when I say, the service was amazing. the food was good and I left full. it's not that big , so be…read morepatient, but the food is worth the wait.

Love. If I can use…read moreone word to describe my experience at Soul Secret, that's it. Love Amore Besotted Take great people (Melinda was our server and the chef came out to check on us...more about Melinda later)... Combine it with great food and great ambiance, and you get this restaurant! The first thing that you notice when you walk in is that it feels like home. Some restaurants focus heavily on decor and leave a lot to be desired in terms of ambiance, the people, and the food. And in other restaurants, you walk in and feel as if you can stay there forever. This is one of those places. We stayed there for a while. Imagine being in Grandmom's living room with pictures on the wall and positive music playing in the background. That's Soul Secrets. The menu is big enough to make sure that everyone can find something to eat, but not so big that you will struggle to make a decision. From fried catfish and grits to French toast to salmon croquettes and the largest pancake on Earth, there is something for everyone. My niece ordered the French toast, and my sister ordered a special breakfast that came with a pancake, grits, eggs, potatoes, and sausage. I was still hungry from last night's meal, (and you can read about it in another review) so I just nibbled off of my sister's meal. The French toast came out first, and I could tell immediately that the chef knew what she was doing. The rest of the food came out, and again, they brought the largest pancake I've ever seen. My sister was treating us today, and I was glad that the menu prices were very reasonable. My niece said that the French toast was delicious, and she ate as much as she could. She has a dance performance tonight and made sure that she didn't put her show at risk. It was difficult for her because the food was so good, but she managed and took a box home to eat it later. Yes. My sister nibbled on everything else and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the grits and some of the pancake, and I have to say that it was very difficult for me to stop eating because it tasted so good. The pancake was perfectly cooked and fluffy with crispy bits on the edge. The grits were creamy and flavorful, even without cheese. The coffee was great. I had several cups. All in all, it was arguably better than any breakfast I've had at any restaurant that serves it. Now let's get back to Melinda. So often, the dining experience can be directly related to the person that greets you when you take a seat. Thank goodness we were greeted by Melinda. She has one of those energies and personalities that makes you feel as if she has been in your family for years. Funny and friendly, but at the same time, dedicated to making sure that you have a good experience. Again, I felt like I was at someone's home rather than in a restaurant. She called me a "troublemaker," which means that somehow she was seeing the 20-year-old version of me instead of the person that I am today. lol So here's the summary. If you are in Cincinnati and you want a great meal, there are many restaurants to choose from. It appears to be a pretty decent restaurant town. But if you want to FEEL Cincinnati, while feeling right at home and having one of the best meals ever- Soul Secrets is one for the ages.

This is a soul food restaurant on another level. The customer service, ambience, and food is top…read morenotch. You must try this hidden gem.

This place is GREAT!…read more Food was hot and cooked to order. Sides were off the chain. Service was good and efficient. Sorry about not including a picture. The food was too good to wait

Omg this place is so freaking good. Quality ingredients. I was beyond impressed. The Mac was…read moreamazing. The fries with gravy and cheese is your hangover cure. Wings are SOLID! Great quality meat and cooked well done. Tenders are actually real chicken. Well done can't wait to order again

Where to start?…read more... Came here for dinner expecting a lovely sit-down restaurant and was sorely disappointed. Imagine getting all dolled up to dine at the newest soul food restaurant in town then realizing you stepped into a souped-up chicken/fish spot. I gave it 3 stars simply for the food as the experience was a solid one. Upon arrival, there was no greeting and so we just found a table. A small group of folks were sitting at the tables near the front door waiting for their takeout. Honestly, that's what this place should be. A takeout joint with tables for those who want to eat their food there. Can you imagine ordering food to dine in and being presented with a set of takeout, cheaply-made plastic cutlery? Yep, that's what we were offered. I had to ask an employee walking by if they had "real" cutlery and he went to the back to grab us a set. The owner was working but unlike a fine dining establishment, did not come over to greet us, the only dine-in customers. That would have went a long way had she done that. The sad part is the food was actually pretty good (tasty yams, mac/cheese, fried whiting, and peach cobbler). However, the cabbage was under-seasoned. Take my advice and order your food to go until the training, customer service, and adequate staffing is present. You won't be disappointed if you do that.

This was such a phenomenal event for the city and business owners! Lots of food choices and…read moreplentiful servings. I enjoyed trying many restaurants that I've never had before and hope to try again. Favorites were No Pork On My Fork, Sugar, Sweet Petit (get the ice cream sandwich!) and Just Jerk. Hopefully next year it can get even more space and thanks to Jay Rodg for bringing such a fantastic event to the city! Can't wait until next year!

Hamilton County employees had a good selection of food trucks this month. This was by far the most…read moreappealing and I was very happy with my food. I hope they continue the food truck and I'm excited to see their main location!

