Growing up without the unbelievable adventures that soul food has to offer (although my mom's and grandmother's Jewish cooking was not far off), I still find myself lost with all the choices of side dishes and different ways to prepare chicken wings and breasts and different variation on simple cold salads. In this sense, having it all right in front of me, clearly labeled, and looking fresh and colorful is the way I prefer my soul food at the moment. Manna's has a very good selection (better than some of the other soul food/caribbean buffets around Harlem), with every kind of cold salad you could ask for, many variation on pork, chicken and beef, and all the sides of ever seen at a sit down, soul food, order-off-the-menu restaurant. I filled my to-go box with cajun-style rice, fried plantains, candied yams, collard greens, and a sweet and sour meatball type things. Food was all very good, especially the plantains and collard greens. The yams were good but a little underprepared, one thing I don't think you find at a sit-down soul food restaurant. The cajun rice and meatballs were both good, nothing too too special. Obviously, the great thing about the place is that after I find things that I love like the plantains and collard greens, I can come back and mix and match to fill the rest of my box. The only down-side is the $5.50-per-pound. While it doesn't seam expensive, I got enough for a reasonably sized meal and it cost me $10. That food would have cost me more at a sit-down restaurant, but I expect to pay less at a lunch-buffet. Still definitely enjoyed the experience! read more

I live right next to Jacob Restaurant, which is just like Manna's in many ways, so it's so easy to just go to Jacob and be back in under ten minutes. BUT when I do find myself down by Manna's, I deffinitely treat myself. Manna's is $1 more expensive than Jacob, but well worth the extra buck. But with food this good I don't even look at the bill. I highly recomend the famous everything plate. LOL... It all looks so good that I get a bite of everything. From corned beef to whitting to yams to pasta salad, it's ALL good. The only bummer is paying. It's a popular place, so there is quite a few people in line, AND that gets people looking around, which just leads to people jumping out of line to grab something and expecting to be let back in line where they were. The couple in front of me stood there with there food, next thing I know they added two pieces of cake and two sodas. Not a very healthy impulse buy, but as a great man once said, "Freedom? You can't handle freedom, and now you're dying for it." Love that quote, and YES, I'm the fun police when it comes to junk food... Overall, Manna is Good Eats, and I saw a gooooood looking fish stand in the back of the dining room. Do you know how much discipline it would take to walk by aaall this great food to get a fish sandwich? I might try it sometime. And the fish place has a sign out front that says "today's special..." and it has a sandwich and fries marked down $2. I just don't understand, because that was yesterday's special, and the day before thats, and so on. Today's special is not unique, just take two dollars off the price and get yer sign out the middle of the sidewalk. It's kinda like "Todays special" at LA Burrito in Brooklyn. It's been the jerk chicken burrito for the last four years!!! OK, I've rambled on far too long about nonsense(that I like pointing out), now get yer ass over to Manna's and enjoy good, hot, well seasoned, healthy food... read more

Better than Amy Ruth's and Sylvia's.:Food was excellent . So tasty great variety of entrees . read more

I looooove this place. Sometimes I wish there is one in my area. Oh well. The prices are good, food is excellent, so no complaining. This is definitely a place to come if stopping in Harlem. One little problem: their restroom is not that great, so avoid if you can. read more

I'm always skeptical of buffets but Manna's is actually pretty decent. But I mean, don't think you are walking into an upscale restaurant. It's just a place where you pile your food and go. But you do get a lot of food for your money. I've been here a bunch of times and never had a bad experience. However the quality is inconsistent - sometimes the hot food is really tasty, other times it's overly salty and kind of gross. Lately I've been sticking to the salad bar, which is surprisingly good and fresh! read more

This is a very good spot for soul food they have all the classics mac & cheese, collards etc and everything was tasty actually delicious. The only reason why I didn't give 5 because the chitterlings didn't taste cleaned well enough they were extremely gritty. read more

