Southern Café

Excellent Soul Food. Tastes almost as good as Mommas. No parking lot, limited street parking. On Sunday dinner buffet starts at 1pm. Arrive early to get best seat or your left waiting in a long line for others to finish. Abundant food supply and variety of choices for all levels of what you might be craving. Decent staff, owner very approachable and kind.

Definitely surprised everything was delicious on my plate everything had flavor only thing was the yams needed to be a little sweeter and more butter. Mac n cheese was perfect enough salt n cheese greens and cornbread dressing were 🔥 The peach cobbler dessert was my only issue it had way to much nutmeg. But I will definitely be back just will skip the peach cobbler next time worth my drive from the valley!

The Southern Cafe Restaurant was really good. It's nestled in Oakland. The parking is challenging, but if you want some good soul food, this is the place. Friday Chitterlings Special.was very good. It was awesome to have Chitterlings in May. The beef short ribs very tender and succulent. The Fried Shrimp were ok... I think the other meals were way more flavorful. The corn bread was good as well. The cabbage was excellent. Yes, I would go again. The service was goid as well. Our food was delivered in a timely manner...

Great soul food experience. I ordered the oxtail which comes with rice&beans, mac&cheese and green beans. Mac and cheese was good. Green beans were ok, amazing once I put it in my gravy. My oxtail was amazingly delicious with a perfect gravy and rice. My husband had the short rib with mac and cheese and cabbage that has ham in it. Who doesn't like meat with their veggies? The lemonade was addictive. My waitress service was mediocre at best. My cornbread came with my meal. She never checked on us after our food was delivered to our table even though she passed our table several times. She brought the lemonade we ordered earlier when we were almost done with our meal and even then she dropped it off and walked away. Next we saw her, she asked if we wanted a box and then delivered the check. So why did I still rate 5 stars? Her colleague, Kim, I noticed was providing outstanding service! While I was waiting on my lemonade and cornbread, I watched her deliver her patrons orders promptly and with an appealing attitude. She even took off the bread plates without my soliciting it. I was so excited by her work ethic that I tipped her way more than my waitress. We ate around 3p so restaurant wasn't crazy busy.

Good food , line was a bit long took me about a hour for my phone order but I did enjoy the food and the young lady taking the money was nice and made people put their mask on before getting close to the window.

Yes, this is one of the Guy Fieri reviewed restaurants . . . With that said, this review is based on our experience, and not to be compared to Guy's. This is a great little restaurant in Oakland, and it's worth the drive! Don't drive too fast, it's right at the corner of an intersection. It's a warm, cozy place, feels like home. The service was impeccable, staff was friendly and attentive. They have beer and wine, which we started with. Nothing too fancy, think comfort. Fresh, hot cornbread is provided as you look over the menu. OMG, melt in your mouth. But don't stuff yourself . . . especially if you're having fried chicken! We obviously ordered the fried chicken plate, with yam, and greens. And got an a la cart of the blackened salmon. Both were really good, the salmon though out did the chicken. This is a personal taste review - the fried chicken had GREAT FLAVOR but was slightly too greasy. They give you a 3 pieces, by the time you finish the breast, you're full. We saw many tables had ordered this, and many have wiped their plate clean. We could have as well. There's so much more on the menu we want to try and will definitely go back.

Good food. Great service. Wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommended when you are in the Bay Area!

The food was delicious. Everything was on point. The service, the food, and the music. Such a relaxing comforting vibe.

I love me some fried pork chops, mac & cheese, and collard greens!! on this day I forgot the yams, but everything was good! Service was good and fast since it wasn't that crowded, and the ambience was just like any other Cafe everyone had good energy.

But they're closed makes me sad I've tried to go several times but not open but there food is delicious kinda expensive now been going for 20+ years hope you guys open soon

I definitely will always give them 5 stars. The food is always so awesome. They haven't been opened for a while, however I really miss my oxtails and rice and gravy.

Wish they open the dining room back up. Togo orders are picked out on the side window, left of the front door. Better sinage explaining this would be great. But maybe I missed it while dodging the rain. In any event....I'll be back. Yummmm!

