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Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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So, this is my first Yelp review...and can I just say YUMM??
So, I'm not an expert on southern comfort food, but this place is delicious! I've been here twice now, and loved my plates of food. The first time, I ordered the fried chicken dinner, and it was one of the best bites of fried chicken EVER! Crispy, fatty goodness on the outside, and moist tender meat on the inside. I guess the only thing that would have made the chicken any better (in my opinion), would be the use of some paprika, because I like my chicken with a kick; but to each his own. The second time I went, I ordered the chicken fried steak, while my mom ordered the whole catfish - both perfectly cooked!
The service was awesome! The waitress was really friendly and answered any of the questions my naive self had. She even brought us sides of macaroni during the middle of our meal, because they had run our earlier that day.
Totally agree with the other reviewers: strawberry lemonade is a must, and be ready to take food home.
The deduction of the one star is due to the fact that the sides seemed a little inconsistent in quality/taste. But with three side choices, you're bound to find something that you like!
Wow! The owner is sooooo nice. I mean to be honest, I felt like I was eating back in Houston or at home. The portions are HUGE, and the service is fantastic.
There is absolutely nothing fancy about this place. They use sugar, butter, grease, and just about every non healthy thing you can imagine to create truly delicious southern food. I love the catfish. It is fried golden brown and served with 3 sides and a corn pancake. They make sweet potatoes (yams) that are incredibly delicious. I seriously think that you should go find this place and try it. It's real food and huge portions.
The ONLY reason I decided to deduct 1 star is because of the dessert we had, which was peach cobbler. It was off the night we had it. The peaches were bland, as if from a can of generic peaches (c'mon, use del monte if you use a can at all, lol) and the crust was a bit off. Other than that, this is one of my favorite restaurants in the Tacoma area.
Tons of personality and great food. Those two things together in my world mean a place is pretty fantastic, and Southern Kitchen definitely has both.
It's on one of Tacoma's most-paved intersections, right across from Jason Lee. 6th, Division, and Sprague all come together right there, and the parking lot shares spots with Jiffy Lube and I think one or two other businesses. So if it's busy, you might end up circling the block--or, rather, pentagonning or triangling the block--a couple times, looking for parking.
SK itself is kind of a funky old blocky building. You walk in through a screen door, the dining room is kinda chopped up and the floor is uneven. You're not paying architect's fees or general contractor's fees here, which I personally like. The men's bathroom is so small you have go back out in the hall if you want to change your mind. It's not exactly no frills architecturally, but it's close enough to it that a frill can feel special.
The food is definitely the star here. If you've seen the place on tv, you can pretty much already make up your mind, and I can't tell you much that will augment what you learned there. I mean, you see that fried chicken, that ought to make up your mind for you right there. If you've seen that fried chicken and are still here reading, looking for independent corroboration, cut it out. Just go. Tacoma's nice again now, after all these years. You'll be glad you did.
The people here are really cool and funny, from the owners to the staff. I really felt at home, welcome and relaxed. A place that gets that mix just right--perfectly professional while still feeling informal, homey, and welcoming, is my idea of the exact right tone for a restaurant. SK does it for sure.
We went for breakfast, which was kick-ass. The hash browns were the only weak link in the chain. They clearly started their lives at SK in a plastic bag, and more's the pity. The server very subtly said something like "ummmm, mumblemumble our home fries?" OK, hint taken. Never ordering the hashies again. I like home fries just as much. The omelet, toast, and all that were great.
Orange juice came in a jelly jar. My mom was trying to remember the name of the southern author who used to throw parties at her house where she'd serve martinis in jelly jars. Not Flannery O'Connor, evidently, which was my best guess. I still feel kinda drunk just at the thought.
Can't wait to go back. Even if (or maybe because) they don't offer jelly jar martinis.
BEST COMFORT FOOD!!!
This cozy place had a great vibe right when we walked in the door. The greetings were warm and genuine. The dining area is rustic and clean. Other diners were happily digging into their wonderful looking food and the tv was on in the background. It kind of felt like Sunday dinner at someone's house.
After checking out the menu briefly, we went for the fried chicken dinner. The entrees are served with 3 sides and come with a corn cake!!! So you either need to bring an appetite here, or practice restraint and leave with a take home box.
