All I can say is WOW! Friends had highly recommended Southern Kitchen and it's absolutely worthy of 5 stars. The service was very friendly, efficient and OMG, the food was everything I hoped it would be. I actually groaned in pleasure as I took the first bite of collard greens and the catfish was outstanding. My only complaint is that it's not closer to my home in Stanwood! Oh well, I've been wanting to explore Tacoma! read more

If you're looking for a breakfast spot in Tacoma that serves up some good home cooking, then head over to Southern Kitchen at the corner of 6th Ave & Sprague. You can expect friendly, welcoming service, with an expansive menu featuring Southern specialties. Recommend trying the Chicken Fried Steak and eggs. So good! read more

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Always delicious and so friendly and accommodating Great choices. Best Restaurant in Washington! read more

Been a couple of years since the last visit,thankfully not a lot had changed except the cheerful paint job which greeted us on entering this warm and cosy eatery. The staff are like the paint job,cheerful,friendly and informative.Settled on a couple of fish sandwiches,catfish and butterfish.A side of smoky beans and rice hit the spot. The menu has shrunk over time which,sadly,is understandable.I never have room for the delicious looking cobblers..maybe next time.Just a wonderful place to enjoy good home cooking.The restaurant is small so big groups could be a problem. read more

The food is really good. The waitress was super bubbly and kept my drinks full!!! Their home sauce is excellent!!! read more

Southern Kitchen - Hot sauce - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Great soul food spot in Tacoma!! The sweet tea tastes like your grandmother made it and it comes in a mason jar!!! I had the catfish with greens & yams!! Its was amazing!!! I will definitely be back! read more

Southern Kitchen - Lunch/Dinner menu - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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So this place has come to be a tradition for alot of us that attend a convention in Ocean Shores every year...on the way home we stop in and eat some "comfort food" and it is all that here! I told Ben I would write this review and Kamila...the staff was amazing and we so appreciate all of you! We had a lot of ppl...close to 20-25 of ended up in here last Sunday! And they worked with us and we all got seated and ate! I had my usual...just like last year...the catfish filet with greens and yams...side of red beans...and sweet potato pie to go! But don't think for one second I didn't try the peach cobbler that one of my friends had!!! Amazing! The food is always on point and my blueberry lemonade....had to have it! We had some folks from the south that came in with us...talking smack! Not knowing that Southern Kitchen knows what they are doing! It was funny, they had to apologize...the food was great! So one more time....we left happy! I was ready to take a nap! Happy and full...my favorite place to be. Thank you guys for another wonderful memory...we will see you again next year! read more

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We ordered delivery which was fulfilled through Doordash. The serving sizes are way bigger than I anticipated! Next time I'll be going for the vegetarian entree because the sides were so good. I really enjoyed the mashed potatoes, and the candied yams and mac & cheese were both delicious too. The fried chicken was juicy and again, way more food than I anticipated. Overall I really enjoyed it - it's always a treat to find good southern food in Washington! Looking forward to trying it in-person one of these days as well. read more

Southern Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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The greens are out of the can, catfish lacked seasoning, and the chicken was dry. I wouldn't recommend the food.

The food was so good. Our waiter was great. It wasn't super busy at all so we got our food in a timely manner and sat down immediately. The only thing was we ordered the peach cobbler and for some reason he gave it to us to go and it was cold.. we didn't want it to go and so we had to throw it away... other than that it was very delicious. read more

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Came here as a family of four around 5:45, sat in a non-sunny spot, and the waitress came around real quick and got drink orders we ordered about 10 minutes later once we decided. We ordered the fried chicken sandwich, fried chicken entree, catfish strips, and bbq brisket. For the sides, we got French fries, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread stuffing, red beans and rice, Mac n cheese, and buttered corn. - Fried chicken sandwich: chicken had bones in it still which was a big turn-off. The fry of the chicken was a good and flavorful batter and was a good amount of crispiness. - Fried chicken entree: The crispiness of the fried chicken was great. - Catfish strips: Breading had a good flavor, and was cooked so it wasn't overcooked or burnt. - BBQ brisket: Had a good smoky flavor, could even see the wonderful rings it had on it. We came here when we saw the restaurant on Triple D, and have tried a multitude of other restaurants from Guy Fieri's show. They even have a few pictures from the show hanging around the restaurant and a picture with Kevin Hart when he visited. Since it was on Triple D, we were a bit disappointed with the food overall. Maybe it was just an off day, but was hoping for better. Overall it definitely gave a very homey feel, definitely a southern kitchen just from the atmosphere inside the restaurant. The waitress was great, it was only her so she was busy the entire time we were there with tables, checking out, answering the phones, and all the other stuff, so the service we got was great, but it could've been better if it wasn't as busy but that's not her fault. She did a great job making everybody feel welcome despite how hectic we knew she was running, * Only warning is that there's no air conditioning, and since they fry 99% of their food, the kitchen heat comes to the seating area but they have the windows open and a smaller swamp cooler up on the wall to help keep it cool so it wasn't too hot inside. read more

