Over the past decade, the traditional flavors of the American south have been showing up in kitchens from New York to Paris. Soul food, the subset of southern cooking with roots in the African American community, drives much of that popularity.
While these days, soul food appears on even the poshest of menus, the cuisine still seems most at home in super-casual settings, where plates are styrofoam and place settings are made of plastic.
Georgia Soul Food, which opened last year in the former M&J's Soul Food spot at the corner of 25th and St. Paul Streets, is one of those not-so-fancy places. There's no need to dress up for dinner there but with a menu stacked with traditional soul food options and staff that's as welcoming as could be, it would be tough to leave Georgia Soul Food without a full stomach and a big smile.
Scene & Decor The restaurant's decor is bare bones, at most. On the walls, a few pieces of homespun art extol virtues like "faith" and "hope" but otherwise, the space is utilitarian, with just a handful of tables and one television perched in a corner.
During our Thursday night visit, we placed our orders at the counter in the front of the restaurant and grabbed a table. Though the restaurant wasn't crowded, the kitchen churned out a large number of carry-out orders — the phone rang constantly. If our visit was any indication, Georgia Soul Food does a brisk business.
Entrees Fans of soul food will find the menu familiar and traditional. Lake trout ($9.25 with two sides) — the restaurant's nod to Baltimore cuisine — was flaky and enormous, coated in batter that was well-seasoned with just enough black pepper kick.
A fried pork chop ($9.99 with two sides) arrived doused in a vat of "secret" barbecue sauce ($1 extra), a flavorful, tomato-based sauce that was more sweet than spicy. The chop wasn't tender or thick, but we loved every chewy bite.
Of the sides we tried — mac and cheese, cabbage, candied yams and soft, pork-studded green beans — the mac was our favorite. Sticky and gooey, with bread crumbs on top, it was comfort food incarnate.
A chicken and waffles special ($6.99), including three fried wings and a big, sweet waffle, was as satisfying as the cheesy macaroni. The wings were cooked nicely — crispy outside and juicy in the middle — and, doctored with hot sauce and syrup, just right with the waffle.
Georgia Soul Food's menu includes a variety of inexpensive "add a bite" options, including a pig's foot ($1.99) that we couldn't resist. Gelatinous and porky, the fist-sized foot wouldn't be for everyone, but the kitchen did a good job with a challenging part of the animal. Because skill with less-than-choice cuts is a big part of what makes soul food so special, we were happy to discover that the restaurant did the foot justice.
Drinks We washed down our meals with big cups filled with half-and-half made with sweet tea and lemonade ($1.80). It quenched our thirst but next time, we'll go for America's original tooth-staining drink, Kool-Aid.
Dessert Georgia Soul Food's menu lists numerous desserts but during our visit, only two were available: apple cobbler and sweet potato cake ($3.50 each). We ordered both.
The cobbler, scooped and smashed into a round styrofoam container, was piping hot, tossed with fragrant cinnamon and spices. The mix was more apple than crumble, with the fruit cut in large slices and sugared until sweet.
The cobbler was good but the sweet potato cake was great. Similar to carrot cake, with cream cheese icing, the spongy cake was moist and packed with flavor.
Service At least some of the restaurant's business is surely a result of how just plain nice the staff is. From handing us menus and grabbing hot sauce to helping us choose dessert, every person we spoke with at Georgia Soul Food was cheery and on the ball.
That disposition wasn't just directed at the customers, either. While ordering, we could hear kitchen chatter. Not the words, just the tone. It was friendly enough to make us think that Georgia Soul Food is probably a great place to work. We already know it's a great place to eat.
===
Nearby reviews: Dish Baltimore - Charles Village & Waverly