Food was expensive and overpriced. The staff was cleaning the restaurant floor around us, ( sweeping and mopping the floor....) The restaurant was not due to close for another hour and a half. The food was good. read more

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It's the "HistoriONICS" of it all! "The suffix "-onics" isn't a standard English suffix but often appears as a blend or extension of "-ic" (meaning "pertaining to") with an "n" interfix, forming terms related to systems, sciences, or specific fields like electronics, bionics, tectonics, or iconics, essentially meaning "the study/field of" or "relating to" specific concepts, often in plural or technical contexts." My mother and I have been passing by this place for years while going to our local Target to retrieve meds from the CVS inside. It's always a "We got to try them!" With a severe decrease of Soul Food spots in LBC, when we find one we are thankful. Thankful that we're still alive, sane, able to find the food that represents US. Erasure is real but we know we're a people that keep multiplying. Whether it's out of being too stubborn to give up or the enjoyment of pissing people off, we can't be stopped. You will wait. We walked in and a beautiful seasoned lady, someone's momma, auntie, and/or nana was quietly looking on her cell phone and then looked up at us and greeted us with such a beautiful smile! I was immediately made whole as the love in her smile put the grief I walk around with daily for my own nana, grandmother, and Godmother went null and void, filling me up with a rush of all their love pour over me. We're all family and if you're open, still, and quiet you'll see all of us in each other. Were look at the menu and the selection of food was wide and I wanted everything! But mindful of my pocketbook and the moderate prices, we chose the greats! Chicken wing dings, additional sides of yams, green beans, a slice of chocolate cake and lemon cake. Because more memories continued to flood my mind we chose some "mini dinners" as well. The ambiance was of those after church days and ya mom decides "let's eat here" and as soon as you see the mural of the spread of Soul Food on the wall you immediately ecstatically answer "OHH YES!" Mother said chose the oxtail dinner with greens and I got the smother pork chop plate with mac and cheese. I of course have my mother the "you know we sharing, right?" She reluctantly agreed and we giggled. At the time we were the only customers so waiting was alright with us because NOTHING GOOD COMES QUICK. That is thing about GOOD soul food. You will wait and you should WANT to wait. The love, passion, and blessings pour into the handling the food to HEAL you is not meant to be RUSHED. Having everything you want right now is NOT what you NEED. And the Mama, Auntie, and/or Nana already knows this about you, and gots exactly what you need for your soul. When our food was so securely wrapped for the drive home and given to us, the family member who brought it to us apologized for the wait but we emphatically said "Not a problem at all!" We knew it was going to be good and didn't want the impression of impatience leaving a disgruntled stench in the air. We were blessed by the experience and couldn't WAIT to get home and be healed. That's exactly what happened. The good healed my soul and my mother's soul was healed too. All the memories, stories of missing family members, and road trips, and church jokes, and grannies cussing, and the deep-dive into the "Histrionics" of it all rained down on us and we we're GOOD. The evening, sleeping that night, and waking up this morning feeling so blessed has made me whole and I am thankful for US. The food was so good I would consider "slapping my mama" but I've made it 45 years on this earth without truly losing my mind. But the thought is fleeting and still wouldn't be sufficient enough reaction to how good the service, storefront modesty, and delicious joy the food gave me. I'm a big FAN! FOR REAL. Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk. read more

The food was excellent real Mac Cheese the short ribs that was cooked falling off the bone not that box stuff I purchased last Sunday at RJ in Downey the short ribs tough to eat. read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Dinner plate wrap well - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Worst food ever! This is not Soul, this is Salt with Cracked Pepper everywhere! For this kind of money and this type of food, we were expecting something delicious. Turkey wings turned out to be a turkey leg very dry smothered pork chops smothered in salt and cracked pepper. Yes and dry. Also everything was dry and awful. We won't be back here ever. read more

Went here after church with family and church members and the service was outstanding I had the short ribs dinner plate with yams and orka and tomatoes. The short ribs were fall off the bone tender, the yams and orka and tomatoes were good. My husband had the catfish and he really enjoyed it. We were a party of 14 and everyone really enjoyed their food . They were very attentive the place was very clean even the restroom was spotless. I would definitely recommend this place and return to try other things on the menu. read more