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Came here today for breakfast and was sorely disappointed. The corn cakes were inconsistent-- a few were really great and others were way too hard and burnt. The hush puppies were really hard and dry. The sausage had a strange texture, the catfish was surprisingly bland and there was grease in my coffee... to top it off the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned well in awhile. The icing on top was finding two hairs in my food at the end of my meal. Two stars bc the server was nice enough to take it off the tab, however. Won't be back read more

Southern Kitchen - Casual hair at the bottom of the plate - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This is my second, third, ummmmm, maybe 20th time visiting this restaurant. I missed #thankfulThursday, but I'm sending a shout out to this great soul food restaurant that reminds me of Chicago's south side Hood soul food. The restaurant is so charming on the inside with the multicolored table coverings and chairs. The service is so welcoming that even though I'm not regular - I feel like one. read more

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Totally worth all the RAVES!!! Best fried chicken- the CORNCAKE IS AWESOME!! And don't forget their tremendous Mac & Cheese and coleslaw!!! read more

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Let me preface with I came in on a Sunday around 2:30 and the place was busy with a steady flow of diners. I was feeling so optimistic, now let's get real. The corncake and cornbread stuffing were most definitely the best things going. My original corncake came out with my meal and it was lukewarm and was still very good. They must have forgotten about my liver in the deep fryer or whatever they fried it up. The gravy made it worth it to keep working my way through. I wish I would have taken a picture of the washed out, canned, not buttered corn, mushy rice and cold gravy. I didn't even try to hide the fact I didn't eat it. Thinking that perhaps I ordered the wrong things, I ordered the 6th Ave Platter, to go, with Cajun catfish, fried chicken, collards and cornbread stuffing. Hmmm...the catfish was broken up into more like nuggets instead of strips, they were ok, lukewarm. The wing was cold and dry, the thigh was hot and moist, and the greens. The greens tasted like Glory Greens out of the can with some onions thrown in, same juice and everything. No amount of hot sauce or pickled pepper sauce was going to make them taste good or like anything other than Glory Greens. Maybe they ran out of they normally fix, but this was my first time there and I have nothing to compare them with. I don't know if I would have come on another day and when they first open, perhaps I'll have a different result. Not sure if I'll give them another try. The servers checked on the other diners profusely, and didn't inquire once about my meal. I think they knew they didn't serve me the best version of what the Southern Kitchen is supposed to be about. read more

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I'm glad they brought back the Cornbread Dressing. I miss the bacon but not that much, liver and onions is smaller portions than years past but still my go to. They have a $6.95 breakfast that was $5.95 12 years ago on weekdays, so still leave full and satisfied. Great staff, have been coming here for 30 years, a few days a week when at Tacoma NarrowS for work. read more

Giving my last visit 5 stars not because of the food, but because of the exemplary customer service I witnessed by one of the staffers under extreme pressure. With orders backed up, customers complaining, and an overwhelmed kitchen staff, the manager handled himself so impressively I had to compliment him and make sure I posted this review. He was friendly, calm, understanding, and kept great morale with the staff. I was very impressed and his level of class and patience kept everything together. All food service workers, especially managers could take pointers from him on this. This alone will keep us returning. He was the young African American man. read more

first off the food was amazing. Everything was unique and had its own savory flavors. The best fried chicken in Tacoma in my opinion, it was extremely crunchy and juicy. The fish was fantastic on its own but somehow even with their tartar sauce. The collard greens were the most surprising due to the fact that not many people can get em right but they were damn near perfect here. It's a beautiful place with a beautiful atmosphere and a rich history. The dude running the front and waiting my table was very hospitable and didn't bug but also didn't let me go without a check up every now and then. It's an amazing spot and definitely worth it. read more

