Well, what a change! For my initial review from three years ago the service was abysmal. The food was good, but the service was terrible - but, fast forward to today. Everything was excellent. We came on a Thursday night that featured lively jazz band - they played great music that wasn't loud and overpowering like at other local spots. The service was excellent from the check-in (we didn't have reservations), to the hostess, to the server. It was excellent. Our server was friendly, she was helpful, she was thorough. She kept checking on us to make sure we were OK. Our food came out quickly, hot, fresh and delicious. We had the pork chop dinner and the shrimp/fish dinner, along with peach cobbler. What a welcome change! Apparently the three years has done this establishment good. Bravo! read more

Della J's Delectables - Pork Chops, collard greens and sweet potatoes platter - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Hubby brought lunch for us from here today, Sat., 7/25/26. The pork chops, potato salad, catfish, grits, and red velvet cake were impressive! Truthfully, I've had better catfish but I absolutely enjoyed my grits. One MINOR complaint would be the portion sizes but not a deal breaker ... the prices were competitive and didn't hurt our pockets too bad. Pics attached. Definitely looking forward to being able to visit myself and dine in. LMK what YOU think and when you go, tell them you saw it on Yelp! read more

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Was picking up a pair of glasses nearby and was getting hungry for lunch. Saw Della J nearby. Glad I went. I dined in for lunch. At the time, I could do brunch or lunch. I chose lunch and order fried okra for an appetizer and a meatloaf lunch entree with 2 sides for my main. All delicious! The okras were fresh and fried nicely and came with a tasty sauce for dipping. The meatleaf came with my choice of mashed potatoes and cole slaw. The meatloaf was one of the better meatlofs I've had at a restaurant in recent memory. The sides were also very good, with the slaw being perfectly prepared. I had. O room for dessert but I might return for either their bread pudding or their banana pudding. Overall, good southern-style food, good service. read more

Della J's Delectables - Meatloaf - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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A hidden gem in Northern Virginia. I wished I knew about this place earlier. A warm friendly place. The food is great! We will be back! read more

Della J's Delectables - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Again, I had to write to say this restaurant provides an exceptional experience no matter what your occasion is. As my fiancé was planning to visit me from TX, he said let's make it a point to always put Della J's on our agenda. Thursdays are jazz night which makes the atmosphere so enjoyable. We were treated like a valued customer, with Katrina the Catering Manager, stopping by to give us well wishes towards our upcoming wedding. Our server, Alexys, was attentive and very kind. The food was amazing and the brownie dessert melted in our mouth. Also, their portion sizes exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend this restaurant because of their consistency in service and the quality of their food. read more

What's not to say about this place! I'm here on a Thursday for Jazz night. Jazz night is EVERY THURSDAY! Great atmosphere! The SOUL food is the best in Northern Virginia! The owners and staff are warm and friendly! Great place for Sunday brunch. Amazing red velvet waffles and fried chicken or fried fish. Chicken, Steak are very JUICY! Not just saying that. Shrimp and grits are creamy market in your mouth. The cocktails are delightful and they don't skimp on the cheer! The bar is always a good time with great convo and friendly people! Local Gem! read more

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Wow!! Talk about excellent food and service . Everything we tried was delicious. From the boom boom mushrooms, chicken taquitos and potato skins to the fried pork chop, ribeye steak, salmon and chicken fettuccine ! Don't skip the dessert . The bread pudding with bourbon sauce and the chocolate cake made the end of the meal delectable . Sidney and Whitney were great. They had a smile on all the time and gave us excellent suggestions. The bar is fully stocked . Very nicely decorated and chairs are comfortable. Can't wait to try their weekend brunch. read more

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If you're looking for some Southern comfort food, this is the spot. I tried the Lee's Platter, which comes with fried flounder, shrimp, and a crab cake. The crab cake was literally all crab and no filler! Also, do not sleep on the mac and cheese. It's super cheesy and basically the perfect side. Everything was delicious and I'm definitely coming back for more. read more

