Best food spot. Mac and cheese needs some help, but compared to the quality you get in west Chester they are the best hands down! You can actually taste the soul in the food. Food in west Chester is trash overall so this is a gem. read more

The fried chicken wings took me straight back to the Southside of Chicago! Great flavor and the sauce was reminiscent of Harold's. Tasty food and friendly service. read more

Was super excited to try the food... got it to go. We ordered the chicken and rib combo, flounder, and wings. Sides were cornbread, cabbage, collard greens, and macaroni with cheese. Pretty darn tasty just a little heavy handed with the salt. The mac, cornbread, and greens were by far my favorites! Next I'm definitely going to try the whiting! read more

Mabel's Barbeque - Soul Food Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

Ordered catering for a work event. Our menu included brisket, ribs, BBQ chicken, coleslaw, green beans, and mac n cheese. Food arrived on time and was absolutely delicious. Several people asked where to find this place. Would recommend without hesitation. read more

Awesome food and unusually nice staff! Mabel cares and loves serving her food. I went in for a bite while spending time at the local hospital and noticed I forgot my wallet. I asked if we could use Apple Pay and not only was Mabel excited to try this out for the first time, she was reassuring by saying that if it didn't work I would just need to come back to pay after the fact. That left a great impression on me and I will always remember Mabel's. This is not fast food nor will it tastes pre cooked. Decide if you have time for great BBQ and eats and if so, you will not go disappointed. Food is 4.5 stars, friendliness is 5 stars read more

Haven't had Soulfood in awhile and traveled 45 min for Mabels barbaque for the best soulfood around till this day Mabels is my #1 Choice for soulfood delicious as always read more

I have eaten barbecue all through the south and I have never tasted a brisket or chicken that is as good as Mabel's. Really amazing. I wish I knew how they make brisket! read more

Outstanding homemade Southern BBQ. Mabel and her crew are so sweet and welcoming. You can tell how much they care about the quality there and how much pride Mabel puts into her cooking. Just be prepared to wait because Mabel wants to make sure your food is made fresh, so don't expect to just pop in and get a meal. It takes time to do BBQ right, so deal with it. I did the half slab of ribs with coleslaw, Mac n cheese, and cornbread today. The ribs were cooked great with a nice char on the ends, the right amount of sauce, and very tender. The coleslaw was delicious, but the Mac and cheese stole the show. Definitely one of the best I've ever had, sooooo good and of course homemade. The prices are fair and the portions are too. You get your money's worth both in quantity and quality. I've tried several BBQ spots in Chesco, and Mabel's is definitely the best. read more

Am I the only one who is very disappointed in this joint? Most of the negatives others have mentioned applied to our visit: very slow service, aloof proprietor, and over priced, mediocre food. The place wasn't the cleanest eatery we've seen, either. And just to clarify about the service speed: if you order fried chicken, you will wait about 20 minutes because they fry it on demand. That part is good and worth waiting for. The slow service I am describing is the proprietor not even acknowledging us for a good 7-8 minutes when we entered the shop while she flitted around behind the counter talking to a friend. I have lived in the (self-proclaimed, admittedly) BBQ Capital of the World so I may be a bit stingy with my praise here: Mabel's sauce was passable but nothing I would order again. It lacks depth and tasted of cheap store-bought ketchup. I don't mean to dis this place too hard but if BBQ is going to be your calling card I would hope you'd try to raise the bar instead of going the easy route. We also ordered fried mushrooms (about a dozen pieces for $4.95 and they were your average diner-type frozen fare); a pint of mac-and-cheese (the sauce tasted like Velveeta from a can--it was okay but if you are going to utilize food service-quality ingredients, charge a food service-quality price); and a fried chicken sandwich, which Mabel defines as two pieces of fried chicken--bones included--dumped atop two pieces of cheap white bread. End of story. Perhaps that is considered a chicken sandwich where Mabel comes from; for me, however, that is a two-piece fried chicken meal with a side of Wonder bread. Most of the time we were in the place, there was a significant amount of smoke filling the air. Mabel finally shouted to a worker to turn on a fan. But to her credit, Mabel came around toward the end of our wait and was pleasant, sociable, and even smiled a few times. Perhaps she was having a bad, busy day; perhaps we visited during an off week. But we won't be returning. There are far too many other West Chester eateries we need to explore first. Summary: average low-end food; amateur service and execution; not worth the price or hype. read more

OMG Mabel's is SO good! Very simple, no fuss BBQ. Whenever I visit family in West Chester, we try to hit Mabel's at least once. The fried chicken is perfect -- well-seasoned, very tender and not at all greasy. The mac & cheese is creamy & delicious. And HUSH PUPPIES! So good. And although I've never ordered it myself, I'm told the collard greens are also damn near perfect. A bit of advice, tho -- get take-out. It's not really an eat-in kind of place since there are only about 2 tables. read more

