Sylvia’s Queen of Soul Food
642 22nd St S, St Petersburg, FL, 33712
Sylvia’s Queen of Soul Food Menu
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Address :
642 22nd St S
St Petersburg, FL, 33712 - Phone (727) 824-7221
- Website https://www.sylviasstpete.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Lisa C.
It pains me to write this review. 1) Because I have experienced the original Sylvia's and really wanted it to be similar 2) Because I want this place to WORK and become amazing for the neighborhood it's in 3) Because other Yelpers seem to have had way better food experiences than we did. A little background - I stopped in for lunch with a friend yesterday. The place looks fantastic, is modern, bright and airy. I was greeted by the gentleman behind the counter in the catering area. He was very nice. I head around the corner and find my friend who has a table. The server comes over and we order two iced teas and an order of fried green tomatoes to start. They come out pretty quickly and are very tasty. This was the highlight of our meal. Our server is unfortunately very frazzled. Jazmin was her name. Very friendly but literally for an hour and a half all we had was apologies. The place wasn't busy yet so I couldn't understand why she was so flustered the whole time. We were friendly & courteous as we were really there to try it and catch up. She told us a basket of corn bread would be out soon. We each ordered the fried chicken - white pieces. It consisted of a breast and thigh. My sides: Greens & Mashed Potatoes My friends sides: Mashed Potatoes and Lima Beans The plates arrive after awhile. No cornbread, we ask for it. She says she will be right back. We dive into the mashed potatoes at the same time. One bite, that was it. They weren't piping hot and they were very dry. They def needed more butter or cream. Neither of us went back to them. I then tried my greens which were decent. Not soggy and still a little firm but a good flavor. We then tried the chicken which looked amazing. The batter had zero flavor. No spices, no salt. I have never in my life put salt on fried chicken but that is what we had to do. It pained me do so. When my friend said Publix makes better fried chicken, that was actually true and saddened me. We both picked at it a bit. The cornbread the never came. Our glasses were never refilled. When we asked... she would apologize and we would still wait another 15 minutes. I really can't believe how she ran in 20 directions when she was only working a couple tables. When we were ready, we asked for the bill and it was brought to us in like 20 seconds. We both put our credit cards down and another 20 minutes waiting to check out. We had to call her back over to ring them up. Another flustered apology. So it seems she was having a bad day. It happens. It didn't ruin our day. But the food and lack of service really need to change to bring me back in. I would rather cross the bridge to South Tampa to Love's for fried chicken than have lackluster taste. Please Sylvia - consider the reviews and vamp it up a bit. I WANT to come back and I WANT to love it! We shall see....
(2)Jenna H.
If service and atmosphere can be indicators of quality and taste....this will be the best meal I've had since fine dining in Mexico City. While waiting for my take out order: 4 out of the 5 people working here that has walked by has said "hello" and been cheerful (pretty good for being near the end of the night on a Saturday!), Barry White came over the speakers, and I've had a conversation with a stranger at the bar about etiquette dictates for eating bone in chicken with your fingers when in public... Yep, feels like I'm at home! Well done Sylvia's, St Pete :) I haven't tasted the food ...but so far so good. Shout out to Shonda for telling me about the vegetarian special...since tonight I only wanted sides!
(4)Jeffrey L.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The music was excellent and my seating was perfect. I would return just for the musician. The food was OK. I had the BBQ ribs and chicken, but I will try the catfish before I cast final judgement. All together, it was a great experience.
(5)Suzanne M.
The gospel brunch is insane. Best fried chicken ever. The macaroni and cheese is love on a plate. Collard greens, scratch biscuits. You will believe in God.
(5)Kia G.
this place was awful. the first time my mother and I went we were very excited because everyone had been talking about it and we want to support local business. The day we went it happened to be pouring raining. So we are standing there at the hostess stand cold and wet waiting to be seated. Not only was the hostess not there, no one even acknowledged that we were there. The bartender who was right next to he stand was on his blue tooth and only looked our way to flirt with me. My mom was so annoyed we just left. The second time we went was because we were going to be in the area and we decided to give it a second try. We were seated right away and the music was really good. The waiter could have cared less about our table. he acted like we were doing him a favor by even coming to the table. The menu was thin and nothing to really choose from. when he eventually brought the food it was decent. My mom hated her salmon cakes because they were overly breaded and poorly season. it honestly looked like two pieces of bread. It was overpriced for what we had. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. The take out makes great dog food though.
(1)Linda T.
Everything they said it would be in the reviews i read. Southern homestyle cooking from fried andbaked chicken to fried and baked fish or smothered chicken or pork chops. Interesting items like chicken livers smothered and even ox tails which is a real gourmet treat if prepared correctly ( cant say but i will be back to try it)i am a critique on grits and southern as you can get this is the only thing they will have to make up to me on the next trip ..
(4)Candace S.
I ordered the chicken and ribs with candied yams and greens. The chicken was just okay. It was not seasoned very well. The ribs had a lot of fat and were not that appetizing. The yams were goodish and the greens were okay (a little salty). I have to say I'm disappointed with this location. I've been to the original Sylvia's in Harlem and it is MUCH better. I wouldn't recommend this location. In addition, the service was very slow. When I first arrived there wasn't anyone at the front and the waiter took long periods of time to return to the table. He never even asked how the food was. I guess I'll stick to Big John's Alabama BBQ as my soul food spot for now because this Sylvia's is no where close to comparison.
(2)Kim M.
Okay. I'm going to give them a pass, because maybe they were having an off night. I heard from one of my closest friends, who is one of THE hardest to please people I know, that this place was good. So, I went to Sylvia's this past weekend and was not impressed.... with the FOOD, that is. The entertainment, however, may be reason enough for me to come back. First off, imagine a man playing keyboard and singing. Then imagine yourself going up to ask him to play a special request, and hearing the response "The keyboard isn't hooked up" which then makes you realize it's there ONLY for show (including his pretending he's actually playing it), and the laptop he has propped up next to him is what's actually playing the music?! Secondly, think about the song "Brick House" by the Commodores. You're singing it to yourself right now, aren't you? Well, the gentleman singing at Sylvia's this weekend, I believe, must have JUST learned that song earlier that day. I could try to explain further, but it's not even worth it. Just know that I love music, and I know what I'm talking about. The highlight of my experience at Sylvia's was this singer. I was thoroughly entertained, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Also, the mac & cheese and the cornbread were on point. I'll give them that. Ultimately, I'm a nice person. I'll give them another shot before I write them off completely, and I just know it'll be better next time.
(3)Fritz E.
The food is awesome! We had the half baked chicken, Harlem Fried dark meat chicken & waffles, candied yams, potato salad (garlic mashed potatoes sold out by 3pm!) and corn bread. The chicken was super moist & flavorful! Corn bread warm, crispy & yummy. Candied yams were like dessert. Potato salad fluffy & creamy. I'm not a fan of waffles but these were perfect with the chicken. People next to us raved about the chicken lovers & sweet potato pie. We were too stuffed to try. The location is very pretty. We sat at the bar. The bartender is friendly but not yet into the job. Took a while for him to even acknowledge us, I had to got to hostess to ask for menu, didn't ask if we wanted desert...basic stuff but he should get on the ball if he wants to stay here.
(4)Sam R.
I have been waiting to try this place for a very long time. While waiting for the Rays game to start on a Saturday afternoon, we decided to try it. We walked in about 2:20pm on a Saturday when they so call it "gospel music" live entertainment. The place is very clean, the lady at the entrance who was busy cleaning up, was very attentive and asked if we were going to take out or stay, we decided to stay. The waitress was very nice and attentive, but when we tried to order, they did not have any collard greens, wings or rice, so we decided to leave and go back maybe at an earlier time when they first open so they would have what we really want to order.
