Beaumont, Texas is one of our favorite cities in the great state. It’s old, rough and around the edges and home to some of the best restaurants in the Lone Star. At Sonny’s BBQ II you can get a square meal of fried chicken, pig feet, homemade hot links, fried fish, smoked boudin, and pork ribs.

Gary, Indiana has never been on our food radar but that just changed. We’re dying to get up to ‘Scary’ to have a plate of soul food at Mama Pearl’s. Collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and fried shrimp are featured on the menu, and Mama Pearl is over 100 years of age.

Out in Lafayette soul food mainstay Country Cuisine had a 31 year run before the price of oil dropped and 40k people in Acadiana lost their jobs. An obituary is in order.

We have eaten soul food all over the world. Istanbul, Bratislava, Zagreb, Oakland, New York, Knoxville…we’re always on the hunt for hotplates and meat and threes.

The best we ever had was in the great state of Alabama.

Retired cop Frank Wheeler has put down his shooting iron and opened up Ruthie’s Restaurant in Brundidge in the eastern part of the state.

“The lunch and Sunday menus vary but we have in-season vegetables such as collards, turnips, potatoes, field peas and snaps, corn. We have desserts like peach cobbler, banana pudding, sheet cakes and brownies and tea comes with the meal. We don’t let you go away hungry.” Mr Frank says.

Gran Gran’s Catfish and Soul Food in Waxahachie, Texas has been up and running for 15 years. The family behind the business, the Medlock’s have their eyes set on becoming reality TV stars but til that happens they’ll continue putting out “catfish, meatloaf, pork chops, baked chicken, turkey wings, collard greens, mashed potatoes, yams and cabbage — all served with a side of fries, pickles, peppers and bread”