It was ok. This was certainly not the best barbeque I have had, but is definitely not the worst. I had the medium rack of ribs, which is a half slab. The bones disintegrated in the meat, so I had to pick out bone shards before eating the meat itself. The meat was tender and moist, smothered in sauce. The sauce was run of the mill barbeque. If you have never had real barbeque, this will blow your socks off, it ain't Chili's baby back ribs. If you enjoy good barbeque, you won't be let down, but you probably know a better joint. read more

Mabel's is a great little dive to get some quality BBQ. I recommend calling ahead as she will prepare your food to order. That's not to say she'll start cooking it to order, that's not how bbq works :) But I've been to other BBQ joints where they leave the food sitting around and it dries out. That's not the case at Mabel's. You're guaranteed to get an awesome meal. Mabel is always ready to engage you in conversation too. You'll immediately feel as if you've been friends for years. This is my kind of place, and I'll keep going back to Mabel's every time I want some good BBQ. read more

Ok, I visited this place twice, since I like to give a place a second chance; both were disappointing. My first impression as I walk in, while getting blasted with loud music, was that it could use a good cleaning. I waited a bit until someone came over to take my order, while trying to understand them with the music blasting I found out that they didn't have the brisket or pulled pork, so I walked out. Brisket is the BBQ staple and not having any is a crime, it was early afternoon. The second time I walked in I received the same impression. Luckily there was no music blasting, but it was even more disorganized and dirty then before, I guess that cleaning never came. So this time I just waited and waited and waited ... then someone finally peeked around the corner from the back room, but didn't say anything and just went back. So I waited, because surely they will attend to their customer soon, but I just waited, checked out all the lottery ticket stuff and waited and after 5 minutes walked out again, never to return. When you have to sell lottery tickets to get customers, something is not right. Good luck with your business model. read more

Searched Yelp for some soul food in this area because I am new around here. Found this soul food gem on yelp. Based off the reviews I felt that it was worth a try. Fried Chicken Wings, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Collard Greens, and potato salad! Everything I had was DELICIOUS!! Oh and don't forget that Mac and cheese. The bomb!! read more

Mabel's Barbeque - Candied Sweet Potatoes, Collard Greens, and potato salad! Everything I had was DELICIOUS!! - Soul Food Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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As has already been mentioned, the renovations were overdue and the place looks great. On my most recent visit, I had the brisket which was outstanding; thick cut with not much fat and a wonderful smoky flavor. NOTE: be sure to check your bag to make sure the promised sauce is in fact there! Speaking of the sauce, it has a good amount of heat which I really liked. Sides of mac & cheese and collards were among the best I've had in recent memory. My only criticism lies in the fact that Mabel doesn't offer spare or St. Louis ribs, only baby back which, in the opinion of this rib connoisseur, are inferior. The quality of Mabel's rub, smoking technique, and sauce deserve the best cuts of meat available. Service was prompt and friendly. I'll be back! read more

Delicious food! We ordered take out from Mabel's and we loved it! We will definitely be back for more.

Don't Miss Mabel's!! Old Fashioned Slow Cooked Barbeque, much like Mississippi's "Interstate BBQ." Wonderful ribs, brisket, greens, cornbread and macaroni & cheese. The food will take a while, it will be piping hot and even the sides are amazing. Nobody ordered the same dish & nobody had anything to take home in a doggy bag. Clean plates all around. (Also, Mabel is a treasure.) read more

A little bit of southern cooking makes it to West Chester! Mabel's is a small family-run place on the east side of the town. It's not very large and doesn't have much room to eat in. It's more of a take-out place and is located in a small strip mall. But the food is great! Where else can you order fried catfish with a side order of collard greens and cole slaw? The servings are large. I managed to finish my meal on one of the two tables they do have and staggered out of the place. Some of the spiciest fried fish I have ever consumed. read more

due to covid i couldn't check out the inside, food was hot & fresh & def didn't disappoint! we got multiple platters since we're not from the area! i also got a slice of the lemon 7up cake which was moist and delicious my platter included ribs mac and cheese & yams. they didn't have potato salad so i was bummed lol but the baked beans were literally the best i've ever had! my husband had the flounder, my mom had the whiting & my bro had the chicken! no complaints& everyone loved their food! & they def give you enough for leftovers!! they accept cash & cards & the price was decent for the amount of food provided read more

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Excellent food and super-nice people! Everything I had was delicious. The whiting was perfectly fried; the macaroni and cheese was the best I've had in years; and the collard greens were absolutely the real deal. I'll definitely be back! read more

