Soul – University Place

I give this place 1 year, maybe. Prices are too high especially for chicken wings, catfish, talapia, gumbo, jambalaya and tomatoes. They were out of items, lemonade tasted like old Gatorade mix, music was obnoxious. The other restaurants were packed just a few yards away from them. Cajun, southern food is primarily recipes from poor people that ate what was around them. It is not expensive food so they need to adjust their prices for so so food. Bring back the sushi place! I would stick with the Southern Kitchen for affordable good southern food.

Fried chicken was cooked well and very crispy. I also had the dirty rice and this, was also very delicious. One problem, I understand it says cooked to order but I was one of 4 customers there and it still took them near 45 minutes to get my food. If u go there be prepared to wait

Amazing! Carolina pulled pork, mac and cheese, gumbo, greens, fried chicken. Content!

Typically I don’t go to soul food restaurants because my biased tastebuds prefer homemade soul food. However, this establishment was recommended to me by family so I decided to check it out. To my astonishment the food was phenomenal and was arguably better than the homemade soul food I grew up on. There’s a sense of love and care that goes into the food that you can taste with every bite. Definitely a «just like momma used to make» type of restaurant. I guarantee you will be coming back here over and over again because they have so many delicious items on the menu that you will want to try. In addition, the service was very friendly and made me feel at home, which further contributed to my wonderful experience. I would recommend this place for both groups and date night. The prices here are reasonable and definitely a bang for your buck. If you’re in search of food that will please your palate this is a must stop by destination.

GET THE MAC & CHEESE!!! Maybe need to get extra! lol. Great customer service! Has a mom and pop feel but the décor is very classy. I ordered the catfish, mac & cheese and husband ordered smothered chicken. Both were amazing. Will definitely come back! Price around $ 11-​$ 15 a plate and they do have a kids menu. Large helpings! Mac & cheese were great.

The food is great but it’s a long wait. Called in for pick up and less than cheery voice on other end and hung up due to long hold time. I’d eat here again, just budget your time for long wait.

Well dont get me started on the wait time seriously how long does it take to make catfish not seasoned properly tarter sauce was nasty talipa was hella soggy an with chicken batter really,? use cornmeal the greens was alright but missing onions or something i will never return yall will never get my money again #byefelicia why the talipa taste like dirt thumbs down to this place cat fish corner here i come

Atmosphere — they got one tv. The place really has a lot of character in it. They play rnb, jazz, and soul music.
Service– was okay, our server missed an order. Idk how since we were the only ones there before the place picked up 10 mins later. She noticed at the end when we were about done and apologized and gave us 20% off.
Wait time– it took them about 45 mins to get our food out. If you’re planning on spending 2hrs+, it might be worth it.
Food– I had the BBQ chicken w/​red beans and rice, & mac n cheese. The BBQ chicken did not disappoint, it was tasty and crispy. The rice was cold and it ruined the red beans n rice combo. The Mac n cheese was hot and steamy but lacking in flavour.
Idk if I would comeback to this place. It has potential but lacking. Even though it is a cook-​to-​order restaurant, the wait and the service ruined the overall experience.

The food here is really good. This is a franchise restaurant and the other one is located on proctor st. The menus only have a few different items. Although, the cooks make the food the same way it tastes better on proctor. Tip: the food is cook to order so it will take a while to get your food. Prepare to wait a while. Ether eat something really small before going or order a appetizer.

Ate at SOUL-​UP with my family today and was not disappointed. The food was excellent. We made a variety of choices… Ox Tails, Chicken Wings, Fish & Grits, Fish & Waffles, Macaroni & Cheese, Greens… EVERYTHING was well prepared and flavorful! The staff is personable, the décor is warm and inviting, the bathrooms are clean, overall it was a great experience. I encourage the community to support this endeavor so that we can keep it around. Well done!

The menu was very well put together. A lot of delicious meals to choose from that had me wanting a little of everything. I had the ox tails with rice. This was an amazing expression of SOUL food. The service was pretty well. The servers walked around all the time with water and asking us if we needed anything. The food hot. Plenty of side dishes to choose from. Overall a great experience… I would recommend this venue for anyone who loves authentic, back home, grandma’s Soul Food!

