Bee G.
Google
I was excited about visiting the restaurant; I was glad to learn they have a location even closer to my area. The facility is clean, spacious, and resembles a cafeteria. The staff’s demeanor was ok. I was surprised to learn that, like a cafeteria, you have to go down an assembly line. Customers cannot order to individual specifications. We ordered catfish, collards, mac and cheese, and yams, which came with a cornbread muffin. Since I am a very good cook, I can be a bit of a "Soul Food Snob." Besides, we have a Black-owned Soul Food restaurant minutes from where we live, where they "throw down.
Nana Morrison’s Soul Food is not that good. There was no happy medium. Everything sweet was too sweet, like the tea and yams (which were soupy). The collards had too much vinegar and gave a hint of "Glory" canned collards. I prefer greens seasoned with ham, ham hocks, turkey, or pork salt, but I enjoy them without meat as well. However, you can't saturate them with vinegar--if they're seasoned right, a splash of vinegar/hot sauce will do. The catfish had the right texture (crispy coating, softer inside), but it was miserably bland. I could've doctored up a box of Jiffy and it would've been tastier than the muffin they served (yikes). The biggest disappointment was the baked mac and cheese. I only ate a spoonful and couldn't stomach the rest. It was a step up from Kraft in a box with a ton of Velveeta. Anybody who uses Velveeta in their mac knows it will overwhelm the dish if you use too much of it. By the way, the bill was over $80. bucks which is not bad if the food is good, but it wasn’t.
Finally, I may give the location in Cary, NC, a try, but we will not return to the Charlotte location. They need Nana back in the kitchen because the chef is slipping.