We stopped in Mabel's to grab some lunch. Upon entering the smell of old cooking oil permeated the restaurant. We were pleasantly greeted and given menus. I ordered the BBQ chicken breast w/ 2 sides, sweet potatoes and string beans. My husband ordered pulled pork and 2 sides, coleslaw and fries. We were offered a sampling of the BBQ sauce which was very good.The portions are good and very filling. The food was good and prepared well. The staff are friendly and very accommodating. A place we would visit again. read more

Ordered fried chicken and ribs for a graduation party. All the guests raved about the delicious food and had 2nd, and 3rd helpings. I will definitely order from Mabel's again!!! Food and service was outstanding! read more

I am super excited to have found this place, not only is it the best fried chicken I have ever had anywhere close to this area but the service was also a game changer for me. We called 15 minutes to closing and the food was brought out to us so fresh and hot. We dined in and didn't feel rushed at all. The owner welcomed us and told us she was glad we stopped in. Each and every side we had was seasoned to perfection. Perfect selection anything you would crave is on the menu. This is now my top five favorites. read more

The chicken and bbq sauce are both quite good. But that's where the positive ends, the Cole slaw has way to much mayo. The baked beans were pretty good but not mind blowing like I'd expect from a bbq place. The "sandwich" part of my chicken sandwich was two sad prices of white bread, can a man get a roll over here?? And then the biggest mystery of all, the chicken on my slices of wonder bread was bone in, not slices or pulled or anything. Ever try eating a sandwich with bones in it? Yeeeeah. Also there's no condiments out on the table, every barbecue place I've ever been in puts a selection of bbq sauces out to add and dip in. My advise to the owner; chill with the mayo, figure out how to make a sandwich (get actual rolls!), and toss that sauce around the place. I'm only giving 3 stars, this place could EASILY be 4 with minor tweaks. read more

First time eating here and if by there will try it again. It was a small smoke house/barbeque with a soul food flavor. I had the rib and chicken combo with sides of collared green and macaroni and cheese. I ordered hush puppies, but they forgot them even though I made sure she knew I ordered them when she repeated the order without saying them, To speak of the food I tried, the chicken and ribs had good flavor. The wet sauce on the ribs was smoky and flavorful. The collared greens were a little salty for my tastes, but that is me, they tasted as they should for normal people. The issue I had most was that although the flavor was good, the edges were slightly overdone. The ribs were fall off the bone as was the chicken. Again, I would go back if I were there, but I wouldn't make the drive specifically to eat there. read more

We were in the area picking up our son from his summer program and had extra time on our hands. We decided to grab something from Mabel's. It is a no frills cash only take out spot. The food is good and reasonable on the prices. All in all, worth hitting again if in the area. Worth a try if you have not done so already. read more

Best soul food I had hands down! The fish was nice and Flaky. The outside was fried to Perfection with the inside being moist outstanding. All the sides were perfect and didn't need any extra salt or pepper. I will definitely be back. read more

I went to Mabel's for the first time about two weeks ago. I almost NEVER give a restaurant 5 stars, but Mabel's impressed the living hell out of me. It comes up on you quickly after the car wash (it is on the left) and parking can be tricky depending on the time of day. It's a cute little place, small but nicely decorated, organized and clean. You can see into the kitchen. Mabel was at the register when I walked in. She was super personable, friendly and helpful. I liked her immediately. She was obviously quite passionate about her food. She told me a bit about her life and asked about mine. Excellent customer service skills. Everything in total took about 30 minutes because they were working on the collards and cabbage when I arrived and I had not called ahead. My order was to-go, all packed nice and neat. I took it home, mouth watering the entire drive. My partner was equally as excited as I when I arrived home. Here is our collective review of the food we purchased: 1. Half rack of BBQ ribs- Absolutely dynamite. The sauce had a perfect balance. They didn't use too much, didn't use too little. Fall off the bone tender with superior flavor. 2. Hush puppies- Tasty, but a hair crunchier than my partner prefers. 3. Sweet potatoes- I do not have enough good things to say about them. They were amazing! 4. Mac and Cheese- Hands down the best restaurant Mac I've ever had, no exaggerations. Another Yelper said something about there being unmelted chunks of cheese in it and to that I say, either they were on drugs and hallucinating at the time of purchase or they caught them on an off day. 5. Green beans- Great flavor, nice and soft, a little on the salty side. 6. Collared Greens- This is what I came here for... They did not disappoint! My only minor complaint on these is the same I had about the green beans... a little salty, but I am a super salt-sensitive person (I don't put salt on or in anything). All in all, an amazing meal from an amazing local spot that has been in WC for many years. I cannot WAIT to go back! Thanks, Mabel's! read more

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Best fried catfish I ever had! Great sides, creamy mac n cheese, tasty baked beans. The nicest people run the place. Excellent and lovely service. Definitely worth a trip. read more

