Southern-style Soul Food hits the spot

If you're ever walking down U Street, stomach grumbling, and gourmet hummus just won't do, then Southern-style Soul Food is where you need to be. But don't expect Van Gogh prints or waiters named Jordan or Cass. Most of the menus are handwritten and hanging precariously with old scotch or duct tape. And there's a good chance that the dude greeting you at your high school cafeteria style-table is selling watches out of his pocket. Once the smell of turkey wings simmering, fresh, baked mac-and-cheese, and collard greens hits you, your taste buds will water with delicious, back-home nostalgia.Don't Soul Food without tasting the collard greens. Cooked to perfection in what tastes like meat stock, they are flavorful without tasting salty. Coupled with the sticky, mac-and-cheese the sides are sure to please.

Now those turkey wings! In addition to being meaty and massive, they are seasoned and fall-off-the-bone juicy all the way through. With their awesome blend of spices, green, and red peppers, the wings will have you ignoring your napkins for every lick of flavor on your fingertips.

"You just get more of our [our food]-it stays in your stomach, unlike, say, KFC," said Jay Rowell, one of the men who runs the business and prepares the food. "And it tastes good too!"

Southern-style Soul Food is located at 1934 14th Street, NW, and can be reached at 202-387-0908. For lunch, the turkey wings, mac-and-cheese, and collard greens will cost about seven dollars, but expect to pay more for dinner portions.

Top 5 Soul Food Restaurants in DC

1. Oohs and Aahs
1005 U Street NW
202 667 7142

2. Brown Sugar
928 U St. NW
202 462 2370

3. A Taste of Carolina
1930 9th St. NW
301 213 2555

4. Southern-style Soul Food
1934 14th St. NW
202 387 0908

5. Horace and Dickies
809 12th St. NE
202 396 1083