The meal began with one of their corn griddle cakes. Basically like cornbread fried up like a pancake. The lovely waitress brought us a bunch of butter to put on that. And some honey. Mmmmmmm fresh off the griddle. My roomie ordered one of those famous strawberry lemonades. It was huge and served in a large mason jar, with real strawberries floating in it and topped with whipped cream. It was a good balance of sweet and a little tart. I took a swig off of it, it was delicious.
Dinner arrived piping hot and smelling great. For my sides I got the candied yams which were insanely good. I wanted to beg for the recipe. There were hints of warm spice mixed with the natural sweetness of the yam and....molasses? I don't know but they are AMAZING! I also got the mashed potatoes with gravy and rice. My roomie skipped the yams and got the macaroni and cheese which was gooey and delicious with a good cheddar flavor. The fried chicken was tender inside, crispy outside. They also have a damn fine hot sauce on the table.
After demolishing our meal (we had a lazy Sunday and had skipped breakfast and lunch) the waitress tempted us with dessert. Normally I'd pass, but I had to try the peach cobbler. It was a big, hot, delicious mess. Fresh peaches, some good pastry and topped in redi-whip. After our meal, we immediately went for an 8 block walk.
The Southern Kitchen serves up the best damn southern comfort food I've had in this area. The servings are massive and the price is ridiculously affordable. I look forward to becoming a frequent customer. I'll definitely have to not pig out like that next time though! Might try some healthier options on my next visit.
;)
I'm a fan with reservations. I've loved the Southern Kitchen for years, being a Tacoma native. I hadn't been in years, though, until this week, and was dancing as I walked along 6th Ave to enter into the joint.
I got the fried chicken, and was looking forward to my three sides: black eyed peas, mashed potatoes and gravy, and macaroni and cheese.
My chicken was smoking hot, delicious with a crispy crust and moist meat. My sides were cold. In the lukewarm category that eliminates any possible enjoyment. And our corn bread came to us after we had our food for about 10 minutes.
They were slammed when we were there, but no help was on it's way (and frankly, I wanted to eat my chicken avec said sides) so I sought my waiter out behind the counter to see if I could get new sides. I did, but the timing was such that the meal couldn't be enjoyed as an entirety. It was piecemeal. And not worthy of the dancing I had done heading into the joint.
My companion had the brisket, which literally melts in your mouth. And we had enough food for two more meals.
So the chicken lived up to my memory, but the overall experience was sadly lacking. I will go again and re-assess.
Such good biscuits and gravy! Went there Saturday and Sunday morning back-to-back one weekend because the breakfast was that tasty. I need to go back and try the non-breakfast food. Based on the biscuits and gravy though I have every confidence that Southern Kitchen does foods right.
We stopped in again a couple weeks ago, and again, another fabulous meal was had. This time I went with the butterfish. It was the best fried fish I have tasted in quite a while! My husband went with the chicken fried steak with country gravy and he was very impressed.
Whether you are looking for a traditional breakfast or a good ol' southern style meal....this place is solid. Service is always friendly and prompt and prices are fair for the portions.
Well....butter me up and call me a biscuit! They serve up a tasty breakfast!
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OMG. Only thing to say to describe the food. Very yum!! Although I felt like I had to be taken out via wheelbarrel afterward. Lol. Place is small, staff friendly, location OK, portions HUGE! Didn't have to wait long for our food, try it out if you're in the Seattle area. Worth the drive to Tacoma. *Tip* Wear old clothes, you will smell like you were fried in the deep fryer after you leave. ;)
Once again, fellow yelp reviews did not fail me. Wow! Wow! Wow!
This place screams "Southern Hospitality". We were greeted with warmth and friendliness. This is definitely the mom and pops southern dining I've been yearning for in the Pacific Northwest. Kingfish Cafe who? What?
The BBQ beef brisket was tender, moist and full of flavor. The fried chicken was juicy inside and perfectly crispy outside. The country fried steak was covered in traditional brown gravy and was delicious!
3 sides with your meal? That's unheard of at a traditional restaurant! I love having a variety to sample and here I didn't have to feel torn between my choices. The collared greens were exceptional, candied yams (YUMMY is an understatement), mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and cornbread stuffing... everything was absolutely delightful.
