The Soup Kitchen

It is very hard to believe all the great reviews about this place. I was excited about trying their soups so we went there for lunch and had spicy Mexican Santa Fe and potato cream soups. The spicy Mexican Santa Fe looked good unlike the potato cream soup but unfortunately both were very disappointing. Both had no flavor and tasted very watery. How can you make spicy Mexican soup without any spices or potato cream without any cream, it tasted like water, it had some green things which did not contribute any way to taste. I have always loved potato soups but this was so bad I couldn’t finish it. The brown roll was quite good but for a big roll you were given one butter cube and asking for more was like pulling teeth — staff is not the friendliest. Grilled cheese sandwich was not good. Next time I will go to Dean’s around the corner where they know how to season food correctly.

I am such a sucker for non-​traditional restaurants. A bit of an Achilles’s heal of mine and this shoe sure did fit.
Came by with family in town and got to try 5 or 6 soups and 4 kinds of bread (sharing is caring). The soups, though not exceptionally fantastic this night, were hearty and satisfying coupled with some delicious bread choices. My main dig though was the unfortunate case that several of the soups were on the tepid side.
So other than making sure your soups are hot, Curry on the good work. I’ll be souper excited to see what else I can slurp in the future.

Our favorite inexpensive and healthy dining experience in town. No salt in the soup and a changable menu depending on what was made this morning. Some will find it too different from standard fare, however it works for those on a diet or reduced meat dining. A family owned business seeks to keep overhead low and provide 8 to 12 soup choices each day along with salads and sandwiches, all made on the premises. We recommend the cabbage or bean based soups and their homemade brown bread. Over 50 soup types are in their menu book. Service quality comments result from low wages and some turnover in staff, however If you know what you want you can make it happen. You will always find chili, vegetable and a bean soup plus 6 to 8 other creative kinds. Serving line begins at the front door and pay as you exit the line going to your table of choice. Small spaces suggest you exit at the rear.

It gets very crowded at lunch but the line seems to move fairly quickly. The mexican cornbread is fantastic. I’ve tried several different soups and sandwiches and they were all great. The dining area is small and cramped but it doesn’t take away from the experience of eating the food.

Food is typically fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. Recently they hired some lazy help who screwed up my order, never said they were sorry, and couldn’t even muster a smile when she strolled to my table and plopped my corrected sandwich on the table. I’m going to wait a few weeks before returning. I assume frendlier staff will then be in place.

Owner is VERY rude. Witnessed her call someone a bitch. I will not go here again and give them any of my business and will ensure to spread the word to others about the poor customer service. My office orders from there all the time… not anymore!!!

A fun spot to check out and a local favorite. Soups are homemade and the bread is delish.

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at the soup kitchen. It’s cafeteria style and they were kind to instruct me to grab my tray and utensils, I’m sure they could tell I was new. They offered 7 soups all made there that morning and I accompanied mine with a pimento cheese sandwich! They also offer a variety of salads and other sandwiches. Wonderful service.

Excellent meal of soup and a sandwich at a reasonable. Nice atmosphere friendly people. FINE coconut cream pie. WOW

Driving across the country, I stumbled upon The Soup Kitchen and loved eating lunch there! They had about 5 soups to choose from that they make each day… and you can get a refill (I think). You pick a side of bread to go along with your soup… I had soft lovely warm corn bread. It was delish and the man working behind the counter was very friendly!

We love the Soup Kitchen! Eat here for lunch almost weekly, and just recently had them cater our annual student appreciation Christmas party (Progressive Martial Arts Academy). Gale and her staff were excellent to work with! Great customer service. Can’t say enough.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST! I’ve been going to The Soup Kitchen for over 26 years now, every since I first started working in Oak Ridge. They have a great selection of homemade soups, breads, sandwiches, salads, and deserts. My favorite is the chili with mexican cornbread and sometimes I get their chilio’s. I almost always get it to go through their convenient walk-​up window. The people there are wonderful and much like family. They also deliver as well. I don’t think there’s a better delivery person than Kenny. All-​in-​all, I love this place and I eat there about 4 days a week. IT’S AN ADDICTION!

