In search of a new favorite soul food spot?
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top restaurants serving soul food around Detroit, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to achieve your dreams.
1. The Jamaican Pot
Topping the list is The Jamaican Pot. Located at 14615 W. Eight Mile Road, the Caribbean spot is the highest rated soul food restaurant in Detroit, boasting 4.5 stars out of 191 reviews on Yelp.
Serving Jamaican fare, you'll find dishes like the Jamaican oxtail stew, the red snapper, brown stew chicken and jerk chicken. Sides include cornbread, steamed cabbage and rice and peas. Finish your meal with some peach cobbler or carrot cake.
Yelper Mehdi A. said, "By far the best Jamaican spot in town! Fresh oxtail, red snapper, they have it all. Fast. Family owned. Well priced. The jerk chicken is simply amazing, seasoned perfectly. The meal is the way to go; comes with rice and peas, plantains and cabbage."
2. Detroit Vegan Soul
Next up is West Village's Detroit Vegan Soul, situated at 8029 Agnes St. With four stars out of 325 reviews on Yelp, the vegan and vegetarian soul food spot has proven to be a local favorite. It has another popular location over at 19614 Grand River Ave.
The menu is 100 percent plant based and features items made with organic ingredients. Look for options like the Soul Platter (mac and cheese, collards, maple-glazed yams, black-eyed peas and a cornbread muffin); tofu in sweet house barbecue sauce with kale and potato salad; and tempeh smothered in brown mushroom gravy and served with mashed potatoes and green beans. (See the full menu here.)
Yelper Erin S., who reviewed it on June 29, wrote, "Who says vegan food can't be comforting, rich, even decadent? Each time I'm at Detroit Vegan Soul, I'm reminded how delicious healthy food can be."
3. SavannahBlue
Downtown's SavannahBlue, located at 1431 Times Square, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the cocktail bar, New American and soul food spot four stars out of 279 reviews.
The menu features soul food dishes like the shrimp and grits (Parmesan grits topped with Cajun sauteed shrimp and andouille mushroom gravy), the braised oxtail with cheddar risotto and crispy root seasonal vegetables and fried buttermilk-battered chicken with collards, candied yam casserole and maple-pecan sauce. (See the full menu here.)
Yelp reviewer Sally C., who visited on Aug. 3, wrote, "Extremely delicious fried chicken with maple syrup and pecans for dipping. Yum. Candied yams were good, but the collard greens were out of this world. My husband had one of the best crab cakes we ever tasted."
4. Baker's Keyboard Lounge
Baker's Keyboard Lounge is another go-to, with four stars out of 167 Yelp reviews. Head over to the jazz and blues spot at 20510 Livernois Ave., just south of Ferndale, to see for yourself.
Serving up soul food since the 1930s, its menu offers options like fried chicken, beef short ribs, liver and gizzards, fried pork chops, catfish, meatloaf and more. Sides include yams, collard greens and black-eyed peas. Round out the meal with some peach cobbler. (See the full menu here.)
Yelper Alexis S. wrote, "Great music, great food and great drinks — what more could you ask for? Baker's definitely lives up to the reputation it has. A small intimate jazz spot, with great entertainers. They played hit after hit. I had the chicken wings with mac and cheese and corn, and definitely wasn't disappointed."