The flat cornbread was different than traditional cornbread. I loved it!
The strawberry lemonade came in a big giant jug that could pretty much feed three adults. It was topped with whipped cream. I've never had whipped cream on my lemonade before -- I'm not complaining.
We also ordered a side of jalapeno corn fritters. There was definitely no skimping on the peppers here. She didn't even charge us for this because it was "too much trouble" for her to add it to the ticket.
If that's not enough to eat try some dessert! We didn't have room during dinner, but couldn't resist bringing some peach cobbler home with us. It's so hard to find really good peach cobbler or bread pudding around anywhere.
I'm looking forward to trying out breakfast! There was a sign in the window for 4.95! Why bother going to a Denny's for that price?
I was tempted to be selfish and not review this place because I wanted to keep a good thing to myself, but since other yelpers shared with me and well... my conscience got the best of me. With this being said we gave her a 33% tip. That alone should say what we truly thought of the whole dining experience.
The search for the best BBQ around has officially ended, you can stop looking I found it at the southern kitchen in Tacoma. The portions are huge, we split a dinner got an extra side and sweet potato pie slice and had food for two for the next day or so. The waitress was the nicest woman and made us feel like family the second we walked in the door.
This is a must try if your a real BBQ fan ... But let's keep this between you and I because I don't wanna have to wait in line when the word gets out about how great this place is!
Today I had Southern Kitchen. And it was good.
Granted, I've grown up in Washington so me saying this is the "best southern food I've ever tasted" might not be saying much, but, uh, this is the best southern food I've ever tasted.
The Southern Fried Chicken is tender, delicious, crispy ... the candied yams. Oh my, the candied yams. It's actually CANDIED. And the corn cake ... not to mention the mac n' cheese. So creamy. Top all that off with some collard greens and you've got the perfect last meal.
Oh, I'll be back, Southern Kitchen. I'll be back. And when I am, you better be ready ... with a plate of that sweet potato pie.
A long time ago, in a lifetime far away, I lived in Tacoma. I was a college grad and was about ready to leave Tacoma after four years of schoolin' to head back to San Francisco. I remember having a meal here and being incredibly satisfied, but I was not a foodie - certainly not like I am today. Because of places like the Kingfish Café in Seattle and the Southern Kitchen, I not only developed an appreciation for southern cooking, but also for fine foods that simply impress your taste bud - not just dent your wallet.
I came here the other day with two former college classmates and another friend, and as soon as my eyes found the menu, memories came flooding back. I quickly ordered a strawberry lemonade, which was huge, overflowing with sticky sugary goodness, and loaded with fresh strawberries (Country Time be damned!). I knew I wanted catfish and I ordered the Catfish Lover's delight with mac and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams. We also got a side of the fried green tomatoes accompanied with a ranch dipping sauce, which were excellent. The mac and cheese was utterly fantastic - and CANNOT be ignored when you come here. The only mistakes I made were that I ordered too much catfish and and I failed to order it blackened (I think they can do that).
The only annoying thing was the waitress kept serving us as if there were three people - there were four. So I didn't have a water cup or utensils for awhile, and when I asked for them, it took awhile or got messed up (i.e. she left out the knife). What gives?
We could barely walk afterwards and we waddled our fat asses out of there so happy and full. For me, it was a trip down memory lane which only made it better. Yes the Southern Kitchen was on "Diners, Drive-In's and Dives" recently but thankfully this place hasn't become all pretentious - although they love putting that accomplishment on their menu...haha.
I was cruising T-town in search of Engine Company No. 9 Brewpub and came across this place. Well, displaced Southerner like me, I can't NOT drop in and, of course, I can't EAGERLY drop in, either, 'cause every other allegedly-Southern restaurant I've ever tried in the Northwest has been lame to the point of pathetic OR good but NOT Southern. So, to say I went in with Lowered Expectations is a major understatement. "Lord," I prayed, as I always do, "Just don't let it suck TOO bad."
Well - as Gomer Pyle would say, "Surprise, surprise!" Southern Kitchen actually serves Southern food! It's not great Southern food - in fact, laid out on any good Southern mother's dinner table, you might even get a few complaints - but it IS good, solid, properly-made Southern food that makes a freakin' joke out of trendy, "faux-down-home" places like Kingfish and Burke's.
