweet Potato Small Al's Greens small Dirty Rice Small - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

- Our server was friendly. - The food is good and portions big, but very rich and HEAVILY salted. Had to drink a gallon of water with blood pressure medication when I got home. - Menu has a good selection of southern soul cuisine, but they were out of about a quarter of the items. - Pricey. Two sandwiches, one starter, one lemonade = $57. - Service was sloooooow and though we (four of us) and one other person were the only customers, it took over a half hour to get our food. - Ventilation needs work. Surfaces are sticky from the cooking grease and we had to change our clothes when we got home. - Finally.... the bathroom. I believe the condition of a restaurant's restrooms are as equally important as the dining area. It is indicative of how management cares for its customers. The men's room was old and tired with cracked wall tile (how do you crack a wall tile?), sticky floor, filthy urinal, and a water faucet that barely worked. read more

Food arrived quite cold. Nice place and people, but they need to get better organized about the food service industry.

I had heard about this, but wrote it off because it was far out of my way. But today I realized I'd be up that way running errands, plus they sent me a coupon for buy one get one free entrée. And hey, barbecue, so of course I went. Nice inside, bigger than it looks from outside. Loud music considering pretty empty at 2 on a weekday. 18% gratuity added, annoying, and some people would have tipped more than that so you are hurting your staff. (The service was good and I did end up adding more.) Interesting menu. Tempted by collard dip, fried okra, deviled eggs, other apps. Also by the fried pork chops. Had to get rib tips because I love them and not even every bbq place has them. Got soul rolls to start: egg rolls with collards, yams, turkey, mac. And tenders, because I wanted things that would hold up when being taken for lunch at work. Sides of baked beans, and rice and gravy. The soul rolls were beautiful and tasty. Two for $12 seems a bit steep. But they were stuffed with goodness, fried up crispy. Plate is drizzled with what I thought was bbq sauce but is more sweet and sour. The rib tips were great. Tender and meaty, a bit crispy in some spots, heavily sauced. Very tasty. A bit messy. The tenders were big and meaty, crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. Served with no sauce, which seemed odd. I did use sauces left over from other items, but this surprised me. The baked beans were very good. A little zip in there, hearty, a couple flavors I didn't recognize, so they were interesting. The rice and gravy took me back to New Orleans. Perfect rice, lightly seasoned, with a good brown gravy. Service was great. Tables and seats are a little uncomfortable, strangely. Prices seem a little high, but everything is expensive nowadays, and it was a good amount of food and good quality. There was plenty left for work later. I will come back, maybe for a date night. It looks like they have a lot of musical events on the weekends. read more

CJ's Soul Food - Menu Feb 2023 - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

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Oh my, the food was outstanding! Chicken & Fried Fish were fresh & crispy, greens, mac and cornbread were delicious as well! Service was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. We will definitely dine at CJ's soon. read more

CJ's Soul Food - Fried Chicken Wings, greens, mac and corn bread muffins! - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

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Good evening, fellow Yelpers! It's me again with an updated review of a popular restaurant in Columbus. Today, I'm highlighting CJ Soul Food, located in the Westerville area off East Powell Road, tucked away in a small strip mall. This area boasts multiple bars and restaurants within a square mile. I recommend stopping by CJ Soul Food for an R&B playlist or even live music, depending on the hours. We ordered a variety of dishes, including smoked collard greens, fried MJ's Catfish, green beans, Elvis Chops, mac & cheese, and a strong Long Island iced tea to wash it down. For dessert, we tried the red velvet molten cake, which came with vanilla ice cream, and hit the spot. Of all the entrees we ordered, the Elvis Chops made the biggest impression, so much so that we are coming back for round two on a cool laid-back Saturday. The wait for the food was a bit long, but there was a large group celebrating a birthday, so I completely understood. We kept sipping our Long Island iced teas and enjoying the old-school R&B playlist. If you're looking for a restaurant with a bar vibe, this is your place. Tap in! Total: $100.43 + $15 tip = $115.43 read more

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Loved everything. Food, service and decor. Went for restaurant week so got to try a few things. The brisket fries had me locked in already. Then the blackened chicken Alfredo came out and I was in heaven! Save room for dessert too! read more

CJ's Soul Food - Brisket fries. Soul and rolls in the back. - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

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I would say this place is overall pretty good! A little hole in the wall restaurant that wasn't very busy at lunch time. The food took a while to come out (they didn't have fries so it took almost the whole meal to get some) but my friend and I were able to get in and out in an hour and a half. We both had a pulled sandwich (they were out of what we originally ordered) and everything tasted great once it came. I also had the black eye peas and they were delicious. I think this place is worth checking out, and definitely had some unique to soul food dishes that you won't find at many restaurants. Just make sure to wear your stretchy pants! read more

Cj's Soul Food. One of my fav's. If you're looking for some good soul food, topped with a great ambiance, then look no further. In this meal, I tried their chicken wing combo, which came with the crispiest chicken wings, great portion on the wings. And the sides are just amazing. The Mac was creamy and flavorful, the greens hit the spot, and the sweet potatoes just made you feel warm inside. The service was great as well. Overall, great experience and even greater food 9.5/10. read more

