Olean’s Cafe

Easily the best food in Tallahassee… period! Seriously, no matter what you pick EVERYTHING is amazing! Love the baked and fried chicken! The Mac and Cheese is out of this world. If you haven’t been there your really missing out

Olean’s fried chicken is no joke!
Gotta eat some real soul food before leaving the South! So that’s exactly what I did. Came on a Wednesday around lunch time. This hole in the wall joint doesn’t offer much for ambiance. But the food is another story! I was trying to decide between the smothered pork chop and the fried chicken, my friendly server said: you gotta try the fried chicken! So I got myself a dark meat (no shame) fried chicken plate with collard greens and mac ‘n cheese and sat down to eat.
The fried chicken is so crispy and flavorful. It’s seasoned and fried to perfection. It is possibly the BEST fried chicken I’ve ever had. Extraordinary! The mac ‘n cheese is average IMO but the collard greens is remarkable! So juicy and mouthwatering. Food was plenty, I could barely finish. Ppl are so sweet and friendly here!
Come get yourself some real soul food, it’s good for your soul! Make sure to order the no bullshit fried chicken and slap yo mama collard greens. YOU ARE WELCOME!

Had this one bookmarked for too long.
Easy to find and the staff there was so nice. I had a hard time choosing from all the yummy breakfast options, so as usual, I ordered WAAAAAAAY more than I could eat.
Everything was so good! It’s nice to hit a spot where they take the time to make food right and season it properly as well. Love breakfast joints, but hate having to add salt after an item is cooked!
Can’t wait to bring the family to eat here. A great gem in our community!

Wow. I’m down here for work from Washington, DC. Found this place on Unilocal and had to go since it’s tough to find real soul food in DC. I met the owners and they were so friendly.
Everyone was incredibly nice.
All the food looked awesome. I wasn’t super hungry so all I got was a biscuit with sausage gravy — it was so flavorful and that was definitely a home made biscuit!
I loved that they have 3 different Obama specials!

This is a locally-​owned café on Adams Street near the FAMU campus that serves up home cooking from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every week day and until 12:30 on Saturday. It’s decorated by Miss Olean in the theme of things she holds dear. No cheesy boat paddles or otherwise tired early 20^th century reproduction items to serve as wall decorations. No corporate abstract art or looping satellite radio. The atmosphere is folksy, genuine, and inspired by the famous Miss Olean. The food is equally inspired by this working machine of a lady. Her kitchen runs like clockwork and the homemade omelets, grits, biscuits, cakes, and southern vegetables & meats can’t be beat. She is delightful and her place shines because of her. Come see for yourself!

This little gem. Oh my! The food! The people! I absolutely love everything about O’leans. My favorite thing to get is Fried chicken, Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and beef gravy. The meat is so incredibly tasty and flavorful. I’d say at times, the chicken maybe on the saltier side but it’s such a small detail. Also a fan of their cornbread. Every time I want to try something else… I don’t lol. The only way I’d try something else is if I buy multiple plates and you know what… id be okay with that!

Foods good for the soul, as advertised! Cheese grits, scrambled eggs, chicken wings and cornbread. …

The only reason I am giving 4 stars is because they have limited hours and I can rarely go.
I live for THE JESUS PASSION JUICE. It is so tasty. I love Olean’s good home cooked soul food locally owned. This is my go to spot for baked mac and cheese. They have in-​expensive breakfast specials too!
When you walk in its a small space with so much history definitely a go to stop if you are visiting Tallahassee. Gospel music is usually playing.

The city’s best soul food hides in plain sight at Olean’s, located across from FAMU’s campus on S. Adams Street. The old school menu behind the employee fixing plates listed a slew of Southern favorites including smothered pork chops, ribs, chitterlings, and of course, fried chicken. Breakfast is also available all day.
On my most recent visit I selected the Black History Month aka MLK Special (available all month). It included two pieces of dark meat chicken, two sides and a 16 oz drink for $ 5.99. A leg, thigh, and a serving of greens and mac ‘n cheese filled my box. Cabbage, corn, green beans, and yellow rice were also available. Olean’s completed the meal with a corn bread roll.
Olean’s fried chicken was delicious. It is what all fried chicken wants to be, perfectly seasoned, crisp on the outside, and moist on the inside. The mac ‘n cheese was also amazing. Elbow macaroni is covered in cheddar cheese and baked until it became a mass of gooey deliciousness. The greens were a close second, and made eating vegetables delicious.
On top of the great food, the service is friendly and Miss Olean, who usually works the cash register, is a delight.

