This wonderful authentic home cooked soul food restaurant is owned and run by the daughter and her mom . They are especially dedicated people who takes pride in keeping with her moms original recipes. They are welcoming to new customers. My daughter and I were travelling from south Florida to Canada and wanted an original soul food place that has fried chicken , collard greens, fried okra , beans ,and sweet potatoes. It's small place, with lots of regulars sitting enjoying their meals. If you want personality and authenticity , this is the place, Bring your appetite , and enjoy these good folks who work hard to bring you the real south. read more

The food was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. We had the fried chicken and catfish. It did not disappoint.

This place is so great! My family came to eat after church. We have 3 members with dairy allergies and we were told confidently what items did not have dairy. It was so good. Our daughter loved the fried chicken! She cried and took the chicken right out of our hands! Our son licked the plate after eating the caramel cake! Dairy free items -fried catfish -fried chicken -fried pork chops -all the veggies (Lima beans, black eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, fried okra, sweet potatoes, greens, etc) except the cabbage and Mac n cheese read more

Food For The Soul - Our daughter stealing the fried chicken from us! - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The food was certainly to be praised, probably the best Mac n cheese in the city the chicken was spot on and lemme tell you about those pork chops !!! read more

Let me tell you, this is real southern cooking at it's best. No frills, no drizzles or reductions... the fried chicken is just right, not too salty or greasy. They mix up the menu a little on some days, and they are open on Sunday, which is somewhat rare for these kind of places. There are options for take out, meat + vege, or all you can eat. This place is what some non-southerners get really wrong about (much of) the south, which is that everyone is welcome, everyone is treated and treats each other with respect. read more

Food For The Soul - Buffet and some of the dining area. - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

It was my first time. I looked this place up on yelp as I was craving fish and hungry. They have a variety of fish with soul food type sides. I ordered the whiting fish with a side of fried okra and sweet yams. The fish was okay but a but fishy. The filets were large however and cooked well! The yams were a bit stringy but not bad. and a healthy portion of sides. I would give them another try should I be in the area again and want inexpensive and quick southern food. I would need to try other meals to upgrade my review but its worth a visit. read more

Really cute mom and pop type place. I went on a Sunday and it was filled with what seemed like regulars. The workers make you feel right at home and the food is good. I had catfish, Mac and collards. I think the Mac could've been backed longer and the collards were very sour but it was still good. read more

Good home cooking. Had the buffet for $15. Friendly people, tables and chairs for 25 or so people but only parking for 3 or 4 cars.

I've been eating here, since 2002 highly recommend you trying. Don't forget to bring velvet cake, and all you can eat and bottomless, sweet tea, and lemonade. read more

I thought they were closed. I'm so happy to know they are still open. This has always been my favorite restaurant in town!

We've already visited here five times in the first month in Athens, a good sign that we're happy with this place. There's not a lot to say other than that the meats and sides are consistently very good, with fried shrimp (when they serve it) deserving of six stars at least. This is entirely self-serve, DIY, and a terrific "get-to-know-your-neighbor" atmosphere. We've enjoyed every dish we've had here. Their collards, deviled eggs, fried shrimp and fried chicken all deserve special commendations. Kudos for friendly service, as well. One if our favorite places in town or out. read more

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The buffet style food options were hot, available, and well seasoned!! We had the pork chops, fried fish, and fried chicken meals.....crunchy yet juicy....the sides were good...not great....overall really great soul food....the devil eggs were the best read more

When you don't feel like messing up your own kitchen to cook some soul food, this is the place to go! The food is ALWAYS good & the customer service is great as well! The sweet tea isn't my favorite here. But everything else is on point! read more

Food For The Soul - Yummy yummy yummy - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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I drove 30 mins to eat here ... pull up ... and it's closed. Mind you I'm from out of town, so yeah I'm heated. Looked good tho but you should prob change your hours on yelp if you not gonna be open. read more

I was traveling through town on my way back home and always try to find good Soul Food when away from home. I found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. It was delicious. The people were friendly. It was a surprisingly pleasant experience. After this Rona foolishness is over, I plan to go back and enjoy the full experience. read more

It's a good place to eat, need a bigger parking lot, food is good, I would definitely recommend it to my co workers, family and friends

I have eaten here for years! The food is consistently good. The cornbread is REAL, just like my grandmother made. The owners are so friendly and remember me. I miss sitting in there and enjoying the home-like atmosphere. Thank you guys for feeding me and my family for years! read more

The food is exceptional! A little hole in the wall which says it all. Those places always have the best food. From the greens to the fried chicken, you can't go wrong. Yum, yum, yummy!!! read more

Food For The Soul - people sitting at tables in a restaurant - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Home down cooking loved the soul food extra Bonus was the music for the soul. They make you feel at home!

