The cashier was a total sweetheart! She answered my questions with patience and a smile. I felt like I was hanging out with an old friend. The food was so damn good! It reminded me of my belated, beloved mother's cooking. Even though the cook was exhausted and wanted to go home, she still cooked this food with love! I had fried chicken, fries, candied yams, peach cobbler and lemonade. The chicken was perfection! Seasoned perfectly! The fries were fried to a perfect light golden brown,and crispy. The candied yams were buttery, seasoned well. The lemonade had the right balance of sweetness. The peach cobbler container was filled generously and heavy! Unfortunately, I didn't like the peach cobbler as it was way too sweet and burnt pie crust pieces in it. I also wasn't a fan of the Mumbo sauce. It just tasted like sweet, thin barbecue sauce. Given the overall rating from others, I must say that DC has very high standards, and rightfully so. This was the best takeout meal I've had in a very long time. It made me realize how much Chicago restaurants need to step up our game! DC has a hidden gem tucked away! read more

I went to the DC location and all I have to say is somebody's Mama needs to be slapped!

OH my!!! I just finished eating here for the first time. I had to call my wife in this one. I'm headed back after work to take some home. I ordered the fried fish, Mac & yams, you should see my stomach lol. The sweet potato pie, it's to die for. I see why they been in business since 1968. Food is so good. It's one of my fav spots now for soul food. Oh! Not to mention that the service who Great also. Thanks Renata for your professionalism. read more

I think this is my first Yelp review ever but I had to let you know how good they are. They catered a small party for me. And the food was the truth! The Sweet Potato Pies lived up to all of the hype. Wings, Whiting, Slaw all delish and they delivered on time. A great experience! I highly recommend them for parties. Your guests will enjoy! read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

What a waste of money, the food was absolutely terrible and ended up in the trash. Wouldn't recommend this spot to my worse enemy.

Got takeout after reading a glowing review from the Washington Post, and am glad I tried out this DC institution! The fried catfish was delicious, very tasty and nicely seasoned. It paired well with the top-notch mashed potatoes (creamy, with gravy) and mac and cheese (gooey with the right amount of cheesiness). The string beans were just ok and the fried chicken was decent (very crispy and crunchy though). Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the sweet potato pie, but I admit it's not my fav pie to begin with and this place didn't change my mind. Overall, terrific food at a local place with friendly service and generous portions (can you say leftovers?). Recommend you give it a shot! read more

When it comes to Soul Food this place is OKAY! Considering its DC the food is edible. A hole in the wall restaurant not really a dine in place but you can sit and eat if you like. My food was not HOT and I was confused on what I waited so long for I expected my food to be hot as if I were eating it at that moment. So room temperature food. The food was ehhhh.......it was very sloppy and Ive had better! The cabbage was good slightly overcooked but very tasty. The macaroni and cheese was very rich. The turkey wings made me want to vomit they were drenched in gravy which is not stated on the menu because I would had opt not to have it! YUCK!!!! I was soooo not expecting swimming turkey wings!!!!! It was more gravy then actual meat which was a disappointment. It was more like turkey bone soup! You get about 3 small turkey wings but it's no fun when you have the wingy parts that are nothing but skin not the two bone wing but that flappy piece that connects NO GOOD! They weren't cooked hard enough for me I felt like I was playing on a plate of mush! All in all I would give another try but I will not be ordering the turkey bone soup. read more

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I NEVER leave reviews, but this place was AMAZING! Best soul food I've found in the area so far and will definitely be coming back! read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Sliced Turkey Collard greens Macaroni and Cheese - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Stopped here on my Lunch break... Rushing as always, I placed my order and was told 15-20 mins. I received my food in less then 10 mins. Great service and the food is definitely 5 stars to wash all that soul food down I ordered a homemade sweet tea and let me tell you! I haven't had tea like that since I was a teenager. The cafe is very clean and customer service was also 5 stars. A must go to guys/gals. Enjoy you're welcome read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Fried Catfish, Collard Greens & Candied Yams with Corn Muffin and for Desert I ordered Peach Cobbler and Sweet Potato Pie!! - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Listen, when I first bought a Living social voucher for this place I was like " God I hope I didn't just waste $10", and let me tell you no I didn't. This is one of the few places that serve beef ribs, which I LOVE, the lemon pound cake is to die for, and don't get me started on that diabetes induced delicious sweet tea. Now, lets get to the "parking" issue, of course located in DC you have to street park, BUT it's near a residential area so they take up a lot of the parking spaces, and there's about 3 or 4 meter spots across the street, but those are always filled, I suggest ordering in advance and picking it up. read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Beef ribs yummy - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was visiting from SC and looking for some great soul food. Other places had ridiculous prices but Henry's was reasonable so we decided to stop by. IT WAS BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED! The chicken was great and the fried Crocker was even better! The staff was very hospitable and didn't rush us when choosing our sides. Everything was wonderful, but I will say that if you are from the south, their sweet potato pie may not impress you as much as you think it will. Ironically the sweet potato soufflé is banging!! 10 stars if I could! read more

