Austin’s Soul Food Restaurant

Went here 2 days ago, as I write this it’s 8am and my stomach is growling ready to have them again today. Noon can’t come soon enough. As everyone has said it’s not in the best part of town. The restaurant décor offers no bells and whistles BUT trust me the food is worth it. We got there w only one patron inside, it was the calm before the storm bc shortly after we sat down the place was flooded w people. Most seem to do carry out orders.
The staff is very friendly. They offered suggestions of their favorites. I saw rutabaga on the menu and had no idea what that was. Well one woman said u wait right there and got me a sample.
Now the food. Picture this, a bed of yellow rice covered in gravy. On top are 2 huge pork chops also covered in gravy. Steaming sweet delicious candied yams and cheesy, I mean cheesy, mac and cheese on the side. With a sweet corn bread nestled on top. The pork chops were perfectly cooked. That brown gravy was on point. The candied were the perfect sweet, not Paula Deen diabetes sweet but sweet enough to know u are being naughty. I’m picky on people’s mac n cheese and this was great. Not runny, extra cheesy. Dirty good. And for dessert, strawberry banana pudding. Another first time for me but sooo good.
The menu seems to change each day so be prepared u may have to switch it up. All that said, when you want to have food that was cooked by people who put love and soul into it, come here.

The food here is so good every Sunday after church I have my daughter or granddaughter pick me up a dinner with a slice of cake l love everything they cook try it all delicious

Food was great! You get your money worth and is seasoned just right. Variety of items to choose from and good customer service.

I have seen this place for a really long time now. First they were here then they were down the street and this open actually opened it’s doors. I still was hesitant about stopping in. But, today I threw caution to the wind and flip the B****h and pulled in. The place was close to empty and that’s normal for when I eat lunch. I have more of a Luinner. Today I was greeted by I think Austin. How do I know that cause there is a portrait of her outside on the wall. It sure looked like the young lady behind the counter. The place is let’s say bland but with a bright color YELLOW screamed out at you. It was everywhere walls, ceilings everywhere. I looked around when I entered and there’s a caulk board that acts like the menu. This is all we have today sugar I heard. Ok then this is it I went with the smothered pork chops with sides of mac n cheese (nothing more soul foodish) and green beans. I looked around and grabbed a booth by the window. You know this place isn’t in the best part of town. We call it the hood. So when my food came out it was in a to go box and it smelled wonderfully. I opened it and horns were a blaring. This looks like some really good stuff here. As I dug in it got better and better. The chops were tender and the gravy wasn’t out of a can this stuff was the real deal. I hate that guy for this but the phase works here. The mac n cheese was also legit with grease oozing out here and there. The green beans were there but nothing to sing about. In all this place is the Real Deal and I will stop back in. So the next time you are in the hood or mid main street stop in and say hi to Austin’s ad the group of old ladies in the back. I hope they don’t read this cause they might hit me the next time I go back in.

This place is wonderful! The food and service here are exceptional… For around $ 10.00 you get a lot of food…
My absolute favorite here is the Smothered Chops… Boy are they tasty… And they don’t skimp on the gravy like some places do (they call it smothered chops for a reason)…
The food here has a ton of flavor so there’s really no need to add salt…
This place is a must if you haven’t tried it…

