This was my first time eating here. Overall it was pretty good. Cabbage was really good. Greens were lacking flavor. Mac and cheese and yams were also pretty good. We ordered two whiting fish sandwiches which unfortunately don't come with bread. Not sure why they call it a sandwich. Not too many bones but a few. read more

The food at Ella Ray'a Cafe does not have any flavor. The macaroni and cheese has very little cheese and it is bland. The greens beans and collard greens are just ok. The yams are not the best but doable. The short ribs could be way better. The peach cobbler taste like some peach filling and a lot of dough. The sweet potato pie is not bad but seems to have more nutmeg than necessary. The ONLY item that I would get from here are the chicken wings. The wings are also not the best ever but they made them to order which makes them better. I could cook food at home way better than this but I was out and had a taste for soul food. read more

Based on the reviews I was hesitant to try it out.. but I'm so happy I decided to stop in. The food was delicious and hot. I stayed away from the Mac and Cheese.. but the greens and cabbage was AWESOME. Looking forward to returning to try oxtails read more

Quality soul food. I come here once a week. The fried whiting, bbq chicken, cabbage and greens all hit right!

Hit or miss depending on your order. I prefer the beef ribs, one day they may be nice, meaty, and tender. Another day they may be mostly bones, fatty, and tough. Mac and cheese is definitely nothing to right home about, it may not even be homemade, still trying to determine. Their containers allow them to restrict their side orders. One of the only black businesses I know that sales soul food to do this. read more

I tried this place because of the glowing reviews, however I have had better. I was disappointed with the choices and the food was bland. Online I saw they served gizzards (my primary reason for coming), I get there and they only prepare them boiled. I've only had them fried and boiled does not sound appealing. So I opted for the chicken wings and they were not seasoned well. I will not be visiting this establishment again. read more

This establishment was referred by someone who knows that I am very picky and holds the bar high when it comes to southern food. Regardless of the location and neighborhood, it is no different for Ella Rays. I visited on Sunday, January 20 and I wasn't bothered by the fact that it is so small - it was clean. I didn't appreciate being fast-talked to by the cashier as if she has something better to do. I ordered the braised short ribs over rice, with mac and cheese, greens with a side of potato salad. Sadly to say, it fell below my standards. NO ONE SHOULD RECEIVE FOOD THAT WAS COLD AND HAD TO BE WARMED UP IN THE MICROWAVE BEFORE EATING!!!! The mac and cheese were dry and tasted as if something was missing. The greens has NO seasoning whatsoever and tasted as if they were cooked with no meat in them. The short ribs portion was so small with pieces that were tough, it was not worth the price. The only thing I enjoyed was my son's yams and the best part was the side order of potato salad - tastes just like my moms. That bought tears to my eyes. My son ordered the barbeque ribs, yams and cabbage. He felt the ribs were very tender but the sauce had too much vinegar and had an odd taste. The cabbage were ok but cut too small for his taste. Overall, I will consider giving them another try but its highly unlikely. For the size of the portions, I find the food to be overpriced. Customers who came in after me were receiving their food before me. I can only hope that the owners take the feedback with an open mind and an opportunity to improve considering they have yet to create a website. read more

It's always something with their phone. Always say can you hold every time you call. Defeats the purpose of calling and then they make you wait in person for no reason. When it could've been avoided. Always have to call multiple times. Always use the in-person line as an excuse to make people wait on the phone... Called there 3 times this week & every time same result.. I just started hanging up on them when they say can you please hold... read more

This place has be come a staple for my mom and I. It was recommend by a friend at church. My mother loves the lover and onions which is only available on Tuesday and Thursdays. We often get the veggies plate which is plenty of food if you aren't feeling like meat that day. The turkey wings are amazing! The potato salad is like your grandma made it!! I wouldn't consider myself a person that eats chicken gizzards but I love them from this place. Mr. Ray and Ms. Ella are soooooo personable. It's like going to your aunties house for Sunday dinner on a Tuesday :). They come out to greet you and make sure your experience is a positive one. I really enjoy this place!! read more

Everything was good. I had the fried whiting with greens and potato salad. It wasn't the best I have had, however, it was certainly not the worst. It's a good place to go and convenient when I get the craving for some soul food. I think I was supposed to get a piece of cornbread. I would have like a piece. Anyways, I like to support my black businesses, so I will return to try some other things. read more

I would give Ella Ray's 5 stars but they add sugar to all of their food. The cabbage is sweet, the potato salad is sweet and the greens had some sweetness to them. I know some people like sweet food but not everyone. If they are going to serve sweet food then the consumer should have a choice and the choice should be presented when ordering. If this gets corrected, then 5 stars are in order for Ella Ray's. read more

The food was nasty. I got chicken dark Mac and cheese and the greens. My chicken was raw and the green tasted just like they opened a can of glory collard green and cooked them. This was my second time going and very disappointed both times. read more