Food is amazing, like everything!! Staff is very pleasant. The food took me Back to my childhood. Trust me this place is worth it. read more

First timer, may I say the food is excellent I had short ribs my hubby had smothered chicken. There's a nice variety of sides to choice from. 5 out 5 worth every penny. Also environment is clean, workers friendly we had a great service. read more

I'm originally from South Carolina and I've been on the HUNT for some good soul food for yearsssss out here. Renaissance is it!! I ordered oxtail, max& cheese and dressing. Bustinnnnnn. I have finally found my spot ! read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

Food is excellent. While I favor the meatloaf or fried chicken dinner, my family raves about the short ribs. The sides are outstanding AND they give so much food. Well worth the trip. Also, the guys make it feel like home. read more

Nothing can stop, Soul Food Renaissance! This hidden gem is located on the corner of Artesia and Cherry off the 91 freeway. It's a small yet charming establishment full of kindness, love and great food. This isn't your traditional place, this is like visiting your Big Mama and feeling at home. You seat yourself and there is only one menu that hangs on the wall. I decided to visit on a Sunday at 2:30pm with my sister and it wasn't packed at all. However, that didn't stop people from ordering ahead and coming in to pick up. This place stays cooking, and after tasting the food...I see why. The restaurant is clean, organized and welcoming. The staff is very friendly, kind and generous. Be advised, the menu has so many amazing combos and options which makes it hard to decide. Also, Sundays are dinner portions only, so don't come looking for lunchtime specials. After staring at the menu for 10min or more I finally decided to get the fried chicken dinner with Mac and cheese and fries as my side. My sister ordered the turkey chops with cabbage and yams as her side. My fried chicken was heaven sent. The crunch, the flavor and juiciness of the chicken had me dancing in my seat. You also get rice and gravy and the gravy had me going crazy(in a good way) I legit wanted to ask for a side of gravy just to dip my chicken in. Be aware, the gravy can be addictive. The macaroni and cheese were creamy, seasoned, and baked with love. My sis loved her turkey chops and her sides as well. This is a place where you know from One meal, that everything they cook is A1. If you're missing your grandmas cooking or need food for the soul, stop by Soul Food Renaissance for a taste that makes you whole. read more

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Ordered oxtails rice gravy and yams. Food poisoning. Sick for two days. Will not be back.

The smothered pork chop was probably my favorite in terms of flavor, but everything else was delicious as well. The pork chop and fried chicken are savory, the collard greens are salty, macaroni cheesey, the rice with gravy has a mild spicy heat and the cornbread is sweet - so the combination of it all works well together because of the variety of flavors. The staff working there were also friendly and nice. The main reason the review got 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is a little pricey for the portion of food, the parking lot is also small and there wasn't air conditioning. They did, however, have a large fan blowing and provided us a pitcher of ice water... which helped out alot. There is plenty of seating in the restaurant, but I would imagine people probably take food to-go partially due to those reasons. If you are extra hungry, I might recommend maybe going for the hungry man portions. Our mini dinners, however, were sufficiently filling without any leftovers. read more

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We were craving soul food and damn..... jackpot!!!!!! Got the fish plate, oxtail plate, chicken plate, and banana pudding...... ewww weeeee Most definitely will be back !!! read more

The lady was asked to lightly season the fish. It was too heavy on the seasoning. The greens didn't taste good. The mac & cheese was so so sweet potatoes tasted like candied yams was not happy with meal only thing I enjoyed was cornbread muffin read more

This place is good! I had the oxtails, my friend had brisket, and both were excellent! Rice and gravy come with everything, and they still allow you to choose two sides. The service was great, and the peach cobbler was even better!!! read more

this place is goooooood! especially the oxtails! i completely recommend soul food renaissance.