This was a very popular food truck at the Taste of Cincinnati. I loved the efficient system they…read morehad set-up: a vendor was sitting to the side of the truck, taking orders and payment. He gave me a number and the food came out fairly quickly, though there were 6 numbers ahead of me. I ordered the shrimp and grits, and it was fresh and delicious, with just enough spice to the shrimp. Several weeks later, I found them at the Food Truck Rally in Union Township. I again order the shrimp and grits, and this time the portion was larger, with more ingredients. (I'm assuming that their regular dish was "downsized" for the Taste of Cincinnati). To me, the little extras -- I remember Jalapeno butter as being one --- turned a good dish into an extraordinary one.

This spot is legit. My family and I were visiting the Cincinnati area for the first time and came…read moreacross Pendleton Lucius Q as a good BBQ spot recommended by DDD. It was so good the first time, we hit it again this afternoon. Cool, relaxed feel inside, great service and great food. Jameela served us on both visits and she was awesome. Everything we tried was good, but my favorite was the Pendleton Porker and the banana pudding for dessert. If we're ever back in town, Lucius Q is on the top of our list!

I usually love a casual counter-service meal, but the hostile and condescending staff at Lucius Q…read morein Pendleton completely ruined my visit. The disrespect started the second we walked up to the counter to place our order. When we asked a simple question about the daily specials, the employee at the register scoffed, rolled their eyes, and patronizingly told us, "The sign is right in front of your face." We were stunned by the immediate attitude. Every basic interaction after that asking for extra napkins, checking on a missing side of five-cheese mac was met with palpable annoyance, as if our presence was a massive inconvenience to their shift. To top it off, when we politely pointed out that we were given the wrong sides with our sandwich combo, the worker argued with us rather than fixing it. Food is only half the experience, and no amount of smoked brisket or pulled pork can make up for being treated like garbage. Save your money and go somewhere else in Cincinnati that values basic customer service.

Located in College Hill with in street parking and a neighborhood parking lot across the street…read more This place is an oldie but a goodie. We usually get salmon croquet and whiting dinners. I love their Mac and cheese. No sit down eating inside but there is a place to wait for your food. Staff are always friendly when placing and picking up orders.

Any time I've ordered from Rasheedahs I've been happy. Great job consistently kicking out awesome…read moresoul food. Must visit!

Full disclosure, if you're looking for fancy or fast, this is not the place for you…read more Catherine and her adult children run this wonderful little dive in Lockland. The food was fresh and tasted fantastic. The prices are reasonable and portions are big. Put away your pretense and visit Catherine's. Check the hours, as they have unusual open times.

Found a hidden gem while passing thru on Mothers Day. We were overwhelmed with the amazing…read morehospitality of Catherine and her family. The food was all home cooked, fresh, and hot. The Cod is cooked fresh on ordering. If you like southern home cooked soul food it's a treat. The three of us sampled the cod, fries, meatloaf, smashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, cornbread, collard greens (wow), sweet potatoes, and pound cake. Everything was wonderful!! Don't expect to leave without a hug and feeling like family. Please stop by and give these folks a try!!. There's a sweet beautiful spirit there and you're bound to be blessed and have to loosen the belt straps when you leave..because both your belly and heart will be full. We will for sure be back.

Well Mz Jade been poppin up on my timeline and I decided to go see what's happenin'! I ordered the…read moresmothered pork chops with rice and collards with a piece of corn bread and I absolutely loved it!!! The service from the young lady was on point and pleasant. I even said loudly that I needed to lay eyes on Mz Jade and she came out and spoke with me for a tick and was very pleased that I came to show her support! I was so happy that the food wasn't salty ! The only thing I will change next time is the amount of gravy .... And that's on me! I forgot to ask/mention anything about the gravy! I will definitely be back!!

The soul food here was FIRE! My food came out within 10 minutes and I thought that was great. It…read morewas a good chill vibe through out the restaurant. The only thing I wish is there to be more seating. There was only 1 large table that seated 8 people and a couple tables outside. Maybe this place is mainly for to-go orders?

From out of town and looking for somewhere to eat and we were SO happy to come across The Eagle…read more The server was real nice and said "I don't say this just because I work here, but this chicken is REAL good". And he was SO RIGHT! They make their chicken different and it shows! There was amazing flavor in all of our food. Chicken, fries, Mac & cheese, and the spicy honey on the side?? The spicy chicken dip was insane also! Amazing portions on everything we ordered as well. We were stuffed and still had leftovers. I see it's a chain & I wish there was one by me!

First time visiting Cincinnati -- came here to The Eagle OTR as Pepp & Dolores nearby was full,…read morewith a waitlist. Found free street parking nearby, thankfully. I ordered immediately as I was late at 9 PM for dinner. I got the three piece dark with sides of Mac and cheese which came with biscuit, and green beans. Everything tasty enough, and the fried chicken was juicy and honestly fine without the honey. The spicy honey which was in a glass ramekin, was pretty good. As oft said, "I put that sh*t on everything -- so I tried it with the Mac and cheese and it was noticeably better. All in all, pretty good experience here and will rate it 3.5/5 overall.