Great staff, professionally working together, diverse crowd, the best food you'll eat if your not eating it with your own families and it was a spiritual approach seeing the matriarchs and patriarchs coming from church. read more

I was tired of restaurant chain food since I've been in town. Grab my phone. Of course, I was puuuuuuuulled over and in a safe spot. "Yelp. 'Soul food", 'ratings'z 'Distance'. 25 minute away'" we were greeted with good music, vibrant colors, and smiles. Seen fellow Philly native , Lev Henry on the wall. Service was quick and food delicious. Not bland and not over seasoned. The tea was great also. Definately a must if you're in town. read more

We came here after a trip to Point Defiance as this place came highly recommended. Walking in, they were busy and much smaller than I anticipated. However we were seated and greeted very quickly. Our waitress, was very pleasant. Very friendly and great customer service just not always 100% attentive. The food was good but left me feeling mediocre about our experience. The chicken wings were hot and fresh and so was the fish. The quality of food was excellent. But the chicken wings and fish just needed a little extra seasoning for our liking. The sides were a-okay. Nothing that would make you slap your momma or anything but they will definitely satisfy any cravings you have for traditional southern food. The fried green tomatoes, hot and fresh as well. But we ended up not even finishing them. After one or two, you just didn't want to go back and reach for more. Now my son loved his pancakes and his Mac and cheese was definitely cheesy - just a little soft and under salted. But living on the Eastside of Seattle, I definitely wouldn't go out of my way. But if you're in the area and got a hankering for some traditional southern food, then why not?! read more

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My husband and I ordered thru Uber Eats. I had liver and onions, he had chicken fried steak. They were both delicious. Best breakfast we have had in long time. When I was younger would eat there. The food is still wonderful. Thank you read more

Amazing experience all around, especially in these recent times where the restaurant experience is just not worthwhile. Outstanding and friendly service from the first second and they anticipated my need for an extra water without me asking. My Cajun fried catfish was delicious and collards and beans and rice sides were super tasty. I will be hitting this place every time I visit Tacoma. My wife was super jealous to have missed out. read more

Based on only one and first time visit: The service was very friendly and welcoming. We dined in a charming space with tables and chairs and a counter. We intentionally over ordered, and the leftovers were just as good as the first meal. We ordered the half fried chicken and received a breast, wing, leg, and thigh. It was hot, and it was good. I don't mean to oversimplify, but I just suggest ordering whatever main entrée really appeals to you as opposed to choosing something else because a reviewer did. Also, it's because I think the sides are really the stars here. In particular, I loved the jalapeno hush puppies, the collard greens, and the candied yams. If you like it, ask for the vinegar and the hot sauce. I liked the peach cobbler. read more

I liked this breakfast! We lucked out on Sunday before noon and didn't have a wait but the food took 40 min to come out which sounds like it's normal for Sunday. I had the blackberry lemonade which was really good and a huge size too. I had the egg and sausage breakfast with a biscuit. It was tasty, the biscuit was pretty thick. I'd come back k again and try dinner sometime. read more

Southern Kitchen - Blackberry Lemonade - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Just moved here and had to hit this spot first chance i had. Not mad about it, food came out good. Hits close to home.

If, like me, you don't associate Tacoma with good southern cooking, you might want to take a second look at Southern Kitchen. From the outside, it may not look like much-sharing a building with an auto mechanic shop, but this is the real deal. Parking can be challenging, but there is a paid lot nearby. Once you step inside, you might as well be family. Everyone is greeted warmly and welcomed by the staff. We took a few minutes looking over the menu and then placed our order. While we waited for our food, we looked around and learned that this place had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Huh. Cool. We were given some corn bread while we waited. At first, I wondered why we were given pancakes (silly girl), until I bit into it and realized that I was tasting some of the best corn bread I'd ever encountered. Shortly after, we had fried chicken, fish, mashed potatoes, collared greens and mac & cheese all in front of us. It was a smorgasbord of deliciousness. Although we couldn't eat everything, we knew we had to also try the peach cobbler. Woah! It was also ridiculously good. We took home several containers to enjoy our leftovers later. read more