I knew by my first bite i'd be a returning customer the food was fresh & seasoned just right the service was pleasant family vibe the ambience was relaxed great soft music playing clean environment the parking lot has multiple businesses however i didn't have trouble with parking . read more

I wish Yelp will start having an option for 1/2 stars! This place was recommended my my MIL to my husband for us to try. So we indulged. When I searched Yelp, I see it has 3 1/2 stars, so that was a concern for me; but I stayed open. We ordered 3 meals: Smothered Turkey Chops, Shrimp, Beef Links. Our sides included greens, yams, string beans; plus the peach cobbler. My husband enjoyed his Turkey chops, rice n gravy/string beans. My son said he links were "aiight" not sure why he was given potato salad (he doesn't like it); but the gravy spilled on to the potato salad, he ate the greens. I had shrimp w/yams/greens. The shrimp was decent, I liked that it was 12 pieces. Unfortunately, I really didn't eat anything else. I wasn't a fan of the yams. They weren't nasty; but something was off. The greens were way too leafy and maybe needed to be cut up more. My husband said the lady was really nice and since they were almost out of the peach cobbler, she gave him a larger portion from what he ordered. My biggest issue was the packaging of the food. I would recommend putting the sides in a small container. As I said the gravy ran over in the potato salad. My yams ran over into my greens. The shrimp was on top of foil that sat on top of the sides...it was odd. It was in the evening so idk if this is the norm or if they ran out of containers. The cornbread was wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, so much so the cornbread tastes like the plastic wrap... It's located next to a gas station so you have to pay attention and he recommended going through the gas station. I would probably return b/c my husband really enjoyed his. It's not horrible as som of the reviews said; but definitely mid level soul food. read more

I had the oxtail dinner tonight with mac and cheese and some glory greens very disappointed

This food is so delicious every single time I go. They make the best dressing ever. The food is always fresh and served with a smile. Very well seasoned and made with SOUL. read more

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Good soul food the smothered turkey wings with greens and dressing large portion and I'm a big back

I mean, pic says it all! I had smothered chicken and rice with Mac n cheese and collard greens! First timer and they did not disappoint!! Had lunch with family and friends and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The kool aid and sweet tea are really good! Not watery and it tastes like I remember it from childhood. The lady in the front is really sweet! We came on a Friday afternoon and found parking, and plenty of tables to sit at. I love that they didn't fill up our cups with ice read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Sweet tea and kool aid - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

Ordered on Door Dash and I received the wrong order for my food. I ordered 5 pieces of sole fillet with green beans and Mac and cheese. I also ordered a side tartar sauce with German chocolate cake. They gave me yams and 2 pieces of fried chicken with gravy and rice. I didn't pay for that. The German chocolate cake was basically a Bundt cake with white frosting on it. That's not a German chocolate cake. They sent me no tartar sauce. I'm sad to say that I won't be ordering food from this place again. I'm sorry but I threw the food away. read more

This restaraunt was recommended to me by a church member. I must say i was pleased. The food was hot and flavorful. It was enough to share with the family when i got home. Their prices are reasonable for the amount of food you receive. Both times i have entered this restaraunt i have been greeted with a smile. The inside of the restaurant is always clean . I will be back again read more

Over Priced and Over Cooked! I paid $50 for Oxtails and a slice of Sweet potato pie. The Oxtails were indistinguishable and had no flavor. I've been eating Oxtails all my life, and what they served me was NOT Oxtails. It was more like Oxtail gravy on top of rice. The Oxtails had to have been simmering in water for at least two days. Some places show you your food before you leave, but they securely wrap it up and send you on your way. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say they wrap it like that for sanitary deliveries. I haven't had any of their other overpriced dishes, so maybe they can redeem themselves with those. Next time I crave Oxtails, I will not be going there! Anyone who gives a good review on their Oxtails is someone who has never had REAL Oxtails, homemade or Jamaican, in their life! read more

Went in with my family on 7/26/24 and let me tell you the food is so Damn good! So good you'll wanna smack your Mama, your Daddy and your baldheaded, Granny. Order chicken ,Mac n cheese, French fries , Ox tail, fried catfish n shrimp, rice chili beans, green beans and corn bread. I'll tell you what Bobby Hill if you don't bring your ass here at least once in your life , you'll die with never Experiencing the true joy of life . We went up to the counter and was greeted by a friendly cashier sweetheart truly. Above and beyond service. You'll have to be a lil patient because food is freshly made and worth the wait. Can't wait till I return... I dream about the food since I ate it . Only thing is no AC other then that place was very clean. P.s if your a cheap ass and don't want to pay for Quality food keep your ass at home Teeee Heee ;) read more

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Oh, this place was very good. I must go back soon. The food was excellent. The service was wonderful. The vibe was really chilled and laid-back. The food was oh my gosh once again so good I will read more