Food for the Soul- Soul Food is far and away the best soul food in Athens, and probably anywhere. People in Athens like to carry on about how great Weaver D's is; those people are obviously amateur fried-chicken eaters. I always get the buffet here because, as much as I love the fried chicken, the sides are my favorite. FFTS macaroni and cheese has ruined all other mac n' cheeses for me. The cabbage, broccoli and rice casserole, green beans, and fried okra are all favorites. On Sundays they have amazing cornbread dressing. The sweet tea is the best in town in my opinion, making this place a caloric splurge I can only justify every couple of weeks. The only improvement I could think to suggest is that I wish FFTS had a biscuit option, instead of just sweet and unsweet cornbread, like Peaches does. Food for the Soul is open from 11am-ish until 5pm-ish every day but Monday and Saturday (this may have changed). The owners/staff are super nice, debit/credit cards are accepted, and meals are priced below most other soul food restaurants in town. I think the buffet is around $9 with a drink, but you can also get a meat and 2 for $8(ish) or 2 or 3 sides with cornbread for even less. The prices have changed sort of recently so I'm hesitant to give amounts. Parking is across the street on Colima. Make sure to wear something with an elastic waistband. read more

You're not going to beat this place for a legit southern buffet. Food is excellent, atmosphere is legit. Just a little pricier than you might expect but it's worth it. read more

Great food. Great company. Come here! Down home family atmosphere. Cozy. Greens--sharp, pungent, and tasty. Even the stems are tender. Great mac and cheese. Buffet: Eat as much as you want, but you can't take a plate. read more

Fantastic lunch deal- I had a plate and drink for $7.50 (including tax!) The fried pork chop was great but I think the sides stole the show. I had the mac and cheese, which was thick and had bread crumbs on top, and collard greens. One of my friends had the rice and broccoli casserole which I sampled heavily. Even if you just order a plate you serve yourself from the buffet which was a little confusing for my first visit, and is a little bit of an awkward space to navigate with others choosing from the wealth of options. However, the staff was quite friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was laid back and warm. Definitely plan to return! read more

So so good!! Everything tastes so yummy! The buffet had plenty of options with almost every kind of comfort food I could want on it. Everyone working there was so nice and made us feel at home. The food was replenished way better to bigger chain buffets I've been to. Nothing that was fried had a heavy oil on it at all! There were two different kinds of fish that each had their own flavor and nothing else fried tasted like the fish. You can tell they put a lot of love in the food. I was wishing for a biscuit or some mashed potatoes and gravy, but since I've only been there once maybe they switch it up. The Mac and cheese was delicious! I love the texture of the different cheeses. The chicken livers were beautiful and delicious. I don't know how they did it, but I didn't get a single bitter one. Maybe that was just my luck. Hubby was loving the greens and the cornbread. The shrimp was out of this world and I went back a few times for the flounder as well. Just wow! It is such a tiny place with all the parking across the street, but that didn't stop the place from Having a very steady flow of patrons. When I got there I didn't think much of the tiny dining room, but I never once felt crowded. There were plenty of people coming in to get to go boxes and people staying for lunch. We will be back many more times for all of that wonderful comfort food. read more

The absolute best fried pork chops I've had outside of my Mawmaws. The food was cooked perfectly and seasoned great. The service was unmatched. So warm, kind, and welcoming. Try the collards and limas! read more

Best soul food in town. Fried chicken and fish, baked chicken and pork chops, homemade Mac/cheese, collards, potato salad, too many veggies to name. Cold cucumber/tomato/onion salad.....Yummy desserts. Love FFTS. read more

Delicious, good ole country cooking. I always take my daughter and her friends when I go to visit. They love it and have even gone in their PJ's. The people are so nice. It is a tiny place so expect to make some new friends. Nothing fancy, but really good. My daughter even tried the broccoli rice casserole and loved it. Now that is REALLY A STATEMENT! read more

I had such a great lunch here -- delicious fried chicken that was moist with a perfect crust and seasonings; butter beans, black eyed peas, and sweet cornbread. This was my first time to go. If I lived in Athens, I would be there at least weekly. Service was fast and friendly. Absolutely the best soul food I've had in a long time. read more

We were on a mission to try somewhere new this Sunday, and Food for the soul didn't disappoint. They had some soulful music playing, everyone sitting together enjoying each other's company, not a single person on their phone. "That chicken was the bomb"-my bf. We will definitely be returning read more

Does this fine establishment earn 5 stars? Umm... let me think. Does a sloth prefer a Honda over a Civic? That's what I thought. If you are seeking a location that will make you cream your panties and scream at the top of a mountain, look no further. Your facial expression will be similar to Bigfoot's when he wins a game of checkers. Pure bliss, pure joy. CHEERS. read more

My girlfriend and I just went to Food For The Soul for the first time. We will definitely be back. The food was amazing especially the collards, pork chops, fried chicken and Mac and cheese. Everybody who worked there was super nice and really made our day. It was also cheaper than i expected $8 for a meal or $10 (after tax) for all you can eat. I really like Weaver Ds and Peaches but FFTS is my new favorite place for soul food in Athens. I highly recommend that you try food for the soul. read more

The food was good the price is great. Ever in Athens and have room for some extra calories of goodness check them out.

Good food especially the fried chicken. It's fairly greasy and cooked with butter but that's what makes it good, right? Buffet style. Limited parking and seating but worth it. read more