There’s something magical about soul food that connects us to our roots and brings back cherished memories of family gatherings. Throughout Ohio, several restaurants have mastered the art of authentic soul food cooking, creating dishes that taste just like grandma used to make.
These kitchens aren’t just serving meals; they’re dishing up nostalgia on every plate, with recipes passed down through generations and flavors that transport you back to Sunday dinners at home.
1. J. Alexander’s in Cincinnati: Elevated Takes on Soulful Dishes
Nestled in the heart of Cincinnati’s Rookwood Exchange, J. Alexander’s reimagines soul food classics with an upscale twist that still honors traditional flavors. Their buttermilk fried chicken comes paired with a bourbon-maple glaze that locals swear tastes exactly like their grandmothers’ secret recipe, only with a modern refinement.
Founded in 1991, this establishment has become a celebration destination for Cincinnati families marking special occasions. The restaurant’s warm wood interior and soft lighting create an atmosphere where memories are made while enjoying dishes like shrimp and grits elevated with smoked gouda and bacon.
Chef Marcus Williams, a Cincinnati native, incorporates local ingredients whenever possible, including produce from Ohio Valley farms. The restaurant’s famous peach cobbler changes seasonally but maintains that perfect balance of sweetness and spice that transports diners straight back to childhood summer evenings on the porch.
2. Angie’s Soul Café in Cleveland: Decades of Comfort Classics
Walking into Angie’s feels like entering your favorite aunt’s kitchen during a family reunion. The aroma of slow-cooked meats and freshly baked cornbread hits you before you even reach your table. Locals have been flocking here since 1991 for their legendary mac and cheese that achieves that perfect balance of creamy and crispy.
Owner Angie Johnson learned her craft from her grandmother, who cooked for a Baptist church in Mississippi before bringing those recipes north. Her fried chicken remains undefeated in local polls, with a secret spice blend that customers have tried unsuccessfully to recreate for years.
The walls display black-and-white photos showing Cleveland’s history, while servers know regulars by name. What truly sets Angie’s apart is their commitment to traditional methods – nothing frozen, nothing rushed, everything made with the patience good soul food demands.
3. Soul 2 Go Café in Columbus: Homestyle Cooking With a Modern Twist
Family recipes meet contemporary convenience at Soul 2 Go, where third-generation cook Marlene Taylor serves up heritage dishes with practical packaging for busy Columbus families. Her grandmother’s secret recipe for collard greens, simmered with smoked turkey wings instead of traditional ham hocks, draws customers from across the city.
The modest storefront in Columbus’s Near East Side opened in 2015 but quickly became a neighborhood institution. Marlene’s innovation was recognizing that modern families still crave traditional flavors but need flexibility in how they enjoy them.
The restaurant’s signature dish, sweet potato casserole topped with brown sugar and pecans, tastes identical to what you’d find at a family reunion. Regular customers often share stories about how these meals have become part of their own family traditions, creating new memories while honoring old ones. Their hot water cornbread, made from Marlene’s great-grandmother’s recipe, sells out daily by 2 PM.
4. CJ’s Soul Food in Lewis Center: Family Recipes Served Fresh Daily
Hidden in a small strip mall in Lewis Center, CJ’s Soul Food looks unassuming until you spot the line of customers stretching out the door every Sunday afternoon. Owner Charles Jenkins opened this gem in 2008 after spending 30 years cooking only for family gatherings, where his food became legendary throughout Delaware County.
The cramped dining room features just eight tables, often shared by strangers who become friends over plates of smothered pork chops and candied yams that taste like they came straight from a family cookbook. Charles’s daughter Tanya works the register while his grandson Marcus learns the recipes that have been in their family for generations.
What makes CJ’s special isn’t fancy presentation or innovative techniques but absolute authenticity. Their black-eyed peas and rice have converted countless non-believers, and the banana pudding recipe comes directly from Charles’s mother, who ran a boarding house kitchen in Alabama during the 1940s. Every meal ends with a tiny cup of sweet tea, compliments of the house.