Della J's Delectables - Lee's platter - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I like this place. The ambiance is perfect for all types of eating. If you're on a date, if you're with friends, if you're wanting to sit at the bar, the lighting and mood is perfect for all of that. The service was fast and pleasant. There were multiple people that checked on us and assisted us when we wanted to add something. We didn't have to wait to talk to our waiter. the food was good but not great. I think it was perfect even though it wasn't great. I say perfect because there was flavor on the food but there wasn't a lot. Sometimes you go places and their food has so much flavor I wonder how many people had to send the food back because it was too flavorful [salty] but that wasn't the case here. Matter of fact, by adding just a little bit of salt and some black pepper, it enhanced the flavor. I would rather write that the food needed a little bit of salt and pepper than I needed a gallon of water to chase the food because it was overpowering with flavor [salt]. I will definitely be back. read more

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The food is good. I have tried the stuffed salmon and shrimp on different occasions. Both were delicious. I want to try some of their other offerings like the wings in the future. Their black eyed peas are good, but the macaroni and cheese was just okay. The service has been good, but I've only gone on Sunday nights before closing. The place is decorated in a tasteful way with black history. The prices are not cheap, but competitive with the restaurants found a few miles down the road in Old Town Alexandria. I will definitely return. 4 Stars read more

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The service was great. I went during lunch so no crowd or long wait. The old fashioned was great. The pork chops and potato salad was great. The greens was okay. read more

Della J's Delectables - Pork Chops potato salad greens - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The food was amazing and the customer service matched! I will definitely be back soon.

Made a reservation on ToastTab for Thursday evening live jazz. There were about 13 of us in total all seated at different tables, but in the same section. The service was fine. There was a woman (maybe a manager or owner) who walked around to every table asking if things were okay. My husband ordered the pasta with marinara (not realizing it came with cheese- he had to send it back, he does not do dairy or meat). They should note that cheese is on it on the menu. I ordered three chicken wings (they were oversized - not my preference), potato salad, black eyed peas and one piece of cornbread. The chicken lacked flavor. It was just big and kind of greasy. The sides were fine. Ordered a piece of sweet potato pie to go and that was fine. The jazz contained a lot of talking. It was nice when they started playing line dancing music and there was a small area to dance. The dancing wasn't offensive or in the way...it was just right. Then came more talking. And advertising of a cruise, etc. It was okay, but I wish they played more music than talking. The same night, the restaurant attempted to charge me for a missed reservation fee ($5 per person). Luckily, I keep my AMEX locked. Weird, I gave my name to the hostess upon check-in. Wonder if that's happened to others. All-in-all, it was an okay experience. Not opposed to trying the restaurant again, but not necessarily rushing to get there. read more

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Let me just start out by saying; "Reservations are key!" If not, prepare to wait, but when you get your food, you'll be happy. The wait staff was extremely friendly and personable. The restaurant had a bar in middle and the perimeter is where you can sit at tables or booths. I only had taste for fish and grits, but ended up with the shrimp and grits as well. SMH. They have Whiting, Catfish, or Flounder. The fish was a nice golden brown and had a light crisp. The grits had cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and spring onions. I felt like I was home. 5/5 The shrimp and grits consisted of the same ingredients (in the grits) with tomato butter sauce. This actually gave the grits more of a creole taste. 5/5 For dessert, I went with the Ghirardelli Brownie a la mode, as well as the Bread Pudding a la mode. Both were served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I asked for nuts to be added to my brownie, and the bread pudding comes with a bourbon or caramel sauce. Which one do you think I got. 5/5 Della J's stands up to its name because the food is delectable. TIL we eat again.... read more