I LOVE THEM. The ladies working there were very sweet and helpful. I had the fried chicken, cornbread stuffing, and collard greens and everything was fantastic. read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Yum!! Baked chicken with gravy and stuffing, mashed potatoes, collard greens, cornbread. SO GOOD - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'm sure much of the menu is delicious, but I always get fried chicken, Mac and cheese, and coleslaw and the serving is big enough for multiple meals. There's always a steady line of customers but they move people in and out quickly. Great takeout. read more

This place is an amazing hole in the wall place. Their lemonade and sweet tea are super sweet. Their mac and cheese was good and their mash potatoes were a just a little too watery. The chicken wings came out fresh and their mumbo sauce was on the sweeter side but still good. Their sweet potatoe pie is definitely one of the best I have ever had and I wish I bought a whole pie. Great place and will come back for the pie. read more

Even through these times with limited number of food spots to choose from it is special to find a great place for food. I did find such a spot when a friend recommended Henry's. The food was great and I will visit them again very soon! read more

This is a DC Soul Food staple in my hometown I was find great tasting grub when I revisit this weekend wasn't know different. Only thing was that they seemed to be too busy for 4 customers and they forgot to give us our desert and I had to call and got a full voicemail message and had to drive back (45 minute full trip) and was only offered and 5% discount on a extra desert for our trouble. Needless to say I will be double checking my bag and so should you and dont call order in person or online if possible. read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wow, just wow. Honestly, this place is the best Thanksgiving on demand ever! I ordered the BBQ half chicken and baked Turkey wings w/ gravy combos, with Mac and cheese, stuffing, beans and candied yams. For desert a slice of sweet potato pie. I take pride in making a world class Thanksgiving and am not easily impressed when ordering the classics. Henry's was so impressive in every regard that I was shocked. The stuffing, the gravy, everything was just so perfect I couldn't nit pick, I had no choice but to simply enjoy and savor (without having to cook for 5 hrs beforehand!). The candied yams and sweet potato pie was particularly impressive, neither were overly sweet. Just the right amount of surfer and whew the flavor! I even found a cardamom pod in my candied yams, which was proof positive of good home cooking in my book. I will be make to try other dishes, but it's pretty awesome knowing I can get some home spun classics, fuss free and on demand! read more

Stopped at Mr. Henry's this evening to pick up a call in order, paid and took a seat because the young man said that my order wasn't ready. Thirty minutes later I check for my order and come to find out it had been sitting on a box all along. To add insult to injury the cabbage was very peppery, the greens were tough and nasty, lastly the turkey wings and dressing was horrible. Sorry but the pound cake was extra sweet and too brown (burnt) for my liking. Guess they have a new cook and baker and this is one customer that won't be returning! P.S. I use love Mr. Henry's. read more

I like Henry's, especially their sweet potatoe pie, but if you're looking for another place that serves soul food, try Torrie's Restaurant on V Street NW or Soul Wingz in MD. read more

When I tell you everything was slappin'... I mean S-L-A-P-P-I-N-G. Like almost slapped my mama type of slappin'. deserves far more than these measly 5 stars read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - BBQ Ribs Candied Yams Macaroni and Cheese Fresh Greens Cornbread - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Mmm! Henry's Soul Cafe was a taste of Grandma's kitchen after a long day! Everything was phenomenal! My mother particularly enjoyed the catfish, we both loved the greens, cornbread was on point, and THE SWEET POTATO PIE THO!!! The crust was light and tasted homemade. I had a picky eater with me who said this was the best food she's had since moving to the east coast...the food here is the truth. Service was great and my heart was full leaving here! Will definitely be returning! read more

This food took us to church! I have the trout collar greens and potato salad. The potato salad took me all the way to Sunday morning! This food is clearly made with love. The best food I had in Washington DC read more

