The food came out hot and fresh. It was worth the drive! Being a foodie, such as myself, I love trying new restaurants. This one is a gem that I will definitely keep in the back pocket when traveling in the area. I would only make one suggestion; make sure the customer service matches the product. I would have given a 5++. Service wasn't terrible, but the food was so amazing I was expecting a little more from the service team. read more

I really wanted to love Soul Secrets--not just because it's Black-owned and woman-owned, but because it has so much potential. The space is inviting, parking is conveniently located next door, and they take reservations, which is always a plus. Their pricing is reasonable, and the portions are generous, making it a spot that should be an easy go-to for comfort food. However, my experiences have been inconsistent. I've had one great meal here, but every other visit has fallen short. I'm not sure if it's due to different cooks or recipe changes, but the flavors just don't always hit. Most recently, I ordered wings--usually a safe bet--but they arrived undercooked and cold, which was really disappointing. While they've definitely made their mark in OTR, I'm not sure I'll be back anytime soon. That said, I'd still encourage others to give it a try--you might catch them on a great day! No picture cause I had to send the food back , and it was taken off the bill which I appreciate. read more

Everything I had was delicious and full of flavor. Had enough for dinner and lunch the next day. Service was fast and there wasn't a wait at all. read more

Soul Secrets - 3 piece with Mac and cheese and sweet potatos - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Here to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. The food came out quick and fresh. My catfish was seasoned to perfection, and the sweet potatoes were savory. I also appreciated the location in the OTR neighborhood. Another plus, this is a black woman owned restaurant and I just love that for the culture. They didn't have the collard green gumbos when I went so I was slightly discouraged but the food was delish. read more

Soul Secrets - Catfish dinner with collard greens & Mac and cheese and a honey muffin. Fried Catfish Fried Catfish - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The ambiance is nice, the service was good. Our server was able to answer questions about the menu. I was disappointed to learn they only serve greens pn the weekend. However, my catfish was delicious! read more

Thanks for taking care of our party of 10 Saturday night Service and food were great 10/10 read more

Stopped in while visiting Cincy! We had reservations for 1p for 6 and I suggest you make reservations if you are wanting to stay within your preferred time for an afternoon. The food is AMAZING! We had the fried chicken, catfish, Mac and cheese, greens, jambalaya and sweet potatoes. The portals are plentiful! The last pic is the 3rd meal me and my husband had for later of our left overs!! MAKE YOIR WAY THERE!! The owner was there as well and graced us with a pic. Really great experience . read more

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I was visiting family for the weekend and wanted soul food. I looked up Soul Secrets and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Firstly, they no longer have a bar if you're interested in a cocktail. They still have drinks on their menu though. We were immediately told they were out of the gumbo and roasted chicken. I ordered a white meat chicken dinner but the customer next to me had a catfish dinner that looked excellent and made me wish I ordered the fish. My son ordered the hot chicken sandwich. Our sides were macaroni and cheese and greens. When I received my chicken platter, I advised there must be a mistake because I was looking for a breast and the piece of chicken was so small and looked more like a chicken back. When I complained to my server, she wasn't surprised and explained that this is the chicken they got from the recent truck delivery and others have also complained but they have to serve it. In any case, don't think it would have mattered since the chicken was too salty and overcooked. It was very dry. Also the greens were too heavy on the vinegar. The macaroni was okay. On a good note, my son said the chicken sandwich was plentiful and pretty good. The servers did hear me telling the customer next to me how dissatisfied I was but they didn't seem to care. They appeared to be college-aged and disinterested. I wouldn't recommend the place if you really want some down home food as I'm sure there has to better soul food in Cincy. read more