Della J's Delectables - Shrimp & Grits - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Placed my order online and it was ready when I arrived. I was greeted with a smile and welcomed by the hostess and was also greeted by Mr Jerry who gave me an introduction to the restaurant and spoke with me a bit about the Backlick location. Which was the location I thought I placed my food at. I was excited to come across a restaurant that has potato salad on their menu along with some other sides that satisfies my soul food cravings. Lees Seafood plater which consisted of a piece of whiting, a crab cake and 2 jumbo shrimps. My platter came with 2 sides which I opted for man and cheese and greens. I also order a side of corn, mashed sweet potatoes and 2 potato salads. Oh and let's not forget my hush puppies and a slice of sweet potato pie! I'm so full and it doesn't look like I end touched my sides. Hahaaa! The owner tried to tell me, not be to be fooled by the container the sides came in. I should've listened lol. I will definitely come back here for my soul food fix! The restaurant was clean and empty but it was also a Tuesday afternoon. There was a lady picking up her order who advised to never come on a Thursday. I guess she lived near by. Appreciate the heads up! Now I need a nap and a nice gym session hahaaa! Happy Yelping! read more

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Della J's is the spot in NOVA if you want down home cooking made with love! The food was amazing, the desserts are incredible and the soundtrack is thumping 70s, 80s & 90s R&B. The chicken was perfect seasoned, the mac&cheese was baked to perfection, the ribs were seasoned well and the sauce was very savory. The meat was tender and very meaty. Sides were great! Peach cobbler was from down home. Kai was an amazing server, great personality and sense of humor. She made us feel like old friend ends. Della J's was a great experience!!!! Every Thursday night it becomes a jazz spot! read more

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Great and fantastic service. Also the band was wonderful. What a fantastic date night read more

Della J's Delectables - Everything was simply delicious - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Della J'a is more than a restaurant--it's a family-run spot with a warmth that wraps around you the moment you walk in. Laughter, conversation, and the sound of plates clinking filled the air, giving it the kind of welcoming energy that makes you feel like you've been coming here for years. I grabbed a seat at the bar. Even though the place was *hopping*, the greeting was prompt and friendly. I ordered a quick plate of fried flounder and cheesy grits, and oh my--perfection. The flounder was fried to a perfect golden crisp that stayed crunchy all the way through my meal (a rare feat). AND, they had Crystal's hot sauce on deck?! What about the grits? Rich with cheese, bacon, butter, and cream--fluffy yet decadent--the perfect bed for the fish. I'll be back... and next time, I'm bringing friends. read more

Della J's Delectables - Fish and grits (Flounder) - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The food was good as always, however the server was not very pleasant nor did she attend to my wife or my needs while we waited or ate. My cornbread came after reminding her twice and with one piece of catfish left on my plate. My wife almost didn't get the lime she requested for her water. When it came it was one desperate slice that couldn't be squeezed for juice. She also forgot to bring the hot sauce she suggested. We didn't get it until after we finally saw her again, but, half the meal was finished. She never offered to refill our drinks at any point. I guess what made it worse was It was my birthday dinner. She never apologized for any of the poor service. read more

During my lunch hour, i went here and was not disappointed. The vibe and music is good and just the friendly staff makes me want to stay a bit longer! My friend had her steak meal and stated it was good. I only wanted vegan and never had this stew, it was so good! It was that good, so yes I had the stew 2 days that week! Great food, good times, I will be there again, of course! read more

Della J's Delectables - My friend had this! Rib Eye Steak - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I've been going to this restaurant since August of 2025. I'm amazed that the service has not changed. The food is great. The service is phenomenal and the staff top notch. Cydney was our waitress. She was superb. We had a party of twelve. She was there for us while also waiting on other tables. She anticipated our needs. The food came out in a timely manner and was hot as well. I recommend this restaurant for anyone who wants to enjoy a meal, that's not only delicious but reasonably priced. Happy eating! read more

Della J's Delectables - Short ribs, macaroni and cheese with collard greens - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Lively atmosphere with awesome soul food & a great playlist. Friendly service & owners, highly recommend! read more