Amazing! Food was hot and fresh! I had a pork chop plate with a strawberry lemonade! And the portions were big so I had a plate for lunch and dinner! Definitely reminded me of soul food from my home state of NC! I'll definitely be back! read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food could have been better. The chicken was fried so hard it was like eating leather. Overall, I'd choose to keep my money in my pocket. Covid is here, but customers still want good food for the price restaurants are charging. read more

The Fried Chicken,Peach Cobbler and Candied Yams were all great! On top of that, they have friendly service. Next time we're in D.C. we'll be sure to stop by again. Thank you, Henry's! read more

Loved how this place hides in plain sight in the U Street corridor. Tried the whiting fish which was very good especially with the Mumbo Sauce. That Mumbo Sauce is the Bomb! But whiting and its close cousin, lake trout always has enough bones to make it frustrating to just dive in and devour, like you could with say, salmon or tilapia or catfish. I would defintely come back and try the fried chicken. Oh they have fantastic sweet potato pie, so make sure you get some of that, along with the mumbo sauce on whatever your meat entree is, seriously! read more

I ordered a whiting sandwich and a whiting dinner with greens and yams. The portions were large but the fish and greens needed more seasoning. Also, they messed up my order so check your food before leaving. Instead of a sandwich, I got a box with 3 more pieces of whiting. read more

Trying to get there during rush hour is only 1 star..... But the food OMG!! So good I had the bbq pork ribs with collards and Mac and cheese. My wife had the 1/2 fried chicken. With fried okra and coleslaw. Both come with cornbread or white bread. Cornbread is OK but nothing special but with the excellent other items it was not at all missed. Huge portions and enough leftover for a great lunch tomorrow. Visiting DC And this has been the best food surprise of all of them. Maybe a second trip there before we head home read more

I really disappointed I couldn't get a sweet potato pie during my visit. The cashier was not attentive. I asked how long and she stated maybe an hour. I been coming to this location for 15 years and the experience is not the top when certain managers are not working. Hopefully the wxpe6 will get better read more

I stopped here as I was already in the City and wanted something SOUL! I've been to the Oxon Hill location and these 2 seem as different as night and day. This location was small but clean. The young lady behind the counter was awesome (she can't sing, though lol). Henry's has all the usual suspects but I was in the mood for fish. I opted for the trout dinner with cabbage and green beans and for dessert, banana pudding. When I got my bag it felt like a brick was in the bag it was so heavy. Henry's loads you up. I had 3 big pieces of golden fried trout and cornbread. The fish almost melts in your mouth. The sides were perfectly seasoned and equally portioned (as in A LOT). There was enough banana pudding to feed at least 3-4 people. It was only $4.29. My fish dinner came in at a whopping $9!!! With tax and a drink I paid about $16. THAT'S CHEAP for what you get. I think I'll make a trip back to this location JUST BECAUSE! read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Henry's menu - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Three stars because the young lady at the counter needs a new job. If you aren't happy with your profession then quit instead of messing up everyone else day. No one wants to eat food from a establishment with nasty employees. read more

Great food, service and I can the overall was great. I got the catfish sandwich and small fries, I give it a 10/10. I recommend this place when in DC read more

In my opinion they need a full sit in restaurant. The U St. location is probably the best soul food that I've had outside of the house. I've tried lots of places... I won't mention names... but this is the best. Just great cooking. Other places just try to doo too much and change the game by adding all this extra stuff but you can't go wrong with their food. I've had almost everything on the menu and have never been disappointed. Even the potato salad is bomb. I almost never eat potato salad other than my mom's but I was pleased. I've had the Oxon Hill locations food as well.. NIGHT AND DAY!!! I come to this location almost weekly and I'm happy I came every time. Great food. Great staff. You can't go wrong. Open a full restaurant though please. read more

The food here is simply amazing. The strawberry lemonade is probably the best I've ever had.

