Soul Food Express

Got here around 9pm, the special was pig feet but didnt have anything left. Its an open kitchen so you can see everything theyre doing.
Where the issues are, come from the staff and their attitudes and running out of food.
**The old man tried to give me a lot of bones and gravy when I said i wanted oxtails and drowned it in rice! I told him I refuse to take it, his friend offered me 2 porkchops. The person I was there with ordered mac n cheese and the old guy put his hand with NO GLOVE on the cheese stretching and rolled it up and put it on his plate!!! DISGUSTING MUCH!!!
overall, the food was soo bland, flavorless, no salt on any of it, gravy very greasy, will NOT be going back.
If i could give 0 stars i would!

the food is very delicious and the service is pleasant

The Fried Chicken and Mac N Cheese get 5 stars but the Collards were average no real taste and corn bread was like eating brick but had to give it 4 stars based on the fried Chicken and Mac N cheese taste alone. Will definitely go back for the chicken alone and also amazing Lemon cake that melted in your mouth. Also didnt have baked chicken when we arrived so they lost a star for that as well. The gravy with the rice was average not amazing neither. Very nice lady and cool staff.

I’ve eaten here a number of times over the years so this is not a 1 shot deal. They are among the best soul food spots in town. The 4 star rating is combined for (facility-​3, service-4.5, location-3.5, price –3, and food quality-​4). The food «home-​cooked» authentic soul food. I received consistent quality service each time. I particularly like their smothered pork chops but have had a number of different dishes over the years. Pay attention to the prices though as there is different costs depending upon your entrée selection (I got caught with this 1 time and overpaid).
Definitely Recommended

that food was so good, the servers were really sweet too. They only thing is everytime we went they were out of the cake i wanted :(

This is by far the best soulfood place in Jacksonville! The variety of foods available will have you in soulfood heaven. I highly recommend the baked chicken, collard greens and mac n cheese. Omg!!! The food literally melts in your mouth. Hearty and Flavorful

Today I wanted some good home cooked food I had to to eat something filling cuz I was going to work out today. so I came over to get the soul food from this restaurant and I had ox tails over yellow rice… collard greens and lima beans… The girl name Skye that waited on me was so hospitable and very sweet… I really felt welcome… She asked me was it my first time I said yes… she gave me sample of all the breads with my dinner… the food was Amazing… seasoned perfectly… I’m so glad I drove over to eat here today while I’m visiting Jacksonville… I will come back here next time I come here… now they are ONLY OPEN FRIDAY SATURDAY and Sunday… So if you want some good soul food this is your GO TO PLACE…

This is world class soul food at its best!!! It’s not fancy, it’s just good! For the most part it is takeout only with the other hungry customers providing great entertainment while you wait. Look for a two story building marked ‘SOUL FOOD EXPRESS’ and owner Eastside Al Washington taking the orders. All the food is good. My favorite is the turkey wing entrée with the collard green and mac and cheese side dishes. The service is courteous and the restaurant is clean. It’s a short wait and in Jacksonville this soul food is THE BEST!!!

I moved to Jacksonville in 2006. When I come to a new place, one thing I look for is a good soul food/​comfort food restaurant. At that time I lived on the Southside of Jacksonville. I went to a couple different places, most were meh. Then I found Soul Food Express. When looking for the location you can’t miss it. It’s a big blue building on the corner of E 21^st St & Plateau St. Now this style of restaurant is mostly meant for take out. They have a little counter top that sits like 5 – 7 people. I honestly have not had a bad experience here. The food is usually on display behind a case in food warmers. Usually what you see is what is available, but they are nice enough to go it on the fly if that’s what you really want. It is an open kitchen, so you see the big pots and pants and fryer. Things as a chef, I like to see. When family comes into town, this is one of the places I take them to. They are a fan of this place, hands down! I haven’t eaten any other soul food in Jacksonville, b/​c this is my place, and I shall not cheat on my place. Now I only eat here maybe 3 – 5 times a year. I treat it like a gift to myself. It’s something that when I get, I put on a good movie, lock all doors and windows, cut off my phone and put on my sweatpants.
My favorite protein to order is the Smothered Pork Chops. You don’t need a knife, the pork is soft & tender. The gravy, smothers it oh so well. Good seasoning, flavor is off the charts good. I usually pair the collard greens and macaroni & cheese with my pork chops. Collard greens are really good. Macaroni & Cheese is real good to. It is definitely the baked in the oven style, which I prefer. But you can’t go wrong with the rest. Black Eyed Peas, Cabbage, Fried Chicken and the candied yams. They also have white & yellow rice that comes with your meal. I usually go with the white rice. But both are good. Also with your meal comes either a jalapeño like cornbread or bread pudding. The bread pudding sneaky good. For awhile I always picked the cornbread b/​c hey it is cornbread! But, one time I picked the bread pudding and damn I have never gone back. I even get an extra couple of sides of it with my order. I can’t really explain it, just go ahead and try it.
The desserts are good too. They usually have Sweet Potato and other southern desserts favorites when it comes to cakes & pies.
With all the construction happening on Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy at times it is hard to get to. But now that they have taken down all the trees, you can see the big blue building when traveling North on MLK Pkwy. Once the construction is done they should get more business.

Serious soul food. It’s family operated and has been in business for the last 13 years so that should tell you something. The owner told me that he’s been in the business for 20 years.
The atmosphere is very divey, but has that homey feel to it. They cook everything in these big pots and you can see it right on the other side of the counter. Their mac and cheese is to die for and by that, if you ate it on a frequent basis would kill you. But it is most delicious and cheesy and gooey and all of that.
For the mac and cheese alone, this place is worth going. I got to sample their turkey wings which were really good but I didn’t like them that much. Their bbq chicken fell right off the bone and the sauce was the perfect consistency. Their candied yams were the best I’ve ever had. The okra and tomatoes, also the best I’ve ever had.
This is just plain good southern food. The bread pudding was delicious. If I lived anywhere near close to hear, I’d die of a heart attack in 10 years. And I mean that quite literally.
It’s worth the drive into this neck of town to grab a bite here.

Soul Food Express is the real deal. It’s open Friday thru Sunday at 11am. until late.
Mostly a take out place but we dined in at the bar/​counter. The owner & staff were very friendly. They gave us samples of some items since it was our first time.
This old school soul food restaurant serves up southern staples like fried chicken, baked chicken with white or yellow rice & gravy and candied yams,
Between the two of us we had Fried chicken, Mac n cheese, field peas, baby lima beans, rice n gravy.. Everything was fresh & tasty. Our dinners were $ 9. And of course, a side of fresh home-​made corn bread on the side.
For dessert we split the banana pudding, and pound cake, which were both seriously good.
They also had candied yams, greens, cabbage, peas/​okra/​corn, green beans, potato salad, squash, etc.
Meats: Baked chicken, pork chops,(ribs $ 11), turkey wings, salisbury steak, neck bones, beef stew
deserts: strawberry cake, lemon cake, brownies plus many more.
Very family friendly as well, not fancy, just good. An experience! If you’re in the Jacksonville area and crave some good soul food this is THE place.