Felix’s BBQ With Soul

OMG!!! Best Soul Food place in Southern California. Fried Catfish, Fried Green Tomatoes, BBQ Chicken… Everything is cooked perfectly. Great customer service and a fun atmosphere. We will be back!

This is our favorited barbecue restraunt. We usually pick up and every thing is made to perfection. They are gracious wit portions and aim to please. We use the to cater all our parties

4.5 stars!
We came for Father’s Day and are very impressed. An undoubtedly busy day, but the service never dropped a single ball. Drinks refilled without asking, every time. Everything tasted exactly right. Catfish was a standout, as well as Hoppin’ John and gumbo. My children couldn’t get enough of the cornbread muffins. Sweet tea was everything I’d ever dreamed of for an especially hot day like today. Next time we’ll need to save room for desserts to try but for today we left beyond stuffed and very happy.

My only regret about today’s lunch? That I didn’t come here sooner! The reviews are all true my friends, Felix has got that soul.
I came just in time for the lunch box special with fried catfish. Sides are french fries and cole slaw but I chose to sub Mac-​n cheese instead of the former.
The catfish was delicate, flavorful and perfectly breaded to a nice golden brown. Absolutely delicious. The Mac was creamy and cheesy and the coleslaw was super fresh and exceptionally crunchy without too much sauce to weigh it down. The complimentary cornbread is exquisite and a wonderful way to begin the meal.
The server was very friendly and super attentive and the overall atmosphere is very relaxed and inviting.
Definitely worth trip if you haven’t checked them out yet!

As a native southerner living in CA, I’m always on the hunt for good bbq and soul food. Felix’s came recommended by someone my wife works with so naturally I had to give it a go.
First off, they had sweet tea — served with crushed ice. A MUST in a bbq restaurant. Kudos to that! So we started with sweet tea’s and two apps — fried green tomatoes and fried okra. Both were really good, but I’d give the nod to the okra. Here’s why — my wife hates okra and she actually liked them! Good batter, nice fry.
My wife had the fried chicken. I only tried a bite fresh, but the portions were huge so I had the rest for lunch the next day. Even after being reheated it was awesome. Moist, nicely breaded and even had a taste of some heat in the breading. Good stuff, I’d order that next time I go.
I ordered a combo plate — baby back ribs and brisket. I’ll start with the brisket. This is the reason I’m going 4 stars instead of 5. The brisket wasn’t bad, but it was a little tough and not really the melt-​in-​your-​mouth brisket I was hoping for. Good taste, but just a bit on the dry side.
That being said, my baby back ribs were on point! Cooked just right, nice smokey flavor, and a good sauce to finish. Would highly recommend these and definitely would order again. My sides were collards (really good) and mac and cheese (a little oily but you could tell it’s homemade not store bought).
Wish I could remember my server’s name, she was great! Very helpful and very nice. Overall, good experience and good food. I’ll be back!

Ok, I’ve been here many times before and have only rated it today! There is really nothing negative I can say about this place!
The service is 10 stars
The Staff is 10 stars
The Food is 20 stars
I always order the Fried Chicken and BBQ baby backs ribs! Omg… Words cannot explain the tasty portions they offer. It is so reminiscent of Sylvia’s in Harlem NY, another 20 star Soul Food eatery.
All Foodies, this place is a must try for Amazing, Tasty, Finger lickin good food!

I got the lunch special with barbecue beef tips. YUM, and a great value at only $ 10. I love the barbecue sauce they used. Great service.
If you pay 50 cents extra, you can upgrade sides. They lunch special comes with 2, so for $ 11, I got candied yams, mac n cheese, and rib tips. Plus free cornbread muffins.
Everything was delicious. Mac n cheese can be very different from restaurant to restaurant, but this was great. Would come back here in a HEARTBEAT if I didn’t live so far away.

My family and I were looking for a new place to try and we came across Felix on local restaurants. When we got there, we were seated immediately and given a basket of fresh cornbread. They were so delicious.
My 8 yr old daughter is an avid meat eater, so we ordered her the kids order of spare ribs, and I ordered the catfish lunch combo.
Good grief, the food is delicious. I thought for sure the kids meal would little, but it looked like a full order of ribs! The catfish was lightly breaded, with no oil or grease at all.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants some good food. I can’t wait to go back.