I heard so much about this place so I had to see for myself!! I was disgusted. The jerk chicken was dry as hell. The fried chicken tasted stale like leftovers. The collard greens were watery. The macaroni was way too soft and mushy for mac and cheese. The lettuce had a funny smell. The Asian woman at the front counter had a nasty attitude when I pointed out the lettuce to her. My food totalled $31.00. OVERPRICED!! I will go to Red Lobster next time, it is just one block away from this dump!! I do not recommend that you waste your time or money here. Please do not visit. read more

There's nothing to dislike about this place. Jerk chicken, honey ham, roast turkey, chicken stuffing, bread pudding, fried plantains, collard greens, peach cobbler. The best peach cobbler I've ever had, though I haven't had too many, I still really liked it, and you can't take that away from me. The food is absolutely delicious, and it's buffet style at something like $6.50 a pound. The dudes at the register are nice dudes. You should eat here. read more

I loved the variety of food here at a reasonable price. And all the fruits were sweet and fresh. Mac & cheese, baked salmon, and fried fish was good + the sweet tea. And I went with a group of kids and they loved the assortments of foods also the desserts. The staff is very polite. read more

Delicious, hot, and cheap!!!!!!! Food is always fresh... but be careful not to pile your plate too high!!! It'll cost you! Love the mac and cheese and fried chicken. read more

I have not been here in quite a few years. No one I know talks about it. When O went, I found the act of purchasing food by the pound to be distasteful. I thought the macaroni and cheese was a little dry ( but I make delicious macaroni and cheese). The yams were pretty good and the oxtails were okay. I tried a variety of foods but I never returned even though the workers were nice people. The fact that Manna's has several locations in Harlem is amazing to me. read more

My husband and I happened to be in the neighborhood, when I saw a sign that said $9.99 steamed seafood special I was ON it! You have to go all the way to the back of the store near the restrooms to order this. I wish I had of taken a pic, but it was served in one of those aluminum circular to-go bowls. Full of freshly steamed broccoli and potatoes, 1 small piece of salmon, 8-10 mussels, 1 large clam and about 5 medium sized shell-on shrimp. There were more of the mussels in my plate then anything else, but Im sure the amounts vary depending on who is preparing it. It was seasoned with old bay and butter, but I put more old bay on mine as the water from the steam diluted tbe flavor a lot. So all this to say, TRY THE STEAMED SEAFOOD PLATTER! Quality' portion & price are all on point with this item. read more

It was a treat to bump into this place for lunch after a very long walk. A lot of choices for cold and hot items. We would try it again. The fruit choices and avocado were noticeably good. I mixed some mango with the banana pudding and that was very tasty. Thumbs up to the yams. read more

I usually go to Jacobs when I'm craving some food for the soul but since I was near this Manna's on 8th av I decided to give it a try and I have to say it's the best soul food in harlem! even better then the other Manna's on 125th. The fried chicken was so great u neeed to try it, it's crispy and delicious I wish I had picked up some more pieces as soon as it was gone. I think the fried chicken was the best part of my meal. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because the Mac and cheese looked a little... off. it was watery at the bottom, had waay to much cheese, and looked like it had been sitting there all day getting picked at by people who would probably decribe it as "a little... off" Being that I'm a big fan of Mac n cheese that was a little disappointing, however, their fried chicken was so good I completely forgot about the macaroni and cheese.. instead substituted it with their tuna macaroni salad and was equally satisfied. I also had jerk chicken, vegetable fried rice, corn bread, honey ham, and black eyes peas, each prepared to perfection overall the food was great and I will definitely be going back for some more of that fried chicken!! read more

I gave this location a try. Unfortunately it doesn't hold a candle to the location on 126th street. The selection is definitely not there and the quality is not the same as well. Will keep going to 126 street. read more

Looking for a big variety of great Soul Food? Head over to Manna's restaurant for their hot/cold food buffet. I was simply spoiled for choice, being a greedy piggy, I wanted to eat EVERYTHING and I meant it ... haha but to avoid embarrassing myself ... hee hee ... I only picked up a few items of mac & cheese, collard green, okra aka ladies finger + corn in tomato sauce, oxtail, swordfish and southern fried chicken, they were really yummy ... BURP! Thumbs up for the service staff, they were all smiles and friendly which is so cool! I luv Harlem! read more

