I learned how to cook Soul Food on YouTube and have stayed gone from Debreauxs madness.. Saved $22,000.00 from NOT buying fast food!, or Meals cooked by difficult individuals. I prep my meals and I always have my food with me #thankyou for forcing me to find my way! read more

See all

She is still consistent after all these years. she is slow but her food is good. You feel the love in her cooking. She enjoys what she does

Some of the nastiest, most impolite people you can imagine. Long waits for food. It's surprising that any business desiring customer would have this low level of customer service. read more

Long wait times but the food is delicious.love Ms. Frances. She is da bomb cook and always good for a great conversation.

The food is divine! Southern food is not fast food but, it's ready. Great conversations and you have an opportunity to meet people from around the world that enjoy great food. read more

I have lived in Philly for a couple of years now. I've been coming to this restaurant for 1.5 years and hands down this is the BEST soul food you can find in Philly probably in your life lol!!! The fish, chicken and even turkey wings are made fresh so be mindful when you order. Hint don't order turkey wings unless you have the time to wait or you order in advance. I love this food and drive from Manayunk whenever I want some down south make you go to sleep when your done food. I'll admit Frances, the owner gives you more than a serving of your sides so trust leftovers are in your future when you dine in or take out. The desserts are yum yum yummy! My favorite is the lemon cake and I have tried the carrot, cheese or pound cake but I'm certain they're delicious. Oh my my my, I think it's the tastiest lemon cake I've ever had. It's moist, not too sweet, the toppling is soft and light not sugary and grainy. It reminds me of a tres leche cake. Oh I have to tell you about her corn bread that you must try. It has kernels of corn and its sweet, like a Mexican corn cake but heartier. When you enter the cowbells chime alerting the owner/cook that you've arrived. She's usually solo so give her a minute to take your order. Sometimes her granddaughter or good friend helps her with orders. Nevertheless, you can take out or dine in. There are a few tables for two and one table for four. Another thing to consider is people call in order. Yeah, they're smart otherwise prepare to patiently wait. The restaurant is small but it's beautifully decorated. I always feel right at home when I come for either lunch or dinner. I've noticed over my time eating here many St. Joseph's student come and she feeds their belly and mind. Come and enjoy a delicious meal. read more

Debreaux's - Waiting for deliciousness!!! - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Very good , freshly made with love. Be prepared to wait, even if you call ahead. Not a place to order if you are in a hurry

My favorite takeout southern style restaurant in Philly... The food takes TIME but everything is made to order so be prepared to wait for your order however, expect a mouthwatering surprise! read more

Debreaux's - Crab cake entree with Collard Greens and Mac 'n Cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This soul food restaurant is surreal. This restaurant cannot compare. No one can cook like Ms. Debreaux. She is a wonderful woman with very positive energy. The wait was a little long but trust me it is worth it! I recommend the chicken legs with greens and mac and cheese. There isn't anything like it. The yams are sweet and savory. I love this platter with all of my heart. read more

Debreaux's - Chicken leg platter - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Let us collectively bring up the standards in our communities! Give 100% - Receive 100% or NO DEAL: At DeBreaux's expect this: Customers are verbally mistreated. The 2hr+ wait is longer than any restaurant standard. The facilities are not in working order...this includes both the refrigerator and the bathroom. If the cook has no place to wash their hands and garbage is placed in an ill-working freezer with the food, what are the changes of contamination? It matters where our dollars are spent and the best way to teach a lesson to businesses is to hit them in the pockets. Regardless of the taste of the food, this establishment is in no way deserving of continued support. read more

The best soul food in town. If you have the time and patience, this place is definitely worth it. If you don't have the time to wait, you should go somewhere else. I typically get the fried chicken breast platter with Mac, greens and an additional side of yams. I've had the fish and it was also very good. When I'm craving soul food a few times a year, this is my spot. read more

l can't tell you much about the food i'm sure it's good but I wasn't even allowed to get food due to the fact as soon as I walked in there was nobody there at all couldn't even here anything in the kitchen I went to sit down to charge my phone since I would be using apple pay to purchase my food and my phone happened to be at 1 percent as soon as I saw someone approaching the counter I politely asked if I could charge my phone real quick with MY CHARGER THAT I BROUGHT she immediately said no and then kicked me out because I had no manners?? like what lmao even tho she was screaming at me saying "Bye" "Get out" she accused me of literally just walking in using the charger which the charger is mine once again but anyways I politely asked "oh if thats the problem can I still place an order?" she just continued to scream bye and get out so I just left read more

