Son of a Preacher Man

Very happy this opened up in the area. O’Bryonville needed some more restaurant options. This is comfort food at its best. Took a friend and my teenage boys and everyone loved what they got. Meatloaf, fried chicken, fried chicken sandwiches, everything was great. Our service was very good. We were their on a day it was pouring rain and it was still pretty crowded, so I am not sure what the wait times are on nice days.

Of the various businesses that have been in this space over the years, SOAPM is my favorite. I like the way they have simplified the layout and the wall of paint by numbers is a classy touch.
We went for brunch and sat at the bar as the place was filling up. I do suggest if you go for Sunday brunch you get there early. There was a line waiting at the door by 11.
The menu is pretty simple and has some delicious choices. For the money the servings are pretty large. I ordered a Tomato and Sweet onion sandwich with an egg. It was delicious. Laura ordered the Garden Skillet– it was very tasty and a sizable portion. I got a side of Mac and cheese which was very good. I was hungry and I still was not able to finish it all. The service was pretty good. They were busy and seemed to be keeping up. We sat in front of the alcohol and were discussing a particular gin (watershed distillery) and our waitress let us have a taste. Very cool.
I’ll have to try them again for lunch.
We’ll definitely be back.

Okay, I’ll say it… I think I’ve died and gone to heaven… because, Son of a Preacher man is most definitely a little bite of heaven. Seriously — yum! Fresh buttermilk biscuits, fried green tomatoes, Mac n cheese, shrimp and grits… I’ll be dreaming of this food for dayssss. After hearing good things about this place, my fiancé and I decided to give SOAPM a try for brunch one weekend. Being a pescetarian, you might think I’m crazy for eating at a fried chicken joint. BUT, this place actually has a decent amount of options for those of us abstaining from chicken, pork, and beef. We both ordered the fried green tomato Benedict which had marinated tomatoes, perfectly poached eggs, herb hollandaise sauce served with a side of house potatoes. Good lord. It was incredible! We both also got a fresh buttermilk biscuit on the side served with butter and honey. It was SO perfect that there aren’t even words to describe it. The food was out of this world. Given the awesomeness of the food, I was shocked it wasn’t busier than it was for being prime time hours during weekend brunch. Maybe it’s still a hidden gem? Definitely make sure you check out this is a delicious, super adorable restaurant in O’Bryonville. You will thank me (or God) that you did.
P. S. Brunch is served everyday. Who doesn’t love that?

1^st time!
Awesome food, reasonable price, cute/​nice server, cool atmosphere.
I got the biscuits and gravy with a pc of fried chicken. Awesome
My companion had some kind of skillet with potatoes, eggs, mushrooms, and spinach. YUMMY
Cant wait to go back

The chicken biscuit was good — don’t get me wrong. It was good. The chicken was good, the biscuit was good. However, it was about the size of my fist (and I have small hands) and was $ 9 (I hate to compare, but you can get a fried chicken sandwich twice the size at the eagle for that price). There was an upcharge for macaroni that was called out on the menu for the entrees but not for the biscuit sandwiches which bothered me because the server didn’t mention it, but the portion of macaroni was large enough that I understand it (they should still fix the menu).
The macaroni was not impressive. I would definitely not order it again. It was super bland and the cheesy crust on top did not taste good (i guess it didn’t really taste like anything, it was just weird) — I dug around it (and usually the crispy top is the good part!)
The tomato biscuit sandwich just looked like it had raw tomato and onion on it (again the size of a small fist) which I found highly disappointing — again about $ 7.
I do have to say that the hot sauce is INCREDIBLE. It was so good. Even if they just get that out of a tub somewhere and pour it into ketchup tubes it was so good. (Honestly the hot sauce is what’s getting me from a 2 star to a 3 star here…) BE WARNED THOUGH! It’s in an unlabeled ketchup tube. It is not ketchup. I was pretty irritated when I squirted it onto my sandwich for some moisture and realized it wasn’t ketchup but it was so good I couldn’t stay mad.
The brunch menu did look promising but we missed it by an hour. I’d say the chicken is good, the biscuit is good, but not better than you can get somewhere else and I think it’s pretty expensive for what it is. I didn’t find the service particularly spectacular (which I kind of expect of a newish place that only had 2 other tables sat). They were pretty slow about getting us a menu, taking our order, and very slow to bring us a check. They definitely weren’t rude but they weren’t particularly talkative or outgoing either — not a horrible thing, just not what I was expecting. I’d give it another chance for brunch — but I will not be back for lunch or dinner.