The important thing to remember about Southern cooking is that it's really NOT restaurant food. When Southerners talk about "Southern cooking", we're talking about what our Moms, aunts, and grandmothers made, NOT what we found down the road at The Dew Drop Inn. Southern food is not pretty. "presentation" doesn't enter into it. The dishes are frequently lop-sided, dull-colored, sloppily made, and even kinda revolting-looking. Southern Kitchen's chicken fried steak looks like a moldy sandwich somebody ran over with a tractor. But it tastes GOOD - REAL good. Their cream gravy looks like a Zymogenetics petri dish gone horribly wrong. But it tastes exactly like what good cream gravy should be. Their Mac and Cheese is not artfully sprinkled with smoked paprika and dressed with ferns - AND is not made with "a playful mix of comte, brie, and Emmentaler cheeses". You can call it whatever you like but it started out as cheddar (or maybe even the traditional Velveeta!) when it left the kitchen. In fact, it's just scooped out of a pot and slapped on your plate but it's as good a plate of MandC as you will find ANYWHERE in the Pacific Northwest. Their fried okra is, by God, fresh orka that's been fried! A revelation, when compared to the crappy little defrosted okra-like pellets I was recently served at a supposedly "Carolina"-style BBQ place in Redmond.
The brisket was smoky and tender and served in a generous portion. My ONLY bone to pick with SK, in fact, was their fried chicken, which was some of the most ordinary poultry to find its way into my face since my last bad chicken wing from the Thai restaurant in Woodinville. How they missed that badly on a core item of the menu is a freakin' mystery to me but maybe it was just a bad day at the fryer.
There were a few (blessedly few!) Northwest affectations evident at SK, most notably the mango iced tea, a liquid which, I can assure you, has NEVER appeared on any Southern mother's dinner table. (As Paul Prudhomme once told me, "In the rural South, mangoes don't exist.") Also, in the South, jalapeno corn fritters don't exist, either. Jalapenos are Southwestern; they're not really even Texan, much less Southern. And fried green tomatoes DO NOT come with ranch dipping sauce. They don't need it, number one, and catsup works just fine, number two. But the fritters - while not the hush-puppies I was hoping for - were nice and the fried tomatoes were VERY tasty. (I set the ranch discretely aside, where it couldn't find its way onto my ugly-but-scrumptious 'maters.)
Southern Kitchen is now my alternative to making my own Southern meals. While it's nowhere close to as good as mine, in their defense, they probably haven't been cooking the stuff as long as I have. But it does offer that one enticing, irreplacable aspect that every chef worth their tocque knows by heart: "I didn't have to make it!"
Late breakfast on Thursday morning! I am craving grits & catfish! WHEW!! I hit the JACKPOT!
Whole Catfish ~ cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and moist, sweet juicy flaky on the inside! I sucked the bones it was SO flavorful.
Grits ~ not lumpy and not completely dry either.
Price: $11.95
You feel like your at your Aunty's house, service was warm, genuine and welcoming...
I have to say I wasn't a fan of the food. I was there about 2 months ago and I thought that KFC across the street can serve a better meal for cheaper. Corn bread was dry, chicken didn't have a good crust and was a little bit dry, and to top it off it was INSTANT MASHED POTATOES. Sorry I give no love to a restaurant that can't even make their own mashed potatoes.
This place is wotrth the money & the drive, the food is just what the claim. Down home southern cooking! Terrific service Terrific food & the portion are so huge you hurt when you leave! Our family went to Seattle for vaca & had heard about this place, it is small and hard to get parking but do NOT let that stop u! Whatever u do, go hear & fill up on the best sweet tea & lemon aid, then induldge in comfort food! This place will make you smile!
Breakfast here on a slow morning: good eats and fun. Our party agreed that it was a case study in service presenting just the right amount of personal character. My biscuits and gravy (good and sausagey) were great... why is it that the Northwest is full of ham gravy?
Looking forward to trying lunch or dinner.
