Soul Street — Local services in Baltimore

I decided to visit Soul Street after seeing a story about its opening on WMAR. The mission resonated with me.

I visited for dinner on a Thursday evening. The restaurant had fewer than 20 people, and everyone was seated in the bar area.

I was seated quickly. They have a QR code on the tables to get the menu. It it appears that you can place your own order, but it wasn't clear to me, so I asked my server to take my order.

The menu is a la carte. I ordered fried catfish, potato salad, greens, and mac-n-cheese. All were ok. The fish was hot and served on a piece of Texas toast, although I'm not certain it was actual catfish. People around here pass swai off as catfish. (I'm from Mississippi, the catfish capitol, so I know how real catfish tastes.) The greens were tender but had too many stems for my liking; the potato salad was mayo based, but I liked that the potatoes were cut very small; the mac-n-cheese was a bit dry and the cheese left an aftertaste. All of the sides were served in individual small skillets or bowls.

I wanted peach cobbler, but was told they were not making any. I then ordered the chocolate cake only to find out that they did not have chocolate ice cream, so I had vanilla. It's a rich cake, very dense, and was served cold, which I didn't care for. Serving it at room temperature would be better.

The food came quickly after the order was placed. The server was attentive and did a good job checking in regularly.

My only issue was when I asked for the check. The server had a handheld device and did not have a printout of the receipt for my review. I asked for a printed receipt and was provided one. Upon review, I noticed an $11.80 "service charge - 20%" had been added to the bill. The receipt also had an "add tip" line.

As I was reviewing this, I overheard a lady at the next table ask if the service charge was the tip and her server told her no. The lady asked what the service charge was, and the server tried to explain it.

The service fee is a tip and should be honored as such. Furthermore, there should be signage somewhere that informs patrons that a service fee is added to all checks and should clearly explain what the fee covers. That fee should not be a surprise. I have no issue paying, but additional fees for no real purpose other than to have people double paying for tips is not okay.

I will visit again and will encourage others to...

Soul Street seems to have a lot of potential, but they definitely missed the mark during my visit. I came into the restaurant as a party of one. My waitress was fine, but she didn't have a chance to shine because the kitchen held her back. The were out of the crab egg rolls so I had to place a second order. At one point when she came to check on me, I had to verify that actually placed the order, because it was taking so long.

Even though it was a Saturday night at about 7 PM, the place was empty. (That's not hyperbole. One other gentleman came in after I placed my order.) Since I was the lone customer in the restaurant I couldn't understand how it took about 25 minutes for my fries to arrive. I was the ONLY customer. I was even watching to see if maybe there were a lot of to go orders. Nope.

I will say that my bartender was good and so was my cosmo. For the pleasure of this overall mediocre service, a 20% service charge was added to my bill (they are added to all bills). I probably would have tipped anyway because I've worked in food service. But if you're going to take the choice away from the customer AND call it a service charge, you gotta deliver good service.

I can't in good conscience recommend this restaurant because even though the tip charge is guaranteed, the service is...

Soul Street in Baltimore is an absolute gem! From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere that feels like a family cookout. The menu is a BBQ lover’s dream, featuring off-the-bone ribs, jerk chicken sandwiches, and the best cornbread burger sliders with a burbon sauce I’ve ever had…..wait I’ve never had a cornbread slider 😆 YOU HAVE TO GET IT if u visit. The flavors are rich and authentic, and every bite is a delight. The service is top-notch, with friendly and professional staff who make you feel right at home. Our server was Meeka. The experience was excellent. Ira(OWNER) is such a blast and down to earth spirt knows all about IPAS and cigars which you can enjoy on the patio . Soul Street is a must-visit for anyone in Baltimore looking for delicious BBQ that warms the soul. Highly recommended! Must haves are the cornbread sliders,Mac n cheese, jerk rib tips, chicken quesadilla, and Meeka’s Long Islands. Happy hour was fabulous so many great dishes at HH prices like WOW 👍🏾…Karaoke started around 830p and I sung until I had no voice. It was a vibe will be...