Manna's - Soul Food Near Me - New York, New York

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Needed a quick bite while walking by. Found decent cafeteria style soul food @$5.50 a pound. Probably 20 hot & 20 cold options. Opted for some jerk chicken (tasty - not enough heat & a bit too saucy-but tasy) some platanos (yum) and done salad. Nothing was bad nothing blew me away. All in all a happy 6 dollar lunch read more

This is where I go when I need some soul food in Harlem. Everything at the buffet is fresh & tastes good & Im always happy & full when I leave (although I gotta do some extra time in the gym the next day for all that food I ate lol). Great candied yams, amazing Red Velvet cake. Different chickens (fried, jerk, baked) mac & cheese heavenly. Definently a classic establishment in the heart of Harlem. read more

There is an awesome selection of healthy and comfort foods. The kitchen does some serious work to put out the quantity and quality you will see here every day. There is a large selection of salads, meats, potatoes, yams, vegetables. I have high regards for this place. read more

The food is very bland. I was really surprised because its a soul food spot. Crab cakes have fake seafood in them. Mac & cheese is more like egg & cheese with no flavor. Green beans weren't seasoned. The list goes on. No thanks. read more

This is my second review of Manna's. I had a taste for some steamed seafood so I got on the A train from Brooklyn to go to Manna's. It was well worth the trip. The "boil" was delicious and the price was right. The cook securely wrapped everything up and when I got home an hour later, all I had to do was pop it in the microwave for a minute and I was good to go. Love the food! read more

I ate at this location some time ago. I was pregnant with my oldest at the time. I ended up throwing back up everything that I had eaten there. I do not know if it was due to my pregnancy or the food. What I do know is that every time I pass by this store or any of their other locations, I get a queasy feeling in my stomach. It cannot be good that the food seems to sit out all day. Diners beware. read more

They must of got a new chef. The quality of food was poor! I've been here before and the food was very good but recently the food has not been on point at all. I got fried fish (DRY) , fried and jerk chicken ! That too was very dry , the rice and peas had a hair in it and was had way too much thyme in it. I spend 30+ dollars and very turned off by the quality of the food! I would not advise anyone to waste their time coming to this place because this establishment is not the same. read more

I'm not really big on buffets as I do not usually eat my money's worth, so I was pleased to see that you only pay for what you actually eat. Why don't all buffets do this? Everything I got was very good. The crab cakes were my favorite, though. The oxtail was tasty and huge! The bean salad was tangy and refreshing, and all the veggies were cooked to a tender-crispness that is the perfect texture, in my opinion. My only complaint is that some of the vegetables were so big that I had to bite and pull off pieces to be able to eat it and I only had a plastic fork, so there was no cutting them down to bite size. Other than that, it was a tasty, family-friendly spot conveniently located in Harlem. read more

Everything is fresh! The staff is nice! And there is so much variety! it is pricey for a buffet, but it's worth it!

I was in the 125st area with my gf getting her hair done when Yelp app alerted me on Manna's Restaurant and to try it out.. it was lunch time and I was kinda hungry so I read up on the reviews, decided to go check it out. At first glance the food looked so fresh and inviting, the smell was unreal... So for the reason for me not giving this place five stars is because your food is weighted out so you pay by the lbs.. which is almost 8 bucks a lb, so if ur one of those ppl who go to buffet style restaurants and pack your plate u will be having a heartattack when you go to pay.. other then that the food was on point very taste and gave the feel of home cooking food.. I definitely would come back here if I'm in the area again, (with more money to spend) lol.. give this place a try just remember it can get expensive on you real quick... read more

Not much from the outside but clean inside. Hits: ham, fried chicken, deviled eggs, collard greens, green beans. Misses: banana pudding and ribs. Good value for the money. Will return! read more