Today I went to give this place a try. I called about 4 PM. She said give one hour for the order. I got there about 5 PM. Waited about 6 PM and order still was not ready. Other customers Standing around also inpatiently. I don't like giving black business bad reviews because it's already hard for us to be successful. I left. I walked out the door. I drove to Boston market and got a dinner. I won't return here. I understand she's an older woman but please miss get some help. It makes no sense for you to be there by yourself doing it all. I'm sure I'm not the first and won't be the last. I don't care how good the food is. I'm not waiting 3-4 hours for some fried fish. How do this place stay open?? You people must really be hungry or can't cook to wait hours for a meal. It's sad that on City Ave the one soul food place we have in the area customer service SUCKS! I should of listen to the reviews. Two hours of wasted time ...and I tried to hang in there ..I really did. I don't care if Moses himself made the food. No one should wait over 1 hour after calling for a nice dinner. Sorry, this place gets two thumbs down. Never again. Oh and do something about the flies please. Also seen her mopping. Not supposed to be doing that when handling food. Just nasty. For people who come here, waiting a very long time, seeing flies just to get a meal here because they heard the food was good must be pretty desperate. Not me....there's other soul food places with better service and more courteous. It's obvious this lady needs help in there. You been warned. read more

There's nothing to say. It's perfection. Don't rush her, she's going to take her time to get it right and you want her to.

I love her, her food and her conversation Food quality is always very good and very consistent.

We ordered our food at 3:30 and was told that it would be ready by 4:45. We arrived and the placed looked like it was closed. I opened the door and proceeded to entered and was stopped abruptly. We were then blocked by a table. We asked for our order and the person who appeared to be the owner asked what we ordered. She wrote the order again and disappeared. We sat waiting in the car for over an hour and then one of us inquire about our order and told the person how long we had been waiting. She disputed the time and we waited another hour. When we got our food, it seem like we were overcharged. When I got home the platters felled on the garage floor because the bag was soggy. I found that instead of fish, I received a chicken breast. The other platters were also wrong. We were too frustrated to return the food. read more

I ordered at 4PM, went to pick up my order at 6PM, and left at 8PM without any food. They were not busy. It looks like others had the same experience. read more

Absolutely loved my first experience at Debreaux's. If you go, keep in mind: 1) This food takes a good while to prepare. The average protein with 2 sides can take up to an hour. Therefore, I recommend calling your order in /at least/ a half hour in advance. 2) Miss Frances, the Owner and Chef, prepares everything with great intention and love. 3) This joint is no-frills. We ordered two platters, which each came with two sides. Fried Chicken Breast - Fried to perfection. Humongous. Delicious. (Also, I don't feel nearly as guilty eating fried food from here because it's all cooked in olive oil! As opposed to peanut oil or vegetable oil, both of which are not nearly as healthy.) Macaroni and Cheese - Delicious and flavorful. Cabbage - We weren't planning on ordering this side, but Miss Frances suggested it, so we decided to give it a try. The cabbage was soft and seasoned to perfection. Oddly enough, my boyfriend and I finished this side up first, it was one of our favorites. Candied Sweet Potatoes - Very sweet and cinnamon-y. Think sweet potato pie filling. Cornbread - Moist and delicious. Pork Short Ribs - Fall-off-the-bone amazing. The barbecue sauce was awesome as well. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to appreciate real southern food. Miss Frances is welcoming and sweet. She gave me a hug when I met her. She even chided me for asking for salt; citing heart attack risk and other health woes. I think she is a very sweet woman who is getting a bad wrap here on Yelp because people don't understand her cooking process. Everything is made from scratch at the time you order. It takes an hour and it's well worth it. read more

See all

Best soul food in philly, possibly best soul food I've ever had. The overall rating should be much much higher, but people don't know that it's a lonnng wait and that if you're short with her, Ms Frances WILL go off on you. Like anyone who is truly passionate about food. Respect the process and she will be kind, funny, insightful and extremely pleasant. The fried chicken is INSANE. Ask for gravy. I get mine on the side. It's heavenly. Best collards, so fresh. Mac and cheese also off the chain and must order. Great catfish. Been meaning to try more on the menu, but I love what I've gotten so much that every time I'm there I want to get it again. CORNBREAD. Get cornbread. If it hasn't sold out (which it often does) This is a five star place if you are serious about food. If you don't like waiting and need some fake niceness when you're complaining like a punk then go to Crown or Popeyes. This is the real damn deal read more

