Alfreda's Soul Food

When you walk into the Third Ward mainstay Alfreda’s Soul Food, it’s usually pretty quiet, except for the faint sounds of soul diva’s crooning over the speakers and the light sizzle of fish frying in the kitchen. Since 1965, the modest counter service joint has been serving hearty Southern classics heavy enough to weigh down a truck in an atmosphere that makes you feel at home.

The atmosphere at Alfreda’s is fairly understated—a few paintings, some tables with their signature red and black chairs, and a view of the kitchen where the staff performs a few small miracles to bring out some of the best soul food the city had to offer. The simplicity feels comforting. Most people who stroll into Alfreda’s are on a focused take out mission. But with the smells of fried chicken and smothered pork chops wafting through the dining room, the to-go warriors might sneak a few bites before heading home.

A meal here goes smoothly—in fact, the only difficult part about dining at Alfreda’s is deciding on how to fill your styrofoam meal tray. Each plate comes with one entree, three sides, and a hunk of buttery cornbread. After making your decision, in a few minutes, a tray filled to the brim with sides will hit your table. Grab a large sweet tea to wash down your meal and contemplate why it tastes sweeter in a styrofoam cup. And even if you do decide to eat your meal in the dining room, we’ve never left Alfreda’s without having a few leftovers to snack on later. It’s like the portions were sized to ensure that everyone has at least two meals in one tray.

If you aren’t on a first-name basis with the staff at Alfreda’s, the food might convince you to stop here enough to become a regular. Come here when you are in need of a comfort meal and don’t have six hours to spend in your kitchen. Or bring enough friends to order everything on the menu and create your soul food tray power ranking. 

photo credit: Ricahrd Casteel

photo credit: Ricahrd Casteel

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Food Rundown

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Smothered Turkey Legs

The turkey legs here come smothered and covered in a thick gravy, as all good smothered turkey legs should. The meat underneath is impossibly tender and makes this one of our favorite main dishes.

photo credit: Ricahrd Casteel

Mashed Potatoes

Deciding which sides to include on your Alfreda’s tray is tricky, but the mashed potatoes have to be included. Pillowy and topped with gravy, we can’t think of a better side to have.

photo credit: Ricahrd Casteel

Black-Eyed Peas

Smoky black-eyed peas compliment any main dish served at Alfreda’s. Get them as a side or get them a la carte. Do whatever you need to do to ensure that you don’t leave without tasting them.

photo credit: Ricahrd Casteel

Fried Catfish

A soul food staple, the fried catfish comes with a dash of heat from the Creole spice, and golden crackling skin that sounds like a campfire.

photo credit: Ricahrd Casteel

Candied Yams

With a heap of cinnamon and brown sugar plus the tiniest hint of citrus involved, the candied yams should technically count as dessert, but we’ll happily take them as a side on our styrofoam tray.