(3)OU81 2.
We came on a Saturday for lunch and I didn't know what to expect after reading some of these reviews. All I can tell you is that we had first rate service and some of the best Southern cooking and hospitality I've had in a long while! We had fried chicken and waffles...perfect crisp white meat that was moist and perfectly seasoned. The waffles were also right on...crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The sides (collards & mac-n-cheese) came out like everything else...hot and delicious. There was even live entertainment in the form of some light jazz! Everyone was friendly and the food was great...we really love this place and will be back.
(5)Karimah K.
Came for lunch with my sister when we walked in the place was really clean. We were greeted immediately our server was friendly and we were seated in a timely manner. As for the food let me tell you, it was outstanding. My sister and I got the same meal of smothered chicken with a side of greens and baked mac and cheese and it was delicious. The food was really hot you can see the steam. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants real soul food!
(5)Mike K.
Very nice space excellent service and great food. Went for the weekday fried chicken special; excellent value and tasty!! Will definitely return.
(4)D J.
I went with high expectations but it wasn't worth the drive for me. It was clean & beautifully decorated, very helpful & polite employees (I'd go back for the awesome service I received...5 STARS for SERVICE ), & the food came out hot & fresh. 1.) Cornbread was brought to the table but it was very crumbly & dry & too sweet for my taste. 2.) The fried green tomatoes came w/blue cheese dressing was the best thing I ate! DELICIOUS!!! 3.) I also had the 8 wing lunch special: Sweet & Spicy wings, sweet potatoes, & mac-n-cheese The wings were cooked perfectly but slightly salty for my taste (& I love some salt). The sweet potatoes were good (I'd order again). The mac-n-cheese was just one note (seems like its made with only sharp cheddar; which I'm not a fan of. I personally prefer creamier more flavorful mac-n-cheese BUT my husband enjoyed it a lot & said he would order it again. I'm convinced I have to hop on a flight and travel over 1,000 miles for amazing mouth watering food!
(2)Kristy S.
Came back for dinner and so glad I did. Again, the service was friendly and attentive. All of the sides are Delish. We shared the 1/2 baked chicken and peach cobbler. Do yourself a favor and order the peach cobbler.
(5)John W.
came for the fried chicken..well worth the trip.comes with 2 sides i got mac heese and blackeye peas.2 pc white for 10.95 1$ less dark.and of course tea..sunday is s sunday brunch buffet if you wanna try lil bit of everything.good homestyle southern food
(4)Tracey W.
Finally got to check this place out on a girls' night out. Both of my other girls had separately gone before, and I am so glad they suggested this. Had a wonderful first impression. Clean and modern with a friendly, attentive hostess. The saxophonist was a nice plus. I prefer a little "harder" jazz, but he was very talented and this is perfect dining music for most people, and my friends and I enjoyed it very much. They informed me there is a jazz jam upstairs on Sunday nights; I will be there. I am glad I had experienced "guides" with me. I probably would have chosen something else if both of my friends (who had not previously gone to Sylvia's together) had not gone on and on (and on) about the pork chops. I thought it would blasphemy to try something else. Boy, they were right. I had two pork chops so I could try both the fried AND the smothered. They were both delicious and both completely different. The fried was perfectly battered, not greasy at all, nicely flavored, and very tender. The smothered was a wonderful, slow-cooked fall apart piece of heaven. As it was all way too much for me to finish at one sitting, I will be enjoying the smothered pork today. I had the mashed potatoes and collard greens. Both were excellent and hot. I asked for vinegar with my collards before tasting them, but they were wonderfully flavored without it so I didn't use it. Mashed potatoes (with gravy) were excellent. I am not a big fan of some of the sides that my friends got, but everyone wanted to share so I tried the sweet potatoes (excellent) and the tomatoes and okra (surprising good). I am not a big fan of corn bread, either, but they came to the table warm, slightly sweet, and moist. Excellent. None of us had room for dessert, but our friend said we had to have the sweet potato pie and ordered us all an order to go. I have another friend who raves about their peach cobbler. I can't personally report, yet. Service was very friendly and attentive, yet did not hover. As this was a Friday night, we went a few blocks north to hit 3 Daughters, have a beer and watch some live music afterwards. I love what is happening on 22nd Street. Will definitely come back and try some other items on the menu!
(5)S K.
The fried catfish was excellent and the two sides - mashed potatoes and vegetarian collards were a great complement to the entree. My friend ordered the chicken livers with black eyed peas and would order it again. Overall, great food In a very nice, new looking restaurant. You can look intl the kitchen from the dining room.
(5)Michael Angelo R.
Not since Gladis Night chicken &waffles in Atlanta have we had such great southern food. Clean, polite, friendly and the out of this world! Been twice this week and can't get enough of the fried green tomatoes! Mash potatoes and Mac & Cheese don't miss. Top it all off with the peach cobbler. The place is wonderful. .ahead of their time in their location. Harlem Chicken & waffles our favorite, always moist. Enjoy!
(5)Sylvester M.
I had a decent meal here. The prices were decent and the was great. Comfort soul food all the way. Definitely going back.
(4)Matthew J.
Chicken was 4.5 stars (really good) but since the SIDES were so phenomenal, I gave this place 5 stars. The Mac and Cheese...lord have mercy, it is good. Best I've ever had, probably. Loaded with thick, gooey, REAL cheese and just delicious. The collard greens (traditional...they also offer vegetarian) were really good. Just what they should be...fresh, tasty and flavored perfectly. Someone on here said bland...I would characterize them as just-right. Same with the chicken...someone on here or Urbanspoon complaining about the chicken being un-seasoned. Not true...this is how it's supposed to taste...fabulous, fresh, seasoned harmoniously and just enough. The two piece $10 fried chicken is a leg quarter. Pretty much average sized, so not a ton of food, but the MOUNDS of sides they give you make up for that. I went to Glady's Knight's Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta and they give you these gigantic pieces of roaster chicken (tougher, older birds, I guess?) so there's your tradeoff...size vs. tenderness...Sylvia's was very fresh and tender. I would almost suggest getting the white meat (breast and wing) as it may have more meat for a hungry man. (Really, the only bummer with the leg quarter chicken was that they leave it a leg quarter...so you've got to maneuver with your fork and knife to eat your fried chicken like you're used to eating it, piece by piece. I don't know about you, but I like to grab hold of my fried chicken, not eat it with a fork and knife. Just not the same.) Anyways, the service was good not great, one girl on the floor, could have been more attentive with stuff like refilling glasses since she only had one other table to watch. Was more interested in chatting with the staff in the back of the room. Not mad, just...customers come here to chill and be taken care of, so please take more care. (Excitingly, next door, they "revived" the old Manhattan Casino and are doing what looks like some amazing stuff in there...in the next month or so here, they are doing a Cotton Club revival and a Motown Revue. Very excited about going to both of those. But I digress.) You could totally go here dressy and not look out of place...could have a "special" dinner here and it would feel just right. Perfect. High-end decor makes for a visually pleasing, relaxing experience. Wonderful all around. Overall, though, the place is high-end gorgeous, clean, pleasant and a real treat. Very pleased, on balance.
(5)John N.
Soul Food without the soul Greens: tasted like someone accidentally poured in a gallon of Kool Aid making it way too sweet Banana Pudding: looked like Bread Pudding. terrible Place done sold out and left the soul behind.
(1)Nildalia C.
OMG! They put they foot in ALL the food!!! The Mac n cheese is off the hook!! This is the place to go when you want some true soul style food. Nice atmosphere, chill vibe, clean, and super friendly staff! Definitely worth the drive.
