Walter's Soul Food Cafe — Restaurant in Atlanta

The food is overpriced and the cooking is C ranked, at best. I came to this place and both my father and I ordered a larger oxtail dinner, and we were both greatly disappointed.

There was a woman in front of me ordering food, and she order that last of the oxtails. I was disappointed, not with the fact that I may not get oxtail, but but what was being put on her plate. She ordered a regular sized oxtail dinner. The oxtails that were being put on her plate were more like crumbs of what was left over they were so tiny. She was going to pay $13.50 for crumbs. Some fresh oxtails came out of the kitchen and the serve tells the lady in front of me, "I am going to give you some big ones since I gave bunch of small ones" ; she one gave her one more. I was able to order some "fresh" oxtails, so I ordered a large oxtail dinner. My dinner came with 4 "large" pieces (they were mostly bone and fat) and 3 "tips of a dog's tail" sized pieces, two sides(squash and mac and cheese), and a piece cornbread. I wondered if the server didn't hear me correctly and mistakenly given me a regular plate instead. However, when I arrived in front of the cashier she said, "large oxtail dinner, OK that will be $16.40

On our way home, my father and I couldn't stop complaining about how disappointed our plates looked. I struggled to understand what was the difference between the regular dinner and the large dinner. Hoping to not be as disappointed with the taste of the food as I was with the look of the food, I began to eat. I was not pleased. The oxtail gravy was nothing but salty brown water. My mac and cheese was salty and my...

NO, WALTER!

Though the staff was VERY FRIENDLY, the food was a big disappointment.

The turkey wings were unremarkable and drenched with a yellow, watery gravy that was like overly-diluted canned chicken noodle soup. The rice underneath those wings, swimming in gravy water, was instant (boil-in-bag?) and flavorless. They were out of cabbage, so I accepted the canned turnips, which were seasoned well, thank goodness, but they need somebody in their crew who knows how to make some cornbread. The little square they served me was a flat, solid block. It had no rise, no fluff, no flavor. Just picturing it again make me mad.

Please stop passing that off to the public as "cornbread!"

The pinto beans were good, though. I just didn't have any good cornbread to enjoy along with them.

I wish we'd gone to The Beautiful Restaurant. Or that K&K Restaurant hadn't been closed for the day (it was after 5 pm). Or that we'd tried A1 Restaurant way down on MLK, because I've read some GREAT reviews about them, and a family has said they're good. Or that Big Daddy's downtown near the courts hadn't been closed for the day. Or that you could still sit down and eat at The Busy Bee.

Going out to eat soul food should be SATISFYING...to the soul.

It's all right with me if I NEVER go to...

I’ve been going to Walters now for about 20 years. I visited the restaurant today (8.31.2023) to get some food since I was in the area. The service was horrible. The worst I’ve ever experienced. The woman that was serving the meats and the cashier both were rude. I, as always, was waiting patiently until my time to order. I noticed how those ladies were very friendly with the customers before me. I greeted both ladies with smiles, as I always do, but both ladies greeted me with eye rolls and cold looks as if I had did or said something wrong. I haven’t been to that place since I worked on Cleveland Avenue in 2020 so they couldn’t have thought I was someone else. I live closer to Johns Fine Food on Jonesboro Road in Forest Park Ga so that is where I usually go when I want Soul Food. At John’s the food is always great and the customer service is amazing. I will not be going back to Walter’s. That was a big mistake stopping there. When I use to frequent that place in the past, the service was much better. Now, the employees that they have serving the public are rude and very disrespectful. I would Not advise anyone that’s looking for Soul Food in the South Atlanta area to go there. Either visit John’s Fine Foods or google another place. Worst experience of the year for...