Southern Cafe man oh man I wanted love you! Soul food is my absolute favorite. My fat girl self can eat it everyday. It's so comforting and filling. I drive down this place nearly weekly and everytime I look the line is crazy long or they're closed. So one day the boyfriend and me drove by, hadn't ate and seen no line. So we stopped. Big mistake! I ordered Breaded Pork Chops with red beans and rice and mac! The pork chop had so much breading..... so salty. My cholesterol went out the roof. Rice was hard still, mac was just okay! Now on to my poor boyfriends meal... he actually wanted what I ordered lol! We tend to always want the same meals ag places but since i'm so picky he's always thoughtful and lets me get it then he'll order something different. He went with the Meatloaf with mac and rice and gravy..... i'm sure you can tell just by the picture of that meatloaf he wasn't very happy! I forgot to take a pic of what it looked like when we cut it.. but it was RAW. The sauce they smothered it in was disgusting. The gravy on rice was beyond salty. The only item edible on our plates was our mac. I wouldn't be back nor do I recommend them. There prices are way too high for the quality of their food. Oakland has way more soul food places worth checking out!

This place is about as close to my grandma cooking on the west coast as it's gonna get. Talk about a hearty Sunday dinner. They never miss! Food always good. They are neck and neck with Lena's; I hate to say it but they are in my opinion, as far as the taste and quality of the food.

Dang. Mac n cheese. Collard greens. Turkey wings. Be sure to put the hot sauce on the collards. This was magic. Will be back to have everything on the menu in the coming weeks. Thanks for the hospitality tonight!

Greatest soul food you could want. It's like some down home cookin in that there place. Loved it and would recommend

Always delicious! My favs are the meatloaf, rice and gravy and the yams . The chicken is always delicious with its crunchiness. Love this place!

The food at Southern Cafe used to remind me of beloved family favorites. Sadly, over the years, the quality of the food has deteriorated. Today will probably be my last meal here. My pick up order of fried catfish, collards, black~eyed peas, and candied yams was 1-1/2 hrs late. The 3 small pieces of fish was fried in old oil, giving the fish a burnt taste. I called to complain and they invited me to pick up a new order. The new order had 4 small pieces of fish, but it was also overcooked in the stale oil. It was inedible. The collards were full of tough stems. The black eyed peas were well seasoned. The candied yams were overly sweet, in my opinion. The food was over priced for the poor quality and service. I try to support in person dining establishments, especially after Covid, but I wish I had gone to JJ Fish. It would have been less expensive and tastier.

FYI, the restaurant is closed for repairs as of September 1st, which, of course, I found out the hard way craving my Thursday Short Ribs.

I wanted to placed an order on the weekend of October 14, 2023 and discovered they were closed for remodeling. It does not state when they will reopen. Does anyone have information on when The Southern Cafe will reopen? I was so disappointed to know they were closed. Betty

Stopped in this evening and order the catfish and smothered pork chops. Both were great. The staff at the window were both friendly professional and polite. It's not always easy to find that type of service. I would recommend this restaurant. Great service!

In my humble opinion, their food is some of the best I've ever had. I had the Short Rib dinner, with rice & gravy, collard greens, and yams. I got some catfish, and 3-chicken wings for later. Also two cornbread muffins. The Short Ribs were so tender, melt in your mouth. The collard greens were so flavorful. The yams perfect. I also ate one piece of catfish and one chicken wing. The entire meal was on point. Don't miss out on a fantastic opportunity of enjoying some real deal soul food if ever in Oakland, California Kevin D. McGee, President, NAACP, Anchorage, Alaska

Had the short ribs, yams & greens last month- delicious!!! I've had them cater our meal after a funeral and that was about 14 yrs ago - again, the food was delicious and everybody said so. I am primarily writing this, because one of the yelps said all 5 stars were "staged". How dare he!!! Well, makes sense, since he thinks KFC is great However, he made some good points. Let's start with an updated/correct menu posted online. I don't mind taking food to go, but wouldn't it help if you could phone in earlier?

The portions are extremely small and the food is not as tasty as it was prior to the pandemic. I was very disappointed.

Small portions (oxtails) for the price and we were missing the catfish dinner and correct sides. The oxtails were very tender. The cabbage & cornbread were excellent. The rice & gravy side was not the gravy from the meat and was very bland-we had to add seasoning. So with all this you might wonder, Why Four stars? Four stars because when I called to tell them about the error, they admitted the mistake and apologized. Mrs Bell told me she was off the following day but she would let Janae know to replace the dinner. I did not know the Sunday hours closed earlier so when I called to order at 630, it was too late. I explained I was headed out of town so their Thurs-Sun hours meant I could not get my meal until after my trip. Janae said she would make a note of it and I could come when I got back! Customer service is EVERYTHING, hope things go smoothly, making good on their promise when I get back! Stay tuned...I will definitely update this review. P.S. The parking is horrible & damn near impossible, give yourself extra time to deal with it. Definitely CALL ahead, avoid walk up ordering.