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Honestly, this place was better than expected. It looks a little beat down and small, but the food is pretty decent. My omelet was good, but the food vegetables were chopped SUPER large! I personally had to dump a lot of salt on my hashbrowns before I could eat them. My friend loved her food but wished the lemonade wasn't as sweet as it was (didn't have any sour flavor). The waitress was very kind and gave us lots of extra lemons. It's definitely a good place to try if you're in the area. read more

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The 4 of us had this on our list of places to try..... Great customer service here, interesting decor, clean and well kept.... Careful though that front door doesn't close on its own...a a windy cold afternoon that's caused some shivering. The food? Really not to our liking. We tried the 6th Ave platter with a variety of sides and a couple appetizers. Hush puppies- needed butter and honey perhaps otherwise very very dry and dense. Collard greens- some great seasoning, but very bitter Fried green tomatoes- lacked seasonings and taste...never had this before so maybe that's correct? Catfish- some pieces had a slimy/mushy texture which was off putting. A flavorless fish it seems Mac and cheese- def homemade, but clearly microwaved in the serving bowl and wasn't a fan. Mashed potatoes and gravy tasted great. Fried chicken moist on the inside, crispy on the outside...but disappointed it didn't seem to be seasoned. Sweet potato Pie was a large piece and delish! Peach cobbler....huge serving, needed more cinnamon or nutmeg, the "cobbler" crust made me think it was made of salt less saltines...I'd avoid this. Perhaps we just aren't "southern food" people or an off day for the restaurant, but I just can't recommend read more

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We were greeted as soon as we walked in the door. The servers were so nice, polite, and genuinely friendly. We had never been there before (a coworker recommended them), but we were made to feel like old friends coming back for a visit. Ok, the food...delicious! We ordered the catfish and the fried chicken plates. Having moved here from Kentucky, that is our comfort food...and they couldn't have made it any better. The side items and deserts...yum! The portions were quite generous. Go hungry! Worth the visit! We are already planned to go back. read more

So "Southern Kitchen" in a little part of Tacoma that's just in between a place I've driven by forever, on the way to so many places...I feel like my wife said it best. "I FEEL LIKE I'VE MISSED OUT ON SO MANY GREAT MEALS BY NOT FINDING THIS SOONER!!" Really, that's just it. Remember when you come... slow down, there is nothing super fast about good Southern food. You have stepped foot in someone's back kitchen, I'd say, just in between southern Louisiana and Mississippi with all sorts of happy in between. You had me at spicy or regular vinegar... uh, both, please Ben, you have a great team you work with from back to front. Thank you all for a little taste of something really special with a glimmer of true soul. Looking forward to Banana pudding down the road, but that butterscotch bread pudding was wow read more

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We came here on Saturday and it was busy! It's not that big of a place, so we waited a good while. It seemed like there was only one server, but saw two other people working front of house. I wasn't really sure what they were doing, maybe to go orders? I think the one server could've used at least 1 other person and the busser could've moved with more urgency. My husband got the cat fish, which I think was the best thing in all the dishes we ordered, I would come back and order this. The mac and cheese and collard greens were good too. But the hush puppy was horrible and not cooked all the way, the inside was still cold. The corn cakes were good too though. I got the chicken fried steak which was okay. And the home fries were okay as well. I'd didn't realize there would be onions all over everything either. I don't think I'd come back and order this again, but highly suggest the catfish. read more

Southern Kitchen - Catfish Fillet Dinner - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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I've been wanting to come here for years! I live in Seattle so I don't always get down this way. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint!! I'm originally from Georgia, and it can be hard to find good soul food around here. I have tried a few places here and there, but this was the best by far. Everything was great and we got a lot. Fried chicken was amazing. The skin/crust was great but the meat had good seasoning too. The fried green tomatoes were perfect, no big clumps of breading falling off. The mac-n-cheese was soo tasty, so was the red beans and rice and the mashers and gravy... Damn, that gravy was good. The corn cakes and hush puppies rocked too. The seasoning was on point on just about everything, and the addition of their hot sauce made it even better. I got a blackberry limonade and my guy got a sweet tea. That lemonade was unlike anything I've had. It had lots of fruit and it was delicious. I was impressed. I've had good southern cooking and I'm a Chef myself... This place is legit! I'll definitely be back. Plus they were all so awesome and the atmosphere just had a great vibe. I also ordered Peach Cobbler to go because, DUH! It's amazing and the portion is huge. Very happy I made it here and I'll definitely be back for more! read more