I visited Soul Secrets in downtown Cincinnati after attending a flag football tournament. Our group was large (around 20+ people), so before heading over we attempted to call the restaurant to see if they could accommodate us. No one answered the phone. When we arrived around 3:30-3:45 PM, we explained to the staff that we had a large group and asked if they were able to seat us. The staff discussed it among themselves for a while and eventually told us they could accommodate us, though we would need to sit at separate tables. That was completely fine with us. We were just grateful they said they could handle the group. I was seated in the back of the restaurant with five others from our party. We ordered drinks and placed our food orders shortly after sitting down. Our food finally arrived around 4:40 PM. About ten minutes into eating, a waitress came to our table and informed us that a large party with a 5:00 PM reservation was arriving and that we would need to pack up our food and leave because there was no room for us to sit. We were completely stunned. Imagine being served your food, barely starting your meal, and then being told you have to stop eating and leave the restaurant. The waitress walked away and returned with takeout containers and bags, clearly expecting us to box up meals we had barely touched. At this point it was about 4:53 PM, and we reluctantly began packing up our food. As we were doing that, a woman who appeared to be the manager came over and suddenly said we could stay because the reservation party would be smaller than expected. By that point the damage was done. The experience had already gone from awkward to deeply frustrating. What made it worse was that no apology was offered, no acknowledgment of the inconvenience, and certainly no attempt to make the situation right. When we finished paying and were leaving, we stopped at another table from our group to explain what had just happened. The manager rushed over and began offering explanations, insisting she didn't know that we had been told to pack up our food and leave. The entire exchange felt defensive and dismissive rather than customer-focused. To add insult to injury, she then turned to the staff and said they should never have seated us in the first place because we didn't have a reservation. If that was the case, the correct and professional thing to do would have been simple: tell us from the beginning that they could not accommodate a large group without a reservation. We would have respected that and gone elsewhere. Instead, they welcomed us in, took our orders, served us food, and then attempted to remove us from the restaurant while we were actively eating. That sends a very clear message: our money was welcome, but our presence was not. Between the chaotic service, the lack of accountability from management, and food that was overpriced and mediocre, the entire experience was incredibly disappointing. This was one of the most unprofessional dining experiences I've had. I will never return, and I cannot recommend this establishment to anyone expecting professionalism, hospitality, or basic respect as a paying customer. If I could give 0 starts that's what it would be. They don't deserve any stars or customers. read more

Soul Secrets - Packing up our meals 10 minutes after being served because we were told to leave for a reserved party. - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Very personable. The owner went over and beyond to ensure my dad's birthday was nice. Her staff was very polite and attentive. I truly appreciate the exceptional service. The food was delicious. I tried the salmon Croquettes, greens Mac and cheese and sweet tea. read more

we were impressed with the tasty food here. my so is very picky and loved everything on his plates. I had no complaints other than the fact that it was so noisy and a little cramped in the restaurant I couldn't wait to get out of there read more

The service was amazing but the food reminded me of my childhood... my mother would be love this place. I can't wait to dine here again! Love the space! read more

Food was delicious. The restaurant was clean and the service was good. I would recommend if you want good soul food.

Food , service and the environment was amazing!! The owners concept of her business is a beautiful way to have a legacy for her family. Loved the place, I would visit again read more

Our first ever eating southern food and Soul Secrets did not disappoint!! Every item was delicious! Such great quality ingredients and a clean and soulful atmosphere! The service was so friendly and inviting. We 100% recommend Soul Secrets!! Worth every penny! read more

Soul Secrets - Catfish, Sweet Potatoes, Mac & Cheese, Corn bread and Sweet Tea. - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I called ahead to inquire if they had peach cobbler for the evening. I couldn't get a person on the phone, but their automated system repeats that they do not accept phone orders and everything must be done online. I was able to make my way into the restaurant, it was pretty empty at 8pm with one large party in the back room and 2 other parties + myself. The servers were very nice and accommodating. Once I sat down one of the servers told me there was no chicken or meatloaf for the night. 2 other parties dining also wanted chicken. After a little back and forth between the server and kitchen staff, the chef agreed to drop fried chicken. They had chicken available the entire time, they just didn't want to fry it because it would take a while to fry. I waited a little over 20 minutes for the chicken, and everything came out piping hot. Their fried chicken was juicy, flavor wasn't overpowering, and it was cooked all the way through. The greens were pretty good-- I can't tell if they're canned or fresh, mac was cheesy. The portions on the sides are pretty hearty, so I left full. Overall, Soul Secrets feels family owned, the staff is kind, but I was a bit turned off by the service of the chef not wanting to fry chicken and the phone calls being ignored. I wish them the best of luck in their business. read more

Soul Secrets - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Stopped by here solo on a Sunday afternoon for a late lunch. There was a ~15 or so minute wait. I was sat at the bar with a few other solo diners. Our server was really nice, and tried to strike convo with us while we waited for food. Huge portions, I thought the 3pc chicken would be smaller. Everything was good, though the chicken could have been a bit juicer/flavorful. Pro tip: you can join the waitlist here on Yelp before arriving. read more

Soul Secrets - 3 Piece Fried Chicken White Meat with sweet potatoes & mac/cheese - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The food was excellent. Great service and atmosphere. 10 out 10. I will definitely be back again. Catfish is recommended, peach cobbler and the fried chicken!! read more