(5)Paul D.
My wife and I had been planning to go here since it opened recently and today was the day. In short, with the exception of a wiggly table, everything was perfect. I am not an expert on soul food, but we know what we like. I ordered the chicken livers with onions and green peppers, plus collard greens and black-eyed peas. There aren't many restaurants where black-eyed peas are offered, so I was happy to see them on the menu. My wife had the ham, plus Mac 'n Cheese and collard greens. The servers were all friendly and very observant. We were greeted by the hostess immediately upon entering. As soon as we were seated, a basket of sweet corn bread was placed before us, and it wasn't long at all before the meal came out. Everything was delicious. The collard greens rocked! For a new restaurant, they definitely have their act together. Every table has a bottle of Sylvia's Hot Sauce (cayenne pepper-based) and it delivers on the self-described 'kick'. I love hot spicy flavors, and many places exaggerate the heat of their sauce, but I was not disappointed with Sylvia's! We finished up with some peach cobbler, even though we were already stuffed to the gills. The entire lunch, including dessert and tax, was under 24.00. The view out the large picture window wasn't very interesting, overlooking a rather forlorn empty field of grass, but this restaurant, a member of the famous Sylvia's Soul Food in Harlem chain, is trying to make a go of things in conjunction with the recently re-opened, historic Manhattan Casino, so as time goes by, something interesting will come to occupy that empty field. We will definitely be back. Next visit, I'm going to tackle the ribs and chicken combo. Stay tuned.
(5)Leckie W.
Went with family on Christmas eve. I wasn't in the mood for a main course, so I got 4 sides. Baked Mac n cheese, candied yams, mashed potatoes & greens. Everything was deliciously homemade and tasted so good. Many restaurants serve potatoes & sides and are all mass produced with no real flavor (or ingredients). They make them with real products. Not to mention the pricing is way affordable!! It's the same as any other restaurant but with with quality food. My family had the smothered chicken & BBQ ribs. I had a taste of both and wished I had ordered something myself. Literally both main dishes were PERFECT. Food was fresh, timely & delicious. You will feel good about spending your money here as this is the best home cooking at a restaurant you will get. Will be back often!
(4)Jay S.
Run by amateurs! They need Robert or Chef Ramsey to teach these amateur how to run a restaurant! Not only I waited 30 minutes to get my order I waited another 30 to get my food and it was the wrong order! Waited another 15 for my family's food. We were seated after 738 and didn't leave til 945pm. Granted we meet the co-owners daughter waiting for a table so I figured, food must be really good for even she has to wait for a table. Service was 1 star. Not even a refill of water? Our waiter need to go to real restaurant to see how real waiter wait. Now the food? If it arrived hot and not cold? If it arrived all at one time? If the staff worked as one instead of standing pretending to work? Maybe! I was disappointed! Most of the reviews here noted service was so, so..they weren't lying! The food was good I have to say but so is Appleby's on a bad day.
(2)Bruce M.
After seeing the news reports the past few weeks announcing the opening of this world famous soul food restaurant coming to our town I was extremely excited to try it out but figured I would give them a week to work out the glitches that come with opening a new restaurant. Finally! The wife and I tried this place out last night and we were not disappointed in the least. We got there around 7:30 and the place had a dozen or so customers in the dining room. The place is nicely decorated, the room is inviting and feels comfy. From the hostess to the wait staff, everyone is attentive and courteous, the menu is simple and well laid out with a nice story on the back cover talking about how Ms. Sylvia got her start. We were seated right away and promptly greeted by our waiter George who took our drink orders and appetizer order....Fried Green Tomatoes! Yummy! It was not even ten minutes and the appetizer came out and let me tell you, these were on the money! These were not tiny slices of green tomatoes, these were large, perfectly sliced with a light batter that stuck to them, they were delicious and some of the best I have ever eaten....a must try for anyone craving a fried green tomato. For dinner, I ordered the ribs and fried chicken (dark meat) combo meal with two sides, collard greens and candied yams. My wife ordered the fried catfish with collard greens and baked mac and cheese. Again, our meals came out promptly and presented well on the plate. My ribs were good, fall off the bone good! My fried chicken quarter was perfectly cooked, the skin was crispy and the inside meat was moist. My only grumble was the chicken had not been warmed up enough, the chicken meat was lukewarm. On the other hand, my two sides were awesome! The collard greens are some of the best I ever ate and the candied yams were amazing! They could be considered a dessert and something I know my picky five year old would love to eat. My wife's fried catfish was also a hit! George our waiter had recommended this dinner and he was right, it is delicious and cooked to perfection. Somehow Sylvia's has the right combo for perfecting the breading on their fried foods, it is light, not greasy and it sticks perfectly when cooked. Like me, she raved about the collard greens and her baked mac and cheese was by far some of the best ever, this place nails it when it comes to good soul food. Of course our dinner would not be complete without trying the dessert, again we turned to our waiter George for his take on the desserts, he suggested the peach cobbler with ice cream.....again, this guy delivered! I am not a huge dessert person and if we do order dessert we usually share one, this time my wife had a hard time keeping me from eating the whole thing, it was on the money! And speaking of money. In closing, this place will not break your bank account. The prices are very reasonable and affordable, it is family friendly and you get real value for what you spend here. The two of us walked out of here spending just around fifty dollars for dinner, appetizer, dessert and a glass of wine....now that's a good deal! We will be back!
(4)Robert P.
Soul Sista glad I didn't miss ya. Been waiting for this place to open up, but I guess I must have missed the memo that it finally did, so as I was driving by and saw ppl inside I came to a screeching halt and popped in. First and foremost I was impressed by what they've done with this place, def a classy joint. Asked the waitress what she recommended and she immediately suggested the fried chicken (dumbest question of the year) so I went with the smothered fried chicken, mash and Mac and cheese. All was excellent, especially the mash. The waitress was attentive and polite, and the food came out quick without a hiccup. Really rooting for this place to do well in a part of town that desperately needs it. I'll be back to try some more, if everything is as good as what I initially had I may bump to 5 soon.
(4)Felix A.
The food was awesome! We had the Fried Chicken and Ribs combo which comes with two side, I had collard greens and candied yams. For dessert I had the Peach Cobbler ala mode (aka with ice cream) which came recommended by one of the staff members. It was a great pick. Is it weird that I dreamed about yesterday night? Maybe but it was a sweet dream. The service was extremely pleasant, it felt like home. There were a little glitches here and there but for opening day service I was thoroughly pleased. The restaurant decor was extremely pleasant to the eye, very trendy. I can't wait to try some of the drinks at the bar. We're actually counting down the days when we can get some Fried Chicken/Ribs again.
(5)Bonita B.
Sylvia, the restaurant, is WON-D-FUL! The facility is nice and trendy. The staff greets you, provide you their name, and tell you who your wait staff will be. I enjoyed the salmon croquette, garlic mashed potatoes, and vegetarian collard greens. I wanted the red velvet cake but it has nuts in the icing, so I had to make another selection....so I ordered the yummy coconut cake. Oh yeah, the provide you corn bread and butter while you decide your entrees. They offer take out and dine in. I plan to return to this establishment over, over, and over again to try various things.
(5)Gina H.
Great service...southern hospitality at its best! Breakfast was cooked to order and fresh...love the fact that they scramble real eggs. Homemade biscuits remind me of my grandma's cooking. As my 5 year old put it, " we're having a good meal here". Customer Service is amazing and decor is modern and stylish. We will return next time we're in the area!
(5)EJ P.
