ViolaJames Restaurant and Lounge — Restaurant in Emporia

I'm so glad I happened upon this lovely restaurant today. Customer service is very important to me & theirs is amazing. Our waitress was a sweetheart and the owner was invested in our experience. We went in shortly after opening. The food was served nice and hot. I ordered fried fish, cabbage & yams. The fish was seasoned & fried to perfection. The yams were good, a little more heavily seasoned than I prefer but still good. I was not a fan of the cabbage. It had a very strong smoky flavor and was a little dry. When the owner came by the table and asked how the food was, I expressed my concerns about the cabbage. She offered me an alternate side & I chose mac & cheese. The mac tasted like it came from a a Big Mama's kitchen...10/10! My sister ordered an extra side of mac to go home. I was surprised when the owner returned with another side of cabbage, more juicy & less smoky that the first. It was much better. My sister ordered fried chicken wings, mac & yams. The chicken was seasoned & fried well. I ate most of my sister's chicken skin because she doesn't eat it. She wasn't a fan of the chicken legs because they were so huge. We both plan to return & try more items. They also have a small banquet style room to accommodate parties. I wish this new business...

Found this gem by chance. I am so glad that I did. My family of 3 adults and 4 kids were welcomed and seated right away, our server was amazing. She quickly got our drink order and welcomed us to enjoy the buffett! The food was AMAZING!! I tried EVERYTHING, the fried chicken, the baked chicken, the mac and cheese, the cabbage, greens, broccoli, baked beans, spaghetti, sweet potatoes.... all of it was delicious!! Also had some fried whiting that they make to order which was amazing. Everything was seasoned and flavored to perfection! Then the dessert!! The peach cobbler...amazing, the German chocolate cake... moist and delicious and the brownies... OMG SO GOOD!!! The service was fantastic, drinks never went empty, she knew what I needed before I did. The price was more than fair and far less then I expected to pay. The owner Gloria was so nice, she introduced herself, talked to us about her restaurant and check on us to make sure we were taken care of. They offered for us to play games or sing some karaoke. We had very little time to enjoy all they have to offer today but will...

Good food. Good people. Was headed up the road to another “Southern Cooking” establishment in downtown Emporia. Passed by Viola James restaurant and lounge heading up 301. Was wondering what it was, so I googled it. Turns out it’s a restaurant serving southern food with a great rating! Did a U-turn to check it out and glad we did. Hit the Sunday buffet. And it did not disappoint! Loved that there were plenty of sides that did not have meat in them (for vegetarians) and they did NOT lack in flavor. The Smokey flavored cabbage was delicious! The breading on the fried whiting was perfectly seasoned making the fish a delectable choice. The yams, the green beans, the Mac n cheese, and corn bread…mmmmmmm! Homemade desserts finished it off and all was delicious! The service was exceptional-true southern style. The prices were very reasonable. And the location was perfect-right off 95 on 301 north bound. ViolaJames has earned two new fans! Will...