My wife and I came to Son of a Preacher Man when it first opened — back then it was «only okay»… I had a craving for fried chicken tonight and with The Eagle in OtR, we didn’t feel like walking down Vine Street in this cold. I’ve been reading good reviews on Unilocal about SoaPM and thought they looked deserving of a second try. The atmosphere is great — good music and décor choices. The server, James, was very friendly and even checked with the kitchen for a special request — they accommodated! The chicken was REALLY GOOD, as was the the mac’n’cheese, but the biscuits are untouchable — so good! Thanks for a great second chance guys! If you’re in the mood for southern comfort food, check out Son of a Preacher Man!

Considering that Cincinnati borders the American South, you’d think it’d offer more in the way of down-​home Southern cooking. But the pickings are slim.
We’d had relatively high hopes for Son of a Preacher Man, which was opened by one of the owners of Enoteca Emilia next door, a restaurant we’re fans of. But this restaurant, while pretty good, doesn’t fully deliver the goods.
Son of a Preacher Man lays it on a bit heavy with the kitschy, shabby-​chic (and quite casual) décor. But the rest of the ambiance doesn’t quite add up: The classic rock we’ve heard on the sound system seems to clash with the ersatz down-​home setting, and the staff, while decent enough at their jobs, doesn’t exactly provide the Southern hospitality you might expect, either.
I’m happy to have this food on this side of town. But it’s not quite good enough for the prices they’re charging: A two-​piece (small-​ish) fried chicken dinner, with one side and a good biscuit clocks in at almost $ 11. Collard greens have been better than those at the Eagle, but the chicken itself, while juicy and tasty, has blah breading without crispness or much flavor. A bowl of black-​eyed-​peas-​and-​ham soup had some depth of flavor, but seemed a bit thin, and a $ 15.50 bowl of shrimp and grits had some complexity, too, but the portion was a little lacking. As an appetizer, the Mason trio was pretty nice, but the chunky rillettes doesn’t quite measure up to some of the creamier, richer versions you can get around town.
In short, the food is pretty solid, but the enterprise as a whole doesn’t quite seem to justify the prices.
3.25 stars.

Son of a Preacher, Man! I have been building this place up for a while, and I was relatively satisfied with my experience.
When I got here with my two friends, we were seated right away, but had about a 5 – 10 minute lag time before a waiter brought us our water and first approached us. This rubbed me a little bit the wrong way, but I saw that everyone who was working was rushing around on this relatively busy (but by no means crowded) Friday night.
We knew what we wanted to order, but were not notified that they had any specials. We saw that they had some on our way out, and were slightly disappointed (the pulled pork biscuit sandwich might have been a better order). All three of us shared the crab dip and pimento cheese. The crab dip came in a very large portion with some country toast to eat it with. The dip was only a little reminiscent of crab, but it was pretty good. Luckily they give you a very large portion given the $ 8.70 pricetag, however I’m not sure it was worth it (maybe at a $ 6 pricepoint considering the «country toast» is essentially boring toasted bread). The pimento cheese fritters were pretty awesome, and the green tomato-​jalepeno jam sweetness definitely played off of the fritter saltiness. I wish we got more than four fritters!
For our main meals, we all ordered the obligatory mac n cheese and the Nashville Hot fried chicken sandwich ($ 10.30 for the combo, upchaged $ 1.50 extra for the mac n cheese and am slightly disappointed I was not made aware of this when I ordered as a courtesy — it was listed under supper but not biscuit sandwiches). Let me start out with saying that this is by far the BEST mac n cheese I have EVER had. My favorite side dish is mac n cheese, and before this visit The Eagle’s and The Precinct’s mac n cheese were my top contenders. However, the one at Son of a Preacher is completely better than the two (almost $ 1 more than The Eagle’s FYI). The noodles aren’t overcooked, and you can tell that they melt all of the different cheese together separate from the noodles. This allows the cheeses to marry for a longer time, and lets their flavors burst off each other, giving a different tangy cheesy bite every time. The mac n cheese is then topped with a cheesy, breadcrumb mixture that has a perfect crunch, with a sharp bite from the added cheddar. This definitely elevates this mac n cheese dish, and pushes it to the very top of my list for mac n cheese! I think I’m going to have this to-​go at least one night a week. Let me also note that you get an extremely generous cast-​iron portion for this side, so it is well worth it.
Moving on to the fried chicken biscuit sandwich: pretty good, not A+, but maybe a solid B+. The fried chicken I got didn’t have a ton of meat on it; it mostly consisted of the breading. The breading was wonderful; however I would prefer to have a higher ratio of chicken on the fried chicken sandwich, especially if I’m paying about $ 10 for it. The biscuit was pretty awesome, but it could have been a little more dense/​flaky. The Nashville Hot version of the fried chicken meant it was doused in hot sauce (they have a really good homemade hot sauce), so it made the biscuit a little soggy. I was able to add the homemade pickles on the sandwich as well (making it a Sundays Best — Nashville Hot combo), which were a great addition.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Son of the Preacher. Once our waitress came, she was very attentive and brought our food and drinks out in a timely manner. We were in and out of there in less than an hour on a Friday night! If they could elevate their crab dip (more crab please!), have more actual chicken meat on the biscuit sandwich than just breading (for the pricepoint), and make sure the waitress relays the specials, I think this place could be a big winner. Next time I’ll be back for lunch for the fried egg & bacon biscuit sandwich, and of course with a side of mac n cheese!