Cornbread: Not my thing (I like it sweet, theirs was not sweet and bland in general) Fried chicken: Excellent Mac-n-cheese: Excellent Collard greens: Out of this world Candied yams: Meh Mashed potatoes: Average Service: Excellent (go there on a weekday really early, like at 11:30, and you will have ZERO service problems) Restaurant: Very nicely designed and comfortable 4.5 stars for Sylvia's! I can't wait to try the other stuff on the menu.
(4)Blake W.
I have eaten at Sylvia's three times and I have been disappointed every time. I remeber my mom maaking salmon croquettes when I was a kid, so I was excited to see them on the menu at Sylvia's. But these were dried clumps of bread filler with a hint of fishy tasting salmon, and a side of some sort of okra slime. The second time I ate there I decided to go in a different direction, so I ordered the ribs. These were worse than the salmon croquettes. The ribs were huge and plentiful but they were really tough and fatty, and slathered ina a sweet but odd tasting bbq sauce. I ate one and brought the rest home to my dog who gave them a five star rating. So the third time I had tilapia, it, was better than the salmon or the ribs but still very mediocre. Why do I keep going back to a place that I don't like? Well I do some work there occasionally, contract work not an employee, and they are nice enough to feed me. Unfortunately everything I have tried has been pretty bad. I will be working there again soon and I will continue to try different items until I find something decent. I can't recommend this place, I eat for free and have yet to like anything enough to even finish a meal. I would not waste my money at Sylvia's.
(1)Laura R.
I enjoyed almost everything we ordered here, and I plan to return for more of Sylvia's comfort food. Their simple mac n' cheese was delicious, the collard greens were cooked exactly the way I like them, and the cornbread was good (and served toasty warm). My partner had the oxtail, which was the daily special, and it was extremely flavorful and tender. I had the Harlem style chicken & waffles; the fried chicken was tasty with crispy skin, although the waffles themselves were just okay (they were a too soft for my taste). The dessert (peach cobbler) was a mushy and overly sweet disappointment. Their service was friendly, with no annoying hovering, and their decor was tastefully simple, extremely clean and well lit. We look forward to having another meal here (I've heard the ribs are great), although I will probably skip dessert.
(3)Latisha M.
Went to Sylivas today with family. The food and service was great!! I had oxtails, white rice and the cheesiest Mac and Chez ever..I tasted my Hubby's ribs they are not the typical ribs it was a red sauce with lemon on top... Diffrent but Excellent .. Will be back
(5)DJ V.
Food was very good and tasted fresh. I had the smothered chicken, macaroni and cheese and collards. Wait staff were very friendly. The food was very hot (in temperature) when received. Talking to the staff and management , I was informed that they recently changed the some recipes because they received complaints that the food was too sweet. Man I wish they would bring this place back to Atlanta.
(5)Joseph K.
Went here for the Restaurant Week preset $30 meals. It was a very busy Saturday night, supposedly a waitress walked out. The "manager?" Or owner was very apologetic and took our orders. all the food I got was very good! This is ideal southern comfort place. I was surprised with the decor very modern look for a southern place. There was live soul music from a black man with a keyboard and a soul filled voice. All the sides are great mash potatoes were very creamy, Mac cheese was super cheesy, and collard greens were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. My meatloaf was perfect. Peach cobbler could of been served with ice cream or whipped cream but was still not bad by it self. Only compliant was the wait on the food.
(4)H V.
Fantastic service, atmosphere, and most importantly the food. Best fried chicken in Tampa Bay for sure. Well worth the drive from Tampa. The okra and tomatoes side and baked mac n cheese were awesome too. My plate was completely empty but for some traces of hot sauce. A+
(4)Jackie L.
We went for Sunday brunch, I had a Groupon, but have been wanting to try it. Our service was amazing!!! We usually don't do buffets, but everything was incredible. The fried chicken was to die for, loved the baked fish and the Mac n cheese as well as the veggies were delicious! We'll definitely be back! The prices were so cheap for the quality. Great soul food, nice, clean atmosphere and I enjoyed watching the adorable after church fashions!
(5)Brooke R.
Seriously, this macaroni & cheese tastes just like my grandma's. I'd come back just for this.
(4)Michelle R.
The food was great!! The atmosphere was awesome. The staff wasn't the worst .. I really enjoyed my dinner
(4)Kate D.
Although we had inattentive, unorganized, and forgetful wait staff, they were extraordinary friendly and the food was FANTASTIC. The ribs not fell right off the bone but were covered in the perfect about of the most delicious and unique bbq sauce I've ever had. The mac & cheese, okra & tomato, and green bean sides were equally as unique and delicious. Though the fried chicken and mashed potatoes weren't anything special, they were still good. Very affordable for the quality as well. Although the drink selection (the quality of the wines in particular) was also lacking, the ribs alone make up for this restaurant's only two pitfalls.
(4)Deborah J.
Other than it being the Grand Opening and running out of certain items, the food was delicious! I had the BBQ Ribs & Fried Chicken combo with candied yams, traditional collard greens & cornbread & my friend had the salmon croquettes with mac & cheese. We also had the strawberry bread pudding which would have been great but they ran out of bourbon sauce so it was definitely missing it. The decor was very nicely done. The prices were very reasonable for the wines and the amount of food you get and I can't wait to go back!
(4)Kyla D.
From the moment we entered and the employees at the bar just stared at us, then finally yelled at people who we couldn't see, that we were there... I knew that the staff was clearly under trained. I questioned how long this restaurant had been open the entire time I was there, and still refuse to believe it's been open any longer than a couple of months and everyone working here, besides the cooks, are working their first restaurant gig. The waitress was friendly enough, but had to get assistance everytime she went to the POS. The food was a little salty, but I was happy a restaurant had chitterlings. The decor was gorgeous, but I wish I had a lock on my stall door. I would never dine in here again, but if I came back to St. Petersburg, I might get it to go. Hopefully one day the service will match the level of sophistication that the decor presents.
(3)Lady H.
Went here for the second time this weekend because I wanted to give it another try, plus there was a yelp deal being offered so why not. :0) The restaurant is decorated in a very modern way and appears very clean. My experience with service has been very good here. Both hostess and wait staff on each occasion have been friendly, accommodating, and attentive. I'm a southern girl, raised by my granny in the heart of Atlanta so soul food is near and dear to my heart. I gotta say straight off that the sweet tea here is MOST DEFINITELY southern sweet tea. No skimping on the sugar AT ALL. Even the watery ice leftover in my cup was sweet. I love it!! My husband and I both agree that the food is just okay. Not bad and not finger licking excellent but just okay. I wouldn't go crazy trying to get back here but if I were in the area and hungry I would go again, even if only for that fantastic swwwwwwweeeeeeet tea!!!!!!! WOW!
(3)Kern D.
Took the family on a Friday for dinner. Nice jazz playing in the bar as background made for enjoyable dinner. Not to loud. Very clean modern decor as well described elsewhere. Fried chicken pretty good. Ribs okay but get something else or go somewhere else if ribs are what you're looking for. Fried catfish very good. Black beans, green beans, and macaroni and cheese all very good. Lemonade excellent. Service was attentive and tried hard but needs a little more experience. Overall pleasurable experience. Will go back.
(3)S C.
Never going again and even made up a lie to leave before the food came! The waiter was incredibly flip and rude and the food was just sitting under heaters and not freshly prepared. But the icing on the cake was the manager was standing over the finished food area ready to be run to the tables and was picking his teeth, spitting the excrement in the floor, and then pulled out his top denture! Again, OVER TOP OF THE FOOD! Save your money!
(1)Charmean S.
Expectations meet! I went on a Sunday afternoon and I thought I would possibly run into the church crowd.... I did but it did not prevent us from being seated immediately. Our server was friendly and attentive. I ordered the rib and chicken meal with two sides ( Mac and cheese and mash potatoes). All of my items were seasoned to my taste. I love homemade oven baked mac and cheese and I would say its the closest I've tasted from a restaurant. Overall, I equally enjoyed the food and service. BTW they have a full bar and close late.