You won't get your food. -They told me my food would be ready in an hour. -They hadn't started my food by the time I got there 1.5 hours later -I never got my food because I was too hungry to wait another hour to get my food. Unless you have ALL DAY TO WAIT don't go there read more

The food was worth the wait. Don't be fooled by their 3 stars! Heaven in every bite!The best soul food in the city,hands down.The crab cake is the best kept secret! Just remember their food is not fast food,millennials pack your patience! "IT'S WORTH THE WAIT" One satisfied customer! read more

The food here is very good. I read other reviews about an extremely long wait and I was nervous. I had 90 minutes to kill while waiting for a meeting to start at my son's school but I didn't want to be late waiting for my food. I called and ordered ahead. I ordered at 3:50pm I was eating at 5:00 pm. The food was super hot when it came out. The food is delicious. Im eating my leftovers right now and they're better than last night! The portion size is huge! The owner/chef has the gift of gab and makes you feel like you're family. I love the food and would go back again. I ordered fried fish with collards and rice. For my son I ordered fried chicken legs with Mac and cheese and string beans. read more

Debreaux's - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Dont say you take phone orders and you dont start the food until I get there. False advertising. I waited sooo long I ordered it at 6:30pm was there til 9:30. She talked and talked and talked to this one customer the entire time and when I had the nerves to check my order status her and her customer looked at me like I was crazy... The best soul food in the area but the wait and horrible customer service is just not worth it. I really try to support black businesses. I really do. read more

The food may be awesome but I'll never know. I placed the order at 4, got there at 6, left at 8 without the food. The other reviewers say almost the same thing. It was frustrating, but honestly, mostly I felt a bit guilty when I left and a bit sad for the woman who seemed to be the only one running the place. read more

Where do I start, it was out body experience. It was like service from Socialist Soviet Russia. Lady took hours and then forgot about our order, screamed at customers who dared to check in after hour wait...... When she opens walk in freezer, it smells like dead body in hole restaurant. Health services need to pay her visit. She screams if you ask her anything: how long it will take, anything about dish, "I'm really sorry, we running late and waited over hour, how much longer", "You got my order wrong", "may I use your bathroom" (after hour wait).... ANY of those things will trigger this women from hell to scream... In my 1.5 wait I saw about 8 people treated like trash. We were first in, when she opened her door at 5:25pm and I dared to check in with her after hour wait and after 2 people receiving food (who came after us). She screamed that soul food can't be rushed. I HAD SAME EXACT ORDER THAT PERSON YOU JUST SERVED! She forgot what we have ordered! Anyways, we left like many others after 1.5 hour wait and without food. P.S. to black couple who were wearing white, trying to make to concert. Hope you made it, you have patience of saints. Mater fact, good job to everyone that night for not tossing tables and deservedly telling this old hag off. I'm proud of all of you. It doesn't mater how good that mac tastes if it has a spit of hate in it. read more

Terrible awful and ignorant staff. I went in after my Uber dropped me off for the train and a police office was in line and I had to use the restroom. I had to pee before I got food after working overtime in the city and missing my train to get to my kids (my car was parked at the train station). I ran into the bathroom and one of the employees screamed at me through the door, told another employee to give her the key to open the door, yelled and screamed at me and I opened the door without even flushing and she told me to get out! Screamed at me. I told her I was going to order something and she screamed again and said get out. And the officer and everyone else just stood there and watched me leave. I am a business professional woman and I was treated like I was a disgusting person. An establishment like this, ran by people like that, should not exist. Zero respect. read more

Although the food was good the service is horrible. The lil old lady behind the counter was rude and nasty both on the phone when I placed my order and when I arrived to pick it up. I mean nasty nasty for no reason nasty and you that reason I will not go back... Plus the wait is way too long. I went to pick it up 45 min after I called and then waited 45 min longer. Plus she was nasty. Never Ever Again! read more