Came here for lunch after being told they had the best soul food in Tallahassee. So me and a Coworker decide to try it out. Now because I live in Atlanta I know good Soul Food so I was ready to eat.
Well I have to say I was a little disappointed.
First most if the items they were offering were empty.
No oxtails, no pork chops. Thus was mid day. And we asked if they had more coming they said no. Anyways, I ordered the fried chicken. Mac&cheese and greens.
Sides were great and chicken had a wonderful taste. But it was room temperature.
Maybe I just caught them on a bad day but I am not impressed

I waited in line for about 15 minutes. Gospel music was playing, which reminded me of being in my grandmothers house. It got pretty warm after a while, and was uncomfortable. I ordered smothered pork chop with macaroni and cheese and collard greens. I didn’t care for the flavor of the collard greens. The Mac and cheese was delicious, very cheesy and didn’t lack in flavor at all. The pork chop was very tender and delicious. My sister ordered fried chicken (dark meat) with the same sides. The chicken was tender and juicy with excellent seasonings. Overall I like my food, and will go back.

Soul food served up with a warm smile by miss Olean herself. Her greens and fried chicken made me want to cry!

Bottom Line: This is one of my absolute favorite spots. I hope you’ll find it equally intriguing and good.
Oleans is a TLH landmark, as far as I’m concerned. Looking for THAT breakfast, lifted right out of a Deep South diner 80 years ago? Look no further. Oleans is the real deal. I love Earley’s, but Earley’s doesn’t capture the essence that is exuded here. It’s just a whole bunch of goodness.
The goodness is supported by a constant Gospel & Spirituals soundtrack piped in from above.
While there is no Al Fresco option, the windows are large and provide a streetside experience. Sit at a table where W. Palmer T-​bones S. Adams and enjoy not only the automotive and pedestrian traffic outside; enjoy the complete inside going-​ons as well.
Inside, there’s a mix of folks ordering «to-​go» (a mystery to me — the food is proven to taste 142% better while on premises here) as well as dine-​in. The décor is unmistakably FAM’. Refreshing, in a town dominated by garnet & gold. (Go ‘Noles AND Rattlers!)
I’ve tried everything here. Everything. Yes… That means I’ve had the chitterlings… I really wanted to like them too. The texture is fine — it’s simply the repugnant yet mesmerizing flavor that doesn’t permit me past three or four bites. Thinking about it makes me shudder.
Ok — I’m still here @ Oleans. Let me get a refill on the coffee, and let you go!

I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying Oleans for breakfast and lunch. Now I know the Obama breakfast serving is for two, but I order it so I can have it for breakfast and lunch. It’s my favorite! Their pancakes are awesome! For lunch, I’ve only had the fried catfish because it’s so good. I love catfish and Oleans fries her to perfection. A true staple on the community that provides good food, hearty portions and a welcoming environment.