Was skeptical about coming here due to reviews. Salmon Cakes were very good ! Cabbage was amazing ! Food was seasoned. Some might say it's too salty but I think the food was good , prices were good as well ! read more

Because I have called several times and they don't pick up the phone I wanted to speak to the owner but they don't answer their phone so I'll write a review. It was on last Sunday that I came in an order turkey wings that you could tail once I got them home that they have been re-cooked or rewarmed several times the gravy was bad I have been in the hospital for two days because of food poisoning from this restaurant and because they do not care to answer their phone I could not express my concern about this restaurant. It's a shame that black businesses run the establishments like this. To be in the hospital for three days With food poison is unacceptable. I recommend that you stay away from this establishmentT read more

The Mac & cheese here could really use a lot of work! The elbow noodles are always over cooked & there's never enough cheese. It's Dry & hasn't had that creamy consistency since they first opened. Idk what happened but as a black owner business, I think you all needed to hear this. The greens ain't nothing to WOW about either. But the Beef Ribs are always Delicious! Hope this helps! read more

Wew Chile!! When I say I was extremely disappointed with this restaurant. I'm not sure where the 4 stars came from. But I literally had to throw my meal away and my hubby forced his down.we came in on a Saturday morning and ordered salmon cakes, eggs, fried potatoes and biscuits as well as a wing dinner with cornbread, yams and Mac n cheese. I almost ordered potato salad and so glad im didn't because ...well you know.., people are funny about other peoples potatoes salad and for good reason lol. So first thing up, the cornbread was HORRIBLE. To the point my mouth trembled from a bite and trying to down it. It was wrapped in plastic wrap, as all the bread was in the restaurant.. now don't get me wrong I'm no stranger to country cooking and hole in the wall joints so the plastic wrap didn't discourage me. The cornbread had a taste of the smell of someone's home but not in a good way. I won't elaborate any further. I didn't taste any delicious warm buttery cornbread that's for sure. The chicken wings were fresh up as I saw one of the employees walk the naked wings over to the grease. No seasoning. I'm pretty sure she just dropped them in flour and dropped them in the fryer. The wings weren't horrible but they were pretty big wings and I hate big wings and they were tasteless. I had to douse them in hot sauce to get through them. Another let down was that I couldn't easily break them apart at the joints..I had to put in some work to separate the legs and the flats. That makes me think they were low quality. The Mac and cheese had no flavor. None. I didn't even taste cheese. The yams were decent I can't lie but after the experience of everything else I couldn't bear myself to eat any further. The salmon cakes had a weird taste too. I can't vouch for anything else because I didn't try the rest of my hubbies food. But if he had a hard time eating it I know I wasn't tripping. I'm much more picky with my food than he is. I had high hopes from the pictures but it was a huge disappointment. read more

EllaRay's Cafe - Not tasty. - Soul Food Near Me - Forestville, Maryland

My husband had the pork chop and he said it was dry but the cabbage and Mac and cheese was good.

Whewwww so glad I found this SPOT!!! Definitely will be back!! The cornbread is DELICIOUS so make sure you order an EXTRA one lol!! My daughter had the short ribs and I had the fish. The ribs were tender and the fish nice and crispy!! Very pleased with all of the sides...very authentic HOME-COOKED soul food!!! read more

The food I LOVE but was turned off because the cashier didn't have change for a $100 bill...I was so confused about an establishment turning a customer away because of "lack of change." This was baffling for me because, 1) I was hungry after church on a Sunday, and 2) your cafe' is part of a Mall/Plaza. Even if you just opened, go get some change. I guess businesses no longer open their tills (cash drawers) with ca$h in them?? Maybe it's just me but I would never turn away a customer because of something that could be remedied with some creative thinking. I guess I will never go back if I only have cash available. read more

I'm a native New Yorker moving to the area soon, so while down here checking on my house, I was looking for some good ole soul food, so I came here based on previous reviews and I am so glad I did! This really hit the spot for my Sunday dinner craving... its located inside of a mall (which is a little ghetto for my taste) but the location is perfect (right near an entrance). I ordered the fried chicken dinner (dark meat) with a double side of mac and cheese and the chicken was AMAZING!! Definitely reminded me of my grandma's southern cooking! The mac and cheese was good, not great, BUT in all fairness, I consider myself a mac n cheese connoisseur so my standards are pretty high. The customer service was impeccable! The young ladies at the register were super friendly and attentive and the icing on the cake was the presence of the owner Mr. Ray. He was at a table, greeting customers with a smile and checking to see how our food was. We had a good conversation, he and his wife Ella own the restaurant and it gives the restaurant a great family vibe. I will be moving to a nearby neighborhood soon, and I will definitely be a returning customer! read more

Im hidden gem! I come here about once every week or two. Im stuck on the wings and haven't tried anything else yet. Mac & cheese is so good (and that's coming from a picky eater), cabbage, yams and potato salad are also my favorites. The peach cobbler is delicious as well! read more