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Found a winner in Della J's. Now this is REAL southern home cooked soul food. Those biscuits and the corn bread was melt in your mouth kinda good! Our entrees were 10/10! Service was great Every bite was seasoned perfectly and tasted like pure comfort. We cant wait to go back! read more

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Out globetrotting looking for a new venue to sample food and enjoy some live jazz. We found Della J's on Richmond highway in Alexandria VA. Down home cooking and live jazz coupled with outstanding service......by the time we made it through the starters we struggled but.lost the fight trying to eat the main course. The food is so good, I thought for a moment mom and grandmother were in he kitchen fixin supper..dang!!!!! Cabbage cooked to perfection, homestyle fried okra and fried green tomatoes seasoned likeni was in Nawling. The mac & cheese, let me just say ^#^@:. We have plenty leftovers to take home to continue salivating tomorrow for lunch or dinner....and by the way, the jazz was nothing less than great ...reminded me of Bourbon Street smokey joint jazz or Memphis in May....these guys were kickin it. We are planning a return visit with mother in law, auntie, amd after few others. Great for dinner and we found out they have a brunch on weekends, Saturday and Sunday. read more

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Visited on Valentine's Day or a Saturday afternoon. Easy to make a reservation online. We were promptly greeted and checked in and seated. The staff were friendly and we were able to order fairly quickly after being seated. Our server gave great recommendations to patron favorites on the menu. Their sweet tea is really good - sweet mixed well with lemon. There was a special Valentine's Day menu and drinks and we were given a personalized candy treat after we were finished dining. We had two entrees - beef medallion which was on the special menu - shrimped stuffed with crab, the garden salad, and a slice of sweet potato pound cake. The entrees were great portion sizes with an array of sides to choose from. The food was good and lightly flavored. We truly enjoyed the dining experience and will be visiting to try their brunch staples! There is free parking $$ read more

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The food was delicious the service was amazing but the ambiance was Home sweet home vibes I will return read more

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We know how good Della J's can be, so despite a couple of less than fantastic experiences, we gave Della another chance. We're glad we did. Service from our server Natasha was completely on point. I think our experience might well have been enhanced by the bright cheery sunshine streaming in on our late afternoon meal. We ordered chicken strips, a side of collard greens, a cornmeal muffin and an entrée tossed salad with grilled chicken. The chicken strips have a great fried chicken texture and are seasoned just right. The collard greens are always good. A special shoutout to the cornmeal muffin! I love its texture with bits of corn. So many places use too much sugar in their cornbread, but Della J has their recipe down just right. Excellent! As expected, my entrée salad with grilled chicken (ranch on the side) was very good. You actually have the choice of either fried chicken or grilled chicken. Next time, I will go with the fried chicken. Though the seasoning on the grilled chicken actually blended in with the ranch dressing as I was eating the salad, I wasn't wowed by the flavor of the chicken's seasoning. Still, I'm a fan of their salads. read more

I'm Originally from the south.... This is not southern food, it's just all fried food with an expensive price. This is Just an overpriced restaurant, not worth the small portions served. read more

Just left Delia J's Delectables and I have to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed. When I see "Southern" describing a restaurant, I expect flavor. Not salty. Not over-seasoned. Just soulful, layered flavor. Unfortunately, my meal fell a bit flat in that department. That said and this is important, the customer service was outstanding! The staff worked beautifully together, everyone was warm , attentive, and welcoming. Our waitress was exceptional. Truly top-tier hospitality. My guest ordered the crab-stuffed salmon. The crab mixture was generous and packed with a flavorful crab meat stuffing that had little to no filler at all, which I appreciated. But the salmon itself was bland. Even a hint of blackening, a touch of citrus, or a little depth would have taken it to five stars. The crab saved the dish. I ordered the fried pork chops. They were overcooked. To be fair, bone-in pork chops can be tricky, because thickness plays a role in restaurants not drying them out . They're certainly not the first to miss that mark. Still, it was disappointing. The grilled shrimp were okay. The cabbage was good. The collard greens melted in my mouth but needed more flavor ( smoked meat, broth base or something) as they had a slight bitterness to them. The chicken wings were fried to perfection, and the vegetables served alongside were fresh. The potato skins were also good.. Overall, it was just okay this time. But, because the service was so strong, I would absolutely give them another try when I'm back in the area. read more