(4)Tiff P.
If you've been to Sylvia's in Harlem NYC, and you're looking for a similar experience, you're going to need to look elsewhere. This place doesn't encompass the charm, hospitality, or flavor of anything Southern and comforting. Here's a quick breakdown... PROS: 1) Fried Chicken - Winner! No complaints here. The batter wasn't overdone and the chicken still moist and flavorful. 2) Collard Greens - Very good, but can you really ruin these? 3) Mac'n Cheese - Yes, this was excellent. My only complaint is that the portion was too small! CONS: 1) Cornbread - The first basket was cold. The second was warm and tasted better, but both batches were fairly dry and the portions were small. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. 2) Ribs - Small, mostly fatty, drenched in bbq sauce. I understand that ribs are typically drowning in sauce, but these had a strong ketchup flavor and left everyone at our table unimpressed. 3) Price - You have to pay $1 extra for white meat. And for what you pay the portions are pretty small. That, or I'd expect the quality and flavor of the meat to be much better. 4) Service... wow. The service here is HORRIBLE. Let's see, no one ever refilled our drinks or waters. We asked for lemons and straws twice, only 2 straws were delivered for our table of 3. It was 30 minutes before closing time and the wait staff started clearing our table without even asking if anyone was done, reaching across without even saying 'excuse me' or even saying anything at all. Oh, and by the way, one of us was still eating when you took our side dish away! Because of the service, we never tried any of the desserts. I really want to like this place, but it seems like the inconsistencies are creating so many mixed reviews. I'm debating giving it a second try, and if things improve, then I'll definitely write an update. Here's for hoping,
(2)Sarena P.
Lacking in service and flavor... The waitress went missing for about 20 minutes. We waited over 30 minutes to finally order. Then another 30 minutes for the food to arrive incorrectly. My mom is deathly allergic to onions and we asked the waitress numerous times if certain foods were cooked with onions and she said "No. We don't do that here." The only item she advised came with onions were the chicken livers. So my mom ordered the smothered pork chops. Before it even reached the table we could see an onion draped across the chop in the gravy. Unacceptable. My food arrived last which was 20 minutes after the first plate. I will not recommended this place to anyone.
(1)Shelle B.
I have waited 40 years to get to Sylvias, and it finally came to me!!! St Petersburg that is...lol It was worth the wait! We were there for the Grand Opening, and I must be honest they still need to get the kinks out of their operational side of it, but everything else: the Décor, the employees, and last but certainly not the least the FOOD was top notch. The best Soul Food I have ever had bar none!!! I can't wait to go back!!! UPDATE!!!! Went back to Sylvias tonight with about 19 other people. Some of the best Ribs and Mac and Cheese I've ever had. The employees are all so very pleasant and eager to accommodate. I do hope they get there kitchen to get the meals out faster though....but I would not stay away from Sylvias! It's worth the wait!!
(5)Michael F.
last night was another delicious dinning experience at sylvia's. my friends and i were greeted by friendly staff then escorted to our table. drink orders taken and a basket of the best warm cornbread was delivered.the meatloaf was tasty and plentiful. my 2 sides were traditional collard greens(my favorite). for dessert i had the homemade banana pudding for the first time, let's just say this is going to be my all time favorite dessert!! our waitress was very attentative and sociable. even the wait staff from prior visits took the time to welcome us back. always a pleasant atmosphere with good food and great staff. also, "hat's off" to the chefs for preparing the best soul food!! michael f.
(5)Evelyn T.
Excellent soul food. Everything was delicious well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Best greens and black eye peas I ever had.
(4)Cherise J.
Great food, good service, nice ambiance, decent price. The only thing they're missing is live music. When you're in Saint Petersburg, definitely check out Sylvia's. This location is great for Soul Food.
(4)Jean T.
The restaurant is a very contemporary space and nicely decorated with historic pictures of Sylvia Woods. I couldn't figure out to save my life why they had the fluorescent lights on and the ambient lighting off on a Saturday night. It gave it the feel of a cafeteria. A few people standing around doing nothing by the door while the 2 servers were struggling with the tables they had. The food was good but not memorable. The roasted chicken was juicy and tasty but not something that you couldn't get somewhere else. Side dishes were large enough to share. The okra and tomatoes was drowned in tomato sauce and corn. The music was too close to the tables and interrupted dinner but the guy playing the keyboard was entertaining. I'm glad that I tried it with a coupon. I may give it another shot for the Sunday Brunch to see if it's any better. There's room to improve if they want to be a destination.
(3)Paul W.
We arrived with a party of four for lunch I started off with a fried catfish appetizer wich arrived quickly and very hot. Delicious. Had the fried chicken- rib combo as the main course. The rib came off the bone with little effort and the chicken was very moist, obviously fried in clean fresh oil. Yummy. Save room for dessert. The peach cobbler and banana bread pudding was outstanding. I loved this place and would recommend it to anyone
(4)Calvin M.
I was very excited about going to Sylvia's restaurant and came all the way from Tampa to enjoy only to wait at the front door for someone to seat us. That person never came and after waiting 5 minutes and watching waitstaff never acknowledging that their where people waiting to be seated I left. The place was not crowded and it look like there was only one person waiting on tables and seating customers. I was very disappointed and won't be back. Sorry if you have a bad experience before you even get seated what will the rest of your service be like?
(1)Rebecca G.
We lived in NYC and went to Sylvia's often, always great food and service. Went to Sylvia's in St Pete for the first time on Christmas eve with family and the food and service were both great. HOWEVER went to the Buffet on Mothers day Sunday; what a mess. First you pay for the food & tip. Once they took our money we didn't know what to do..........do you stand there? does someone seat you? Nothing about where to go or what you need to do. when we asked the cashier did say that we would be seated.........oh good............thank you.............finally a woman came by she said that she would seat us and was going to go look......so we expected her to go look........but she never said" follow me" she just expected us to "know" that we should follow; then we were seated..........and they sat us with other customers. Not too bad, but you should prepare people for that. We start looking around for a waiter/waitress to come by and tell us: you get this and the buffet or get your own drinks...........nothing. We never had a waiter or waitress come by that could let us know what to expect. We finally figure out that we can get in line for the buffet; good then we were "served" but they were being really stingy with the servings and this was not a BUFFET where you server yourself..............but you did get little itty bitty servings of food.............first the squares of dry cold corn bread..no butter nearby. When we figured out where the butter was......it was "whipped spread" really? southern cornbread requires butter. Never mind that it was cold and we could have played checkers with it but for the fact that it fell apart. Then the rest of the food line: OMG the servers were serving you a little itty bitty servings because they were running out of food; the service.........none of these people should have been serving food..........angry that they were there.............nothing was identified and if you asked what was covered they were pissed that you asked.........first they had chicken and I saw the meatloaf once.............then it disappeared..............Mac & cheese was not available either...............until the meal was almost over for us...they had corn right out of the can...........was not even warm...............mixed vegetable.......right out of the can.........not warm either.........I will NEVER go back to their so called buffet..........they are a disaster..............service.................Hmm there was none, they only came by at the end when they saw the plates stacked and we were ready to leave.......we got our own drinks so why the TIP? and the music so loud we could barely talk during our meal. But for me..............the servers serving on the buffet line were the worst, the angriest, did not want t be there and it must have been next door neighbors or friends of people they quickly pooled together to serve. Because they behaved like they were guarding the food. I came here to eat and they were there "protecting" their food. I have worked in restaurants for many years; you are a disaster; I will go back to the restaurant, but never the buffet.