We lived in Austin, Texas for several years and have been searching for good BBQ since being back in California. Well, we found good BBQ here at Felix’s. We split a tri-​tip combo and a side of St. Louis ribs. A very tasty meal, complimented with their home made corn bread and cabbage and black eyed peas side dishes. Dessert looks good too, but way too full to try. This is place is casual, comfy, and friendly. We will have to return to try out the other menu items.

My my… needing to have my bbq fix and I saw a fellow Unilocaled with a review of the day for Felix’s today so here I am! We rode the Harley down to the restaurant. We began with corn bread and iced tea while we decide on our eats. We split a combo lunch of tri tip with black eye peas and baked cabbage, with a side of St. Louis ribs. Wanted to get a good flavor of the bbq. I’m more of a dry rub rib guy, our ribs were wet with brushed sauce… but very good! I asked the waitress Tanania and she told me I could get them dry. Good to know for next time. The ribs and the tri tip were tender and melted in your mouth good. Sides were good as well. We finished off with a piece of sweet potato pie which I ate half of before I realized I didn’t get a picture of it. my bad!
Our server was Tanaia and she took very good care of us.
Definitely a great find and we will be back!

This place is the place to go to get Southern Comfort food. We tried the catfish fillet, Tri-​tip, and Alabama fried chicken. For sides we had macaroni and cheese, collard greens, braised cabbage, mashed potatoes and gravy, and sweet potato fries. The catfish was tender and had a nice spice to it. The Tri-​tip had a smooth smokey flavor and the sauce was not over-​powering. The chicken was probably the best I’ve eaten. Crunchy crust and juicy meat. I’ve lived in the South most of my life and this food is some of the best I’ve ever eaten. On the menu we saw there is all you can eat buffet and all you can eat catfish on Sundays.
It is set in a little strip of restaurants deep within an industrial park. Would not have known it was there had I not looked on Unilocal.We will be back and will bring friends.

Alabama fried chicken was crispy and juicy but way too salty. ½ baby back ribs were meaty and soft yet dry maybe from brining too long or their cooking method. All the Meats were too salty and bbq sauce was way too sweet. Do not get bbq chicken here. It tasted old and dry like jerky on some parts. They just covered it with once again very sweet glaze of bbq sauce to cover the taste. At the end of the meal my tongue was numb by all the salt I ate. I am giving 3 stars for great service and light and fluffy warm cornbread they serve when you just sit down. The rest of the food was 2.5.

Service: 5 stars. Especially tonight’s waitress. She went above and beyond.
Food: I would highly recommend the chicken sandwich, chicken & waffles, or the rib tips. The mac n cheese is just ok but everything else we have tried has been great.
Cant wait to go back!

Ribs were super dry, I was going to go to Enzo’s but decided to give these guys a try.
Ambience is cool with the sax guy playing, the cornbread is good. The mac n cheese is meh and they have no beer… bummer. I want to try a lot of their stuff because they have some good stuff on the menu. So far though, not really impressed at all. Service was great though!

I believe this is only our 2^nd or 3^rd time here. How in the world did I forget about that cornbread?! The complimentary cornbread that they serve is oh, so yummy! I wish I had ordered some to go! I could not stop thinking about them that evening nor the next day!
I had ordered the bowl of Gumbo which was full of great flavors! I was not able to finish the bowl of gumbo because I was busy snacking on the deep fried okra appetizer which will now be on my ‘favorite’ list there! My husband ordered the Beef BBQ Ribs and the Deep with two sides, mac and cheese, mashed potato and gravy, with Fried Shrimp for his appetizer. I was able to take a bite of each and they were tasty, although the mac and cheese was a little too fancy tasting for me.
For dessert, we shared a Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream. It was a nice way to end dinner, with a warm/​cold dessert.
This place has expanded since we were last here. There is plenty of seating in the open space. We had called to make reservations just in case since it was a Friday. At the time of the call, the staff said it wasn’t busy at the moment but it does get busy, especially on the weekends.
Next time, ordering cornbread to go!