Has Southern Café closed permanently? You can email the person they leave on the message and no one answers just one and what's up so I won't keep looking back to see if they're open I saw that there was a post to open January 26, 2024. Can anyone give me an update? Is it seems as if you miss the Thanksgiving holiday, the Christmas holiday, the New Year's with out an update you're out of business. Hollaback.

My go- to spot for soul food well seasoned and always consistent with flavors greens good cabbage smackin I always get the veggie plate or the fried shrimp..

This food was ridiculously delicious. I couldn't even pick up the turkey wing without the meat falling off the bone. Tremendous flavor and texture. The cabbage and yams reminded me of my childhood, just completely flavorful. My son ordered the fried chicken and loved it. He also thoroughly enjoyed the Mac & cheese and rice with gravy. I really appreciate the steps they took to make ordering easy, while maintaining safe social distance. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our food, but it was way beyond worth it. Definitely going again.

Everything is good, ready to relax with the Sunday meal. Watch a movie Missing = Desert Always check the to-go thoroughly Tried to call. No answer now fo the to-go orders. They are busy it's Oxtail Sunday, I know. But you owe me desert or $. Thanks See you next time. Great rebound all is good. I just need to go back. Later

Worst service and establishment in all of Oakland. Inattentive staff. Severely long wait for a table WHEN ITS EMPTY!!! 15 mins for a menu, 15 more for water, 15 more to order and marginal food at a premium that takes 60-90 mins to serve, WHEN THE PLACE IS EMPTY!!! This business is hanging on for dear life and one visit will tell you why. KFC is a FAR cleaner more respectable restaurant. All 5 star reviews are staged. I've given it MANY chances. It's not worth being ignored or gouged.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food & service were! It's a pick-up order place, but the food was delicious! And I mean everything! Real talk. The chicken, catfish, fried shrimp & even the oxtails (oxtails well cooked, but not seasoned well. Nothing a lil salt and pepper couldn't fix. I highly recommend this place.

Don't come here is you're hungry!! No wait, no line and still going on 45 minutes waiting for our order. Even if the food is good, which I do hope they serve soon so I can try it, will it be worth this wait?? Crazy wait!!

Just okay. Very average. Disappointed the internet said live jazz band, but it was just soul music streaming. Buffet was eatable. Meatloaf was a little pink in the middle of thw slice. Catfish was bland. Food was served on the cool side. Not hot and not all that.

I love the owner and his family but I hate the new order and pick up from the inconveniently placed pick up window. The food is nowhere near the quality that I have been accustomed. I never thought I would ever say this after 20 years but, I AM NEVER GOING TO EAT THERE AGAIN.

Stopped by this spot on a Saturday afternoon. I really enjoyed the food. The turkey wings were seasoned well and were falling off the bone. The cabbage was good too. I prefer my candid yams seasoned to the point of just shy of diabetes (joking) but these were okay. Placing an order was easy. This is pickup and go service (no dine-in). Check them out. I'll be back.

This is still my go to for smothered turkey wings and mac and cheese. However last night I got some sweet potato pie and I was sorely disappointed. The tart crust was obviously not made in house, but even so, the middle wasn't cooked through. Also there was WAY too much cinnamon!! It bloomed on my palate like an atom bomb and I couldn't taste the sweet potato. I couldn't eat it.

Absolutely delicious!! We had the smothered fried chicken and pork chop, Mac n cheese, collard greens, yams and black eyed peas. Will definitely come back soon!

This place never disappoints! My go to soul food spot ! Love the Turkey Wings and Oxtails! Great customer service as well, would be nice if they open the dining room area again, but for now to go it is !!

Food is always consistent, been eating there for years. Blessings Short Ribs, rice/gravy, yams, string beans.

smallest oxtails in the bay ordered by phone was there within 20 minutes and my food was cold gravy solidif and Mac n cheese had a blanket of hard cheese over it no way they should of told me 20minutes I get there in 15 and my stuff cold I taste before I pull off plate was mid and back to the oxtails just small especially for a plate that's almost 40 dollars 10/10 would NOT recommend it's better places to get soul food or oxtails from in the bay such as Lenas touch or soul sweet fingers and tease was highly disappointed will not be coming back

The wait is too long. food is pricey not so tasty and they offer phone orders however no one answers. I ordered take out in person and waited an hour for food.