CJ's Soul Food - 3 Chicken Combos Bernies Mac & Cheese Small Aretha's sweet Potato Small Corn Bread Small Al's Greens smallgreen - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

The food is amazing! The atmosphere is pretty casual. Love the music from the 90's. It took a bit long to get acknowledged & be seated & we had reservations, which I don't think is necessary because they don't check. The Mac n cheese, fried catfish, sweet potato casserole, CJ's soul rolls, chicken wings, Aaliyah's angel egg, and peach cobbler with ice cream were DELICIOUS ! I highly recommend and will return! read more

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I visited this place on a Friday evening with a friend. The bartender/server was amazing and friendly. I absolutely love the DJ-Ooke . Plenty of parking and plenty of seating.There are booths, tables and bar seating available. The walls are filled with musical geniuses: Whitney Houston MJ etc... Good vibe. Good food. Fair pricing vs portion. I'll be back. read more

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Some of the best food I have had in my entire life, great selection of music playing and incredible service by the staff.

M.J's Fish Orange roughy with Black Eyed Peas & Cornbread I'm sure it's my own preference the fish for me was fired hard. I'll try the soul food egg rolls the next time. Rib tips were good read more

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The food was good. I had the chicken Alfredo and my daughter had a cheeseburger, fries, and cornbread. read more

CJ's Soul Food - Cheeseburger, fries, and cornbread. - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

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If I could give this 0 stars I would so disappointing the food was trash saurus Rex here I was so excited to see a soul Food restaurant to take my mother to, but now after the experience, I will not be coming back and I will not be recommending this place to any family members so disappointing read more

CJ's Soul Food - Corn bread was hard rice and gravy package gravy with boiled rice it tasteless the chicken strips grease was dirty - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

Oh CJ's how you fill my heart with joy. The soul roll is Probably one of the best things I've put in my mouth this year (pause). nah fr tho they do a lot of things really really well here, the soul rolls are elite just rich and delicious stuffed with Mac and cheese, greens, yam & smoked turkey with a sweet little drizzle! The Fried chicken/wigs goodgawd seasoned to the bone, crispy crunchy juicy. The catfish is legitimately the best catfish I've ever eaten. Period. Cornbread is buttery and moist. The Mac and cheese is top tier also has a Cajun vibe to it, it's a creamy Mac not a cheese pull Mac if you catch my drift. All the dang food is good. Ambiance is a personal choice they do live bands and DJ's and whatnot I personally was vibing and was pretty much bobbing my head the entire time while eating my food but the wifey thought it was too load, probably because she wanted to talk the entire time but ya know, god is good. lol. The have amazing murals of some African American legends all over the walls Kobe, prince, Aretha, Bernie, Aliyah and many other greats that have passed. Service was aight, drink ran out never got refilled but whatever, was a little slow on food coming out but we did order like $140+ worth of food. Now for a controversial topic, automatic 18% gratuity and $5 per person for the DJ and or band that's preforming. I'm on the I really don't care side of things but I can see it running people the wrong way. It's also not my first time being here so I already knew what it was. All in all tho I love this place. 8.9 out of 10 read more

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Visiting Columbus from out of town and wanted to try this place. Came on a Tuesday at 5pm and they are closed despite the website saying they are open 11-11. Very unprofessional and inconsiderate especially since I drove 20 min! read more

First time going and I will defiantly be back for more. Food was great, service was good and friendly, and the music was amazing! Had a great time with my friends and the staff did a great job making it a good experience for us! I would definitely recommend if you're looking to go out and have a good time with family and friends and even enjoy their live music. read more

CJ's Soul Food - Chicken Wings , Corn bread, Dirty Rice - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

The soul rolls were a pleasant start to our meal. The bbq tips were tender and the sauce was excellent, next time you'll probably go with the ribs as it could be difficult to find all the bones in the tips. The sides of sweet potato and macaroni were both spectacular as was the crispy fried catfish. read more

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Food was average not bad but I've had better at this price point. Service was very below average the server spilled someone's beer on me and our table and left me with a bar napkin to wipe it up off my arm and table. I don't work there she does. Food took almost an hour for my wife and I food to come out. (They were not busy it was very slow). My 16months food came out 20 mins after ours which was only chicken fingers and fries kids food should always come out first but that's another story. Also would have been nice to know they automatically charged 18% tip on your bill because I did also tip our server 20% not knowing it was on top so she got over. Place was not packed at all. Servers were on their phones with the manager at the bar instead of checking on 6 tables of people. Fooled me once shame on me! I will not be back... Ambiance was cool the DJ does a good job at creating vibes. Didn't know we as customer pays for the DJ as well. Overall if you are looking for a drink and some music this place could work, just know the servers don't really care about good service because they are being tipped regardless. read more