I think the best thing about Son of a Preacher Man are the drinks!!!
I came here a few weeks ago with a group, which allowed for sampling of different drinks. I ordered the Kentucky mule which was very good! I also liked their version of a Bloody Mary, which had a barbecue sauce sort of flavor. Also, although I didn’t try it myself, my dining partners raved about the apple sangria.
I would love to come back just to try more of the cocktails!
For my meal, I got the 2 piece wing and thigh meal with a side of the Weinsenberger Cheddar Grits. Everything was well prepared and tasted excellent!

Went to Son of a Preacher Man a couple weeks ago. I am a huge fan of the Eagle, the fried chicken specialty place in OTR, so I was coming in comparing it to that. I really shouldn’t have. It’s different, and it deserves to stand on its own.
At first, because I was comparing it to another place, I was a bit turned off by the prices. A thigh and wing meal was $ 9.49. A can of Mad Tree was $ 5.50. I was getting ready to give this place a big ol’ thumbs down because I was comparing it to other places where I can get a half chicken with more sides for that much.
Then my food came out. The chicken was absolutely perfect. Hard to explain unless you try it, but I really suggest you do. The mashed potatoes were outstanding and the biscuit was the real deal. I scarfed down every bit of it, and I was totally satisfied. My date had the mac and cheese as her side, so I got to try that. Just as outstanding. On the food alone, this place is a 5 star chicken place.
A full, delicious meal for $ 9.49 really isn’t a bad price at all. If you enjoy it as much as I did, it seems like a good value. The atmosphere is a little ordinary. One big room with a bar on one side. Not sure what they could do, but maybe creating some booth spaces or something to make the space a little more intimate.
I won’t go here every time I’m craving fried chicken, but I am sure I’ll be back for the quality.

I came here for brunch, and I am a big fan. We arrived around 10:30 AM on a Saturday, and there were just two other parties there. I wish I could say it got rowdier as time passed, but it wasn’t even half full by the time we left, which is such a shame! The service was warm and friendly. Kitschy décor? Got that covered to spare. The music was totally my cup of tea – The Heavy, Old Crow Medicine Show. I almost asked where the playlist came from.
I got the Nashville hot chicken biscuit sandwich and splurged for the Mac n’ cheese side dish. The biscuit sandwich may look small, but don’t be deceived. I did not go for cheese and fried egg on top, which was a good call. The sandwich was so delicious, but I struggled to finish the sandwich. It was hard work, but I did it. I didn’t want to disappoint the chef. The biscuit is hands down the best that I have had in the city. It was soft on the inside with just a bit of sweetness and the crust had a little bite to it. I even like it better than the biscuit at Red Feather. I took a couple of bites of the mac n’ cheese and ended up taking the rest home. I hate taking home side dishes as leftovers, but it was just too darn good not to. I wish I could have given this place 5 stars, but we weren’t super impressed with my boyfriend’s garden breakfast skillet. We even added bacon to the dish, which is diced and prepared with the main, but it wasn’t enough. The potatoes were good but it needed a little something. Maybe some gravy? Or a sprinkling of cheese?
Anyway, if you have reached this point of the review, you should make a trip to O’Bryonville and try out this place. It’s right next to BonBonerie and can’t be missed. I look forward to going back.

