HYPERLOCAL NEWS HUB BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM
Soul Fish Café Keeps It Simple with Classic Southern Comfort Food
By Peter Dupont/MicroMemphis Reporter
October 24th, 2011
Soul Fish Café, doesn’t it sound like the kind of trendy restaurant you might find in New York or Los Angeles? I was expecting (dreading) some kind of hip establishment that would try to charge me $37 for a piece of fish or a steak, with some type of garnish that I wouldn’t be able to pronounce.
Thankfully that was not the case, as Soul Fish Café has been serving up simple food for a reasonable price since 2006.
Let's start with the Catfish Basket, the restaurants most popular item according to Serafina, the young lady working the cash register. “Catfish dusted with seasoned cornmeal, friend golden-brown, served with fries, hushpuppies, and slaw.” Get two pieces for $11.75, three for $13.75, or four for $15.75.
A catfish fillet, with one vegetable on the side will cost you $13.25. Two pork chops, $13.75. A tilapia fillet, that’s $10.75… The descriptions make these items sound really basic. They have eight side dishes to choose from, all for $2.75.
The section of the menu that caught was for the Po' Boys. Soul Fish has four options. All are served on “New Orleans style rolls.” The Chicken Po' Boy is pictured above. It's described in the menu as a “blackened chicken breast with lettuce, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese.”
October 24th, 2011
Soul Fish Café, doesn’t it sound like the kind of trendy restaurant you might find in New York or Los Angeles? I was expecting (dreading) some kind of hip establishment that would try to charge me $37 for a piece of fish or a steak, with some type of garnish that I wouldn’t be able to pronounce.
Thankfully that was not the case, as Soul Fish Café has been serving up simple food for a reasonable price since 2006.
Let's start with the Catfish Basket, the restaurants most popular item according to Serafina, the young lady working the cash register. “Catfish dusted with seasoned cornmeal, friend golden-brown, served with fries, hushpuppies, and slaw.” Get two pieces for $11.75, three for $13.75, or four for $15.75.
A catfish fillet, with one vegetable on the side will cost you $13.25. Two pork chops, $13.75. A tilapia fillet, that’s $10.75… The descriptions make these items sound really basic. They have eight side dishes to choose from, all for $2.75.
The section of the menu that caught was for the Po' Boys. Soul Fish has four options. All are served on “New Orleans style rolls.” The Chicken Po' Boy is pictured above. It's described in the menu as a “blackened chicken breast with lettuce, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese.”
A local favorite is 'The Cuban Po' Boy', “smoked pork tenderloin, ham, pickles, mustard, Cuban mayo, and Swiss cheese.”
There is also a Catfish Po' Boy, “fried catfish with lettuce, tomato, and a homemade remoulade.” Also on the menu, a Po 'Boy dedicated to the River City, 'The Memphis.' It's described as a “smoked pork tenderloin, bacon, coleslaw, and BBQ sauce.” All the PoBoys are between $8 and $12. For dessert, choose between a root beer float or eight kinds of pie. Chocolate, caramel-pecan, lemon, Mississippi mud, chocolate, banana, caramel, or strawberry…avoid all if you’re on a diet. Pieces of pie are all less than $5. Located on 862 S. Cooper, Soul Fish Café is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. My waitress said it’s most busy during “normal lunch and dinner hours.” I have no idea what that means, I’m a college student who hasn’t entered the real world yet… |
Five-Years in Cooper-Young
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Peter Dupont / MicroMemphis Reporter
Peter Dupont covers food & drink and recreation for MicroMemphis.
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