I must be entering this into Yelp incorrectly, because I'm completely shocked that there is no review for Henry's Soul Cafe. I know you've walked by it, been to a bar near it, maybe even thought about going in. Here's validation that you should. I was actually taken here by a friend who was kind enough to oblige my craving for fried chicken when no other friends would. He couldn't remember the exact location and so we walked from the North Dupont Circle exit all the way to 17th and U. We perhaps made the mistake of attempting this trek in the middle of a tornado warning and so by the time we found Henry's, I was pretty downtrodden and only mildly amused that I could see the entrance to Local 16 a block away (Learn from my mistake - metro to U street and NOT dupont!). The "cafe" part of the "soul cafe" in the Henry's name is perhaps a bit of a misnomer - spend a long afternoon here you will not (unless, that is, you eat so much that you can't move). There is quite literally no seating in the entire restaurant, the size of which is roughly equivalent to twice the space of the area in front of the metro doors. I think it's because the deep fryer must take up more than three times this space in the back. No matter. The menu is straightforward - everything you'd expect to find at a soul food place is here. Breakfasts that are all under $6, sandwiches, and platters under $9. I zeroed in on what I wanted - 1/2 a chicken platter. The sides are plentiful and I was not ashamed to order mac and cheese AND candied yams. My friend ordered fried okra and mashed potatoes with his half chicken, and both our orders came with a hefty chunk of cornbread, all for about $8 each. We added some sweet tea + lemonade to top it all off. And what can I say about the food? We were so famished we ignored the lack of seating and popped open the styrofoam boxes immediately (although they were so full of food the boxes almost popped open of their own volition) and ate in relative silence for the next twenty minutes. After that time had passed we both took deep breaths and took stock of the damage - barely visible, there was so much food left over! I'm only partially ashamed to admit that I could have made two more meals out of the remaining food (and I actually only made one meal out of the leftovers because I'm looking to increase my cellulite holdings). I can't forget to comment on the "soul" in Henry's Soul Cafe, which was not lacking. Clearly the food had it, and so did the woman working there. She was amazingly friendly and really helpful after we came in looking like starved animals. She gave us samples of the sweet tea lemonade mix (as opposed to just sweet tea OR lemonade. it's not on the regular menu, you'll have to ask for it, and you really should!) and proceeded to exclaim, "TWO starches!?" when I ordered my yams and mac+cheese. Brilliant. In any event, we left with our weight in food consumed and in a take-out bag. I could barely move on the walk back to Dupont, and I smelled like fried chicken even AFTER taking a shower (my friend's jacket still possessing the same deep fried smell post laundering and wearing it around to air it out). If you're not halfway out the door yet I really can't help you. read more

Go for the sides and desserts, not necessarily the fried chicken. I ordered the fried chicken wing dinner with cabbage and Mac n cheese and a side of yams. The cabbage melts in your mouth and the Mac n cheese was nothing less than perfect-- nice and cheesy with a little bit of burnt goodness. The yams were full of cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. However the chicken was mediocre. The wings were huge and tough to bite into, and also fatty. Next time I would try the fish instead. read more

Henry's Soul Cafe - Southern Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I am so mad I used to live a block from this place and had no idea it was there. I got a clue when I saw the loooong line to pick up sweet potato pies around Thanksgiving. I only have 5 minutes, so let me make this short and sweet. It IS a "greasy spoon," but one of the best I have EVER been to. One of the better soul food options in the area, IMO (and to drop some cred, my mom is from the south). 10x better than Oohs and Aahs, to name just one. People are nice, food is cooked up quickly, and portions are HUGE for the price (which isn't super-cheap, merely cheap-- but totally worth it even just for the portion size, let alone the tastiness). Here's what I've tried: Mains (I'd generally go for the fantastic fried chicken, but the rest are at least solid): Fried chicken-- Crispy and juicy, even the white meat. Totally delicious. 5 stars BBQ pork sandwich-- Really surprisingly solid for a place that obviously doesn't have a smoker out back. 3.75 stars T-bone steak-- Just a basic, greasy fried steak, but tender and delicious. Tastes a bit like Roy Rogers' roast beef (which I love). 3.25 stars Fried pork chop-- Solid enough, but nothing special. 3 stars Sides (Awesome!): Cornbread-- Some of my favorite cornbread ever. 4.5 stars Cornbread stuffing with gravy-- Also tasty. 4 stars Mac'n'Cheese-- Very, very good. 4.25 stars Yams-- Very similar to the sweet potato pie filling and therefore INCREDIBLE-- 5 stars (Fried) okra-- Crispy, delicious. 4 stars Collard greens-- Good, not fantastic, but upgraded to very good with mambo sauce. 3.5 stars Corn-- Really basic kernels-with-butter. Fine, but why choose this when there's so much else to choose from? 2.25 stars Desserts: Sweet potato pie-- Eggy and SO SO GOOD. Not super deep-dish/thick, but for less than $10 for a whole pie? Sign me up. 5 stars Banana pudding-- Also tasty. I'd say 4 good stars I honestly can't understand anyone who would give this a low rating, unless they: -Are irrational haters of fat and also possibly of America. -Got some flukey dish I haven't tried yet that just happens to suck. -Were there on some sort of off day. Because, really... It's Henry's. I just ate 2 whole plates of food and I would drive back down there right now... except that I still have leftovers in my fridge! read more

