West Virginia doesn't have enough soul food restaurants. So when I learned of one opening in Welch -- at the bottom of the state -- I planned a day trip without delay. Rosco’s Soul Food was a locally owned restaurant in downtown Welch that was known for their plates, which included options like ribs, brisket and pulled pork and sides like mac & cheese, fresh collard greens and yams. It was a fairly small operation with only a handful of dining tables indide. I tried the cornbread, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, mac & cheese and potato salad. All delicious and beyond tender. The mac was a bit dry. Have you been? Grade: B

"IN 1947 LUCY JACKSON, A SELF-TAUGHT COOK DECIDED TO OPEN HER OWN RESTAURANT. WHILE WORKING ON DEVELOPING A NAME FOR THE BUSINESS, SHE RECEIVED SOME UNCOMMON INSPIRATION FROM A COUPLE OF SOURCES. FIRST, WHILE ON A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA, SHE SAW A PICTURE OF A BEE ON A LARGE MOVING SIGN, AND VIEWING IT AS A SIGN, DECIDED TO NAME HER RESTAURANT AFTER IT.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SHE WAS MOVED TO HELP AN AFRICAN MISSIONARY BY PROVIDING AHOT MEAL FOR HER. THE MISSIONARY WAS PREVIOUSLY IN ANOTHER WELL KNOWN RESTAURANT, BUT COULDN’T AFFORD TO BUY ANYTHING TO EAT. SHE WAS TOLD, “GO DOWN TO BUSY BEE, MOMMA LUCY WILL FEED YOU!”. THE MISSIONARY WAS SO REFRESHED AND ENJOYED THE MEAL SO MUCH THAT SHE WAS MOVED TO ENCOURAGE THE ASPIRING ENTREPRENEUR THAT BECAUSE OF HER KINDNESS, HER BUSINESS WOULD ALWAYS BE BUSY, AND THAT IT WOULD ALWAYS BE BLESSED. IT WAS THESE TWO ENCOUNTERS THAT INSPIRED THE NOW-FAMOUS NAME “BUSY BEE.” reads the website.



The classic southern restauranr has earned a James Beard Award for its menu of chicken, catfish, sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, ribs, porkchops, greens, okra, pie and more.

After placing an order online and waiting for a loooong time, my name was called, and I dug into my fried chicken, mac & cheese and candied yams immediately. Every bite was delicious - seasoned to perfection with big flavors that were so soul-soothing.



Grade: A

"Today, Mary Mac’s is the last of sixteen tea rooms that once dotted intown Atlanta in the 1940s. The food is undeniably comforting, the atmosphere feels as familiar as your grandmother’s kitchen, and our staff treats every customer as if they were serving their long-lost cousin a holiday meal. We welcome you to come enjoy Atlanta’s Dining Room, where we have proudly served classic Southern cooking and hospitality since 1945! If it’s your first visit to Mary Mac’s, be sure to ask for your complimentary cup of pot likker and cornbread!" reads the website.



Back in 1945, Mary MacKenzie opened Mary Mac’s Tea Room near Peachtree Street on Ponce de Leon Avenue. In those tough days right after the end of World War II, enterprising women in search of a living, some of them mothers widowed by the war, were establishing restaurants all over Atlanta. At the time, a woman couldn’t just open up a restaurant, so many female proprietors used the more refined Southern name of “Tea Room.” Mary Mac’s Tea Room was one of 16 tearooms in Atlanta and seated 75 guests. Today, Mary Mac’s is the only original tearoom that remains.



Mary Mac’s originally opened with one dining room; today, we have 6 bustling dining rooms and a full service bar. The restaurant has expanded to 13,000 square feet, occupying several storefronts, and is one of the city’s five-largest restaurants. Though our restaurant has grown over the years, it’s still 1945 in the kitchen. We still do things the way Mary MacKenzie and her successor, renowned owner, Margaret Lupo (1962-1994), did things. Every morning, we shuck bushels of corn, hand wash our carefully selected greens, and snap fresh green beans by hand. We bake our own scrumptious breads and desserts, like old fashioned banana pudding, coconut cake, and fresh Georgia peach cobbler, and brew up the best sweet tea - “Table Wine of the South”.