I love the soup kitchen! They have awesome food and their soups are handmade every morning. Their staff is also friendly and low, reasonable price. What a great place to go on a cool day.

This is a great place to get a warm, inexpensive dinner. They close early on weekdays (7:30 p.m.) and are closed on Sundays, so I had to plan my dinner time accordingly. The effort was worth it! I had the hearty vegetable soup with cornbread, which was less than $ 7.
The soup was warm and filling. There wasn’t anything spectacular or amazing about the soup, but that was part of the charm. The soup was comforting and delicious.
I only gave 4 stars because the cornbread was rather dry. This wasn’t a problem with the soup. But eating the cornbread without soup or butter isn’t any easy feat.
I will definitely go back to try other soup and bread options!

Great! The Beef barley is my favorite! and All the bread is good.

For me, The Soup Kitchen is an «old reliable» establishment in Oak Ridge.
The «old» part comes from that fact that it’s been operating in the same location for about three decades, in a Manhattan Project-​era building in historic Jackson Square, decorated with ever-​changing displays of 20^th-​century American collectibles and furnished with tables and chairs in a homey style that recalls one’s grandmother’s house. The «reliable» part comes from the predictability and quality of the food offerings and the service.
When you arrive at the Soup Kitchen, you often have to stand in line (particularly during the lunch hour) to get to the serving area. After picking up a serving tray and utensils, the standard procedure is to choose between chili and seven kinds of soup — all served from large pots, pick up a personal-​sized loaf of fresh-​baked bread and possibly a dessert, order a drink (most people choose soft drinks, iced tea, or good old water, but beer is available), and pay for the meal. The line always moves real fast. There’s also a nice array of prepared salads and sandwiches, but most customers choose soup or chili.
The 7 soups offered on any one day are a small fraction of the SK’s huge collection of soup recipes. The selection changes daily (also during the day — when one pot runs out, they’ll bring out a pot of a different kind of soup made fresh that morning). There are a few soups that are reliably served on a particular day of the week (for example, Wednesday is snow crab day), but there usually is at least one soup to appeal to everyone’;s appetite (if you don’t want a Mexican-​style soup, chances are that Gratin Savoyard or potato-​cheddar or a goulash-​style soup will appeal). The bread selection (about 3 styles each day) also varies — I usually choose their sweet-​tasting wheat bread when they have it, and other members of my family have been partial to their cheese bread and their corn bread.
Once you have filled your tray and paid, it’s time to find a seat. Just as the line always moves quickly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem finding a place to sit even at the lunchtime peak period, although when a large group is eating lunch together it does help to have someone stake out a large table while the rest of you are getting your food.
When all is said and done, The Soup Kitchen offers a very satisfying eating experience in a comfortable atmosphere. I find that it’s equally good as a place to eat alone, eat with family or close friends, or meet a group for conversation.

Hard to find but worth the effort. Great soup — that’s what they have is soup — that’s why it’s the Soup Kitchen. If we lived within walking distance I’d be bankrupt by now because my wife and daughter would eat here every single day! It’s that good.

I asked this lady where a good place to eat was and she told me to go to the Soup Kitchen. Then I punched her. Then I realized that the Soup Kitchen is not a homeless shelter. Then I said sorry. Then I kicked her. Then I ate at the Soup Kitchen.
This place is known for their homemade soup. Think of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, except instead of a grumpy Arab man it’s run by a bunch of sweet southern ladies. Obviously, The Soup Kitchen is known for it’s soup, which changes every day, and today they had about 7 – 8 different kinds listed. I had the chili with fritos and cheese with some brown bread and it was delicious.
They also have salads and sandwiches but soup is their specialty. This place is good old home cooking at it’s best. It’s cafeteria style, so don’t worry if you see a line, it’ll go fast. Especially if you headbutt your way to the front.