Terribly disappointed. We ordered 4 platters, waited there for 3 1/2 hours just for them to tell us that they ran out of pretty much everything we ordered. We anticipated coming for a long time and heard the wait was a little long, but to sit for over 3 hours with my very frustrated and hungry 6 year old and never get our food was unbelievable. We ended up at Burger King after 4 hours. read more

DeBreaux's, as run by Miss Frannie, isn't for everyone. If you expect to walk in and get your food in ten minutes, don't go, especially if you're gonna throw a tantrum about it. Don't go if you terribly mind being elbow to elbow with perfect (and some imperfect) strangers, a few feet away from a train station parking lot in a dining/waiting room that might be 15'x15' if it's lucky. Don't go if you're gonna go in there with a 'tude and a chip on your shoulder. Do go to DeBreaux's if you're looking for the best soul food in Philadelphia, hands down. Do go to DeBreaux's if you understand that food this good, prepared with this much TLC, from scratch, takes time, and that yours is not the only plate that she's fixing up at any given moment. Do go if you're organized enough to remember to phone your order in ahead of time, with at least an hour's notice, as it lets her figure out her orders with greater ease. Do go to DeBreaux's if you believe in the goodness of others, and the power of serendipity in enjoying brief encounters with perfect strangers who are passing through grabbing a plate of tasty Southern comfort food, just like you. Quick and cheap, it's not. If those are the metrics by which you measure restaurants, I recommend Popeye's, which is about five minutes down City Line Avenue. Seriously, go on down the road. It'll leave that much more for the patient and discerning. Edited to add: For the aggrieved diner who risked dying of thirst, despite loving the unbeatable mac n' cheese: good grief, yes, there are beverages. There's a whole cooler full of them in the back area behind the dining room. Frannie even serves Stewart's! And as I said at the beginning of my review, expect a wait, and save the drama for your momma. If you want convenience, try a WaWa! read more

After my visit this weekend I must say the reviews delivered. The woman that owns this place is terrible!! I called ahead on a friday afternoon, she answered the phone, Yes? I asked may I place an order she nonchalantly says, no I'm actually not opening this weekend Ok and hangs up the phone lol. Me being the curious cat I am, I call again next sunday. She answers the phone, Debreaux's, I ask to place an order for the chicken platter, she says, Which part?? I say well what do you have( mind you I don't have a menu) instead of giving a suggestion. She says "you know what parts!" lol, I'm actually tickled by her attitude but any normal person would've ended the conversation for that reply. So I say I'll have wings with mac and cheese and greens. This was about 4:40pm. I arrive to her store at 5:30 to give her some time. It's about 6 hungry people waiting. I can tell by their expressions my food is most likely not ready. I approach the extremely high counter and tell her I've called ahead for the wing platter. She's says Ok it'll be a minute, wow it's only been an hour wth! After sitting inside the store with no tv or radio with the hungry crew for twenty mins I decide to wait in my car. At this point I wanted to drive off to any other restaurant on city av but again the curiosity n me says stay. Finally, about 6:45, 7pm!! Smh she comes from behind the counter and shows me my platter inside. I can't lie it looks amazing and the portions are cool. My wings were fried a tad too hard for me. The Mac and cheese was one of the best I've had in philly, very nice flavor. The greens were good also reminded me of my family down south cooking. However, later that night the greens gave me quite a trip to the restroom that night. I also came to the conclusion calling ahead means nothing. I believe she doesn't actually put the order in until u arrive due to prank callers. However, you'll still be waiting another hour or more! entirely too long. The owner is not friendly, no smiles, small talk and it appears she does everything alone, go figure... If your still interested, just go and place your order in person and have at least two hours to waste. And please don't expect the service to be good as your meal. I also must add this place is a little over priced 16, 17 bucks just for four wings and two sides is a little steep. Not incl the bad atmosphere, attitude, sells NO beverages, and extremely long wait. The bare minimum you can do is be kind to people contributing to your business. Positivity goes a long way ;) read more