(1)Jeanette R.
The food was good but the service needs tremendous improvement.
(2)Jimmy F.
I was just saying the other day how I haven't been impressed with any meal that I've gotten in a long time. Well that all changed with a recent visit to this place last night. First off, we had a party of 9 and we called ahead to make sure they could handle a table-top that large at the time. They told us to come on out. The atmosphere was surprisingly modern and spacious. Quite fancier than I expected. Very clean. We were seated quickly and pitchers of iced tea, water and corn bread greeted us at the table. I ordered my first plate of chicken and waffles and let me say it was absolutely amazing. My chicken was fried fresh to order and super moist. The waffle was literally the best I've ever had. How I've never ordered this delicious duo in the past, I have no idea. You could tell there was a lot of love behind this plate of chicken and waffles. I never wanted for my server the whole time. She had all of my needs taken care of the whole time. The only little complaint wasn't mine, but two entrees of ribs took about 15 minutes longer than the rest of our meals. Which wasn't a problem really since it was being made to order. The prices were also surprisingly reasonable. Around $14 for my entire meal. You just can't go out to eat these days for much cheaper than that. I can't wait to go back to this place. It was absolutely top-notch. Everything was fantastic!
(5)Paula B.
Had lunch there today with 2 friends. TERRIFIC food. Two of us had the baked herbed chicken (breast); another, salmon croquettes (more like patties). All delicious, as were the collards, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese. (LOVED the greens) We will definitely go back. This is new, and the decor is kinda swanky - lovely space and GREAT service. So happy to have a Sylvia's outpost down here!
(4)Janet W.
I had my first visit to Sylvia's today and my experience was great. I was promptly seated upon my arrival. My waitress was very polite, prompt, and professional. Both the interior and exterior of the building were very nice. I chose to take a late lunch hoping to avoid the crowd, which I did. For my drink I ordered an "Arnold Palmer" half sweet tea-half lemonade and it was delicious, not every establishment gets it right. I ordered from the lunch menu. I selected the fried chicken leg quarter, with collard greens and macaroni and cheese as my side items. The food was great. The chicken was fried to perfection, and the macaroni and cheese melted in my mouth. The greens had a slight sweetness to them, but they were cooked very well. I will definitely return.
(4)Mimi M.
We have been to Sylvia's several times. All but one of those times it was fantastic. Usually the corn bread comes out hot and yummy, the mashed potatoes are creamy and extremely flavorful, the Mac n cheese extra cheesy, the fried chicken done to perfection, the collards melt in your mouth.... I think you get the idea. There was one time we went and it was less than fantastic. It was as if they just wanted to get out of there and the whole meal, from the food to the service, was a bit bland. I think it's safe to say ALL restaurants have an off day and I won't let one, less than perfect, meal ruin my overall experience. This place is worth trying if you haven't already and worth going back to if you already have.
(4)Joshua B.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but after we were finished, I knew I loved every bite of what we had. This place is on point! This place was suggested by a buddy, so when we saw a cl deals offer, I snagged one. We used it with our meal today. We found the location without issue, right under 275. The place looks interesting and is in a historic building, the Manhattan Casino building. We walked in and were greeted quickly by the friendly hostess. The space is a wide open dining room. It is very open and has a small bar and takeout area at the front of the restaurant. We were greeted by our server quickly and he suggested we get the buffet as it had most of the menu available on it. We checked it out and decided to sample through the buffet. We tried just about everything on the buffet and did not find an item that wasn't very flavorful and we'll cooked. The sides alone you could make a meal from. From the black-eyed peas, white beans, yellow rice, collards, and the mac & cheese, all of it was amazing. We also tried the meatloaf, baked chicken, and fried chicken which were all perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. Towards the end, we sampled the peach cobbler, which was tasty, but we wished it was over ice cream. In the end, we werr happy with everything we tried. The buffet was $15 per person, and we'll worth it. We used our cl deals coupon, which rung up wrong, but was quickly corrected. The one thing you have to watch for is the 18% gratuity that is automatically added, but we had no issue with this as our server was great. I really look forward to returning.
(5)Grneyedmnst R.
I really wanted to give you 5 stars because of the hype and the restaurant was very trendy, clean and a great concept. The staff was also very friendly. But I am from GA and I have not only eaten some of the best soul food, I also know how to cook it and season. Yep, WG has skillz! At 6pm the restaurant wasnt busy and I got takeout after a long day at work and was pretty disappointed to get home and bite into a well seasoned rubbery pink pork chop that was not cooked in the middle. Greens with no meat in it and no real flavor, cornbread so dry that it disentigrated into crumbs at first bite. Soupy syrupy peach cobbler...although the cut pie crust squares on top were good. The mac & cheese was ok but too many crunchy hard macaroni as if the baking pan had been scraped clean. Almost $19 thrown away on a bad meal. At least the sweet tea was good.
(2)Michael C.
5 stars because I can't give 6. So, I went to this restaurant with a large group of friends and the staff was absolutely outstanding! Everyone was treated individually and got their orders, no fuss and no muss. There was a nice little old lady playing the piano and a gentleman accompanying her on the drums, nice touch for Saturday lunch. Now for the food, I'm a southern boy from birth and we didn't call this style of food "Soul Food" it was just dinner or supper (there is a difference). That being said, since my Grandmother is no longer with us, I have not had better southern cooking than what Silva's is putting out. I ordered a combination of fried chicken gizzards and livers, awesome! With a large party there was plenty of other things ordered, they all looked great, and the reports were equally as good. Apparently the fried chicken is the "bomb" IDK because I got my hand slapped when I reached for a piece. The peach cobbler appeared to be equally delicious! The meatloaf was a monster and the report was excellent, demonstrated by the fellow scrapping the plate. I plan on returning again with my wife, who is a southern food expert, if she is equally impressed this will become a must stop for us in St. Pete.
(5)Dutch V.
The most dangerous place in America is not Chicago at midnight or San Francisco in the midst of a quake but between me and piece of the cornbread from "Sylvia's!" But the cornbread is just one positive of this magnificent place. The menu is excellent with a mixture of soul food, comfort food, and southern cuisine. The barbecue sauce rivals my hometown's Dinosaur Barbecue's sauce. The staff was excellent and the service was above reproach. I had ordered the coconut shrimp and they were out of coconut. Every other place I have been simply says "sorry, we are out of that." I had a gentleman approach me and say "I am sorry we are delayed in the coconut shrimp because we had to send someone out to buy coconut because we are out." Now that's service! Great ambiance and just a great meal. HIGHLY recommend and it's just of I-275 5th Avenue exit. I WILL be back!
(5)Heather S.
Came today for the gospel brunch with family from out of town. We walked in there wasn't really a greeter there so we had to look for someone to seat us. They were friendly about it but I recommend that they have someone at the door to seat people. For a gospel brunch there was no gospel music. They should rename it to something else when they do not have the live gospel. The food was good. My favorite thing was the mac and cheese because it reminded me of my grandmothers! It was really good. I was disappointed they did not have an omelet station like it was advertised on their website. Also if you want a waffle to make "Chicken and Waffles" you have to ask for it in the back. It was not an issue though. Here are my other food ratings based off the buffet: Candied yams: Very good nice and sweet but not too sweet. Biscuits: Kind of dry would have liked more butteriness Grits: OK 3 out of 5 Corn bread: Good moist and flavorful 4 Fish: A little salty 2.5 Baked chicken: Nice and tender with good seasoning 4 Friend chicken: Melt in your mouth good i would give that a 5 with the waffle even better Greens: Not my favorite would have liked more favor 3 Green beans: Good 4 My family in town said they thought the black eye peas needed more seasoning/flavor and they liked the turkey it was tender with flavor. They also liked the yellow rice. They also ordered sides of chitterlings (yuck not for me) if your not familiar its pig intestines. They said they didn't like how there was hog mog mixed in. Not sure what that means but if you eat that be aware of that when you order lol Peach cobbler was very good it wasn't too sweet at all. I peeked at other items on their menu and would like to try those salmon cakes. The one thing I enjoyed about the buffet was that the food was not overly greasy or greasy at all which is hard to find with other soul food restaurants. Our server was very sweet and attentive I will definitely come back for one of my cheat days.