I've been going to this restaurant for years. The food was always very tasty and as close to home cooking as I could get without cooking it myself. I was leaving for vacation a few days after Thanksgiving and decided to forgo cooking and get food from Southern Cafe. Absolutely the worse decision ever. They offered a buffet option that included two meats, three sides and a dessert. I chose ox tails that were clearly old, very nearly spoiled meat. I could smell them when I opened the container but it was too late in the day for me to return them. The second meat was turkey, it was just okay. The dressing must have been made with Jiffy cornbread mix, it was sweet and disgusting. The rest of the food was unremarkable but definitely not good. Oh, and to top it off, the dessert I chose was pound cake. It must have also been made with Jiffy cake mix. Honestly, it was laughable that anyone would sell that inch high, dry, flavorless mess as pound cake. I don't know what happened, Southern Cafe use to be very good, now, I wouldn't waste my money!

Way too overpriced at $32 for a buffet. Food was ok. I'd say a plate should cost around $15 to $16. It wasnt $32 worth. Food was ok. Nothing to write home about. Just regular soul food. No special spin on anything.

Southern Cafe will not answer the phone when you call and they will not respond to emails. Their website and Facebook pages are not up to date. This is horrible customer service.

Awesome, Delicious, Yummy Food...got to give it a Try..You won't regret. It. Ox tails..OMG What more can I say. OYSTERS! Are definitely delicious and Delightful..won't regret trying them..They are Yummy to my Tummy!..enjoy Everything that this Wonderful restaurant has to offer.

I LOVE the food here, especially the smothered oxtail! Yesterday when I called to order they told me they were out of oxtails and I end up getting the smothered turkey wings. When I got there my food wasn't ready so i paid for my food and tipped them and moved to the side so she can take the other persons order. She told him that they indeed do have oxtails. I was shocked. She lied! Never had problems there before. Kinda sucks.

Yesterday I Purchased two meals and a side dish cornbread dressing. After eating my smothered pork chops I was forced to lay down with my blood pressure hitting the ceiling and my heart rate is 119. I knew when I first tasted that it was over seasoned and possibly too much salt and MSG; not sure if they use that or not however I was so sick I had to lay down. I called the restaurant and spoke to a manager. I explain to them what it happened her explanation was I'll go back and tell the cook. They didn't offer a replacement and I didn't ask for one because I'm not going back again.

I still do not like giving one-star reviews, but I'm giving this restaurant one. When I try new restaurants, I spend money getting a lot of food just in case I luck out and do not like certain items. In this case, I disliked all of the items. I do not have pictures because this food was disposed of with quickness and without hesitation. It smells like soul food, it looks like soul food, but it doesn't taste like soul food. The cornbread muffin was dry and flavorless. I don't recall ever having to spit food out as I did with the fried pork chop. The fried chicken tasted like it was cooked in old oil. The cabbage was soaked in vinegar or something of the like. The greens were all right. The yams were not on point. The rice and gravy were not on point. This restaurant missed the point in getting it right when it comes to soul food. Hang it up because this just is not it.

I rarely post a bad experience but I was so taken aback by how I was treated tonight. Although I acknowledge I went 30 minutes before they closed I went to the window and had a conversation with the young lady about what they were "sold out" of. After waiting another 25 minutes to get my turn to order I'm told "Oh we stop taking orders at 8:30". This could have been avoided by letting me know from the onset. However, they just took the guys order in front of me 5 seconds prior. SMH I absolutely Love the food! I mean it's good good but their level of customer service and un-professionalism discourages me from returning. I hope they get better

I was just at the famous Amy Ruth's in Harlem, which I enjoyed, but I can tell you straight up that this place is even better! Better in food, better in service and better in ambiance. To top it off, unlike Amy Ruth's, the Southern Cafe is located right here in the Bay Area. Came on Sunday for their buffet lunch, when it is a popular place for the after church going folks. Steady continuous flow of business during the entire time of our almost two hour stay inside this casual, but cozy place. Food - this is where they excel! Think all the classics: deep fried chicken and catfish, collards, red beans and rice, black eyed peas, yams, mac and cheese, iced cake, etc. Add to that an obligatory huge salad. However, who really comes here for a huge healthy salad? Not. Sodas were included, and I even treated myself to fruit punch. My faves were the fried chicken, fried catfish and mac and cheese. Wow! I can't say enough about that oh so cheesy mac and cheese. Servers were plentiful, always offering soda refills and checking to make sure all was okay. Owner was on the premises today, and he is always nice and friendly. You won't be needing dinner after lunch here. We got here at 1pm, it's midnight now, and I'm still not hungry.