My wife and I came here for breakfast on a Saturday morning. Walked in and we had a few choices to sit, we chose the front left corner and that was a mistake, it was 8:45 in the morning and there was flies flying all over the place, so that sucked. We asked the waitress what she recommend and she said the french toast and omelette's. So i decided on the french toast since i haven't had it in a while and i always get omelette's every where else. It was nothing special at all, probably just below average. My wife got the biscuits and gravy, it was ok. I tried it and it was very peppery which i didn't mind. I got the mango lemonade and it was a 5 but not enough to save the french toast and the flies. I was very disappointed, i really wanted to like this place. We almost came back for at lunch time to just get some more lemon ade but decided not to.
Closest thing to real southern food that you can get in Tacoma and probably in WA. The strawberry lemonade as well as all the drinks are amazing. All the sides and entrees are delicious so it really just depends on what you want. Service is good, expect the small little restaurant to be bumblingly busy.
I love southern soul food! This place is in the cuts , lil ghetto area but the food is excellent! I love there bbq briskets, chicken, mmmMMm Mango ice tea with whip cream on top, candy yams, cauli greens and mac n cheese. Very small moms and pops place, so you know they get down in the kitchen!
Have fun, enjoy great eats!
This place is so so good. I ended up getting a whole bunch of sides, which was excellent. The service was good, too.
I did end up feeling about 5-10 times fatter after leaving.
And the mashed potatoes were a powdered mix. But what can you do?
Yummy yummy yum yum. Soooooooo happy i found this place. Fried chicken. Deelish. Fried Okra. Yum. Cornbread Dressing. OHMYGODSOGOOOOOOOOOD!!!!! Chicken Fried Steak. Oh lordie. Flat cornbread. yum. prices fantastic. service fast and friendly. They should call this place Southern Comfort. Can't wait to go back!! I ate the whole darn thing in 20 minutes. Seriously.
Read a review on Yelp and decided to give it a try on our vacation to Tacoma. The food was excellent. I had a Mango iced tea with whip cream and the Chicken Fried Steak. They were both great. The service was good too.
Oh, the Southern Kitchen!
There is nowhere I'd rather be in Tacoma.
I cannot recommend the Southern Kitchen more for delicious food and fantastic atmosphere. The staff is incredibly friendly, they love to talk with us. And I guess before I started coming, they'd tell my guy friends dirty jokes when they'd pop in for breakfast.
The Southern Kitchen feels like a regular's kind of place, and as much as I'd love to eat there everyday I only get out to Tacoma once every three months or so. Still, they always make us feel welcome. And, if I can say without sound cheesey, like family.
It's seriously like eating at your awesome southern cousin's house. Ex. One time, the waitress found out that my boyfriend had never had grits before so she insisted on MAKING him try it and brought out all the different condiments for it so he could decide which way he liked best. And I always feel like I have to clean my plate, which is not a problem because it's so delicious.
My favorite? Corncakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and a big ol' Strawberry Lemonade in a glass jar. Delicious!
Get there early for the super cheap breakfast special!
Ive been here many times now and im trying to work my way thru the entire menu and I have not found a single thing I have not loved.... The food here is AMAZING!! Best chicken friend steak ive ever had... strawberry lemonade... they perfected it.
We went looking for a good breakfast on Sunday. Not being from the area, we did a quick Google and found references to Southern Kitchen. It wasn't far from where we were, so we headed on over.
There's a bit of parking in a small lot, and street parking. Both were packed. We must've been meant to go there, however, as we circled once and three cars in a row were leaving.
Inside the place is close, and it was packed on this Sunday morning. There are tables and a counter with stools. Cozy. The staff were prompt and attentive, and we watched in awe as plate after plate of very good looking things passed by.
The menu is not huge -- that's actually something I like. Do some things and do them well... don't worry about doing EVERYTHING. Breakfast options included catfish (whole or fillet), and I was tempted to try (I'm a northerner... fish for breakfast? What's crazy!) but the special couldn't be denied: eggs, hash browns, and biscuits and gravy for a very small price.
You MUST have a strawberry lemonade. I declined the mountain of whipped cream that comes on it by default, but the huge quart jar of muddled strawberries and lemonade was divine.