Della J's Delectables - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I loved everything about this experience. At home in the Philly area wanting Something to do on a Saturday within a 3 hour drive. Della J's it is and I'm glad. Nice ambiance, throughout were nice photos of family and historical figures. Very clean and orderly with a spotless bathroom. Bayyyybeee best fried pork chop outside of my house I've ever had!! The collard greens were on point with it RARE and the Mac and cheese was good but not a stand out tastes like it was cooked carnation milk that gives a sweet instead of cheesy flavor. My husband loved the burger nice size, texture and fresh add on's lettuce and tomatoes etc. not only was the food good it was served HOT! We had a very nice server and the manager/owner(?) checked on us. Nice touch. Would I go again? ABSOLUTELY!!! read more

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We visited Della J's in Alexandria, VA around 3 PM and it was very chill. There were only about five or six tables seated at the time, which made for a relaxed and comfortable experience. We were greeted and seated by the bartender, and our server Maria came over shortly after to get us started. We began with the potato skins. They were hot, nicely cooked, cheesy, and loaded with bacon, served with sour cream on the side. A solid start to the meal. For our one-year-old, we ordered a grilled cheese with fries. The fries were hand cut, cooked well, and crispy, which we appreciated. I ordered the jumbo whole chicken wings. They were seasoned well, fried perfectly, and came out hot and fresh straight from the fryer. For my sides, I chose mac and cheese and cabbage. The mac and cheese was okay, nothing spectacular that made it stand out on its own, and the cabbage was decent as well. We also ordered an extra side of mashed sweet potatoes, which I really enjoyed. My boyfriend ordered the fried catfish and added three fried shrimp to his meal. The catfish was fresh, hot, and seasoned perfectly. The shrimp were a nice jumbo size. He had collard greens and rice with gravy on the side. The rice and gravy were flavorful with a slight lime taste, possibly from cilantro, which added a nice twist. The greens were fresh and seasoned just right. Everything was very filling. We did not even leave room for dessert, although the dessert menu was definitely catching our attention. The ambiance is one of the standout features of this location. As soon as you walk in, you see a beautiful family tree display of photos. Each booth features framed photos highlighting famous Black historical figures with information about them, which is such a meaningful and thoughtful touch. We were seated at the Obama table, which made the experience even more special. This was our first time here, and we will definitely be back, especially for a Jazz night. read more

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Always love the vibe here! The food is consistently good, the service is great, the sweet tea is amazing!

I'm extremely disappointed by my recent experience at Della J's. I have supported this establishment since it first opened, which makes this situation even more frustrating. I made a reservation for two guests and attempted to cancel when plans changed, but the system would not allow me to do so. To avoid any confusion, I still arrived early and personally informed the host that the additional guests could not join us. I was told that it was "okay," and we were seated without issue. Later, I discovered I had been charged a $40 no show fee anyway. What makes this especially disappointing is that the reservation policy states that reservations may be canceled if arrivals are more than 15 minutes late and encourages guests to cancel if plans change, but there was no clear indication provided during my interaction that I would still be charged after physically arriving, checking in, and communicating directly with staff. Based on the policy shown, this charge feels unfair and misleading. I reached out to resolve the issue, but the restaurant refused to refund the fee despite the circumstances. Customer service and communication matter. Loyal patrons should not be treated this way, especially when they make every effort to communicate in good faith. Unfortunately, after this experience, I will not be returning. read more