I was served homemade cinmamon rolls to start. These were small and thin - and actually gave it some texture, which is usually my chief complaint with cinnamon rolls.



Then, it was potlikker and cornbread, which is complimentary for first-timers. Potlikker is the rich, flavorful liquid that's left over from slowly cooking greens or beans in a pot. It's a staple of Southern cuisine and is often seasoned with salt and pepper, smoked pork, or smoked turkey. Potlikker can be eaten as a meal on its own, or used as a base for soups, stews, and gravies.



Then, some of my favorite dishes: shrimp & cheese grits, macaroni & cheese, and sweet potato souffle. Hot, comforting and flavorful. It doesn't get much better.



Grade: A

"The Southern Kitchen WV is woman owned and community driven. Sharell Woodward, a graduate from West Virginia's own WVU strives to not only feed the soul's of those in the community but also invest in the community... because there is no community without UNITY!"



This restaurant is unique in a few ways. When I first entered, there is a hostess stand that primarily looks as though it's a carry out restaurant. But you can enter the dining room behind that stand. then, there is kind of a bar upfront and also some lounge-like seating. I think they were still getting into their groove when I visited, but food can trump anything.



I did the "Pick FOUR: (2) Meat (2) Side" - Baked Mac & Cheese; Pasta Salad; Meatloaf; and Sweet & Sour Meatballs.



The meatballs were by far my favorite. I love the sweet and sour juxtaposition. I would have loved some more sauce with the meatloaf and some more *oomph* with the pasta salad. You can't go wrong with mac & cheese in my book. Some really good, some OK.



Grade: B

A soul food restaurant opened up on High Street called Lin San Soul Food. 



Soul food is special, and I certainly think Morgantown - and West Virginia as a whole - would benefit from having more of this homestyle, homemade cooking that often incorporates family favorite recipes. 



I struggled a little bit to catch them open and then when I caught them open, they weren't actually ready to serve yet. So the timing was a bit chaotic. But once I passed that hurdle, I was excited to see what they were offering.



On this day, it was only mac & cheese and oxtails while I was there. That was OK, because it was what I wanted anyway. The mac & cheese was OK, but not fully warmed up all the way through. That would've helped because the flavor wasn't bad. And the oxtails lacked a little bit of that deep, rich flavor that melts in your mouth. They were still good, but a little tougher than I've had elsewhere. Again, not bad but a little room for improvement. I'm happy to see them there and think some of these kinks can be worked out. 



Grade: C

Big Mike's Soul Food in Myrtle Beach was quite the experience. I placed a pick-up order online and then pulled up to the restaurant. That's really where the adventure began. 



"Big Mike’s Soul Food is Myrtle Beach’s down home spot dishing up big plates of southern comfort food as well as southern hospitality. We have a variety of dishes that are sure to fill up your soul. Some of our staples include: fried chicken, collard greens, fried fish, corn bread and much more. On your way out the door we want you to remember Big Mike’s as: Soul Food the way his mother made it!"  



Once I arrived, I saw a huge line. Surely, these were people waiting to order, right? Negative. These were people who already ordered and were waiting for their food. After waiting for what was easily an hour, I received my plate and left the crowded lot to dig in.



While my breaded shrimp were a bit lackluster - not super flavorful and a bit mushy - the sides were all delicious. The mac and cheese has melted cheddar on top, the potato salad was creamy but zingy, and the sweet potatoes were sweet and soft and delicious. 

Grade: B

Soul Food Twist is one of Huntington's newest restaurants and has been pretty active on social media about all restaurant's ups and downs. So, it's been fun to watch their journey. 



They first entered my radar when I saw they were crowdfunding to open the restaurant. Soul food?! Caught my attention real fast - we need more of these in West Virginia - and specifically the Metro Valley area. After a series of false starts, the restaurant finally opened to customers lined up around the building. Constantly. Until they were sold out.



