Simply Soul

This place should be a top spot on your list of eateries in Niagara! Our last night in Niagara was New Year’s Day, dining spots were hard to come by. After two failed attempts at other places being closed, we landed at Simply Soul. It was just under an hour before close, but we were friendly greeted and seated. We were a little hesitant as we were the only patrons dining in, but after sitting for a few minutes we soon realized this place was a local favorite, as their DoorDash orders were hopping until right up to closing time. The owner knew several customers by name & told their dashers to be sure and wish them a happy new year. We ordered Fried Chicken & Oxtail with rice- Collards, Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Fried Cabbage, and they threw in some free black eyed peas for luck in the New Year. The wait time was about 25ish minutes for food, but you can’t expect fresh fried bone in chicken in under 22mins & when I say it was worth the wait, YALL!!!! IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT, I would wait longer for this quality food. I’m not from the Deep South, but I am from the south & know what good soul food should taste like & these meals were FIRE. The chicken skin was the crispiest I think I’ve ever had. I’m not a huge gravy fan, so I asked for it on the side, but l could have drank that whole bowl of gravy! The collards & cabbage melted in our mouths and were packed full of flavor, the Mac had a blend of real cheese, no fake stuff, the cornbread was thick & perfect, even the black eyed peas we couldn’t stop eating. The oxtail was so tender & just fell off the bone. There wasn’t one thing we could have asked to be done better. Between the time deciding on our order & the cook time we were there after close, but never once felt rushed and the food was hot and fresh. I wish we had found this place on our first night & not the last, we’d have eaten there at least one more time.

The food and portion sizes were phenomenal. Food was seasoned well, came out hot and was well worth the wait. We tried a few different options: Fried Shrimp appetizer; Fried chicken with dirty rice & Mac & cheese; Oxtails over rice, yams & Mac & cheese. SLAMMING. The waitress was kind, warm, welcoming, and served us with a smile. The restaurant was close by our hotel in the Niagara Falls area. Atmosphere gets 4 stars because although it’s a Black owned friendly, family restaurant, some staff members had on head scarfs and plain clothes, no uniform shirts or anything. Just my opinion, other than that, I’d recommend this restaurant hands down.

If you’re in Niagara Falls you got to eat here. My husband and I went for lunch after visiting the aquarium and it was delicious. The portions are huge and the staff was very nice. The kitchen is small so expect a wait for food, but trust me it’s worth it. I got the Catfish nuggets with a side of mac and cheese and cabbage, and cornbread. My husband got the fried chicken, mac and cheese and cornbread. All of it SLAPPED. If we’re ever back in Niagara Falls we WILL be coming back!