Serious Soul Cafe @ Cubby’s

While in Auburn, we decided to swingby this place, had read reviews about their fried chicken, so we stopped by & ordered to go. Husband ordered the fried chicken & jojos, which were okay, but got to admit, my husband makes better fried chicken & jojos.

Have tried to go there for weeks now. They’ve never been open (during their posted hours). Have tried maybe 6 times over two weeks. Questioning whether this place is actually a restaurant…

First time here and I had the chix and waffles which are very good. The price is high though almost $ 20 for fir the food and a small helping of apple cobbler. I was given a free sample of the apple cobbler which was good but heated in a microwave (not a fan of microwaves in restaurant kitchens) thinking they should get a salamander to warm up the cobblers if customers want it warmed up. I gave 4 stars due to kinda high price, microwave in kitchen and I saw the cook taste food at the front with her fingers which I found not so appetizing. I think she was owner but not sure
The service is great, very nice folks who took care of me and very thoughtful for the sample of cobbler. I LOVE the kind of box my take out was in, way better then the typical styrafome.
All and all this place is good food and great customer service

People! All product is cooked to order. Chicken takes time to cook. EVERYTHING is made with love and is sooooooo good. I was not a fan of fried catfish in Texas. OMG! Miss D’s is the best. Greens are perfect. Red beans & rice, gumbo, jambalaya, just the best. You will not be disappointed.

It took my food more than a minute to get served, but this was a few months ago. Once I received it, I shut my mouth and began to eat. I had fried chicken, collard greens, and I don’t recall my second side, if I had one. I am a big fan and enjoyed every bite.
The food was good at the restaurant in Federal Way and didn’t know that she had closed it down and opened this smaller place in Auburn. We found the new location on Unilocal.Very nice lady. Excellent food. Not a fan of the diner style, but I’ll deal with it to eat this food hot.

I recently started working in Auburn after about a 20 year hiatus. I came here when it was Cubbys and remembered the great onion rings.
I started off driving south looking for somewhere to go to lunch. Wanted to try something new. I kind of remembered Cubbys and was wondering if it was still going. Was excited to see a sign saying catfish.
The place is small so be prepared to take out. The lady, who was very nice, said 10 minutes but it was shorter. Lots of specials not on the menu.
The catfish is fried with a cornmeal batter and the fries are coated. Price was on the high side but I was definitely full. Fish and fries were tasty.
I will be back to try the chicken and pecan pie.

Fried chicken was so good and crispy, juicy.
Greens were fanastic, gotta have the greens.
My other side was coleslaw they were okay but next time I’m picking the Mac and Cheese.
Get the family pak w/​two serving because the left overs make it worth it, you can make waffles and pancakes.

First time stopping in. Traffic is rough around dinner time. After reading some of the reviews, I had to do my own.
First — I agree with it being pricey. (That’s why 4 stars not 5) But, for the portion size it was understandable. Wish I’d taken a picture, but I was too hungry after smelling it all the way home.
Second — it took about 10 minutes for my order to be ready. It was to go, and IT WAS STEAMING HOT! And wrapped & insulated very well. 10 minutes is not too long to wait for cooked to order food.
Third — fried snapper and collard greens!!! In Auburn, WA! Need I say more?
Fourth — And BEST! It was AMAZINGLY GOOD. The fish was fried, but moist inside and well seasoned. (Not too salty as some is) It came with tarter sauce and a roll. Then the collard greens-​seasoned perfectly, steaming hot, large pieces of greens, with nice sized chunks of onions. Also came with a large slice of corn bread!
I will be back. I will bring more money. I will bring friends and family. Keep up the good work!

I have been wanting to try this restaurant, but they’re never open. Like 6pm, dinner time, on a saturday, closed. I have gone by during lunch, closed. I am not sure what is going on and the hours that are listed must not be right.

We have been meaning to stop in and try this place… finally we did. We were not disappointed and thought it was very good. We had the fried catfish and the red beans and rice. It took a little while to get, but was well worth the wait. Food was very hot, so stuff is made to order while you wait. Prices were slightly high, but the meal size was very large I thought. The folks running the place were very nice and friendly. We would definitely go again.

I’m really really surprised by the high ratings. I really did want to like this place but it’s got major problems. First, there’s a garbage can inside the dining room, literally right next to the register and within a sniff’s distance from the food booths. Second, prices are WAAAAAAAY too high for the amount of food you get. Now I get this is a small mom and pop shop but still… dayam, $ 14 for a couple pieces of chicken and side? And that’s not even with a drink included. Third, food was blah and meh, the wings were like they were right out a frozen bag from the frozen section of your supermarket. They also were a little undercooked and I couldn’t even finish more than a couple cause it just didn’t taste right. My co-​worker also had the same feedback on the catfish he ate. If I start puking, I’m gonna be pissed. Another co-​worker ordered the Jambalaya and couldn’t believe there was no chicken in the actual jambalaya. I’ve eaten a lot of jambalaya but this has got to be the first time ever I’ve seen jambalaya with no chicken in it. I could probably keep going on and on but you get the picture. I might give it one more shot some day but not for a while. It’s been a while since I’ve actually walked out of restaurant and wanted my money back.