Della J's Delectables - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The service was great. We arrived early for a 6:30 reservation and were seated right away. The hostess and server Sydney were welcoming and nice. The vibe was great. R&B music was playing when we walked in and a band was setting up. Turns out Thursday nights are jazz nights. The band was great. The food. It was ok. They advertise a "southern comfort food" menu. I won't argue with that description. But if you're looking for Soul Food, this isn't the place. Most of the dishes were missing that something something that speaks to your soul. The chicken taquitos from the appetizer menu were really good as well as the BBQ wings. I had the fried pork chops, collard greens, and mac & cheese. Pork chops were good but thicker than I like. Collard greens were ok. I had two bites of the mac & cheese (wasn't doing it for me). Finished with a very good brownie a la mode! read more

Della J's Delectables - Taquitos and BBQ wings - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Its in a shopping center so plenty of parking. Made a reservation online. It was pretty simple to complete. Party size was 10. The restaurant had a few other parties at the time but they were finishing up by the time we arrived. 4pm on a Sunday. It was not crowded so it was good timing. We ordered apps and between appetizers and the meal, none of the food took too long. It was a manageable weight time. Ordered fried green tomatoes, onion rings, Brussels sprouts, mozzarella stick, fried okra. Brussel sprouts were not crispy at all had ranch or something on it. Fried tomatoes with the mustard sauce was the best thing to me. My table liked everything. Table ordered catfish plate, Cajun pastax3, ribeye x2, red velvet waffles and chicken, pull pork sandwich, shrimp and grits, and some other stuff I cant remember. Dessert we all share peach cobbler, sweet potatoe cake, and bread pudding. I had the ribeye and I really liked it. I order rice and gravy and the potatoe salad. I liked the rice but the potatoe salad I could've did without. It was edible, just not for me. Someone ordered Mac and cheese at our table. 2 came out dry looking while 1 came out really cheesy and fresh looking. Clearly the fresh was great. The other 2 didn't really find it that great. So there were inconsistencies with that. Dessert someone at our taste liked something. Overall. Decent and id go again. read more

The music vibe has my head rocking from side to side. Seating was plentiful and quick. Jae was very kind and delivered exceptional service. She ensure I had plenty of sweet tea. This was great tea even with the ice down to the last drop. I had the catfish sandwich with mash potatoes and gravy. This meal was on point. After my 25 mile cycling ride this was a welcome treat. A definite go to spot. Support Black own! read more

Della J's Delectables - Warn Peach Cobbler ala Mode. - Southern Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Customer service was a little slow as they were understaffed when I went, but the team and server were very pleasant and the food more than made up for it. I had the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and the fried catfish as an entrée. The green and catfish were good. We orders cornbread for the table too, which was also good. I'd go back. read more

Food is delicious! Service was great! The ambiance is amazing and I love the way the restaurant is decorated! Della J's was a great choice and I didn't expect you to find that in Alexandria, VA! I will be back! read more

I had a great experience at Della J's. The food was very good and seasoned just right. The atmosphere was welcoming, the vibes were great, and the restaurant was very clean--including the bathroom, which is always something I notice. The mac and cheese was especially impressive--it tasted like my own homemade mac and cheese, which is one of the highest compliments I can give! Everything was flavorful, fresh, and enjoyable. I will definitely be back. The server, Ashley (we think) was spot on and very attentive -- Camilla White read more

I was craving something delicious for lunch today and happened to be in the shopping center where Della J's is located. I've passed by this restaurant for years but never stopped in--today I finally decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did! I went in to place a to-go order, and from the moment I walked in, the staff greeted me like family. The service was warm, welcoming, and genuine. My food was prepared quickly, and everything was fresh and smelled amazing. I have severe allergies, so I asked a few questions, and the chef was incredibly responsive and helpful, which made me feel comfortable and cared for--even as a first-time customer. The restaurant was clean, well-kept, and made a great first impression. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I'll definitely be coming back more often. Highly recommend for anyone looking for great Southern cuisine! read more