Ive been coming here for years and have never been disappointed!! The service and food is the best!! I love the hot wings, mac and cheese and greens. My gf loves the brisket Mac and cheese and candy yams and her daughter loves the fried chicken and potatoes salad and bake beans. She's even started asking for the brisket. Mind you she's only 5. Her face lights up when I say we are getting Mabel's and does a whole dance! Can't wait for our next visit which will be some time this week! Keep up the great work Mabel! read more

Very good food. Reminds of my mother's and grandmother's food. I will return for more

No Sweet Potato Pie No Fresh Corn Bread Very Small Sides with Platter but Good Good Service Overall Food was Decent.......Being Philly Descendants Our takeout Standard for Soul Food was not Met read more

Solid food. Everything we had was quite tasty and we all left happy and full. Wish they had better ventilation in kitchen.

It's a good day anytime I can get to Mabel's for a great meal. Today was one of those days. I had a great lunch platter: Crispy fried chicken wings, potato salad, and green beans. Oh, and I can't forget the lemonade. (I need that recipe.) Mabel's food is always seasoned just right. The toughest part about going there is choosing from the menu. No matter what I order, I'm always more than satisfied. Whenever I'm traveling from my home in Lancaster County to Philadelphia, I make it a point to stop at Mabel's. Great food; great service! read more

Place is disgusting. When I first walked in you could see how much they could care less how clean the place, floor was dirty, tables were dirty. It was that type of place you could walk in and walk out right away. But I put all that aside and decided to buy a sandwich which took 30 minutes and I was the only one there. THE MAIN REASON why I'm writing this is when I got home to eat there was TWO THICK PIECES OF HAIR, it looked like pubic. I was absolutely furious. Im writing this because I want people to know what my experience was like there because I use yelp all the time. Im sure this doesn't happened all the time but it just needs to be known. If anyone doesn't agree with my post or have any questions please message me on here. read more

Spectacular southern BBQ. It is soooo yummy! Mabel's pulled pork is seasoned well and her sauce is PERFECTION! I have enjoyed ribs, chicken, greens, beans, potato salad, mac & cheese and cole slaw. Mabel can do no wrong in my book. Seating is very limited -- if I could change one thing, I'd add more square footage and a few dozen tables. If you go to Mabel's, you will definitely return! Oh, and don't forget to get yourself some sweet potato pie! read more

Mabel's hands down is the best bbq in Southeast PA. Ive tried lots of different places and each place has certain things that are pretty good..but Mabel hits on all cylinders. Not only is her food tasty, but she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. We recently went and had her brisket as well as her chicken... the sides were delicious(macncheese, potato salad, coleslaw, fries). It only has a couple spots to eat inside...it really is more for takeout.. so we ate in the van. I had to run back in to get the sweet potato pie uhhhh amazing and she even gave me a piece of her 7up cake... official Mabel addict now! help support local business, especially awesome places like Mabels'... read more

First the food. The food is pretty good. I've had the brisket and pulled pork sandwiches. Both were solid, although the portions were small for the price. The mac and cheese is absolutely delicious though. Mable's has a couple of major problems though. First, the shop is disgusting. It doesn't look like anyone has taken a mop to it in weeks. It's tough to get over that, but BBQ isn't known for being squeaky clean. Second, the service is just plain bad. Since BBQ is already cooked, there is no plausible reason why a brisket sandwich should take 30 minutes to prepare. My biggest beef though is something that happened to me twice. 4 or 5 of us from work called in an order around 11am for a 12:00 pick up. We get there at 12 and are told that a larger order came in AFTER OURS WAS PLACED and so they took care of that order first, and left us waiting for 40 minutes for a few sandwiches and mac and cheese. If the service/cleanliness was as good as the food, this would be one of the best BBQ joints in SE PA. read more

I read great reviews so I decided to give this place a try. I was greeted first by the heat entering into the place....but the staff greeted me right away. I called ahead and was told my food would be ready at a certain time. I arrive at the time and after a few minutes I'm told my order isn't ready yet. Definitely a slight inconvenience but since I heard the food was great I didn't complain. I got my food about 15mins later. The food was OK but didn't hit the spot. The chicken was good and flavorful. The ribs were good, just not a lot of meat on the bones like I'm used to. The mac and cheese was bland and lacked creaminess. The sweet potatoes were tasty. The green beans were overly salty and the corn bread was lacking. The flounder sandwich was good but not worth the price. You pay $11 for a piece of fish and 2 pieces of bread. The best Part of the meal was the sweet potato pie. Would I return??? Maybe if I'm in the area but I definitely wouldn't make a special trip here to get food read more

Best authentic southern BBQ in the area. The sides and sweet potato pie are amazing, but the chicken is out of this world. I haven't tried the ribs yet, but I hear great things. Also, great value for the price. Boston Market has about the same prices, but the food is so much better and always cooked to order. read more