Debreaux's - Best Mac and cheese I've had in a while - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I know I'm gonna catch shade for this, but anyone who give this place one star has lost their mind. And I just moved here from Los Angeles, where time is money, but I would wait two hours for this food... it's just that good. You can't rush soul food. My grandma grew up in the south and God forgive me, but the fried chicken is the best I've ever had. The potato salad is downright perfect. The mac & cheese is smooth as silk and reheats the same way. The peach cobbler is made with fresh peaches and has crust all the way through it. And the prices are more than reasonable for a platter that has to be rubberbanded shut because there's so much food. Personally, I have had such a good time sitting in that dining room talking, many times to the same people. I've learned more about Philly there than anywhere else. But if that's not your thing, TIP: call ahead, wait at least an hour, maybe 15 minutes after that. All I'm asking is that you please, please, not give an amazing soul food restaurant a bad rating for not giving you fast food. Bottom line, this is a great restaurant with a ton of repeat customers, including me, who absolutely love her food and her service. read more

HORRIBLE! I called at 4:25pm to order 2 Fried wing platters & a fried whiting platter. I was told the order would be ready in one hour. I got there at 5:30pm. The owner asked me for my order. I told her I called in the order an hour ago. She still needed me to repeat my order. My food was not ready until 6:45pm. The baked mac and cheese tasted like it it was cooked on top of the stove. The chicken and whiting tasted like it had no seasoning at all. I would not recommend you go to this place for soul food. Don't waste your time or money. The owner actually had an attitude when I asked her how long before my food would be ready since it had been 2 hours since I placed the order. read more

The most delicious southern cooking I've had the pleasure to eat in a long time. Should be nationally recognized for excellence. There is a lot of heart and soul in this place. The quality of the ingredients is marvelous and each entree is cooked to order. I highly recommend it. Feels like home. read more

If you saw my quick tip then you know that you should call ahead. I even posted a picture of the menu to help. The food was excellent and the portions are huge. I had four wings a side of Mac n cheese and collar greens. That's a pretty basic platter as far as soul food is concern. The price for the platter came to $15 which is a little high but the portions were pretty big so I guess it balances out. I'll most certainly be going back. read more

Debreaux's - Here's a menu CALL AHEAD - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Here I am from out of town trying to place some orders for the hospital and the woman answering the phone had the nastiest attitude. She was a straight up Biiaaatch. I've never heard or experience anything like that in my life. Simply because I asked how many pieces of fish come in your catfish dinner. I guess folks are wealthy and don't need business. I know for a fact having her answer your phone you have lost plenty of money. Remember customers don't need you you need them. Recognize. I tried to make this a no star rating but the app forces you to pick one. read more

Went back and got another platter, this time I had gotten a Fried Chicken Platter w/ Collard Greens and Potato Salad, and damn was it good lol Took me three days to finish it all lol but I really appreciate the time and love Ms. Frances puts into her food, it's worth every penny. She's such a darling and I've adopted her as my auntie lol read more

Debreaux's - Fried Chicken Platter w/ Collard Greens and Potato Salad. #Delicious - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Don't go unless you've got 3 hours to wait! Told 45 minutes when we ordered at 6 pm. An hour and a half later -- "its coming out now." 9 pm and now plating our food. Unless you want your evening ruined by slow and unprofessional service, skip this one. And to add insult to injury, over priced with 30% -50% increase in prices compared to online menu. Skip! Skip! Skip! read more

Sunday, 10/6/2019 I ordered two platters - both were ribs (about a 1/4 or "half slab" each), mac and cheese, collard greens in one, cabbage in the other - and one piece of lemon cake and she charged me $61.51 for it!! You can only imagine my absolute shock when I got home and saw that there was nowhere NEAR $60 worth of meals in my order. The food was good, but certainly NOT $60 good! And I watched her charge the guy ahead of me the same price for THREE meals!! And you basically have to take her word for it unless you ASK for a menu to SEE prices BEFORE you order and get taken like that. Guess it stands to reason we won't be going back... read more

This is the best fried chicken I've had in Philadelphia. The portion sizes are huge (a bit too large for me), but that makes the value well worth it. Some of the sides are a bit sweet; for example, I prefer my collard greens more tart and vinegary. But if you experiment, you're certain to find some that you love. The mac and cheese is one of my favorites. And yes, you will have to wait. I tried calling 30 minutes ahead but have learned 45-60 minutes is a better strategy. As for Miss Frances, I can't imagine saying a bad thing about her. She's always been extremely polite, caring, and has even thrown in a few complimentary sides for me to try something new. read more

Hands down the best soul food in Philly. It is definitely worth the wait. Between the Mac & cheese, greens, yams and fried chicken.. yummy, so delicious read more