(4)Josie P.
Just had a private tasting of chitterlings and oxtails thanks to Betty. That was in addition to our delicious Harlem chicken and waffles and collard greens. Jazz music was a nice touch. Nothing is bad here. Can't wait to try more.
(5)Rafael C.
Must say that this is the best soul food I've had in a long time. I wouldn't call it a hidden gem for the amount of people that are here but it is a really really really great place to eat. The chicken and ribs go very well with the collard greens and Mac n Cheese. Will definitely come again.
(4)XMuppetx M.
Had the Sunday "gospel brunch." It was my boyfriend's idea to visit but I'm so glad we did. I'm hard to please when it comes to Mac n cheese, I went back for seconds. The cornbread was amazing and I don't think I've ever had better fried chicken. Everything we tried was tasty and fresh. Will definitely be back. :)
(5)Lori W.
Sunday brunch was really good. All things there that were on menu . Hot waffles and the peach cobbler was to die for
(4)Michelle G.
Awesome mark had chicken and waffles. I had ribs and chicken okra was awesome. Server Greg was super. Will be back for sure walking it off on Central
(5)Christina C.
Good meal overall at a great price. We got a Creative Loafing. I have never had a hard time using up a deal before, but I felt like we kept ordering food and it still came under $30! They brought corn bread to the table. It was a little tasteless to me, but I didn't add butter. It wasn't bad, just not something I wanted to use my stomach space on. I got the meatloaf. There is a red gravy and a brown gravy. I asked which one was better and the waiter said they could bring one of both. Fantastic! I like the red gravy better, it has a tomato taste that really complements the meatloaf well. I really liked the meatloaf. It was very filling and I ended up taking home half. For sides I got the collard greens and mashed potatoes. My friend got the mac and cheese to try. Everyone, do yourself a favor and get the mac and cheese. It was delicious! It is made with sharp cheddar and boy is it good! I scarfed it down and I usually try hard not to eat carbs! The collard greens were also very good. It was on the salty side, but had a great texture and taste. I was disappointed by the mashed potatoes. They were pretty bland to me. I should have just poured my gravy on it. We got the peach cobbler for dessert. It was ok, but I probably wouldn't get it again. I wish it came with ice cream. That would have been really good. Although there is really nothing directly around it, it still feels like a safe area. The parking lot is nice and big so for dinner we had no problem parking. Inside it is nice and big. I definitely want to come back for a Sunday brunch!
(4)Cathy W.
Where do I begin about the fabulousness that is called Sylvia's?? I was in Tampa for the weekend and wanted a great brunch spot to eat at on Sunday morning before heading back to Jax and Sylvia's came highly recommended. We were seated immediately and given the choice of ordering off the menu or eating the buffet. We chose the buffet and boy oh boy am I glad we did. cooked to order omelets and waffles, fried chicken, baked chicken, baked fish, collard greens, bacon, biscuits, oh my goodness! And let's not talk about the most delectable macaroni and cheese I have ever eaten...EVER! All this yumminess at $13.99 per person!! There was nothing I tried that I did not love and had no choice but to stop eating after 2 full plates! I didn't have room to try the peach cobbler which is my favorite dessert. It was all washed down with a yummy mimosa, not bottomless but still reasonably priced at $4.00. I loved this place so much that I would drive to St. Pete's just to have brunch there! Anybody down to come hang with me? Sylvia's Sunday Gospel Brunch is a must eat, I'll be back for sure!
(5)Alia T.
Delicious! Everything was hot and fresh! My boyfriend got the California chicken and waffles which the fried chicken was smothered in home made brown gravy. I had a bite and it was amazing! I had the chicken and ribs combo with green beans and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was life changing! The barbecue sauce was tangy and a perfect with the tender ribs. The fried chicken fresh from the fryer was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. To finish off our meal we had the famous peach cobbler a la mode which was a perfect end to our meal. The atmosphere was also wonderful. Everything appears new and very clean. All of the staff was very friendly and helpful especially our waitress Erin! I would definitely come back here again!!
(5)Breonna L.
I have been wanting to try this place forever and finally got to go Saturday! We first started off with coconut shrimp as our appetizer which was dry and not very tasty. It literally tasted like shrimp and shredded coconut fried on top. There was no seasoning or true taste. I had 2 bites and realized I never wanted to eat that again. My boyfriend said he loves their meatloaf but unfortunately they were sold out this time around so I didn't get to try it. Bummer. I ordered smothered chicken, mac n cheese and greens. The greens and mac n cheese was delicious. The smothered chicken was okay. It had wayyyyy too much salt though. My boyfriend ordered the tilapia which he liked. I tried a little of it and was not impressed with it either. His corn was unbearably salty. Literally, he had two spoonfuls and said he would not be able to take another bite as it tasted as if it was literally salt with a little corn. I tried it as well and wanted to take it back but honestly, I was so unimpressed with the food that I didn't even want to try anything else. Our server was kind and the service was pretty fast. We literally ordered and got our food in no time (however, there wasn't many people there!). Decor was beautiful and I liked the menu's options, however, I just wasn't happy with the food. I wanted to like this place and I may go back for their brunch (since I have heard lots of great reviews for it) but the food was not where it should be when I think of soul food. As one other reviewer stated, I will stick with my own home soul food cooking. This restaurant was a bust.
(2)Kelleigh M.
Ok, I definitely short changed Sylvia's with my previous review. I went back today after visiting Bocante Mkt. I ordered the kids meal, which was plenty. The chicken tenders were spot on. Freshly breaded and served with a sweet honey mustard type dipping sauce. It also came with their fresh, somewhat sweet cornbread. For my 2 sides I went with the green beans (I'm still on the fence) and their awesome baked Mac n cheese. This is homemade, ooey, gooey deliciousness. This definitely wasn't the healthiest meal, but sometimes you've got to cave in to being bad.
(5)Sylvia P.
Best soul food around, nice staff! We were greeted and seated right away. I had the smothered pork chop...it was very tender and delicious. The gravy was just like "Moma" use to make.
(5)Kimberly M.
Definitely a good selection. I had the candied yams and macaroni and cheese. It was tasty. The chicken was good. I went to Po Folks last time I was here and it was not real soul food. The customer service at Sylvia's was welcoming even though I ordered take out. I will definitely come back. They still don't have nothing on my momma's chicken though.... Just saying
(4)Big D.
This is the most garbage soul food in the world I don't know what the fuss is about with these tough ass oxtails for 15.00$ send that shit back
(1)Danielle M.
Seriously! I can't believe this little treasure is here. The service is amazing & the food was worth the hour drive here. I would give them 10 stars if I could!
(5)Jasmine B.
You can not come to St Pete without eating here. The chicken was on point! If you love authentic sweet tea then you have to try some here. The staff was friendly, I felt like apart of the family.
(5)E B.
Was in search of soul food so gave SYLVIA'S a try. The verdict: smothered chicken with gravy was lukewarm and mushy, mac n cheese was flavorful, candied yams we not candied and lacked full flavor. I will stick with my own home soul food cooking.
(1)Shane F.