I stopped into this gem for the first time, and it did not disappoint. First, Miss Ahmaya gave superb customer service. She welcomed me in, provided great insight into the menu, and helped me keep my tight timeline. The food was DELICIOUS and the sweet tea was perfect. Everything well seasoned but not salty. The tea was a just right level of sweet. It was a perfect Segway to the rest of my evening. The vibe was casual chic. Great for date night or a kickback with my girls. I will be back. read more

Everything on my plate was the best of those things I've ever eaten. Service was great and our waitress was very helpful. Beautiful inside with spacious seating and even when busy, it's easy to talk at the table. It was a great experience. read more

Soul Secrets - Fried Chicken Dark Meat with jambalaya and colored greens. - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Thank you so much for bringing that delicious food into this world for others to experience. We could tell that heart and soul was put into your culinary craftsmanship. We give many thanks to Dallas and Candace for showing what true hospitality and caring for customers looks like! read more

I been craving soul food for a while. When I say they delivered they did they thang. It was so perfectly seasoned no salt needed . read more

Soul Secrets - I been craving soul food for a while ...when I say they delivered they did they thang !!! - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I love having this great option for soul food right in OTR! We walked right in on a Friday night to an empty dining room that quickly filled up with hungry diners. My husband and I ordered the catfish platter and added on three pieces of chicken. There was more than enough food for two. Our server recommended chicken and catfish as the top dishes. so we were glad to try them both. I liked the chicken best while my husband preferred the catfish, but you won't go wrong with either. The seasoning on the chicken was perfection, but it was a little dried out. The mac and cheese and greens rounded out the meal nicely. It didn't quite rise to the level of homemade for me, but it was an enjoyable meal and I will definitely be returning. read more

Soul Secrets - 2 Piece Fried Catfish - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Food excellent, customer service excellent. Ambiance nice relaxing. Stop by you won't regret going there. You will leave there very satisfied! read more

Soul Secrets - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The food was absolutely delicious! We had a party of 8 people and we had everything from the catfish, fried chicken greens, macaroni, and cheese. Everything was good! read more

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My first visit to Soul Secrets and I must say it's a great place! The service, food and atmosphere is great. The staff is very personable and friendly! read more

Soul Secrets - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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This isn't the first time we've been here. I was excited to come back. The fish and chicken are seasoned well. Cornbread is always good and I enjoyed my sides. The service was fast even though we came at a busy time. Food was hot and the sweet tea was on point. They play good music inside and I enjoyed my time! Unfortunately, there's no alcohol on the menu at this time. Maybe it'll change but we were told the bar was closed when we came. read more

Soul Secrets - 3 piece whiting, macaroni n cheese, potato salad, cornbread - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Visited OTR last night (Sat) and tried this restaurant for the 1st time. We walked in at about 7pm, was immediately greeted and seated. Although the restaurant is small w/limited seating, it was busy with guests. Small view of Vine Street and people walking/driving by. Bar offered TV; music playing at conducive level for all to hear. Loved the family portraits on the wall. Rum Punch was my drink of choice, highly recommended. Ordered the 2 piece catfish with vegetarian sweet potatoes and vegetarian mac n cheese. OMG was the mac n cheese delicious!! Fried chicken was very tasty and on my list to try next time we dine here. They ran out of a few staple menu items but offered apologies upon ordering. Black owned small business doing what they do best...serving up delicious food! Must try if you're in the area. read more

Soul Secrets has exceeded my expectations. I came all the way from Chicago to try this place. The food was amazing. Service was on point. Very polite and accommodating. The ambiance is warm southern style. You could smell h southern smell of home from the parking lot. read more

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Love their food and atmosphere the staff is always so nice. The shrimp and grits chef's kiss!

Got carry out here for my birthday dinner (and wasn't asked for my ID despite that being part of their pick up order rules) and I didn't get around to eating until a few hours later so the food got nuked (sharing in the spirit of transparency). The greens tasted like absolutely nothing to me, I was genuinely almost confused at first as I thought it was me, my mother says they're sweet to her but either way they were a total disappointment. I was most excited about the hoppin John but that was just ok, not something I'd order again but I did at least finish eating it. The pièce de résistance was the three piece dark fried chicken. It was excellent, truly 10/10 no notes, didn't even need fried chicken. I'd give this place another try just because of that. Their website sucks though so look at the pictures of the menu before ordering online if you can as it wasn't clear what sides had dairy and which didn't. read more