Little did I know that a little soul food restaurant off the beaten path would literally change my life and view of all food that I would eat the rest of my life, but that is exactly what happened today when I had my life changed by both the incredible food and the friendly service at Felix’s.
Our meal started with the midst remarkable corn bread. I had seen the Trip Advisor Best of 2015 award obviously the wall but had no idea what a tear in was in for. The menu had a wide variety of choices, and truth be told, some of the prices did seem a bit steep. Although this could be just a mild case of California sticker shock… I noticed en route that gas prices were a full dollar per gallon more than Arizona. Undaunted, I asked about the signature offering on the menu and was told by our wonderful waitress that the San Diego paper has recognized the Fried Chicken among the top 3 in the whole San Diego area. I took the plunge and had my entire world turned upside~down.
I cannot exactly describe the euphoria that I felt with the first bite. Perfection. Subtle but distinct seasoning. Fried but not greasy… I’m literally taking about eyes rolling back in your head ecstasy. I am a foodie, and definitely not a food snob, but this set a new bar for my palette. A new high water mark for best food I’ve ever tasted. And it isn’t even close. This food is amazing. The perfect chicken was complimented with equally spectacular soul food sides. I settled on steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots) and something I had never heard of called Hoppin John~ Black Eyed Peas and White Sticky Rice… again, absolutely amazing!!!
The cornbread kept coming and then we were asked if we wanted dessert. After seeing the amazing lineup of home cooked brilliance in the dessert case up front we couldn’t resist, despite the fact that we were really full due to the generous portions from the main act. Thank goodness we took the risk and pushed the envelope… I cannot remember the name of the dessert that I had, but it was a carrot type cake with pineapple and an amazing cream cheese frosting but it was absolutely divine. The cherry pie was also delightful according to the reaction from my friend.
It would be easy to read this review and feel it is a bit lofty, but I am not embellishing. I don’t write reviews often, but this was such an amazing experience I felt compelled. My friend and ib are here on business and are planning on coming back at least another time our two this week despite the near infinite options we could choose here. This food is that good! I would be shocked if you don’t feel the same.
Update 4~19~16
Went back the next night and had the Tri Tion followed with the house specialty Sweet Potato Cheesecake… suffice it to say words cannot do justice. Best to just shut the mouth and chew…:)
Update 4~20~16
One more time for old times sake… I officially have to go to rehab…
Thanks a lot Felix’s!!! ;)

tri-​tip with side salad
their famous fried chicken with mac & cheese and coleslaw
friends got the rib-​eye entrée and the pulled pork sammie
the complimentary cornbread was tasty
but the food otherwise kind of fell flat
I was unimpressed with my fried chicken
and think KFC does FC better, lol
the tri-​tip itself was overcooked but the sauce on it was tasty
the mac & cheese was super dry and the coleslaw was too watery
my friends thought their dishes were just ok

After my Dallas layover I wanted more BBQ — haha! So, the last time I was here was 4 years and got a pork sand which to go.
I haven’t had a craving until now-​haha! Anyways, they have 2 tables outdoors so it’s all good. We got cornbread right away from Julie. She was sweet, attentive and friendly! The St. Louis BBQ was the shizzzz! Big, bold, well done just right. My trip tip was good as well but not as juicy. The catfish breading was crispy seasoned well-​no greasiness. The salty sweet potato fries and my sweet tea added perfect balance. We will be back real soon. Yay we found a new favorite. Thank you Julie!

We decided to try this based on two recommendations and I’m glad we did. Good food. Authentic southern style bbq. Something I/​we have a particular affinity for.
Tonight we tried the fried green tomatoes, smoked tri tip, pulled pork, collard greens, Mac and cheese and for dessert the pecan pie! On top of the sweet tea I had with dinner I think I’ve got enough sugar in me to actually be sweet.
Everything was very good. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The food came out quickly and the portions were plenty.

I came for lunch and had the Gumbo couldn’t get it out of my head. Had to go back and got the ribs as well. Their cornbread is so moist and delicious. Wish they had more of these in Orange County Ca. I would definitely drive down there for the day to get lunch or maybe even dinner. I say go check it out.

Even if I don’t order any entrees, the cornbread and the sweet tea alone is enough to give this place 5 stars.
I’ve had the catfish and the chicken several times and it’s always cooked perfect. Their gumbo, their ribs. Everything is so good.

The food was priced well.
Brisket was not as good as I had hoped it to be.
Service is SO incredibly slow.
That fact alone, we won’t be coming back.