My grandmas are Chinese so I am not going to compare the mac and cheese here to my grandma's dumplings. Tried a little bit of everything. It's hard to be too critical on buffets just because sometimes you can catch the food right when it comes out and other times it's been sitting there for a while... and it can make a pretty big difference on how things taste. But I can say most things I tasted were pretty good, maybe a bit on the salty side. read more

Cute buffet style restaurant! Lots of options and all delicious. Great spot for soul food

I have no idea why this place has 4 stars overall... Was it the chandelier that sold you? No? Then what the hell are you thinking? Walking in here with 4 stars in my head I thought it was going to be some bad ass buffet with honest to god good food for cheap... nope. I've got nothing against this place, it doesn't really try to be anything but itself. Just cheap and pretty edible food where convenience is number one. But don't kid yourself if you think you're getting anything other than full here. Think of your average B- chinese food buffet but with soul food. read more

A bit on the pricey side for pretty bland food . I always have high expectations for Mac and cheese, especially at a soul food joint and boy was I disappointed . The fried whiting was alright, the corn was the most flavorful thing on my plate as well as the honey chicken wings . Will I be back ? Not likely . read more

I love soul food, I grew up eating soul food and I eat it rather often at home and with my family so when I eat soul food at a restaurant can be rather critical. I believe Manna's does not have the right to call their food soul food. It's soooooo bland. There is nothing special about anything they make. Even the fried chicken is tasteless! The prices are ridiculous and ALL the food here I can make better on my own. The only thing that I like from here is the chicken noodle soup (without the bland chicken chunks). I believe Manna's was made for people that aren't used to soul food (tourist). I'd hate for anyone to leave this place and thinking that this is what soul food is supposed to really taste like. read more

This place serves good food, but it gets boring quick. They prepare the same buffet food everyday with no variety, their salad bar is too basic and most of the cooked food looks like it's been there for days. The beverage setup does not make any sense; all of the orange juices are on one side, while the rest of the beverages are on the other and you have to ask for the Orange juice! This mannas chain in Harlem has such a lazy approach to buffet restaurant service and not to mention that it's overpriced! It seems like this mannas' only intention is to provide commercial soul food to tourists and hipsters who would eat just about anything! They even have a separate food spot in the back if you want seafood and it's not included in the Buffett! This spot needs plenty of help read more

Okay, I am not sure what happened to Manna's since the last time I was here, but the quality of the food has gone downhill...or at least it just wasn't that good on the day that I went. What bothers me is that I got better quality of food late at night on my first visit than I did at 4pm during my most recent visit. The mac n' cheese was blah. No flavor, kinda dry, just...blah. The turkey wings were...indescribable, and I mean that in a bad way. The ribs were okay, as were the greens, but the greens were definitely NOT as good as they were on my first visit. The food on the salad bar looked really fresh, but I don't go to a buffet to eat salad, especially not a soul food buffet. I won't count Manna's out entirely, but I think I will venture out to other places from here on out. read more

Had good quality food but the food taste as if it's made by staff that doesn't put any love in the soul food. Overpriced

If you ever are in or near Harlem, you must come here. This place is a mandatory stop every time I visit NYC. By the way, I LOVE Harlem...if only Oakland was like Harlem... read more

Great selection. Food is always delicious. Wish they had these everywhere not just in the city. The have fruit to fired chicken to cake and collards. Never disappoints. read more

I live in Pittsburgh, PA, I was in Harlem with my daughter last Memorial Day weekend and her friend recommend them, the food was great, can't wait to go again this Memorial Day when I am in Harlem !! read more

I was strolling on 125th street and decided to stop by. The food was okay.I was disappointed in the candied yams, and mac cheese was basic.

There are many Manna locations in Harlem but this one is the greatest and that has a lot to do with the staff. Especially Tony, the cook! If you are into soul food then this is heaven on earth for you: the jerked chicken is to die for and my boyfriends first soul food experience could've not been any better except that he wished that he had more space in his stomach to fit in more of that finger licking good chicken! The food is self serving Buffett style and then it gets weight at the register. I ate more than I should've but actually no let me say: Manna please open up a joint in Germany! We would be so grateful... Not my pants tho! read more