Barbara Genes' Soul Food Cafe

I really enjoyed my experience. The service was amazing and the food was really good. Reasonable prices compared to most BBQ/Soul food spots. You can tell they just opened, but we felt comfortable eating there. There's a few tables inside with AC and a mounted TV. It was really clean. I loved the brisket and greens! The fried chicken was okay; I like my chicken fried super crispy and it wasn't. That's my only critique. Besides that I will be back. I want to try the ribs and sweet potato mash as well as the potato salad.

I went here one time and now this is one my favorite spots in LA. First of all, the food is INCREDIBLE! INCREDIBLE! When I tell you I inhaled this food! You can always tell when there is love put into food. It truly felt like I was at family's house. If you get a chance to talk to the Chef, take it. His stories about why things are the way they are in the restaurant really help paint that full picture. I love the outdoor seating. I can't wait for there to be events here. And there's plenty of street parking, so you don't have to worry. Just make sure you try it out! I can't wait to come back.

What a terrific family run neighborhood hang. The many sides were wonderful as well as the sweet cornbread muffins. The brisket was quality and the wings were so huge and perfectly fried. Truffle Parmesan fries were the bomb. Looking forward to their success in the neighborhood.

So originally my mom and I were headed to Legend's off of Florenece and somehow my ADHD self got distracted and was just looking around at other soul food/ BBQ places and we came across...Barbara Gene's. I pulled up the menu, the photos looked and the location was closer. And neither one of us had eaten all day, which can be dangerous with new places. Right? Don't let me hungry and the food is awful too! Call the police now because one of us going to jail. Not in this case, though. Now, upon our visit, Barbara Gene's has been open for about a week. So, super new. With that being said, it's a nice little place to grab you some eats. And use the term "little" loosely. They have plenty of outdoor seating, indoor seating but not as much as the outdoor seating. And they have a walk-up window section that provides seating while you wait. There was no one else there while my mom and I ate but they've only been open a week. Give them time. They can catch on. And they very well may. And it being a new place, mom and I decided to try a bunch of things: the 3-piece chicken lunch special, the brisket lunch special, the 2-beef link special and the 3 rib lunch special. Lunch specials are from 11am to 3pm. Write that down. All the specials came with 2 sides and 2 little cornbread muffins. These sides are probably the most decent sizes sides I've had in a long time from a BBQ/soul food place. I had the ribs and beef link specials so, my sides were: mac n cheese, baked beans, potato salad and fries. They serve the BBQ on the side and it's a little on the sweet side, but compliments the ribs very well. The ribs have a dry rub on them so they're flavorful. The baked beans have the same BBQ sauce in the them. Mom had the brisket and friend chicken wings...and actual chicken WINGs. Like, what the bird had on its body. Mom enjoyed the wings and brisket. She too had potato salad and fries, but had greens with smoked turkey, and coleslaw. Both of us thought the cornbread muffins were a little dry, but they were soft. Not as dark as my mom would've like them cooked. I was fine with it. Listen, they were edible, and with a BBQ sauce, they were fine. For all 4 lunch specials, dessert that my mom forgot she ordered and asked to be packed up, and beverages for the both of us...$76. Very reasonable. I now have a dinner and a midnight snack. Very hearty eats. And they have that good ol' music playing (Bill Withers, Luther Vandross, Temptations, etc.), not too loud but loud enough to enjoy the electric slide to. I would give them 4.5 stars, but Google likes to think it runs my life. Would definitely visit again.

Great family restaurant with delicious food. They have brisket and ribs for only $16! That’s $20 cheaper than the corner shop.

10/10 hands down the best soul food in Los Angeles Every bite was full of flavor and fresh Family owned Service was top notch Highly recommend

Awesome spot. Called on them last minute to provide for about 12 people. A couple little growing pains of a new business but what's invaluable is their desire to go above and beyond to make things right. The owner wasn't happy with how the ribs turned out so he upgraded me to the rib tips. They ran out of corn bread so he gave me complimentary mac n' cheese. This mentality will take them a long way and make customers for life. All the food was delicious.

Went for the grand opening and DEFINITELY will be coming back! The location is cute, with thks BESUTIFUL PATIO! The service was a little slow, but that is more because I was in a hurry. IT was worth the wait, though, because WOW!! THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS, and the portions were very generous!! You can't rush goodness like that. To be able to taste love in a person's food requires time, and you can taste the time put into the food. The brisket was the perfect softness. The mac and cheese was awesome. The collards were delicious. And the sweet potato mash had a delicious spice to it. Don't walk, RUN TO BARBARA GENE'S!!

Just stopped by here today after coming all the way from Orange County and let me say, if I lived closer, I would've came back to order more food. This is not an exaggeration when I say this is the best bbq I've had. I've literally given up on bbq in LA because it just doesn't have it for me, after my Texas raised grandpa died I haven't had bbq that I could say I actually loved, I literally had to make bbq myself to get my fix & let me just say mine ain't touching this. I came & ordered 2 burgers, & they were juicy, not soggy, even after the 1 hour drive back. The chicken soul rolls, (wish I ordered more) were ridiculous! I wish I didn't share honestly lmao! But I had to let everyone try because they were just too delicious! Ordered the side sampler, potato salad, yes it taste like your favorite auntie made it & she's the only one yall trust to make it at the cookouts. The Mac & cheese was flavorful & cheesy. The greens were tender & delicious, the sweet potato mash stole my heart, it's not something you're used to seeing on a bbq menu but when I tell you order it if they have it, do that! The sweet pairs perfectly with the savoriness of the bbq, I also dipped that soft & fluffy cornbread muffin in it because my big back told me to. :-D Also ordered 1 pound brisket and even after the hour drive, it melted...I've never had a more tender brisket than this, I can't make one myself so I'm extremely happy I know where to find some that is delicious! Now everyone knows I'm a sauce girl and NOBODY is touching this bbq sauce. If I could pay for the recipe, I got however much and I promise not to sell it. I just want it for myself, LOL! You can literally see the seasonings in the sauce. You can taste every seasoning and everything comes together so nicely, there wasn't one thing on that plate that I didn't cover in sauce. Order more sauce yall, trust me. I know if I ate all of this food after driving an hour and not warming it up and it still being bomb that it's even better when it's hot and fresh. I will be dining in next time to enjoy those friendly vibes and some more great conversation from this Barbara Gene's. This place really makes you feel like you're family and like you're at home. I love it, my boyfriend loved it, his brother loved it and also his friend from China who just experienced soul food for the first time loved it as well & you'll love it too.