I hate it when you find a place on Unilocal and everyone raves about how amazing it is, and then you convince your family to go and it’s no better than the food you would get at a supermarket hot table.
I give it 2 stars instead of 1, because despite the fact that the Gumbo had been sitting for a very long time, it actually had a good flavor to it. I was born in the Deep South of South Carolina and then moved to Texas. So naturally as a proud Texan I saw brisket on the menu and got a huge smile on my face. I don’t know who taught this place to cook brisket, but letting the meat dry out and then slapping some sauce on it, is not the right way. The red beans and rice, the sausage was so dried out my son spit it out and stuck his tongue out and started wiping it off.
To wrap it all up, there were only about 4 other families in there with more than enough staff, but some how we still had to wait over 13 minutes for refills on water, and once we FINALLY got the check, another 8 minutes for the server to come get it. I can understand if there had been only 2 servers and 40 people, but with enough servers to accommodate each table, the service alone with keep us away.

So good!!! Must try the fried chicken corn bread is to die for make sure to take some home! Very friendly staff!

This place was delicious. Getting a table can be hard during the normal lunch rush hours. But that’s expected at any good eatery. The staff was super nice, but sort of disorganized. I got the pulled chicken sandwich and my husband got brisket, the portions were nicely sized and big enough to let our three year old share off our plates. They do offer a kids menu, but my daughter isn’t a huge eater so it worked out well. Next time we go back we want to try the sweet potato cheese cake !

3 ½ stars. I’m new to the area on business and found this eatery accidently which is located in a strip center mall. Parking was no issue since it was Monday lunch.
Started off with the complimentary corn bread and roll which was tasty with my ice tea. I selected the St Louis ribs luncheon which was paired with cole slaw & fries. The ribs were decent tasting but the end piece of the corner slab was on the dry and chewy side. Cole slaw and fries were decent but nothing to get to excited about.
Service from my waitress was average as she appeared preoccupied mentally. Overall, an average lunch for just over a Hamilton bill plus gratuity.

Keep those cornbreads coming! This place was delicious. I feel it’s kind of tucked away in a little area of Oceanside I’ve never known. I ordered the pulled chicken, and it was on point. Its so much food I took a box home.
The sweet tea is on point as well. It’s hard to find good sweet tea in California.

Great bbq. The catfish is excellent. Tried out mac n cheese, collard greens and mashed potatoes as sides. Make sure to try the mini cupcakes, key lime was a favorite. Staff was very friendly and our waitress was very sweet. We will be back for sure.

Amazing food and staff! We originally had plans to go to a soul food place in downtown Oceanside. The location we were planning to go to said no reservations just show up. We told them we had 12 people and they still said to just show up. When we got to that location they told us they could not sit us together. Well, that wasn’t going to work since it was my daughter’s birthday.
We called Felix BBQ and they told us to come in over, they had a table ready for our group of 12. Our waitress Anaya (hopefully I spelled her name right) was amazing! She went over and beyond to help us order family style.
The cornbread were not dry, they were full of flavor. The chicken, ribs, and rib tips were juicy full of flavor.
My daughter tried greens for The first time and thought they were delicious.
The establishment was very clean too.
Did I tell you our waitress Anaya rocked! We will definetly come back.
Thank you Felix BBQ for making this a memorable birthday for my daughter!

Good solid bbq. The sauce was great, the Mac and cheese was amazing. The cornbread was a game changer. My daughter ate her baby back ribs clean off the bone. Can’t wait to come back and try the key lime cake!

I used to eat here and I felt like the food was ok but as I kept going I realized the food was processed. The food over all lacked a fresh taste and was not piping hot nor did it have much flavor so long story short k no longer come here

Born and raised in Georgia! Finally found a true Southern kitchen in California! Their sweet tea and fried okra is ON POINT!

I have never been steered wrong by Unilocal and this place is no exception!!! Really great food. The $ 10 lunch deal is more food than I could finish. I will be back and often!

First visit here — tucked away in the Ocean Ranch strip mall that is difficult to see from Rancho del Oro. Not a great location in my opinion.
Cornbread Muffins (complimentary)…[A]
Delta Catfish…[A+]
Mac n Cheese…[A]
BBQ Chicken…[B+]
Collard Greens…[A+]
Called in an order for takeaway. Super friendly staff. Food was ready in a snappy 15 minutes. «Single» entrée of delta catfish was huge. Cornmeal breading was perfect. Flavor on the pricier delta catfish was fresh and powerful, authentic. ½ BBQ chicken was a massive serving and served slightly overcooked, but not gummy. Served with a good amount of basted BBQ sauce. Good flavor. Collard greens, my absolute favorite thing about any barbecue, were outstanding. They nailed it. Total cost for two entrees was $ 30. Good deal.
Will be back! Hopefully after a few more visits picking apart the menu, can bump to 5-​stars.