I am shocked Olean’s has not made an appearance on Diner’s.Drive Inn’s and Dive’s yet because this establishment is definitely worthy of it… located on top of the hill right across from the FAMU Main Gate Ms Olean has been serving up the best soul food breakfast and lunches in town for years. at breakfast I always order the «omelet» which is more like an egg casserole… I call it the «anvil» because its a hunk of egg casserole loaded with eggs.potatoes.sausage.beef.onions.peppers.tomatoes and covered in cheese. so good… if that sounds like it might put you in a food coma you could opt for the «smaller» Obama Breakfast named after Candidate Obama who ordered it after a campaign stop in town in 2008… this «smaller» breakfast consists of grits. eggs…pancakes.bacon.and sausage… if your here for lunch there are several mains you can order from but the only one I can talk about that I have had because I order it every time is the fried chicken… anybody that has lived here for a while will till you Oleans has the best fried chicken in town… there is a reason every Florida Governor for the last 40 years has eaten her fried chicken… it’s that good… perfectly seasoned. juicy chicken served with a crunchy batter that just falls off the bone… nobody comes close to her chicken. all the standard soul sides are available, but I always get some combination of mac and cheese. collard greens. and black eyed peas… all lunches come served with a big biscuit as well. Olean’s is nothing fancy as you stand in line and order cafeteria style and they put your food in a Styrofoam To Go Box… there are some tables in there to eat at, but it is so tight for space that not many do that… this is a place to get your food and take it back to your house. office or a park when the weather is nice… Olean’s is just a well run locally owned place where the owner (Ms Olean) is usually there with a friendly greeting serving up great food at a very reasonable price… in a town with very few legendary local places still open… Olean’s is one of them… see you on DDD one day Ms Olean!

This is the best soul food in town. The chicken just fall off the bone all juicy and delishus. That mac and cheese dont play neither. I think we can safely call it cheese with some mac!!! Get a big olé scoop of greens and a fluffy sweet dinner roll and get your scrump diddly on. Dont be shy this food aint playing you gotta mean business…

Hands down best breakfast in tallahassee. Keeps your stomach on point till late afternoon. Has that grandma house after church feel

This is an old chandlers hamburger building that has been many things. However, Oleans has lasted the longest and I understand why. There are just a few seats and an extensive menu of good southern cooking. I ordered two lunches for carry out. It was before noon and not everything was out on the cafeteria style line. My friend ordered white fried chicken, Mac and Cheese and green beans. The green beans had a strong onion flavor which She didn’t like but I would have. The chicken was fresh and amazing — even after being in the plastic take out container for a little while. For me, I had the smothered steak over yellow rice and fried okra. The steak was thick with a nice batter and smothered in a flavorful brown gravy. I’m not sure of the cut of meat but I cut it with my little plastic fork! I did not have to add any seasoning to the rice or meat! The fried okra was dropped fresh into the oil when I ordered it. I’m not sure if they bread their own okra or not but it sure was good! The corn muffins were ok — a tad sweet and would have been much better if I had ordered some greens or black eye peas. They put out cakes, individually wrapped and they looked too good to pass up. There were pound, key lime, white w/​choc frosting and lemon cakes. All in all, I can’t wait to go back and have some veggies and cornbread. My meal was $ 7.50 plus tax. Don’t forget to tip!

Friendly staff and huge portions! We were starving today, and were too lazy to get up early for breakfast food — but luckily Oleans serves breakfast until 3 pm. We walked in and were greeted by the smell of homemade cooking. Yum.
The girl at the counter today was very sweet, and explained the menu and recommended the Jesus Juice. We ordered the Obama, which is grits (1 dollar more for cheese in them) sausage patties, eggs (better than Canopy Roads…) pancakes or French Toast and bacon. All in generous portions.
The French Toast is plenty with a cinnamon taste. The pancakes taste so homemade and buttery! I think you could split an Obama breakfast and be satisfied. It’s plenty and delicious.
Now. I don’t know what is in that Jesus drink punch, and I don’t drink soda… but that punch is yummy. Not too sweet and it goes so well with the food…
Yes, the food is greasy, and it is not the healthiest… but it is certainly satisfying! I took a nap after that delicious food. in fact I’m finishing some of that yummy delicious left over bacon. The service is wonderful. Ms. Olean and her staff were nice… and I will be back. :)

After hearing about Oleans in NPR, we decided our next trip to Tallahassee would include a visit. Hubby had the Obama breakfast and was not disappointed. I chose Miss Olean’s Omelet, which is more of a baked egg/​meat/​veggie/​cheese casserole. I ordered the cheese grits, which could have served 3 people. The food was excellent and will definitely be back later in the day for the much praised fries chicken. Music, faith and love create a great ambiance. Miss Olean was at the register, and came out to visit is at the table. She is a treasure!