It’s actually really good, but it’s still not the Eagle. Different experience, definitely, and you have a much better chance of getting a table here so that’s a big positive. The fried chicken biscuit sandwich was a bit small so I would recommend sharing a couple sides with the table. The drinks are killer. I’ve heard great things about their brunch.

Definitely 5 stars: great service, atmosphere, menu and food.
I had Sunday brunch here and was surprised to walk in and sit down, no wait. We were greeted immediately and our waitress was attentive throughout the meal. I had the Nashville hot chicken biscuit with mac&cheese and my boyfriend had the chicken in waffles. Everything was perfect (on the larger side) portions and we didn’t leave feeling weighed down. Their hot sauce was extremely flavorful with the right amount of heat so you could add enough to taste it without losing all you taste buds. Biscuits are my favorite and theirs was large and fluffy– perfect for sandwiching a large piece of fried chicken without falling apart. The mac & cheese was a big side-​definitely enough to share– and was creamy but balanced by crunchy topping.
I’ll definitely be a repeat customer and am looking for an excuse to get a take out bucket/​sides! Also, their happy hour specials ($ 3 off cocktails and $ 2 off beers) are great for the quality of their drinks/​selection.

I think we have a new favorite place for brunch! When the better half heard how far we were driving for breakfast, he was a little wary. I assured him that if it wasn’t good, he could pick the next place and since Bonbonerie is next door, we could always pick up pastries there. Well once he had a bite of his breakfast (chicken & waffle), snagged a bite of mine (chicken biscuit) and ate a forkful of our shared mac & cheese, he gave me thumbs up and said this place was definitely worthy of a another visit, and probably sooner rather than later. I grabbed a bite of the chicken and waffle and agreed it was good. The waffle itself seemed to have a pretty pronounced vanilla flavor that I enjoyed. With the syrup, it provided a nice contrast with the savory chicken breast. He said the included side of 2 eggs was almost too much, but he «took one for the team» and finished them off… barely.
My chicken biscuit… just wow. I opted for Sunday’s best, since I like to control my spice level. I drizzled honey and the homemade hot sauce from the table over the chicken and dug in… and angels sang. I have to give them the edge over The Eagle on the chicken. Granted, that could just be since they sandwich said chicken between a wonderful, dense biscuit. My cheese grits were also good. Not the best I have had… that distinction goes to the now closed Bess Bistro in Austin… but yummy. The mac & cheese I put over The Eagle as well. My friend thinks that’s blasphemy, but I think we just ended up at a bit of an off night there. Preacher’s mac was hot, creamy, cheesy and the crunchy breadcrumb topping added a nice contrast. The portion size was fairly generous, though I think that for brunch again I would stick with just the one side.
We walked in a bit around 10:30ish and were able to grab a table right away. Servers were very attentive and made sure our water glasses never went empty. We will definitely be adding this place to the breakfast rotation!

Pimento Cheese Fritters and chicken biscuit make up one of my favorite meals in the city.
They have their in-​house hot sauce on the table and not too spicy, which I was excited about. I ended up dipping everything I could in it!
They also have a variety of bourbon cocktails, but be prepared, they are all extremely sweet. This isn’t a terrible thing, just depends on your tastes.
I haven’t stopped in for brunch but it’s on my short list!