If you are from OKLAHOMA… Or anywhere East/​South East of there… you search out food served at Felix’s on the West Coast… I had searched High and Low… to no avail!
Then Came Felix’s… AHHHHHH
And even better, my Southern CA guy who would touch catfish with a 10 foot pole, tasted mine at Felix’s… I had to almost force it on him first bite… then, after that bite, he is now the Catfish King, can’t get enough of Felix’s… haha! Make me Very Happy! And if that doesn’t get you: okra to die for, great cornbread, and I always drink about a pitcher of sweet tea while there! Staff, food, ambiance… Felix’s has it all!

Really enjoyed this place. The service was very friendly and the food came out quickly. I enjoyed the corn bread that was brought out while I waited.
The grilled catfish was true to its name and had a nice grill flavor but was a bit light on the seasoning for my taste.
The southern style fried catfish was delicious, perfectly fried and seasoned. Would love to have it again and highly recommend it, a true southern comfort.
The BBQ chicken portion as part of their «Lunch Box Specials» was more than generous. The chicken was very moist and the sauce was delicious.
The food did not disappoint though the feel and style of the restaurant did leave a bit to be desired. The place is clean and the décor matched the style of the restaurant perfectly. The location of the restaurant and sparseness in the design give more of a work lunch than night out feel.

We just moved and are now closer to Felix’s, which makes me very happy! This place is great and will definitely start adding it to the rotation of take out and/​or dine-​in spots for me and the family.
Felix’s does southern food right! Their Alabama Fried Chicken is absolutely to die for. They deep fry the chicken in the best corn-​bread batter ever, so so good. Their hush puppies are amazing, the mashed potatoes and gravy are delicious, and the sweet potato fries just add to the amazing flavors!
We got take-​out last time. Just FYI, like any good food, it may take a little longer than expected for take out orders to finish; I highly recommend ordering ahead of time and picking it up on your way home. The food was still hot and delicious once I brought it home.
The location is good, but it’s a little off the beaten path so keep an eye out for it when you get to the shopping center. For local Oside residents, it’s not too far from OAW’s original location. (Perhaps make your evening a good Felix+OAW combo??? Sounds good to me, even with OAW in their new spot.)
The staff is friendly and welcoming, giving me another taste of that Southern hospitality I hear so much about. The guy that took my order made some good suggestions which made it easier to order.
All in all, a very good experience! And like I said, I will DEFINITELY be back!

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!!!
This place is so delicious. All of it. The brisket, the bbq sauce, the sides, the dessert. I am so impressed.
We got the brisket plate, and even thought it is $ 18, the portion is huge. It will definitely last for another meal or two, even.
Our server, Anya, was on point! The best. We were going to get two brisket plates, and she suggested the tri tip to get some of both worlds, and I am glad we did. The tri tip was extremely tender and melt in your mouth good.
The sides were also amazing. I got macaroni and cheese and candied yams. The macaroni is legit, y’all.
The cornbread they serve is absolutely delicious, and they give that to you at the beginning of your meal, and refill the basket during the meal! Amazing.
I got the pecan pie and my husband got the apple pie. Both were delicious, but the apple pie was better. I want to go back to try the sweet potato pie and the cobbler.
We are definitely repeat customers. Phil’s and Bret’s has NOTHING on this place.

I have been wanting to go here for a while but didn’t have an opportunity till yesterday morning. Stopped by here for breakfast with my dad on a Sunday round 10:30 am and this place did not disappoint! We got seated right away.
Location: it’s in a new looking shopping center across from a hotel (a Marriott of some sort). Lots of parking.
We ordered:
— Fried catfish with eggs and hashbrown
— chicken and waffles
— small side of mac and cheese
— cornbread
— sweet tea
— our bill came out to around $ 30.00
Large portions! Great price. Had a ton left over to bring home. The cornbread is amazing and they refilled the basket! Service was great as well. I definitely need to go back and try their BBQ.