4.25 stars. Henry's and Oohhs and Aahhs are both wonderful choices for soul food on U Street. Everyone has Yelped about the chicken; I decided I would focus my review on the chops. The fried pork chops are fine, but it ain't Southern til they smother it in that wonderful gravy of theirs. I would strongly suggest the smothered pork chops at this restaurant so long as you are not worried about your caloric intake (at which point you should be nowhere near this place!). Mashed potatoes here are great. Cabbage is tasty. Fried okra was solid. My girlfriend speaks highly of the breakfast options here although I have yet to try them. We both liked the mac n cheese; their version is smokier than Oohhs and Aahhs. And, of course, I'm not going to talk about the chicken because that's already been well covered... (By the way, you may have noticed it says that they deliver... well, sort of. Henry's will cater, but in my conversations with the people working up there, they don't do much of traditional delivery.) read more

I haven't had a lolforeigner moment in a long time, but my last one was here, when I asked the lady what a "Daddy Smoke" sandwich was, and she looked at me as if I'd just stepped out of the vegetable crisper box in the refrigerator as she was looking for the milk. That simile works in my head, I don't know about yours. Anyway, it turns out that the Daddy Smoke is a hot dog, just like a Half Smoke, which they serve at Ben's Chilli Bowl. A Half Smoke is also a hot dog. Then she clarified that a Henry Burger was just a cheeseburger. Thanks for letting me know, lady, I thought it was a burger made of Henry. The lolforeigner moment I had before that was when I related a joke I heard on 8 out of 10 Cats, which compared John McCain's face to a ballbag dusted with icing sugar, and nobody knew what a ballbag was. I then learned new terms for scrota, including nutsack and ballsack. Anyway, I ordered a meatloaf sandwich at Henry's. The options that followed were for wheat or white bread, gravy, and onions. On the lady's recommendation, I took gravy, but no onions. It cost me about $6, I think. While I waited for my food, I looked around the room, which is pretty dark and mysterious. There were some bags of bread and enormous styrofoam cups for sweet tea. Like, litre-sized cups for sweet tea which cost less than $2. It was sensational. I received my meatloaf sandwich in a styrofoam box and took it to eat on the plastic garden chairs outside. The presentation was interesting. At the bottom of the container were four slices of meatloaf, covered in beige gravy, with a slice of wax paper placed over the top, and then two slices of wheat bread at the top: a desconstructed meatloaf sandwich. I have nothing more to say about it except that, disconcerting gravy aside, it tasted fine. The meatloaf was meaty, the bread bready, and it could have done with some ketchup. Henry's gets four stars because it exists, is cheap and is so close to me, and taught me a new food term "Half Smoke". I'm excited about the prospect of fried chicken and sweet potato pie. read more

Stopped in for the first time about a month ago before heading home to VA. I first ordered a fried Whiting, Rice and Gravy and String beans dinner while hubby ordered Fried Whiting, Cabbage, Rice and Gravy. We both ordered Peach Cobbler for dessert after the lady at the counter told us it was the real deal with pie crust (and not the quick version sometimes made with cake batter or flour and milk). The Rice and gravy was meh, while the string beans were ok. We both got 2-3 nice pieces of fish that were well seasoned and fried spot on. After tasting my husband's cabbage I decided to go back inside and purchase a side order for later. The cabbage was cooked perfectly with just enough texture, it was still a pretty green color ( not brown and over cooked like most soul food joints) and seasoned well. I decided on getting a veggie plate after the lady behind the counter said it was more economical to get 3 veggies and a corn muffin for $9. Got 2 orders of cabbage and a Mac-N-Cheese after seeing it on the plate of a customer who was eating outside. When we got home we tasted the Peach Cobbler and knew we had struck gold. The peaches were dark in color from the obvious spices that had been added to the Cobbler. We decided Henry's would be our stop whenever we were craving soup food. Mind you we live a 55 min drive away in VA but can't find souls good that matches this caliber of quality and taste. I highly recommend this spot! Well done Henry's! read more