I ordered a Turkey wing dinner and I have this big, dry drumstick!! I thought a wing was a wing? How is it a turkey wing dinner with no wings?? The. I called at 1pm and was told 20 minutes. I show up at 1:25 and my order was not even placed. Why did I leave at 2:12pm? Meanwhile people were coming in ordering and getting their food before me and the orders were larger! They weren't call in orders either. They didn't offer NOTHING for my inconvenience and long wait not even water. So I finally said something playfully and I was offered grape koolaid basically. Ok. Good to know I'm not valued as a Customer. The collars greens were way too salty and whoever cleaned them did not do a good job... smh This used to be THE SPOT. read more

We were craving some barbecue and wanted to support black-owned businesses. Lucky for us this popped up. Here was our experience on a Sunday afternoon. AMBIANCE: Parking: Plaza parking with limited parking - 10 cars about. Seating: There is seating but with COVID-19 there are restrictions (maybe about 20 people). As of right now, Feels: Not your touristy side of LB just a good spot close to a freeway and gas station. The spot itself is an intimate spot with good R&B music. Seems like a good hidden gem but the food seems like a lowkey spot to feed your family or go on a food adventure. FOOD: Beef Rib Tips (Recommend) Yesss. Juicy, sweet, and flavorful. You know what it is. Red Bean and Rice (Recommend) Yum. The beans give it some flavor and a mix of texture. Fried Chicken (Recommend) Delicious! A reasonable crunch and some good spice to make it flavorful from the skin to the white meat. Catfish (Recommend) Small yet flavorful bites. It has a good crunch and cooked well, not to dry! Add some hot sauce and tarter sauce and you're good to go! Mac & Cheese (Recommend) Excellent! This passes the test of not being too watery. It's creamy, rich, savory, and cheesy. Potato Salad (Recommend) Great! Nothing too special but it gets the job done. A cold and comforting taste to help simmer down the sweet and spice. Cornbread (Recommend) Solid. Good steady and dry savory flavor to neutralize tastes while being fulfilling. Be sure to add your butter, sugar, or honey. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Excellent. I appreciate their hustle as they were trying to accommodate everyone. TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5 Stars. I dig it. It's not your fast food bbq spot. A local flavor at a reasonable price and great selections. For a taste of Long Beach, look no further! This is your spot. TIPS: * Order online and be patient on the wait read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Wooooo! - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

We really wanted to like this place. My family and I with some friends stopped here after arriving in L.A. for a bit of a vacation. We came here looking for some real soul food as we've had some of the best in the nation. Unfortunately, it was not. The fried shrimp, Mac n cheese, rice and gravy, and even the fries all had one taste over it all- black pepper. EVERYTHING tasted of black pepper. There was no full bodied flavor and there wasn't anything really harkening back to the south or soul food. Just a disappointment. Especially considering the service was impeccable. The ladies working the place were so kind and so giving. The restaurant was also super clean. Just wish the food matched the impeccable service. read more

I can't believe that these people are taking people's money for this!! This is the worst soul food place I have ever seen in my life. I will never ever return. I just got this food Sunday December 3rd 2023 and I ordered it through doordash. Doordash is not the problem it's the people in these restaurants just give you any f****** thing cuz you are ordering online. read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Oxtails, rice & gravy with yams - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

The quality for the quantity and price Lost me. The food is highly over priced and and skimpy .. there are no rice under the oxtails they give you one corner portion of rice .. skimpy and over priced sides .. 7$ for a microscopic size small is a rip off .. it was almost a 100$ for 2 ppl for a taste of experience. Taste of the oxtails is Okay but far from real soul food I'm used too. Mac & cheese don't require pepper but somehow they pepper Mac n cheese I believe a customer should have the option to add pepper too they're Mac n cheese .. u can see the size of Mac n cheese in the picture I uploaded below and tell me if 7$ is right. I could went to hibachi grill cheese cake factory and tipped the chef for less then what I paid and got here.. I feel ripped off that's unbelievable... only thing I'm satisfied in is there customer service. For all that money spent I asked for ice water to go they gave me dr office water cups no lid wit 3 ice cubes Money spent.. this place is ripping people off.. but I guess they price has a lot to deal with keeping poor riff rafs out .. will not be returning. Not to mention they gave to pill size corn muffins that was priced 90 cents each... read more