Don’t be in a hurry when you eat here. Because the food is as fresh as it gets, they literally prepare it for YOU. It’s clearly not cooked in advance, & is made to perfection. Their breading /​coating is the best — I usually pick it off. The fried okra appetizer was delicious & generous. Everything we ordered was wonderful, including the service. Rahma was very nice & attentive. The signs don’t look permanent, so we asked. Ordered signs are way overdue. Just look across Mildred St from Tacoma Community College, near Fred Meyer. Currently the sign by the road still shows the Bento restaurant. The signs over the door are in rainbow with an «S».

I’m so happy this finally opened & is so close to me! The food is OUTSTANDING! Best soul food ever! Love the decorations in this place, has a cool vibe!
We actually had the chance to chat & be served by the owner and she was honestly one of the most personable, welcoming and funniest person ever! Love her!
We ordered the fried chicken & smothered pork chop (my favorite) and it did not disappoint! Both was so moist in the inside, crunchy on the outside & big portions!!! For the sides we picked sweet potatoes, fried corn and Mac & cheese, all three were so flavor full and well executed (my mouth is literally watering while typing this!)
Then dessert came and I got the lemon cake and that was the freaking best cake I’ve put in my mouth, like it was addicting AF! I could eat an entire one if I could!!!
I just can’t get over the food I wanna come back ASAP but for now I’m just gonna enjoy my left overs ;)

Wonderful new addition to the UP /​West Tacoma. Soul just opened their second location right across the street from TCC on the West side of the campus. We’ve been watching them remodel and gear up to open, which they did earlier this week.
The interior is so warm and inviting! They’ve cleverly combined reusing some of the old décor while adding new touches and it really works well. They’ve created a very warm space for a nice lunch or dinner with friends. The staff are equally warm and inviting — pleasant, friendly and very attentive service. We were never lacking water refills or the removal of a finished plate. And this even though a fair number of tables were occupied today at lunch.
But on to the food… simply wonderful! We wanted to have a nice cross-​section, so we started with the Fried Green Tomatoes ($ 9.00) — delicately and obviously very quickly fried in hot oil — not at all greasy or heavy, and the tomatoes were firm and fresh with just the right tanginess. The dipping sauce was clearly home-​made, with a touch of Sriracha to add to the tang. Very well done and a generous helping — nine slices about 3 inches each! We each had 2 and took the rest home.
For entrees, I had the Grilled Pork Chop ($ 15.00) with my two sides being Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens. The chop was simply delicious — perfectly cooked, bone-​in, with a light tangy seasoning I can’t put my finger on — but very subtle and really added to the flavor. The collard greens were spot-​on perfect, and unlike many Southern restaurants, weren’t drenched in bacon drippings! The black eyed peas could have been cooked a little longer — they were a bit aldente/​crunchy for my taste but the flavor was very good.
Anne had the Blackened Catfish ($ 15.00) and again, it was perfectly grilled and seasoned. The blackened seasoning seems based on Old Bay with a couple other kinds of pepper added in — and in just the right amount — it never overpowered the fish at all.
But the far-​and-​away star of the meal was the Macaroni and Cheese. Heaven in a bowl! It comes out looking more like Crème Brulee than what you expect Mac and cheese to look like… in its own bowl, lightly browned bread crumbs on top. Creamy, perfectly blended in both texture and seasoning with a rich variety of cheeses, and served piping hot. I could have had just this one side and left content. If you try no other sides, you simply must try the Mac and cheese!
Lastly, the food presentation not only on our table but looking around is top notch. I’m used to Southern restaurants having a plate of «run together foods» — collard greens seeping into the fish or chicken, Jambalaya running over into the black eyed peas, and so on. Not at Soul. Everything «runny» has its own bowl. I really like that… nice touch.
Thanks to the folks at Soul for opening this new location. It’s about time this area starts rebuilding its dying restaurant scene, and Soul is truly a great new addition
Dave & Anne