While my wife and I enjoy exploring new restaurants, our preschool aged kids are not so happy with the idea, so a midweek date night has become a monthly occurrence. Next up is Son of a Preacher Man, a relatively new southern style restaurant in O’Bryonville quickly becoming known for their fried chicken.
While the outside of the restaurant is nothing special, the inside is a well done mix of part church artifacts and southern style décor. The limited menu of mostly chicken based dishes can be found hanging from hymn boards near the ceiling.
It was a quick decision for myself and I immediately placed an order of the Sunday’s Best fried chicken supper, 2 piece fried chicken (breast and leg) along with a biscuit and choice of side ($ 10.89). The chicken is fried fresh and the spice blend on it is outstanding. The chicken itself was cooked perfectly and was delicious. For my side I chose Carolina collard greens with bacon, pork shank, and sweet onion, which were equally as impressive. The smoky pork flavor was very nice and the greens were not overcooked.
My wife had a harder time deciding but eventually settled on the Nashville Hot fried chicken biscuit sandwich with a side of pork n’ beans ($ 9.29). Again the chicken was excellent, and normally I’m a sucker for hot sauce on the chicken, but I think this is better on its own. The pork n’ beans were good, but not as great as the greens. There were nice chunks of pork, but the side was a little too soupy.
I almost forgot to mention the biscuits, which are very good. A bottle of honey was offered to add to the biscuits, which I gladly enjoyed. It’s hard not to draw comparisons to The Eagle, which doesn’t have any biscuits by the way. The spicy hot honey at The Eagle is wonderful, but as far as the chicken goes, I prefer Son of a Preacher Man.

The service was prompt and attentive, the food was exquisite and the desert options make me wish I had worn elastic pants.

Full Disclosure: I came here at around 4:45pm before our event next door at the Bonbonerie, and ate by myself. During that time from 4:45 — 5:45 there was not one other person in the restaurant which was super strange. Anyway — wanted y’all to know I did not experience the service issues most of you are mentioning on a busy night.
Which brings me to my next point. Maybe you should go during during Happy Hour!
Monday-​Sunday
4−6pm
$ 3.00 off all Bourbon and Cocktails
$ 2.00 PBR and $ 2.00 off the other 25 beers on their list
PRO TIPS:
— They know offer 8-​piece and 12-​piece meals for carry out!
— Brand New Brunch Menu every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a. m till 3 p.m. (Biscuits and Gravy
Fried Green Tomato Benedict?) I need to come back for this!
— They have their carry out license you can now carry out a SIX PACK from them. Which in this area, you know is a godsend.
Now onto what I ate… I ordered up the Biscuit Sandwich and a side of mashed potatoes and gravy for $ 8.79. Holy cheap-​o-​ly! My feelings on biscuits = I don’t order them. I DESPISE that crumbly, dry, stale texture of frozen or poorly made biscuits and it’s just not worth the calories for me anymore. Well friends, after some convincing, I ordered this biscuit sammie and boy am I glad I did.
House made biscuits with a buttery, flakey, moist and most of all delicious crust — check
Steaming hot and perfectly seasoned Southern Style fried chicken — check
House made hot southern style hot sauce — check
Thick briny pickles to add some acid? — check
THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN SAMMIE I HAVE EVER HAD. Now I don’t know if this is because I was the only one in here, or what, but execution wise — this place delivered the goods. And IMO and you’re gonna gasp at this, the chicken is better than The Eagle. There, I said it. And you’re wondering — how is this possible? Go and see for yourself. Warning you, the style is different but I prefer it. Also order a biscuit if its that last thing you ever do…
I will definitely be back, if not for the crazy happy hour or brunch but for that fried chicken sammie that will be haunting my dreams until I return…

Sometimes you just need a good biscuit! We went here for lunch the other day for the first time. There was no wait and the host asked us to sit anywhere we’d like. I loved the interior – it took me back to being a kid and going to church potlucks. The pews were a nice touch and the combination between vintage and contemporary gave the restaurant character.
I ordered the tomato sandwich on the biscuit with a side of cheesy grits. The biscuit was just what I expected – buttery and doughy. I am just starting to enjoy grits so I may not be the best to critique theirs. I tried my husband’s chicken sandwich and it was good too.
The service was a tad slow but the server apologized and later asked if we would like dessert. I would say the prices could be a tad lower for such a small biscuit sandwich and side. I would like to go back and try some of their cocktails and dinner. Overall it was good but did not blow me away.

After reading mixed reviews on here, I was pleasantly surprised with my food! A friend and I met right at 6 for drinks, dinner & dessert.
The bartender waited on us and was super helpful. We both had the drink of the day, a blue moon lemonade.
I got the two piece chicken dinner with collard greens & a biscuit. All was excellent. I do prefer The Eagle’s fried chicken, however. I tried some of my friend’s Mac & Cheese which was awesome!
My friend & I split the two homemade pies of the day. I would go back alone for the pies! Everything was great; definitely will go back.