The place is funky -- looking along the wall by the cooler was an outlet that had exploded wires, and don't look TOO closely at anything above eye level, because I'm telling ya it's NOT clean. But the plates were clean, the table was clean, the staff were friendly and fast and the food was yummy and fit the bill.
Small, awesome place that serves up some damn tasty fried chicken. Take your appetite and high cholesterol medication when you go.
Caveat emptor:
The strawberry lemonade is served in a quart jar (that's a lot of liquid)
Your clothes will smell like fried until they're washed.
I visited my brother recently, he had heard from his neighbor that the food was good. We stopped in for breakfast, I had the sausage and cheese omelet. Awesome! I will be going back in February to try a dinner. When we finished, we recieved our bill and I went to pay for it. The gentleman had a puzzled look on his face because the omelet was on special for the day and he knocked $5.00 off the bill. This place keeps getting better. Love your food!
I went here for lunch and it wasn't very hard to find, but if you aren't careful, you will miss it.
I had the 1/2 fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes, buttered corn, and mac & cheese. The chicken was GREAT. The spices were just the right combination and it was piping hot. Only minor comment I have on the chicken was that the wing and leg were very small. I was VERY disappointed with the mashed and corn. The mashed seemed like they were made with water, rather than milk and butter. The corn seemed like it was just heated frozen corn. They both could have used a little seasoning in the kitchen and it would have made a world of difference. The strawberry lemonade was WOW!!! Just AWESOME! I have never had anything like it with the fresh pieces of strawberry in a quart glass. But for $20, I was expecting a little more on the size of the chicken and the sides to taste more like homemade. I might return for the breakfast though. It looked outstanding!!
We finally went to the southern kitchen, for Saturday morning breakfast, after all these years! I had the Chicken fried steak with onions and breakfast gravy, and hashers, The gravy was excellent so was the steak but I am a gravy detetive, always looking for good gravy. also had the sausage links those were good too. Will have to try lunch next time.
We stopped here for breakfast. We got pretty standard fare (eggs/bacon/corncakes/biscuits/etc), but I feel like it was only as good as any random diner. They have a lot of specialty breakfasts, so maybe that is where they excel. The dinner menu looked good. I kinda wish I had just eaten dinner for breakfast. I'd give it another chance to try a few other things.
I used to have a job that took me all over the South. Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Fairfax... and the thing that always puzzled me was this: I lived in LA, and I had access to far better "Southern cooking" (Johnny Rebs) than anything I ever found in the actual South.
Well, with Southern Kitchen, I think I've found a place that I'll reluctantly grant is better... But so much farther from the South. It almost makes you wonder -- Is the world's best Southern restaurant somewhere in Tibet?
As may be... Southern Kitchen is great. I had the baked chicken, in a vain attempt to try to stay heart healthy. Red beans and rice; collard greens. Iced tea served as sweet tea. My wife had the fried chicken. We started with the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer -- and they were so plentiful they were almost a meal in themselves.
Absolutely delicious.
Cost was $45 for the two of us, with tax and tip, so $22.50 each, bottom line.
I first ate at Southern Kitchen on the way home from a road trip to Portland with my girlfriends, and from the minute we sat down to our peach cobbler dessert, we were blown away! I ordered the fried chicken with mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, and a regular lemonade (topped with whip cream, of course!)... delicious! Definitely woke me up from the 2.5 hour car ride. The girls and I shared the humongous peach cobbler, which we couldn't finish because we were so full from our entrees! Such a shame!
For about 3 months after my first time there, I was craving for more SK, so my boyfriend and I took a day trip to Tacoma (Southern Kitchen + Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium) where we had lunch. The second time I went, I ordered the brisket for my main course, and fried okras as an appetizer. Both were crazy good. I usually don't like fried okra (tastes slimy in my mouth :P) but SK's had me drooling. Also, I got to try their strawberry lemonade, which was impeccable! Definitely the perfect sweet drink to cool down a hot, sunny day.
Both times I went, the service was VERY attentive. Everyone there is always having fun and being really interactive with the customers.
I'll have to try the sweet tea next time I go!
It's probably worth coming here just for the waitstaff. They'll catch you off guard at first because they're a little goofy, but it makes the place entertaining.
