Soul Secrets - Soul food restaurant in Cincinnati - 1434 Vine St, USA

We were visiting for the weekend and sought out a Black-owned dining experience. We found this place through Google. Had a great experience. Seated and waited on immediately. Our food came out very quickly. I had the catfish with collards and mac/cheese. Everything tasted great. I couldn’t eat it all. My companion had the chicken & waffles. He enjoyed it. Our server was attentive. Drinks were nice, and the banana pudding was pretty good. I will return when in the area again.

This place was absolutely AMAZING! The food, the atmosphere, and the staff were awesome. Coming from Louisiana, I was sort of skeptical about eating soul food, but this place hit home. It was like I was back down south, in my grandmother’s kitchen eating her food. Candice is an amazing chef owner great job 10 out of 10!!! Definitely will be back!!!

My husband and I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon and had a wonderful experience! All the staff were personable and polite. The food was incredible! We both had the 2 piece catfish entree which comes with two sides and cornbread. We both ordered an additional side as well. We were thrilled to see the portion sizes. The mac & cheese and sweet potatoes remind me of the ones my auntie used to cook for holiday meals. They were out of the banana pudding so we ordered the peach cobbler to go. We loved the vibe of the restaurant and could not get over how delicious everything was! I highly recommend Soul Secrets!

had the pleasure of dining at Soul Secrets, and it was an incredible experience. The food was delicious and they have vegetarian and vegan options. Don’t hesitate just run on over!!! The staff were remarkably friendly and accommodating, creating a warm atmosphere. What stood out was the personal touch – the owner, Candice Holloway, took the time to check on us and shared the inspiring history of her family and business. Learning about Soul Secrets' origin, rooted in a desire to connect with family added a beautiful layer to the dining experience. It's clear that Soul Secrets isn't just a restaurant; it's a heartfelt journey of family, tradition, and culinary excellence. I can't wait to see the continued success! Looking forward to visiting again.

I am visiting Cincinnati and many locals recommended The Eagle OTR for great fried chicken and comfort food, however, I found Soul Secrets to be even better and offer a more authentic soul food experience. The portions were very generous and my partner and I had leftovers to spare. We tried the fried chicken and catfish, and although both were excellent, the catfish was some of the best I’ve ever had. The breading was well seasoned and perfectly crisp, and the catfish itself was moist, flaky, and not at all ‘muddy’, which can often be the case. We also had mac & cheese, collard greens, sweet potatoes, and jumbalaya, which were all delicious.

Immediately coming into the place, we were greeted and seated. The place doesn't seem very big, though so I think the more this place gets noticed, the more it'll be filled quicker because there seemed to be only one waiter for about 10-12 tables maybe plus the bar! I noticed on their website there are things listed that are not listed on the actual menu like grits I believe my husband pointed out! Anyway, the waiter was very nice, friendly and attentive to us and others. Food came out in a timely fashion without others arriving after us being served theirs! We ordered 3 of the 3 piece southern fried chicken (white) meals which come with two sides and a piece of cornbread! My mother in law also got the 3 piece whiting meal and a slice of pound cake. The menu stated no substitutions, exchanges , or send backs after your food has been served though, which honestly came off a little rude and unprofessional to me. However, nothing we had, needed to be sent back at all! The fried chicken was cooked perfectly! The chicken breast was very juicy tender with CRISPY skin! The seasoning on them was good but not overwhelming like I've had at Galactic Chicken. The macaroni was cooked pretty well, but I prefer my macaroni noodles not to be as soft as they had them but still good! Sweet Potatoes were great! Not complete mush! Had some more solid parts and mush parts which I like and paired well. The greens were not great, but weren't bad either! I didn't finish those compared to the other sides, I demolished. I would have liked for the greens to be seasoned a bit more and had the turkey meat that is stated they are cooked with, included in my serving to give it more flavor. The whiting was good but a little bland. My mother in law stated the pound cake was ok but I believe she expected more of a glaze icing vs the cream cheese I believe it had. (Not certain though) The portioning of the sides were good though compared to a lot of other places like Mz. jades in Middletown. They don't give you enough bang for your buck on the sides like this place does. I do hope to return and try the chicken and waffles! ❤️❤️

Flew in from Austin, Tx. The entire scenery of the restaurant is amazing. It was very welcoming. If I lived here, I would definitely be a regular. I recently stopped eating meat but this place makes me want to reconsider. I had the vegan Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and Mac and cheese with a lemonade. The food was absolutely amazing. I was shocked at how authentic the Salisbury steak was. The mashed potatoes were seasoned and buttered to perfection. Our server Unique was great. Candice the owner is an absolute God send! I'm sad this restaurant isn't in Texas, but nonetheless I will be coming here everytime I visit. God bless this restaurant, the owner, Ms. Candice, and the hands that help. 💙🫶🏾

Came here on a Saturday night (9/23/23) Had a 45 minute wait, but no biggie. I got to explore a bit of the beautiful area surrounding this restaurant to pass the time. I ordered the 3 piece whiting fish meal. When I tell you EVERYTHING was seasoned to perfection. It is very rare that I go to a restaurant where I don’t feel the need to add salt or some type of spice to at least one item on my plate. This meal was perfect as is. No extra seasoning was needed. AT ALL!! The macaroni was FIRE! The greens were chef’s kiss and that fish?! Perfect. As far as cornbread, I’m just not a fan of it in general so I couldn’t rate it as I didn’t eat it. Gave it away. The portion sizes are definitely worth the $20+ for this meal.