I’ve lived here in Florida for nearly 20 years and I’ve learned they say «soul food» a lot here, but to me, it’s just good ‘olé down-​home southern cooking. THAT’S definitely what you’ll find here. I was born and raised in Mississippi, so I KNOW what good southern cooking is and this is it! You can’t fool me!
Since discovering this place, hubby hasn’t been able to keep me away. Not that he really wants to because he loves Austin’s just as much as I do!
It’s not just the food that’s awesome here, it’s the service as well. They really treat you like family here and I love it. Nikki is an absolute sweetheart. The large meals are $ 10 and there’s so much food that I can’t even eat half of it, so he always lets me order just one meat with rice and gravy and then I share the hubby’s sides.
The fried chicken is so moist and juicy. The seasoning on the skin is perfection and it seeps all the way down into the meat too. It’s also piping hot, so I know it’s always come just out of the fryer.
I also highly recommend the pork chops smothered in gravy. OMGOSH!!! Only the best chops I’ve ever had!
You get to choose whether you want white rice or yellow rice with your meat. I personally prefer the white, but hubby prefers the yellow. I’ve tried his and the yellow is really good, but white is just my preference. It’s the gravy that does it though. Get that stuff smothered and covered in gravy… do you hear me?! Throw your diet out the window!
As for the sides, we tend to stick with the same ones. I keep saying I’m going to try something different, but haven’t yet. The mac ‘n cheese… WOW! They use real cheese, folks. Stringy, ooey, gooey cheese! The string beans remind me of the ones my granny use to make… so full of flavour. I don’t eat string beans, y’all, so you KNOW they have to be good. Oh… string beans… I think you non-​southern people call them green beans… and I’m still not being completely southern or I’d say snap beans. LOL
The cornbread that comes with the meals just makes me weak in the knees. Again, it’s like my own granny is back there in the kitchen cooking.
This is the kind of food that makes you want to slap your momma! I seriously haven’t found cooking this good outside the state of Mississippi. Austin’s has a lifelong customer in me ’cause I’ll keep coming back, and coming back, and coming back!
PS: Thanks to Naomi B. for her awesome review or I never would have stopped by here and tried this place!

Where do I begin? On vacation to visit family for the 4^th of July, during my stay my mom said she heard great things about Austin’s and wanted to try it. She live here, the locals are saying it’s good so okay.
Pros: affordable approximately $ 10 a plate including drink.
Cons:
Food– nine people in our party so we pretty much tasted everything. Not horrible but I would not return if I lived in town. The sides tasted as if just poured out of a can, maybe sprinkled with a Lil seasoning. In other words no flavor and soul food has to have flavor.
Décor– need major overhaul, seats are extremely dirty my 5yr old grandson did not want to sit down. I had to clean the seat with wet wipe.
I think Austin’s has potential if a few things are addressed. Try it for yourself you may feel differently than my family.
A.D

Loved this place. Food was delicious and service was with a smile. I had the fried chicken with rice, cabbage and green beans. Everything was on point. I will be returning. Can’t wait to try the ox tails. Lol

Ok Yeeps… I’m gonna take you on a little field trip to the hood… correction…THA HOOD. Meaning this neighborhood is a far cry from prime real estate central. Located on Main Street (down the street from their previous location), I was in this neck of the woods searching for another restaurant, and when I discovered that they were closed for the day, I drove a little and stumbled across Austin’s. The words «soul food» painted on the window caught my eye, and as I pulled up Unilocal on my phone and saw a consistent string of 5 star reviews for this joint, I was in.
Atmosphere: Mark B. was right. They like yellow here. It’s definitely not fancy, there’s tears here and there on the seats, but nothing bad enough to chaffe the butt cheeks. It’s pretty much as «mom n pop» as it gets, while being very clean at the same time. The menu is on a standing chalkboard to the right as you walk in, and it’ll take a minute to peruse… because as far as soul food is concerned, they’ve got it all. Also note that they are closed mondays and tuesdays.
Food: Soul Food Bistro, watch out. There’s some competition on the horizon by the name of Austin’s. Oh yes… that good. I ordered the fried chicken plate with collard greens, mac n cheese, and yellow rice (you get a choice of yellow or white) with gravy all over… I repeat… and you should order it this way too… GRAVY ALL OVER. Say it every night in your sleep till you go there. Ohhhhhh and every morsel was savored and treasured, Yeeps. The chicken was just the way it should be. Perfectly juicy meat on the inside… with a «juuuuust the right amount of batter» crispy skin exterior. The greens were absolutely on point. Spiced just right, and not overly salty like you would find at some other joints. The mac n cheese were the best I’ve had in quite some time, with it’s fresh-​out-​of-​the-​oven gooey goodness. As for the yellow rice and gravy… a bite of this with a bite of the sweet cloud from heaven that they call cornbread… and it’s a wrap.
And So: I’m all the more excited now to see all of these small local businesses doing what they do… and doing it BETTER than the big name chains. Whether it’s Austin’s, Soul Food Bistro, or whatever else is out there just waiting to be discovered… it’s just good to know that we all as Unilocalers can share these truly awesome first-​time dining experiences with one another and put the word out there so that these businesses can thrive. GO HERE. EAT HERE. YOU will enjoy it. Nuff said. Till next time… Bravo to Austin’s, keep on Unilocaling and SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT your local eats!