I was visiting this location as a meet and greet networking event and I'm glad they chose this place because I never been before I looked over the previous reviews and decided to go with the sides platter and also the chicken and cornbread. It was a nice very laid-back clean atmosphere to eat I'm not in this area very often I wish I was because I would probably order and come here often. Wait staff was nice and kind and it was convenient to pay for my bill electronically as she brought it to the table. I think the only thing that I could have had was warmer food. My food was kind of lukewarm and the Fried Chicken wasn't even hot. The chicken was crispy and the cornbread was soft. I would visit again and I would take a friend with me especially if they were from out of town we don't have that many places like this in Columbus and I'm glad that they're thriving in the Polaris Powell area. read more

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I say I maybe would recommend because you need to be prepared to set out a few hours to dine in this place. It took a while for the food to come out so I was expecting everything to be top notch...It wasn't. The chicken wings were good, the seasoning wasn't consistent as one wing was much saltier than the other two. I was happy to see three full wings come out on the tray. The catfish (we ordered perch, but got catfish) was seasoned nicely, crisp and balanced. Would have loved to have gotten the perch we ordered. We received no explanation for the substitute nor did we get the option to change. Fish lovers know that not all fish are created equal. The cornbread muffins tasted like jiffy with added flour to douse the sweetness. Not great, but not bad. The Mac and cheese was not what I had expected. I was expecting baked and dry. It was neither of those things and was pleasant. The potato salad...sigh...I was ready for my auntie's potato salad, but I got what seemed to be doctored commercial salad. It wasn't bad, but I'm not a huge crunchy potato salad fan. My husband got the greens, but I didn't taste them, so no option for me. I wanted to have dessert, but didn't want to sit another hour waiting for it. All in all, not great, but not bad. I have high hopes for this young restaurant, but service is the key (and good food) to success. Buyer beware, they put an automatic 18% gratuity on the bill. read more

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Food was overly salty. Greens tasted scorched. Service was really bad. The server was nice and tried to be positive but it was a horrible experience. It was too cold inside. read more

New favorite food spot! Walked in and was greeted with great customer service, got to sit where we want. Every item on the menu we ordered was absolutely delicious! 10/10 with great flavors and portions. I highly recommend the Aaliyah's Angel Deviled Eggs. The seating is artwork of legends. Can't wait to dine here again. Jay is one of the best servers and was a great waiter with amazing customer service and friendly. If you're looking for a great meal with good pricing too , CJs soul Food is it! read more

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For the culture it serves, this is a cool place to chill and listen to music or a comedy act. The wait staff are very energetic and friendly and know the menu very well. The music was pretty loud the Sunday we came (after an OSU home game) and there were only about 4 tables occupied with patrons. We couldn't hear the waitress and were forced to read her lips. She did manage to have the music level reduced after a few songs and a break for the sax player. Standard soul food with a flair is always a good way to draw the crowd. Consistency is encouraged on preparation and presentation, however. Perhaps a karaoke night would give me different vibe for this place. Hope to be back to try a few cocktails. read more

Awesome food and lots of it! Can't miss w ribs, chicken or brisket. Try the soul roll.

Delicious food, great wait staff, cool interior, and live music. Got catering for Super Bowl party and entertained out of town friends for a good soul food dinner. read more

CJ's Soul Food - Shrimp and grits brunch menu - Soul Food Near Me - Lewis Center, Ohio

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Tasty food and kind service! We enjoyed our meals in this busy restaurant -- one veggie/side platter and one Whiskey-glazed pulled pork sandwich with great sides. One of us ordered sweet tea which wasn't as good as wanted but everything else was great! read more

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I wish I could give it a zero but I can't so I give it a one no bs food was mid asf cornbread dry asf chicken taste burnt asf ian pay for that shit because what the helly read more

Chicken perch fish yams Mac & cheese greens green beans and cornbread. Sounds like comfort food to me. Well let's start with the food . The winner is the proteins. The chicken tastes just like Rosco's chicken in California. The fish was fried perfectly. Both had the perfect crunch and seasoning. Can't go wrong with either. The miss of the day was the Mac & cheese. In one of my last post I said you better never mess up Mac is & cheese in a soul food meal. They did. It's a staple in our culture. it was first created by president George Washington slave chef Hercules Posey. If you mess this up it can make the entire meal a failure. The greens were seasoned on point. Nice and juicy. The green beans were up my alley with good heat to them. Loved them. The corn bread was dry but I can live with that. Now if you have been reading my reviews you know I can't stand loud music while dinning. Well it was blasting and we were the only ones there. Not a fan of loud music when eating and trying to have a conversation . The final is when you walk in you see 18% gratuity added to all orders. This almost made me walk out. But I said I wanted to support and try it. That made it for me not worth it. I thought we tip for good service not mandatory for 2 people. You are better off raising the prices. Lastly metal chairs are horrible. I'm trying to talk around the extra loud concert sound coming out of the speakers while looking deeply into her eyes . Trying to setup for later tonight but I had to keep moving around because the seat made you feel like you have hemorrhoids and I've never had them. Ijs. Terrible. Overall I will do a 2.5 stars. But the chicken and fish were dynamite. It's over priced in my opinion. read more

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