Soul Food Renaissance - 7$ Side order Mac n cheese this isn't a cup used for sides.this is a cup for condiments and sauces. - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

My god in my life I have not ate better quality soul food. Everything was perfect along with the pleasant and swift service. Only thing wrong with this place is that they run out of the catfish to early lol but I suppose it must that great read more

I started this Yelp account for the sole purpose of giving this place 5 Stars. (No pun intended.) This place needs to get more attention. I have not eaten this good in years. The food was outstanding, the service was great, the workers were super nice. This is one of those places where you can tell someone's Grandma is making all of the food, and you can taste the care that went into it. It's a shame there weren't more people in there, I would love to watch these guys succeed and grow their business. read more

The food delicious . This was the first time ordering soul food from here and very impressed with the quality, quantity, ambience, great staff. I know my spouse was hard to pleased asking all types of questions .. smh! But she did very well and was very calm natured with his strong natured self. Thank you..I recommend read more

DELICIOUS! I lived in New Orleans for a year and have been trying to find soul food that compares and this is IT I got fried shrimp, Mac & cheese, and sweet yams. All insanely good. Food took 20 minutes. So worth it. The staff was very kind. Definitely coming back!! read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Yams - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Stumbled upon this place on the way to wing stop, decided to try them out.. DEFINITELY A BETTER CHOICE Good customer service, extensive menu, quick service. What I like is they secured my food in saran wrap, very considerate because nothing leaked in the bag, very well thought out. I got a hot link lunch (spicy link; delicious) with green bean, Mac, rice & beans. Large portions, didn't finish all in one sitting. The mac has great flavor, not overly cheesy which I like. It came w/ rice & gravy.. gravy had an interesting flavor, unique wasn't my favorite but my parents liked it. Green beans ARE GOOD, seasoned well, great texture! I got 2 slices of lemon pound cake (haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it's a winner) will eat again, definitely recommend read more

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HI, Everyone my daughter had soul food Renaissance cater their food for My granddaughter who was turning 2 birthday party March 23rd 2025 and she did a christening at the same time.The owner Rita prepared a feast of food fit for a king and queen that consisted of fried chicken, oxtails, yams, macaroni salad with shrimp in it succotash, macaroni and cheese ,I made the greens and the corn muffins. soulful Renaissance showed up and showed out with this food. It was seasoned just right she gave a great price for all of this and don't let me forget about the turkey chops. Amazing!! everything was great! Thank you, Rita and crew! read more

My fiancée and I have been hunting for a decent soul food restaurant in the Long Beach/Carson area and it had gone stale after trying a few spots and being unhappy. We hadn't tried this one and we're driving in the area and said "Eh. Why not?" Parking sucks, but whatever. If the food is good, I can easily look past that. The restaurant wasn't busy so we were happy about that. There was a table blocking the door & no one had immediately greeted us so we waited before an older woman told us to move the table and come in. The table seemed pointless. We ordered one oxtail plate and a short rib plate and waited about 15 minutes. The service was good and they were busy with phone orders and had plenty of tickets. That's a good sign to me. The food was absolutely delicious. The oxtails and short ribs were lightly trimmed like I like it. The stuffing was really good and the gravy set it off perfectly. Macaroni and cheese is normally bland at all of these restaurants, but I wasn't totally unimpressed with theirs like I am with others. The peach cobbler was delicious. We will be returning to try other menu items. read more

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I live in Orange County and when I am craving soul food but I don't feel like cooking, I can usually find some good options in Long Beach. I really love the coconut cake from Soul Food Renaissance because it reminds me of the coconut cake my great-grandmother made, so I decided to order a cake for Thanksgiving. I bragged about the cake to my family and friends, so imagine my disappointment when I bit into it and it was hard and dry! $88.00 and it tasted NOTHING like the slices I have been buying from them for a while! I think they made the cake last week and froze or refrigerated it because they didn't have enough staff to make fresh cakes, but that is UNACCEPTABLE! This was a complete waste of my hard-earned money! HORRIBLE! Stale and dry! Never again! I definitely got beat over the head. I was so embarrassed because the way I bragged about their cakes. read more

Soul Food Renaissance - Soul Food Near Me - Long Beach, California

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