I had to make plans to arrive at the restaurant right around opening time to get in line to make sure I got a plate. On this particular day, I ended up here about 45 minutes after they opened, and they were already sold out of a lot of items. But, I ended up with southern string beans, mac attack, and bbq pork chop. Plus, I got a piece of a tasty cinnamon cake with buttercream icing. 



Now, I had asked for a double portion of mac, but they had just the one I received left. And, I wanted to go with meatballs - the other entree option - but they were out of that too. But, someone must've been looking out for me because this plate was bangin'. A Pork chop might be one of the last things I'd order on a menu. But this was so tender, topped with a sweet and tangy BBQ that I kept coming back to. The mac & cheese - or mac attack - was tasty, and I'm glad I got some greens on my plate. I can't wait to try another meal.

Grade: A

Soul food is aptly named. It's food for the soul. It's comforting, nourishing and tells a story of home recipes.



"While not all Southern food is considered soul food, all soul food is definitely Southern.

Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African-Americans in the Southern United States. The expression "soul food" originated in the mid-1960s, when "soul" was a common word used to describe African-American culture. At its core, soul food is basic, down-home cooking that's been passed down through many generations, with its roots in the rural South.

The staples of soul food cooking are beans, greens, cornmeal (used in cornbread, hush puppies, johnnycakes, and as a coating for fried fish), and pork. Pork has been almost limitless in a number of uses in soul food, from seasoning vegetables and stews to dehydrating and pickling staples like pork rinds and pig feet and ears (DELISH)."



Wild Wild West Soulfood Express is a new soul food restaurant on the West Side that is carry-out only along Washington Street. I came across their Facebook page and called in an order: Homestyle Meatloaf dinner with sides of mac & cheese and candied yams. They also have options like fish, pork chops, chicken, black eyed peas, collard greens and more. 



There was a little bit of confusion on pick up and then paying, but after that was cleared up, I was able to take my meal home and dig in. The mac & cheese was by far the standout! Cheesy, thick and a bit sweet. Perfection. The yams were also delicious - makes me think of Thanksgiving dinner. The meatloaf was good, a touch on the dry side, but the flavor was there. Overall, not bad.

Grade: B

Sweetz Da Snackery is a Beckley restaurant that specializes in soul food. They've been helping the local community during the COVID-19 pandemic and is a Black-owned business. Just a couple reasons I wanted to support them as soon as possible.



The building is bright - yellow and red - so it's definitely eye-catching! When you walk inside, there's a small shop to the right where you can get candies, snacks and drinks. Ahead, there are the main offerings of the day.



On this day, I went for the fried chicken and macaroni & cheese. Plus a Grape Crush. I mean, does it get any better?



The chicken had a nice crisp breading. Usually I'd choose a drumstick, but these were tasty. But let's talk about the macaroni and cheese. This is literally one of my favorite foods - whether it's blue box Kraft or a homemade style. But this, this was a different level. A heaping portion of baked sweet and creamy mac & cheese. The kind that I beg for here in Charleston. It's just... so good. Do yourself a favor and get some ASAP.



Grade: A

You can't miss Martha Lou's Kitchen in Charleston, South Carolina.


The pale pink building sits along the road with a logo in the middle and giant fish art off to the side.


Hidden behind those doors is one of the tastiest soul food restaurants around - it's been recognized by the New York Times, The Travel Channel and Martha Stewart as one of Charleston's finest restaurants.


So I had to try it out. I walked inside, found a seat and looked over the menu. I ordered fried chicken, cabbage, maced macaroni and bread pudding. I also ordered a water, but received what I think was sweet tea - and the best dang sweet tea I've ever had in my life. Very sweet.


If this isn't the pinnacle of comfort food, I don't know what is. And, I had plenty of leftovers.

Sumthin' Good Soul Food opened about two years ago, but they recently moved locations.

And, soul food is one of my favorites so I'll take any excuse to get some.

I went for the "Chunky Butt Combo" - pork butt deliciousness; our owner created this deletable dish for you to enjoy served over rice or on a bun.

I got that with Momma Fran's Mac N Cheese and Momma Fran's Candied Yams. Clearly I'm a fan of Momma Fran.

They scooped out my choices and gave me a plate full of deliciousness.

What's your favorite thing here?