I had a friend pick me up a take out of Grilled Chicken Breast , Black-eyed Peas, Collared Greens and Cornbread. An hour and a half later, he delivered it, and it was STILL so delicious, I called the restaurant to give my respect to the chef. Unbelievably delicious. Sweetest cornbread I have ever eaten. Perfectly seasoned greens. Wish I could give it ten stars. PERFECT. My only complaint is that it is not within walking distance of downtown. Un-freaking-believable. Go. Go NOW. Why are you still reading this?
(5)Arch G.
The staff at Sylvia's is friendly and efficient. The food is spectacular, down-home, and tasty. The restaurant is clean and has a cool vibe. They have dishes almost everyone likes such as delicious, moist baked chicken, but also more southern dishes. The chicken livers are crisp on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. They are my favorite. Candied yams are wonderful. The collard greens are the best ever. All of the food is good. Find your own favorite. The portions are generous and I have never had the desserts because I am always satisfied after the entree. There's also a bar if you want to just go for drinks and appetizers. Seriously, you can't go wrong. You will find food you like and very nice people to serve you.
(5)Darrell H.
Great waffles & chicken!! As good or better than Roscoe's! I found the service to be great! Coming back for the live music!
(3)Leonard C.
First time here. Got the Fried Catfish breakfast. The crust was exceptional! Good service and the decor inside is very modern and clean. Wish they were on Open Table to make a reservation burnt easy enough to call ahead. Def will be a regular!
(5)Jamie O.
Servers seemed confused and non attentive. My glass was dirty. The food plating was was pretty but The food was blah. Although Sylvia sells canned greens they should not be served in the restaurant. The Mac and cheese lacked seasoning as the greens did. The meatloaf was full of fillers and topped with canned tomato soup.
(2)Paul R.
Excellent lunch, fried chicken and chicken livers. The best Mac and cheese and greens that I have had in years. Went for brunch but ordered off the menu. There was a jazz band that added to the experience. Gave 4 stars dice we thought the price was a bit high but the service and food was excellent
(4)Candice M.
Ok, if Sylvias can fix a few things they have potential to be a 4 at most. I am being nice and understanding that they are new so I gave them a 3 instead of a 2. They have been advertising the opening of Sylvias for a while now, so my Aunt who hosts Family nights every 3rd Saturday suggested that we all go here and enjoy dinner instead of the usual potluck. I was the first one to arrive and the building on the outside looked very nice, and the inside did as well. There is a large Takeout area near the parking lot, and when I first walked in the main area I thought, wow...this reminds me of a place I would go to back home in Atlanta. Nice decor, contemporary, and designed well. The Hostess seemed a little "off" and wasn't quick to greet me, so I went up to her. She was pretty prompt with everyone else, but for some reason when I was waiting there she was acting really"busy" for a long time looking for a piece of paper and pen. Being the assertive person I am at times, I addressed that...moving on. While I was waiting on my family members to arrive I sat at the bar and watched the rest of the FSU homecoming game while sipping on some Moscato. Not all restaurants and bars carry Moscato, but they know how "we" are, and that we love our Moscato, lol. They had 3 different Moscato options too...a glass was $6.00. My family finally arrived and we were seated in the very back(party of 11). Now...let me start off by saying that the people in my family have VERY strong personalities lol, so I had a hard time telling if the service was really that bad or if they were just acting "EXTRA" like they can at times. It did take a while to get the drink order in, and the server was called back to the kitchen like 3 times while were trying to place our order because everything was so unorganized. After waiting for our food for a good 45 minutes my Aunt couldn't take it anymore. She got up and went to the owner and back to the kitchen demanding our food, or that we would leave. I held my head down and just laughed because I already knew that this night was going to turn into an episode better than any reality tv show out right now. The owner came back to apologize and said he would have our food out in 5 minutes, and then he ran back to the Kitchen. You know what, he had all our food out in 5 minutes! I was thanking God at that point because I knew at 6 minutes my hungry, crazy family was going to turn that restaurant upside down. Ok so Finally the Good and Bad according to me and all my now satisfied family: 1.Mac and Cheese- 5 Stars, de-lic-ous 2.Fried Chicken- 4 stars, pretty darn good 3.Greens- They ran out...how you run out of greens at a soul food restaurant? 4.Chitlins ( yuck)- My uncle said they were 5 stars, good! 5.Potato Salad- 1 star, Taste tooooo sweet sent them back for sweet potato fries 6.Sweet Potato Fries- 1 star, NO flavor, greasy and soggy...sent them back and ordered a second mac and cheese 7.Chicken and Waffles- 4 stars, good 8.Mash Potatoes- 3 stars, came out cold the first time. 9.Cornbread-2 stars, my families is better, they were cold the first time, asked for another basket 10. Smothered Porkchops fried- 4 stars, good 11. Kids meals were BIG! My little cousin said his grilled ham was good. 4 stars Everything was pretty much hit or miss, and because it's new, there were a lot of sides they were out of and not so great service... major confusion. I am used to great cooking and good soul food in my family so its going to take A LOT to impress me.The desserts didn't impress me either. The owner and manager ( who needs a sweat towel lol) did try his best to keep us all seated and happy, and I REALLY appreciate them being patient with my family, lol. I will come back in 3 months or so and give an update.
(3)Brad K.
Whenever I have out of town visitors we always go to Sylvia's. I tell them the food will be wonderful and the portions are large enough for two meals so plan on a take home box. Staff is friendly but they don't quite have fast service figured out yet. Great place for a leisurely meal with plenty to take home.
(4)Jacquie Z.
Husband and I, along with a couple of friends, tried Sylvia's last weekend. Basically, don't waste your time. The restaurant/bar are beautifully decorated in a modern style. That's where the good stuff ended. After bring seated quickly we waited for almost 15 minutes for our server to appear. We placed our drink order and about 10 minutes later the drinks arrived. Unfortunately, our friends were presented with two glasses of water -- not the diet cokes they ordered. This time it only took 5-7 minutes for the server to show up with the correct drinks. It went downhill from there ... After going through half a dozen choices they "didn't have tonight" we finally found something that WAS available and ordered. I ordered the Harlem style chicken and waffle (edible), husband had smothered chicken (very salty). We finally got to eat -- after an hour!! While we were waiting, another server was wandering around the dining room asking random people if they had already ordered ... every table around ours had already ordered and were (impatiently) waiting. We won't be back. Weird place with mediocre food and horrible service. Spend your money elsewhere ... Perhaps McDonald's !!!!
(1)Lone R.
Incredible! Stopped for the first time on a very quiet Tuesday and tried the Tuesday Fried Chicken Special (5.99) with 2 sides, which is almost half price. I tried the collard greens which were amazing, and the garlic mashed which were real, and really good! My partner in crime tried the Mac n' cheese which was also excellent and pickled beets. It all came w free cornbread that is slightly sweet and spiced to make it reminiscent of a warm country oven. The service (shout out to Malcolm), was very attentive and even the manager checked in. The Foodie Ninja Clan has a new favorite home cooking restaurant and it is Sylvia's! Can't wait to see if the grits are homemade on our next breakfast run...
(5)Mary H.
Had read about this place a couple of years ago - finally made it in on a Saturday afternoon. Located a few minutes from downtown St Pete in an revitalized area which has art studios nearby. We've lived in the South and often crave authentic food - we were not disappointed. We both had Fried Chicken with 2 sides. Our server brought hot cornbread with our iced tea. Our sides included black-eyed peas, macaroni & cheese, turnip greens, and okra with tomatoes. Dessert was banana pudding. My mother-in-law was from Alabama and knew how to cook, but she couldn't hold a candle to this place! They offer Jazz music on Saturday nights and a Gospel Brunch on Sunday. We will return!
(4)