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Let's just say I don't know which is sweeter, the service or that sweet tea!!!! Our waitress was too kind and thoughtful! The place smelled amazing just entering!!! It has such a welcoming, home like atmosphere inside. I feel like I'm at my grandma or mama's house already and the food is gonna please my soul! We sat down and my fiancé couldn't figure what he wanted by I already knew, I got the fried chicken with the mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese! It came with a corn cake. I am at home now regretting not getting a pack of corn cakes to go. They were sooo yummy! It's like cornbread as a pancake! Mmm! We got the sweet tea and it reminded me of Texas. Just felt like being home again, it was freakin like 40-50 degrees outside but I felt Summer in my heart! The food was delicious! This is where you go and you're like, "that food hits the spot!" If my tummy was a target that food hit the bullseye! That sweet tea was just the cherry on top! Oh and my fiancé got the beef brisket with extra onions and devoured it! This means he loved it too! We will definitely return! read more

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Great atmosphere, old skool Mom and pops feel. Positive vibes and great people that wrk there and serve. The food was cooked well but was under seasoned. Everything was presented well . It just was lacking flavor on the fried chicken and catfish and beans and rice and very disappointed in the collar greens. Y'all put some salt and pepper n that food then u definitely can get a 5star. I can't do bland. Thanks again for the great service . read more

I have to say I came here cause my daughter bought me to eat here. I saw it on food channel and it is good really good Southern food. The fried green tomatoes are amazing. Everything is very good. The gravy potatoes outstanding the service is wonderful. They kept coming around asking if everything is OK how did it taste if I needed more refill I mean, they were the best. The restaurant is a little small but it's cozy. The music is wonderful. Brought back a lot of memories where they had it on R&B music oh, and all you have to come here you won't be disappointed. I wasn't and I will go back again whenever I'm in Tacoma, and sorry I didn't take no pictures because it was too good. I was not gonna stop eating to take a picture but I will next time oh and by the way, I am not a tea person that much but they tea is good. read more

Came to this place in Tacoma while put in Washington for work, this place was highly recommended. I should have know better after pulling up the yelp reviews and seeing it was not 4 stars. Had the half chicken fried, candid yams, and red beans and rice. Where do I start. Chicken was not seasoned anywhere, a lady and her husband also from TX confirmed what I thought. Yams were yams and not candid, beans and rice were like eating veggies in a product that was not cooked down or sautéed. Very disappointing. read more

I ordered two pieces of fried chicken with cornbread dressing and macaroni and cheese as my sides. It came with a corn cake, which was delicious, and I got mango lemonade to drink. The mango lemonade was bland and not sweet enough and topped with whipped cream. It was a bizarre concoction that was by far the worst mango lemonade I've ever had. I seriously couldn't drink it. I gave it back at the counter and asked for water instead and they didn't charge me for the mango lemonade, which I appreciated. My friend liked their blackberry lemonade, though, which was a similar concoction. I liked that you could pick whichever two pieces of chicken you wanted, but the breading was bland. My friend's BBQ beef brisket was incredible. The sides were great, but it took so long for our order to come that we decided to scrap our plans that we came to Tacoma for. We just went to Tacoma Mall instead. No air conditioning with the door propped open and flies, plus prices a little higher than we expected. read more

Southern Kitchen - Fried chicken with macaroni and cheese and cornbread dressing and gravy - Southern Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Darn good food and a great staff. Had the fried chicken dinner with beans/rice and yamms. All very good.

If you are in the mood for some good home cooking - Southern Kitchen will not disappoint. I decided to try the fried chicken with collared greens and mashed potatoes and gravy. It's tasted just like homemade and I was very happy with my meal. The chicken was juicy inside and crispy outside with great flavor. The mashed potatoes were a little chunky which I personally like with delicious gravy. The restaurant is smaller and they were packed as well as managing a lot number of takeouts. The staff were friendly and working hard to make sure everyone was taken care of. read more