Soho Chicken + Whiskey — Restaurant in Cleveland

Daaaaamn, SOHO, where have you been all my life? A family friend told me they have the best chicken & waffles in town, but I'd just never made it over to try them. On our six-month marker, my boyfriend surprised me with dinner here; because it was a Tuesday night, we were seated quickly, & though there were a few other tables filled, the ambiance was generally quiet & low-key.

We split the Jalapeno hushpuppies served with "comeback sauce," which our served described as "Probably a mix of mayo & ketchup?" It was better than it sounds, I promise, & the hushpuppies were perfect - lightly spicy, very crispy, & not too dry, like hushpuppies sometimes are. We were also served a few pieces of fresh, hot bread with house-made seasoned butter & some kind of jam (I forget what kind) that I would've eaten with a spoon if it were an option.

Needless to say, we were carbed-up & happy by the time our meals arrived, but we'd left plenty of room for dinner. And good thing! My boyfriend ordered his fried chicken "evenin' style," served with mashed potatoes, braised collards, & sausage gravy; I,. of course, ordered mine "mornin' style," with a rosemary waffle & Ohio maple syrup. The other option, which I'd love to try, is "late-night style," with pulled pork mac 'n' cheese, & smoked cherry bbq sauce. I KNOW, RIGHT? They're all served with boneless chicken - a breast & a thigh. I don't like dark meat, & getting it with all-white meat wasn't an option, so my boyfriend & I swapped - all-white for me, all-dark for him. A good trade, but I wish I could've just ordered it the way I wanted it.

That said, everything was delicious. The waffle was hot & soft, & the chicken was perfectly done, with the crispy coating so fresh that it was sliding off of the meat. I was too full to eat all of it, but I took one of the breasts home for leftovers the next day. Just as good afterward!

SOHO has a number of interesting-sounding items on their menu that I'd love to go back to try - but honestly, the mornin'-style chicken was so tasty that I don't know if I could bring myself to order anything else!

Minus one star for the very slow service, because only one server seemed to be working that night, & she was also playing hostess - crazy! Though she was very friendly & accomodating, the fact that she was flying solo meant the service was understandably under par. I'd still go back, but I hope they don't make a habit of being so...

WOW! Hands down my favorite restaurant in ALL of Cleveland. Go! Go! Go!

I went on a double date with some friends for the Sunday Brunch that is open from 11am to 2pm. It was SUPER packed but I now see why. We had to wait about 25 minutes to get a seat but they take your phone number so we were able to explore some of Ohio City before they called us about our seats.

Each of us got a different dish so that we could try each other's and EVERY SINGLE DISH WAS AMAZING!!!

Food:

Biscuits: 10/10 For a starter, the waiter brings out a biscuit for each person. Ours were golden and flaky and the apple butter and rosemary butter were absolutely delightful. (They are $1 each after so cherish each bite)

Chicken and Waffles: 10/10 Easily the greatest waffles I've ever had! The blend of rosemary and the Ohio maple syrup made a sweet flavor grand slam that is 2nd to none. The chicken thighs were also very tender and tasted great.

Shrimp and Grits: 8/10 This was my order. For not being in the south, this was high quality shrimp and grits. The dish was packed with a cheesy style grits, corn relish (a first for my shrimp and grits experiences) andouille sausage, and large shrimp. My biggest qualm was the shrimp are far too large. They tasted surprisingly fresh and clean, but the size took away from the rest of the dish.

Pollo Frito: 8/10 I only tasted this one once but was surprised at the intensity of the Chile verde and how well it mixed with the goat crema and Sunny side egg and chicken. A very wholistic brunch experience.

Southern Benedict: 10/10 Holy COW this was good!!! The Tabasco hollandaise sauce on top of the poached eggs was a match made in heaven while sitting atop the country ham and fried green tomatoes. My taste buds exploded from pure joy and nostalgia upon tasting this while also having an entirely new taste experience.

All I have to say to the owner of this establishment is great job. You bring a spot of bliss into this city that I hope everyone will take the...

SoHo makes you feel like family! I’ve been coming here for years and this is definitely one my favorite restaurants in Cleveland. The staff is amazing! When you arrive you know you are at a special place. Regardless of your personal history or tragedy, you can’t help but pause… and say … “This … is Home❗️”

Everyone including the owners sincerely want you to have a great experience. This is evident because outside of making your experience memorable they will do their best to cater to your dietary restrictions. Moreover the owners love and treat all employees as family (and vice versa). That’s why when you’re there… you’ll feel the love too!!!!

I can honestly say they have one of the best southern style restaurants in Cleveland (excluding grandma’s house … 😂). Sincerely, the food is great!!! The mixed cocktails are great too. Plus they have a nice collection of speciality bourbon and whiskey!

Looking for a brunch spot? Then you need to pay them a visit‼️ Based on my experience here, you deserve to give yourself a treat regardless of its Dinner or Brunch! Just in case I didn’t mention it, they have a nice collection of Whiskey and Bourbon! And the mixed drinks are very tasty! 😉

I highly recommend you treat yourself and visit!

Hint: Deviled eggs are fantastic! Like their chicken you need them in your life too!! SoHo’s are the only deviled eggs I eat. Not a big deviled egg fan but theirs are delicious!

They don’t have events often but make sure you are there...