Soul food cuisines are a large part of southern culture and Greensboro has countless restaurant options. 

I made it my mission to visit Greensboro’s top four recommended places. 

To keep it fair, I ordered the same meal at every restaurant: chicken wings, mac and cheese, and collard greens. 

A view inside Luxe: the bar and wings with specialty luxe sauce.           Photo courtesy of Mishayla Torres

#1. Best Collards: Luxe Soulfood & Cocktails

First on the list was one of the most upscale soul food places in Greensboro.

Offering exclusive brunch menus on the weekends and 50-cent wings on Tuesdays, Luxe has lots to offer.

Their vibe is trendy and perfect for a photo op, different from the regular family-friendly vibe at most soul food restaurants.  

With a great playlist and a playful staff, I can see how this restaurant is popular. 

They insisted on trying their wings with Luxe sauce. This sauce was great. It was sweet and had a sriracha-like spice.

Their honey butter roll was great too. It was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, very sweet and made in house. 

But the star of the show was their savory collards. I would go as far as to say that those were the best collards in Greensboro. They were cooked just right, with ham and a nice smokey flavor.  

If you are interested in paying a visit, Luxe is located at 403 N Elm St. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

#2. Best experience overall: Stephanie’s Restaurant II 

If you’re looking for a family environment and great service, you should try Stephanie’s II. 

Stephanie’s has two locations; Stephanie’s is located at 2347 Randleman Rd and Stephanie’s Restaurant II is at 2507 Randleman Rd.

Stephanie’s is a drive-thru, while Stephanie’s II is a sit-down restaurant. 

Stephanie’s II was adorned with pictures on its walls of celebrity visits and staff. 

The restaurant seems like a pillar of the Greensboro community. The manager even offered to give us a tour of the restaurant and tell us about its history. 

The food was amazing. The mac and cheese did need some salt but the manager explained its cooked that way because of Stephanie’s older consumers. 

Their hot sauce is made in-house with over 30 ingredients in their secret recipe. 

They have an incredibly long menu with good prices. You can get 4 whole wings with 2 sides and bread for $14.99. 

I recommend the fried squash, which I didn’t expect to be amazing.  

Stephanie’s II is definitely worth a visit for its calm environment and great food. They are open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

#3 Best portions: Ava’s Cuisine

Ava’s Cuisine is a catering service and restaurant. They are located at 908 Cridland Road, which is only six minutes away from A&T’s campus.

They don’t have a sit-down restaurant and serve their food to-go so it’s no surprise that Ava’s had the shortest wait time. 

The food was very interesting. It all had an unexpected umami flavor, almost like everything was seasoned with monosodium glutamate (MSG), a commonly used flavor enhancer. 

The food was also very greasy, which made it difficult to finish. 

This restaurant was highly recommended, so I could’ve just gone on an off day. 

Ava’s Cuisine did have the biggest portions. I got 3 chicken wings, a chicken thigh, and more collards and mac and cheese than I could deal with. 

If students are looking to get their money’s worth, Ava’s Cuisine might be the restaurant to check out.

#4. The winner: Ben’s Boyz

Everything about Ben’s Boyz won me over. 

Customers are greeted by a bookstore at the front of the restaurant. Each book is written by a black author or showcases black stories. 

The customer service was great, partnered with a good environment, and even better food.  

The chicken was incredibly juicy and crispy. Unlike the other restaurants, their chicken was not battered, just fried. While I enjoy traditional fried chicken, this was very refreshing. 

The mac and cheese had a different flavor to it as well. A very distinct and creamy gouda-like flavor set it apart from the others and made it my favorite in Greensboro. 

Another mentionable menu item is their cornbread. It was very soft and buttery like a cake and had a caramelized flavor to it. 

Ben’s Boyz can be found in the Friendly Center at 2711 Grandview Ave. They are open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Of course, it’s up to you to decide which soul food restaurant you like the most. Everyone has different tastes. If you are looking for some of the most recommended, this list is filled with great Black and locally-owned restaurants to visit.