Everything is freshly made! Food is delicious and has a homey feel. The catfish dinner with macaroni and cheese and greens was delicious! Ella Ray is often at the restaurant cooking or talking to customers. I've personally spoken to her and she is very nice. My new favorite spot!!! read more

Ella's is good. I like the candy yams and the cabbage a lot! The cabbage has a little sweetness with a little kick to it. Very good! I've had the whiting, the mac and cheese and greens which were all good. The salmon cakes are flavored good but they're too big which makes it hard to cook the inside like I like it. If u like ur salmon cakes somewhat wet in the middle u will love them. I like mine more drier in the middle and cooked well! The customer service is always great! Ms Ella and Mr Ray are super sweet and you can tell they take pride in their establishment. It's clean and they'll always greet you with a smile. Overall the food is good and u won't be disappointed. read more

The Fried Fish, Collards, Potato salad, Yams are delicious. Sweet potato Pie is tasty as well. Breakfast pancakes, fried apples are very tasty. We are from San Diego CA. and every time we are in town we stop at EllaRay's read more

4 stars for the food. Their Catfish is some of the best I've had. Perfectly seasoned. The Mac and Cheese is also good. The greens are sweet, but I prefer vinegary greens. They weren't bad if you like sweet greens. The ribs are pretty good. read more

I got the Turkey wings, Mac & cheese with collard greens. The food was good and hot, though the green were from a can and didn't taste freshly cooked from scratch. read more

The breakfast here was so good. I'm a pancake connoisseur. The pancakes were A1. They had the crispy edges that I like! The eggs were fluffy and flavorful and even the turkey bacon was good, and i don't like turkey anything! I will definitely be back here! read more

Great food and staff! Everyone is always friendly and will answer any questions you have about the menu. read more

See all

I went here for the turkey wings with gravy. I had been thinking about turkey wings ALL day and didn't want to take the time to go purchase any and cook them. The place I normally order from is closed Monday, so I tried this one thinking it would be okay because I have had the turkey wings before and was impressed. My turkey wings were undercooked and I went back there for them to say if they cooked them any longer they would be overcooked and say they were pink due to steam. They replaced them with some slightly better cooked ones that I put into the oven when I got home. I am disappointed at the quality and at the lack of apology and trying to say that these were done. read more

EllaRay's Cafe - Turkey wings - Soul Food Near Me - Forestville, Maryland

Iam . Suggest you Should have 6 bbq wings or 4 wings, plain bake chickens wings and umm. Mash potatoes also bake pork chop

Ordered the liver and rice dinner with cabbage and yams. Never had liver cooked this way. I was expecting it to be fried but it wasn't. It was in a gravy and was delicious over the rice. The ultimate check was for the taste of the yams. If they got that right then O knew it was going to be a hit! The yams were just right as well. Now for the cabbage! Again, delicious with a hint of spice. They were unexpectedly spicy but still good. I plan to return. read more

I ate the turkey wings. They seem undercooked. I shouldn't have eaten them but I did. I had a stomach virus/ food poisoning the next day. It is horrible. I called to let them know and they put me on hold but never got back on the phone. I had to take Imodium and Pedialyte just to recover. It was really bad. I don't know about the rest of the food but I recommend not eating the turkey wings. Also, the greens are bland. read more

This is a diamond in the rough the food was awesome especially the fried fish. I was not expecting the food to taste so great

This is what home cooked food should be. Thanks so much Ms. Ella! Your customer service was amazing. I wish you all the best at your new location. read more

Great homemade food tucked in the mall. Full breakfast menu and southern dinners. We shared the short ribs, yams and collards. Enough for lunch for 2. Highlighht was Ms Ella Ray talking to all the customers. Definitely recommend. read more

This was my first time here and I must day that I enjoyed my breakfast. I loved the fact that they they offered turkey options and not just pork options. This was one of the reasons I decided to try the restaurant and the fact that they were black owned. The greeting that I received upon walking in was astounding. My only grip is that egg whites should be an option. I will return though. ** I had to edit my review because I just ate the slice of Sweet Potato Pie that I ordered. I am a baker, and this pie while it was good, this slice was not worth $4 it was rather small. read more

The food here is amazing. The crew are all very pleasant and sweet. If you are looking for some southern comfort food. Ella Ray is the place for you read more

4 friends and I ate at this Cafe.The managers ,and the employees are very pleasant,and attentive to the customers.The service is great ,and the food was very tasty.I love the potato salad,macaroni cheese ,collards,ox tails ,and short ribs. That is what I have eaten so far from the restaurant.We plan to return soon. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant!! The owners are generous and they can COOOOKKKK!!!!!! If u want that homecooked Sunday dinner meal but don't like to cook, then see ELLA RAYS!! Yum read more

Excellent short ribs - very tender. Fast service. Very friendly people. We didn't try the desserts but they look great.