Soul Goode — Restaurant in Pearland

First of all, I grew up on soul food. My family would cook on Sundays and eat till we were stuffed. So I know good soul food when I came across it. Soul Goode is definitely, "Goode".

My family and I were in the area as we plan to move to Sienna which isn't too far away. My wife already had Soul Goode on her list of places to try. Though we were mostly impressed with the food quality, I have some suggestions on how the restaurant could improve.

When we got there, there was plenty of parking. As we walked in, we could hear modern r&b music that is a perfect theme for this establishment. The playlist was great. It's self seating. There is no wait staff really and it's pretty much just random tables and chairs with condiment holders on each table. What I found impressive was the huge mural paying homage to the south side of Chicago. Being a Chicago native myself, this was automatically a plus in my book. We later found out that this a family owned and operated restaurant and the family is from Chicago. This place is not very big but there are 2 restrooms, a service station counter for napkins, utensils etc, and a random ice cream cart. You can still sit comfortably without feeling cramped.

My wife and I placed 2 different orders. She went first to order the kids chicken tenders, sweet potato fries, regular fries and bottled water. That came out to just over $18. I went up and ordered food for her and myself. She ordered the lobster/shrimp meal with fried okra, mac n cheese and yams as sides. I ordered fried catfish with fried shrimp, yams, and mac n cheese with 2 diet cokes. Each meal came with a piece of cornbread. We also ordered a peach cobbler for dessert. That all came out to just over $76. It took about 15 minutes to get all of our food. We picked a table and went up to order. The cashier basically was our server as well. She brought everything to our table.

The shrimp looked like jumbo shrimp. They were perfectly fried and seasoned. Nice and hot. My wife enjoyed the okra and it looked to also be fried perfectly. My catfish was my favorite dish. It was golden brown, fresh, flavorful and presented well with sprinkles of dried parsley on top. The yams were not good to me but my wife enjoyed them. They were swimming in syrup and tasted like a sugar-first kind of recipe. I was not a fan. They did present well, however. The mac n cheese was also delicious. Unique flavor for a classic soul-food-type mac n cheese. I did get a few overcooked pieces of elbow macaroni in there but it didn't demote the dish. It also tasted like there was some sort of msg added and there were a few bites where it tasted a bit too salty. But still really good. Cornbread just tasted like cake instead of sweet cornbread. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't have missed it if it wasn't on my plate. My wife wasn't a fan of the fried lobster and wasn't really sure what they were trying to accomplish with that dish. Peach cobbler was not ready right away so we got it to go.

To me, I think for the prices you pay, the restaurant needs to be a true sit-down establishment with actual servers and wait staff. The poor cashier woman was there by herself trying to serve everyone, take orders and help out in the back. Even though it is optional, I hate the pos payment kiosks that ask for a tip before you pay. Historically, tips are for true wait staff, not someone that just drops your food to your table. Of course, we tipped and we also do but to tip 20% on those prices, you'd expect the experience to feel like it. It's also your responsibility to completely clean your own table. They have signs for this at every table.

Would we come back? Absolutely. No question. We enjoyed the food. The place was clean, it has a goode vibe (see what I did there?), and the cashier/server was helpful. I would just suggest figuring out a way to get true wait staff and more help to make the business run more...

The first time I stopped by they had just run out of chicken, so I decided to come back another day. The second time, I came in after work one evening to grab something quick and delicious. I can say that Soul Goode delivered on both counts!

The ambiance was comforting and laid back. I had a few questions about the menu and the staff was helpful. The restaurant was quiet and empty when I arrived, however soon after I ordered business started picking up.

I ordered two dinners. The first one was the Fried Yard Bird with Green Beans and fried okra. The second plate was the Smothered Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Yams.

I enjoyed both types of chicken but will give the edge to the fried yard bird. It was fried just right and gave me the feeling of a home cooked skillet of fried chicken. I could almost smell my mom’s kitchen when I opened the to go box. The green beans and fried okra didn’t disappoint. The cornbread was on point! That was the best cornbread I’ve had at a restaurant in a long time. It tasted and felt freshly made. The mashed potatoes were great. The yams were so good! They are a must try!

Overall I devoured everything I ordered at Soul Goode. This has to be the best soul food restaurant I’ve tried in Pearland so far. This southern comfort food reminds me of something my mom would have made back home. I’ll definitely be back here for that home cooking style. Looking forward to trying the Fish, Pork Chop, Fried Green Tomatoes and Banana...

So Soul Goode!!!! After many visits here and a few hiccups, Soul Goode has earned this review. This is a family business. I am familiar with Aunty Carolyn and Mr. Robert. From the beginning Aunty Carolyn has always been welcoming and warm. I love that she reviews the reciept of my order and shows me my food before she bags it too! When you don't live close to an establishment this saves a lot of time and frustration because you know everything is there before you leave. Mr. Robert literally makes me feel like a member of the family whenever I visit. Some months ago he made a requested dish for one of my elderly family members. I thought surely he's going to forget and when we visited that Sunday he had the food ready. I was blown away. He also explained that the Spaghetti is made with ground Turkey because everyone doesn't eat beef which explains the flavor. My favorites are the Oxtails with the Rice and Gravy, Yams, Greens, and Corn Bread!!!!!! I have also enjoyed the Jerk Chicken, Pork Chops, and fries. Those yams were slap yo mama (I wouldn't do that) delicious the last time I visited! I can eat off one plate for two days because the portions are always more than enough. There is always a clean place to sit, the ambiance is nice, and there is always pleasant music playing. Just...