My husband and I were on vacay in LA and wanted some ribs and Barbara Genes had very good reviews on Yelp. We were greeted by friendly staff with smiles and a willingness to help. We ordered ribs and were informed that they just ran out of ribs, which was a bummer but not a deal breaker. Instead, we ordered the Soul Rolls and maaan were they delish! Mac and cheese, collared greens w/ smoked turkey and chicken all wrapped in a perfectly golden and crunchy egg roll. These Soul Rolls far exceeded my expectations and it was like a soulful party for my senses as it smelled, tasted, and looked good. The side dishes of baked beans and whipped sweet potato mash were perfect as well. We will def be back the next time we are in town!

I went here one time and now this is one my favorite spots in LA. First of all, the food is INCREDIBLE! INCREDIBLE! When I tell you I inhaled this food! You can always tell when there is love put into food. It truly felt like I was at family's house. If you get a chance to talk to the Chef, take it. His stories about why things are the way they are in the restaurant really help paint that full picture. I love the outdoor seating. I can't wait for there to be events here. And there's plenty of street parking, so you don't have to worry. Just make sure you try it out! I can't wait to come back. B

THESE PICTURES DONT DO THIS FOOD JUSTICE!!!! Ordered this on Grub Hub on a whim. The driver service was great. Chicken soul rolls w dipping sauce, potato salad, and baked beans! Can't wait to try this restaurants atmosphere out in person. Good eats! Price for the combo, $15.00! #soulfood #eggrolls #delicious

The absolute best. Hands down. It's not even close. I felt like I walked into my family friend's house, and they knew I was coming, so they made sure to lay on extra servings of love-seriously, I could taste it. Just...just order the brisket and you'll understand. The Mac n cheese is solid-whatever combination of cheeses, I want that every holiday. The collard greens weren't mush and seasoned well, even the cornbread balanced everything! I think every family member checked in at various points to see how my friend and I were doing. The level of hospitality is unmatched and for sure I'll be back. It's family owned and operated-support local, support small biz, support while getting some of the tastiest bbq of your life!

OMG! I am picky picky and know my hubby's BBQ is primo and still I will vouch for Chef Eric! This Smoked Brisket is FYRE!!!! Collard Greens and Mac and cheese too! The cornbread is light and fluffy. This plate is so worth it in a sea of mediocre restaurants. Barbara Gene's Soul Food is the BOMB!

The food OMG!! Good! True authentic southern style barbecue!! They have a dish called a "Soul Roll"! Everything rolled into a big roll!

The food here is delicious. Sometimes you may have to wait because the food has to be prepared properly just for you. But trust me it's well worth It. I really enjoy the chill atmosphere, and the delicious fried chicken, baked beans and potato salad. But! Please don't just take my word for it , try it for yourself .!

Barbara Genes is PHENOMENAL! This is the kind of soul food you can can only get from someone who loves you. Do yourself a favor and get the brisket and the fried chicken. (The Mac and cheese is otherworldly. ) Overall, the food is flavorful, tender and most notably, consistently delicious every time.

Lovely patio lunch bbq plates! Crispy lightly fried chicken wings, deliciously succulent bbq ribs, bbq sauce and beans not overly sweet, greens with yummy turkey bits and no bitterness, tasty corn muffins and unusual Mac n cheese with sage vibes reminiscent of a Thanksgiving casserole. Had to get brisket to go along with leftovers!

Got a rib tip lunch. It came with 3 sides. Potato salad. Mac and cheese, and baked beans were all good. I really appreciate the quality. Meat was smoked well and tender.

Food was excellent! Rib tips and Mac & Cheese was some of the best I've had in LA. Highly recommend for anyone looking for quality BBQ in a city that desperately needs it.

Simply Amazing!!!! Top tier everything, and always satisfying!!! Favorite spot to visit in LA!!!

The food was amazing! Great customer service, and the owner is super nice. The restaurant also has a beautiful backstory that adds to the overall experience.

If you're looking for something savory and delicious this is the perfect place. Good service and a feel of home.

My girlfriend and I stopped by last weekend and had lunch. Eric and his aunt greeted us, told us the history of their family and the restaurant, and made great recommendations. The food was EXCELLENT! Later the same week, I worked with Eric to get a group order for a crew working on my house. Again, he came through with flying colors! There were NO leftovers. Barbara Gene's is going to be a staple in our community.

Service is horrible. Waited over an hour for three pieces of meat. Only if you want good service go to R&R in Carson way better service great food.

Amazing customer service and the food is truly great souther food. I will forever come back when I visit California

The chicken was incredible!! The Mac and cheese was , I'm very pleased with the food and will be ordering again!