Carmi Soul Food Restaurant

Caution: You will be come addicted after visiting Carmi Soul Food Restaurant.

For some reason, I became obsessed with chicken + waffles. Maybe it is because I think I should be from the south. I’m not sure. But as soon as I realized I had an obsession with them, I had to actually try them. We first had them at Founding Fathers in Washington DC, which is a farm to table restaurant. They were AMAZING, but not traditional. When we came back from DC, we looked up local restaurants that had chicken and waffles and found it. The hidden gem. Carmi Family Restaurant. Located in the North Side, they are a soul food restaurant, so we figured they had to be pretty authentic if they were closely related to southern cooking. We were right.

There is a sign inside the restaurant that says the food might take longer than expected due to everything being cooked when it is ordered. Everything was well worth the wait and tasted even better knowing it wasn’t just sitting in a warming dish and heated when ordered.

I ordered the chicken and waffles as well as a side of mac and cheese due to other reviews on Yelp. I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to experience. Both were UNBELIEVABLE. The breading on the fried chicken was light, crispy, and extremely flavorful and the chicken itself was so moist. You even get to choose which part of the chicken you would like – breast, thighs, or legs. The waffle was thick, crispy, and sweet. I went with the syrup route and left off the hot sauce. I’m not brave enough to step outside of the box yet and try it the traditional way. The mac and cheese was bursting with cheese and just tasted “homemade”, which is how mac and cheese should taste!

Our friend, Jennifer, came for a visit a couple weekends after we first went, so naturally we had to take her. She was quite skeptical at first, but we didn’t stop talking about how great they were and how she had to try them. Win! She loved them and we all left completely stuffed!

The prices are incredible for the quality and amount of food you get. The ambiance of the restaurant was diner-ish and dim, but the staff was friendly and on-point. They also have catering! I can't wait to go back for more chicken and waffles and to try the shrimp and grits! 

Eat Well & Sparkle!