The dishes are varied and the portions are pretty big. Each entree comes with three (three!) sides plus a corn cake so you get to try a lot. I'll repeat every other reviewer and say that the mac and cheese is a mind-blowing experience. Everything else is very good as well, though you might have a stomach ache afterwards.
I consider myself an incredibly lucky individual because I live within walking distance to this glorious edifice. Southern Kitchen is an amazing restaurant that's truly a gem in the Tacoma area.
I haven't had a ton of experience with Southern food, but had always been intrigued. I assumed that due to the fact that I was vegetarian I wouldn't find anything to eat, but it wasn't so - the wonderful servers helped me navigate my way through their simple, yet traditional menu. My first time visiting I had red beans and rice, sweet potato fries, and a strawberry lemonade. The red beans and rice were full of flavor, and had clearly been soaked in a secret brew of spices for a good few days. The fries were crispy, sweet and covered in powdered sugar. The lemonade had fat, huge chunks of strawberry sitting in the bottom.
As previously stated, you will leave this place with a food coma. That's one of the expected effects of the place. The staff is warm and full of Southern hospitality. The decor is modest, yet thankfully authentic. The red beans and rice are now a staple for me there, as well as the yams, and fried okra.
I can only vouch for so much because of my diet, but I don't think anyone can go wrong with the fried green tomatoes and a mango or strawberry lemonade.
I've been here so many times... in many ways my love affair with Tacoma started here. I never really hung out in Tacoma and ended up here one day, in the middle of all things Tacoma and just really enjoyed it. I'm a big Southern Food aficionado and this place does a nice job.
The good: The atmosphere is right. Nice people, casual, make yourself at home vibe. The food is really nice. It's really home-style. If you are offended by getting really home-style food, you won't like this place. They serve ice-tea and lemonade in mason jars and everything is sort of warm and brown... even the greens.
The mediocre: Sometimes the food can be a little bit... 'okay'. I find that the main dishes don't match the awesomeness of the sides. But whatever, it's fine. It's not a big crime.
Overall, this place is a great place to go and helped me fall in love with Tacoma.
This place is great, but I have had better. My one complaint- My catfish meal specifically says I get a hush puppies with it, but they always give me a damn corn cake...even when I specifically point out that it says I get hush puppies and that I do not want the corn cake. Also, they used to serve collard greens that were pork free but last time I was there it looks like that is no longer true. :(
This is one of my favorite restaurants. The Southern Kitchen has done upgrading. Gone are the old windows - replaced by new double panes. The siding has been replaced - but don't worry the building has been repainted red. They also have outside seating.
The food is still as delicious as ever - even though it's a restaurant it's as close to home-cooking as I have ever had in a restaurant. My favorite is the liver and onions - or their chicken wings. No matter what I order I always get the corn, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Their fried okra and green tomatoes are another favorite. And their peach cobbler is the absolute best. The sweet tea is too sweet for me and I was disappointed that they didn't have any unsweetened tea on the menu.
Yes sir, this is the place to go for fried chicken. A good place to eat at after visiting the Tacoma Art Museum or the Chihuly Glass Museum.
Don't remember exactly what they call it, but they have something like lemonade, except it is made with mangoes and has whipped cream on top. Decadent and delicious!!
Very casual and comfortable atmosphere. But beware, if you are in a hurry you will be frustrated. Relax and enjoy.
i hate that i have to drive 4320480238432 miles to get here but once i'm there i forget the trek i've made to do so.
Start with the jelly jars filled with mango lemonade. That is a party in itself. It has mango pieces and whip cream on top.
I'm all about the catfish but the fried chicken is deeeelish so I'm torn every once in awhile. Their corncake is like a cornbread pancake...spread some more love on it (buttah) and you're in heaven. My favorite sides are the buttered corn, fried okra and their MAC AND CHEESE. Their mashed potatoes are just as good, but I can only handle so much. Portions are huge so try sharing to sample all their sides.
Warning: Sundays can get packed as that's the traditional stop after church.
You also may want to hire a driver to take you back home. Foodus Comatus may cause an accident.
Tacoma, WA
Category: Restaurants
Tacoma, WA
Category: Vegetarian
Tacoma, WA
Category: Restaurants
Tacoma, WA
Category: American (Traditional)
Tacoma, WA
Category: Restaurants
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