The 9 Best Soul Food Restaurants Near Riverside

Updated: May 10, 2022

Salivating at the thought of soul food? These are our top Riverside restaurants when we need this Southern fare. We analyzed millions of diner and expert reviews from top sites for the best soul food restaurants in Riverside. The venues below are where we go when we need collard greens, cornbread and peach cobbler.

Find the perfect restaurant

The 5 best breakfast and brunch spots in Riverside
Hoodline, 2019

3 Best Barbecue Restaurants in Riverside, CA
Three Best Rated

If you travel further

3 Best Seafood Restaurants in Moreno Valley, CA
Three Best Rated

How did we curate these results?

We know how tough it is to find the best restaurant in Riverside. We analyzed 264 lists and articles from top sources like Three Best Rated and Hoodline, 10624 Riverside restaurants’ ratings across Google and Yelp, and 823905 reviews – all with some boam magic to make sense of the madness. The spots that made the cut have been featured in Three Best Rated - 3 Best Seafood Restaurants in Moreno Valley, CA, Three Best Rated - 3 Best Barbecue Restaurants in Riverside, CA and Hoodline - The 5 best breakfast and brunch spots in Riverside. As restaurants continue to adapt to COVID-19, you can trust us to show the latest information on which restaurants are open and how with our real-time data recommendation engine. Restaurants can’t pay to show up on this list, so enjoy the best food with no agenda. These ten options are sure to delight.

Frequently asked questions

Two of the highest-rated late-night Soul food spots are Messi Soul Kitchen and Gram's Mission BBQ in Riverside.

Messi Soul Kitchen and Gram's Mission BBQ are the highest-rated Soul food restaurants for a quick lunch in Riverside.

Messi Soul Kitchen and Gram's Mission BBQ are the highest-rated Soul food restaurants that serve breakfast in Riverside.

Gram's Mission BBQ is the highest-rated Soul food restaurant that is good for groups in Riverside.

Messi Soul Kitchen and Gram's Mission BBQ are the highest-rated Soul food restaurants offering delivery options in Riverside.

Drink pairing tips

The ideal pairing for fried chicken
Experts often pair fried chicken with a glass of Riesling, a popular white wine.
Champagne with your fried chicken
With its dry flavors, Champagne matches a fried chicken really well because it acts as a palate cleanser for the fatty dish. You won’t go wrong with this sparkling wine.
Enjoy fried chicken with Tempranillo
To elevate your fried chicken experience, we recommend some Tempranillo to go with your dish. This pairing works especially well because this red wine cuts the fat with its tannins.

Interesting facts

The history of macaroni and cheese
If you happen to think of Northern Europe, just know that the macaroni and cheese was invented there in 1769.
Priceless or overpriced?
The mac and cheese which costs $200, can be ordered at the Barton G.
2,493 pounds of fried chicken
2,493 pounds is the record for the biggest fried chicken. We hope people were hungry!

Parking info

Parking has always been a challenge in Riverside. Luckily, you can secure parking stress-free with our partner SpotHero, a digital parking reservation service.