This is the definition of soul food! The servings are big. We had catfish plate with green beans and sweet potatoes. And chicken with mac n cheese and collard greens. Everything was absolutely delish. We also tried the sweet tea and lemonade, both very good! The service was welcoming and quick! I will definitely be back!!! read more

Our waitress was extremely nice and attentive. I asked her for some of her favorites so I got the meatloaf, green beans, and mac and cheese. Everything tasted amazing. It truly felt like an intimate experience because the chef came out and asked how everything was. The food was nostalgic to me and it felt like home. read more

Soul Secrets - Meatloaf, Fried Chicken White Meat, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, Cornbread, French Fries. - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Stopped in while visiting Dayton for the weekend. This was some of the best soul food I've had. My mom and I split the catfish dinner with four of the sides - sweet potatoes, greens, hoppin Johns and mac and cheese and everything was absolutely delicious. The fish was well seasoned and the batter was so good and didn't fall of the fish before it hit your mouth. The sweet potatoes were divine. The Mac and cheese was super thick and yet creamy...REAL CHEESE! I would fly back into Cincinnati just to get another meal. read more

In from Nashville,TN visiting Cincinnati on vacation in Aug.2025. We annually come for the Music Festival, but have never been able to visit Soul Secrest. It was totally worth it the food was fantastic!! Had catfish w/2 sides & a friend had 3-piece white w/ mac& cheese we shared the sides soooo good! read more

Soul Secrets - Catfish, collards, yams & mac&cheese, corn muffin. - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This will be my 2nd review of Soul Secrets, only because I felt the need to point out an issue. In full transparency, my first review in Nov. '24 was a 5 Star review. With that being stated, I placed a scheduled online order in advance of the restaurant opening, and I noticed that the platters that allowed you to pick (2) sides, did not include Collard Greens. Mind you, I have had the collards before and they were really good, so i wanted a side of collards with both platters that I was ordering. Since I was not able to order the greens I selected something else, since they specifically state that you can only place an order online and not via phone. When I arrived to pick up my order, the first thing I did was mentioned the Collard Green issue and the woman working at the register stated that I could not order the greens because they would remove them from being ordered online when they run out. I told her that I placed my order as a 'scheduled order' prior to them opening, so that could not be the case. I mentioned to her that I also checked the previous (2) mornings with the same results. Now, to get the greens that I really wanted, I had to spend an extra $15 for the (2) extra sides instead of having what I wanted to begin with. Once my greens came out to add with the rest of my order that was already available for pick up (which caused me to not only pay an extra $15, but lengthened my time waiting by about 10 minutes), the woman spoke to the owner, which I witnessed from a distance and stated that the owner said she was going to add them back to the online order platform right away. One hour after picking up my order, they still were not on there to be able to order. All of this was on top of having an automatically added 20% Gratuity to my carryout order, prior to the option of me adding a gratuity if I so choose. It was itemized on my emailed receipt as "Large Party/Auto Gratuity (20%)." Not wanting to be over critical, but these issues that I am pointing out definitely had an affect on my overall experience and the question that was raised from within, would I return just because the food was good? Answer is yet to be determined. read more

OMG. This place was worth the wait! I'd been trying to get here for two years, and it was just as I imagined. We were lucky and had no trouble getting seated. Our servers were amazing. I felt right at home. The drinks were good, but the food was just phenomenal. I had the hot chicken sandwich and loved the seasoning. My husband had the fried whiting with two sides, and it was so much food. Apparently, it was really good because he ate it all! It was perfect for our date night. read more

Soul Secrets - Maya's Hot Chicken Sandwich - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Absolutely a great experience. Catfish was excellent. Fried chicken delicious. We tried several sides and enjoyed everything. The server was great and we met the owner. She told us all the food was based off her grandmother's recipes. read more

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Yes, amazing dinner and I plan to come back as soon as possible! My friend and I have been wanting to visit for so long and finally made it for an early dinner. I visited soul secrets when they worked out of Findlay Kitchen and was ecstatic when they opened their brick and mortar. We ordered the fried catfish and fried chicken, with various sides (mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and Mac and cheese). The fried entrees were perfectly done, and I really enjoyed both potato sides and the collard greens! The Mac and cheese is good, and I think I wanted a little more cheesiness to it. Service was great and friendly. See you again soon soul secrets! read more

Soul Secrets - Catfish with sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes - Southern Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The best soul food in Cincinnati without question. Get there early because the food be selling out quickly especially the dessert.