5. Zanzibar Soul Fusion in Cleveland: Soulful Dishes With a Contemporary Edge
Musical notes from smooth jazz float through Zanzibar’s stylish dining room, where traditional soul food meets Caribbean and African influences. Since opening in 2008, this Shaker Square establishment has redefined what soul food can be without losing touch with its roots.
Owner Hassan Rodgers grew up watching his Mississippi-born grandmother cook but later traveled extensively through the Caribbean and West Africa. The menu reflects this journey with dishes like jerk-spiced catfish and West African peanut stew alongside perfect renditions of classics like oxtails and rice.
The restaurant’s signature cocktails incorporate Southern ingredients like peach and blackberry, paired perfectly with their famous seafood gumbo that locals claim tastes exactly like what their New Orleans relatives make.
What truly distinguishes Zanzibar is how it honors tradition while embracing innovation, creating a space where multiple generations of Cleveland families celebrate special occasions. Their Sunday jazz brunch has become a cherished ritual for many Cleveland professionals who bring their parents when they visit.
6. Soul Secrets in Cincinnati: Homestyle Plates Rooted in Tradition
Soul Secrets in Cincinnati offers a homestyle dining experience built around traditional Southern flavors. The restaurant focuses on scratch-made meals, with dishes like gumbo, fried catfish, smothered pork chops, and collard greens prepared in classic style. Recipes are rooted in family traditions, and the menu highlights hearty, comforting plates that feel like Sunday dinner.
The atmosphere is casual and welcoming, with a focus on community as much as food. Guests often note the generous portions, balanced with a presentation that makes each plate stand out. Regular specials keep the menu fresh while staying true to soul food staples such as mac and cheese, cornbread, and fried chicken.
What makes Soul Secrets distinctive is its mix of consistency and care. The owners emphasize authentic preparation, keeping the seasoning and techniques close to their Southern roots. Combined with attentive service, it has built a reputation as a go-to spot for soul food in Cincinnati that remains both reliable and vibrant.
7. Mz. Jade’s SoulFood in Sharonville: Beloved Plates With Southern Flavor
Yellow curtains frame the windows of this cheerful corner spot where Jade Williams has been recreating her South Carolina grandmother’s recipes since 2014. The bright blue door welcomes customers into a space that feels more like a family dining room than a restaurant, complete with mismatched chairs and tables covered in floral oilcloth.
Regulars know to arrive early for Jade’s famous salmon croquettes and grits, which routinely sell out by noon. The walls feature handwritten family recipes framed alongside photos of four generations of Williams family cooks.
Jade learned these dishes standing on a stool beside her grandmother’s stove in Charleston. What distinguishes Mz. Jade’s is its absolute commitment to traditional methods. Nothing is measured with cups or spoons but rather by eye and feel, just as Jade’s grandmother taught her.
The restaurant’s signature dessert, a buttermilk pie with lemon zest, comes from a recipe so guarded that Jade makes it herself after hours with the kitchen doors locked. Customers swear it tastes exactly like what their grandmothers made during holidays in the South.
8. Ella Mae’s Soulfood in Beachwood: A Neighborhood Spot With Big Flavor
From the moment you step through the door at Ella Mae’s, the scent of smoked turkey wings and freshly baked cornbread makes you feel instantly at home. Tucked into a quiet Beachwood shopping center since 2005, this family-owned spot has become the unofficial gathering place for Sunday after-church crowds seeking authentic flavors.
Founders Richard and Tammy Washington named the restaurant after Richard’s grandmother, whose black-and-white portrait watches over the dining room from behind the counter. Their smothered chicken with rice gravy remains unchanged from Ella Mae’s original recipe, perfected during her years cooking for a prominent Cleveland family in the 1950s. What makes this place special is its consistency and warmth.
The Washingtons know most customers by name and often remember their usual orders. Their macaroni and cheese, baked in massive pans with a perfect crust on top, has been the centerpiece of countless local family celebrations. Regulars particularly treasure the restaurant’s sweet potato cheesecake, available only during fall and winter months, made from a recipe Tammy refined over twenty years.
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