Fried chicken was Ok. Collared greens were excellent! Will definitely return to try some chicken & waffles and some gumbo

I came here for BBQ not knowing anything about their menu … ended up ordering an 8-​piece mixed chicken family meal with coleslaw, potato salad, cornbread and some BBQ pork for good measure. The fried chicken was amazing. Melted in my mouth. Had to remind myself that I was not an entire family and saved some for later. The potato salad was good. The coleslaw was fresh! They didn’t have any made at that moment, but offered to whip it up for me on the spot. Nice. The BBQ pork was very tasty and I ate in on the cornbread. Next time I think I’ll have it in a sandwich.
It takes time to cook fresh fried chicken and there was only one person to do both the register and cook. Plan ahead accordingly. Also, I don’t care for the sound of a microwave when I’m out at a restaurant. It may have been for the cornbread. Not a huge deal, but could be for some.
All-​in-​all, I am a fan and look forward to trying everything else. That fried chicken though … so good!

Ahhh the one and only hidden gem in Auburn!!! Absolutely amazing food! The owners are friendly, welcoming and overall just great people!!! I wish they were open 24 hours a day. Since discovering this place we have been coming in at least once a week. A must try is their seafood gumbo! You get what you pay for, worth every penny!!! Not only is it a flavorful gumbo but it’s also topped off with fried shrimp, chicken and catfish! The first time they brought it out I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!

Saw the place in passing and a friend said «I wish there was a good soul place in Kent!»
Oh, yea, I saw this place on Auburn Way. It looked like it had soul food. We’ll give it a shot.
Preface: My friend is extraordinarily picky and from the deep south. I was honestly expecting him to hate it.
The prices are high, no doubt. But if it’s good, I really don’t care. One of two things will happen, I’ll never come back, or I’ll be happy to pay the high price and keep coming back.
I’ll be back.
He had catfish with fried okra. He loved the catfish and the okra. I had some of the okra and I’m real picky about my okra. Bomb!
I had the 5 piece whole wing combo with potato salad and we split an order of fries. The wings were absolutely perfect and piping hot. Fries were ok. I’d recommend they get a different type of fry, like crinkle fries, or just get a potato cutter and make your own. I didn’t care for the seasoning.
Only negative in the food dept. The potato salad was not homemade. Definitely bulk ordered. Bulk order potato salad always has that funky after taste to it. Not a deal breaker, I just won’t order it in the future and I will be back.
Super nice lady at the counter as well.

Was out and about craving some good ol’ soul food… found this place in of all places Auburn! Definitely glad we stopped here. The food was really good! Only downfall and only reason I gave it 4 stars is its a small place with only 4 booths, but don’t let that deter you from coming in and trying the food.

When we saw this place as we passed by, we knew we’d have to go there soon. The food they advertised on the sign was something you don’t find in Auburn, or nearby.
We had the Jambalaya, Fried Catfish, Fried Okra, Chicken & Waffles, and the Sweet Potato Pie. The Jambalaya was spicy without being so hot that you couldn’t taste it, and the catfish was moist and perfectly cooked with a light crispy breading. The chicken & waffles was tasty, and the only complaint is that it was a bit too much for one serving. Hardly a complaint, eh?
The Sweet Potato Pie was obviously home made. It was delicious, and on par with the best I’ve had. When I first came in here, it was after closing and I just asked to look at the menu. I asked if they make Peach Cobbler, and she went and got me a piece as the answer, and gave it to me for stopping by. The lady that runs the place is very friendly, and a pleasure to talk to.
The only reason I rated four stars instead of five is that we waited nearly forty minutes for the food, and the prices are pretty high. The food we had was excellent, and we will likely go again, but will probably forego the sides to save some money. Make sure to bring cash. They have an ATM, but what’s the point of paying ATM fees? Take-​Out is a good option, but call your order in ahead of time.

The fried chicken is always hot and fresh, and the service is great. However, I have to note a few problems with this restaurant. The sides are microwaved and as a previous reviewer put it, the Mac and cheese is ‘chunky’ and not the consistency of Mac and cheese that I know. Perhaps it is the fact they re-​heat it after it had already been cooked.
Lastly, the prices at this restaurant are through the roof! While the chicken is good, I do not foresee this restaurant being anywhere near competitive compared to other chicken joints. I would love to see this small business succeed, but they seriously need to reconsider their approach.

Believe me when I say that I really really really wanted to like this place. In fact, I went there recently with the sole purpose of writing a glowing review.
First impression: The place had been cleaned up real nice. The new owner did a great job updating the old Cubby’s. She was extremely nice and made sure I was taken care of. A friend and I ordered okra ($ 5), jambalaya ($ 10), and Mac and cheese ($ 5). Figured $ 20 worth of food could be split between us two small kids.
The good: Service was fast for a café being ran by one person. All the food was brought out piping hot. The fried okra and chicken wings were great.
The bad: For the amount of money we paid, this honestly was not enough food. Either that or we need to change the dollar signs for this Unilocal page from one to at least two.
I get that food prices are going up with the adjustment to $ 15 min wage. But the jambalaya bowl was extremely small for $ 10. Maybe the ingredients that goes in are really expensive. Who knows? But my heart fell when I saw that bowl.
The weird: Not sure what happened with the Mac and cheese. The cheese was. Chunky? Seedy? (Not sketchy cheese. I meant the texture.) This could just be a fluke. But weird cheese is a no no.
Verdict: Unless the prices go down or the portions get bigger, I probably won’t be back. The two sides for $ 5 each was a fair price but I was still hungry after the meal. I went in with the expectation that $ 10 would be enough to get me somewhat full.
I even checked with another friend who ate there separately. He also said the same thing. Hopefully, business will be good so that prices can come down and I can afford your food. Rooting for you, Serious Soul!

****CASH ONLY***
Love the lady here so friendly and new location so much better. Gumbo on point best I have had in some time, Mac and cheese seems to have some either spicy or Dijon mustard mixed in different but good, collard greens were tender and flavorful would have like to see a lil ham in it though. This was definitely what this area needed, sure wish they took debit though.