DEE-LISH-CIOUS!!! I feel like I've been living under a rock because I am only now trying it out. I drive by all the time and tell myself that I have to try it, but somehow I always forget. Went in on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch. The place is a decent size and had a good amount of people for mid weekday. We had to wait a bit before being seated. Service was all right. You get what you need, they check up on you once in awhile, you eat, and you leave. Simple We ordered the fried chicken (dark meat) a la carte and the oxtail as an entree because it comes with 2 sides. We picked the collard greens and mac & cheese. Food took quite some time, but IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAIT! The fried chicken was not over breaded like most places. Skin had a good little crunch to it and the meat was so incredibly juicy and tasty. All I did was add some hot sauce to it, AMAZING! The oxtail was cooked to perfection. So flavorful and tender. It was bcasically fall off the bone. The gravy went so well with it, and it was perfectly flavored without being too salty. I LOVED the collard greens as well, but the mac & cheese was just okay to me. Small gem in Oakland with the best fried chicken and oxtail by far! I want to go back to try the fried fish already.

Reopening June 5th 2020 for takeout and delivery New menu and hours! FRIDAY 12-7pm SATURDAY 12-7pm SUNDAY 1-7pm

The southern cafe is good food. It's a nice place to get soul food on this side of town.

The food is amazing! I'm talking about home cooked soul food. I love the cornbread dressing on Sunday. I wish the indoor dining and buffet would open back up. Be prepared to wait over an hour for your food. Most of the food is already prepared so I don't really understand the long wait. I'm assuming the fried food is cooked to order but even then it should not take over an hour.

Ordered a meatloaf dinner with red beans and rice, greens and yams...and I must say it was HORRIFIC! Meatloaf was salty af/ dry and had helluh carcinogens on the bottom of it (burnt black stuff on food) I GAVE IT TO MY DOG!!! Greens were super soft! Yams FA sho came straight out a can.. wasn't even carmelized/ sticky! Them red beans and rice was nasty af. Beans was hard with hard instant rice was horrible! Sorry NOT sorry... u would think that it being "black" owned they would know how to use the seasoning and flavor and cook their own rice instead of using instant rice! Will never come here again. I thought it may have gotten better over the years, boy was I wrong! The reviews posted are people who have diminished taste pallets

Love this place! I've been coming here my whole life. It gets crowded here fast so it's best to come during the week. Parking is a nightmare no matter what day or time you come but I promise you it's worth the struggle. TV's on the walls are great for watching sports. The music playing R&B on the overhead speakers had me grooving in my seat while browsing the menu. I almost forgot I wasn't in the car lol. This is my fav soul food spot in Oakland. Everything is seasoned well and cooked to perfection. The turkey wings could be more tender but still hella good. GET THE MAC N CHEESE!!!! I promise you will thank me later. Snapper is a high commodity so sometimes they will run out. I haven't eaten a dish here that wasn't good!

Southern Cafe is situated on the corner and the window on the side is perfect for easy take-out orders! It won't be hard to find them because there is always a group of folks waiting patiently for fried chicken, oxtails, macaroni and cheese, cornbread muffins, etc. If you haven't experienced this food you are in for a full stomach! I have been here many times over the years and highly recommend it!

I'm glad I found this place on yelp! My bf and I came here after craving fried chicken and this place was bomb! We didn't have to wait for a table on a Friday night around 7:30. I ordered the fried chicken, all dark meat, with collard greens and corn, and my bf got the Mac and cheese and beans as his sides. The breading on the chicken was perfect and the meat was so tender! My sides were delicious too. I had a bite of the Mac and cheese and that was yummy too! Oh and the meal even comes with rice and gravy! So much food. Why only 4 stars? They didn't have a batch of corn muffins ready so we never got them even though I saw other tables get some later on. Our server never checked if we wanted any when they were ready even though I asked him about them earlier. My bf also ordered a regular Budweiser twice but he got bud lights both times, and not wanting to waste beer, my bf just drank them. That being said, I'd still come back. I really want to try the corn muffins!