One of the best soul food spots in terms of quality in my opinion in the city of Charlotte. This is a small community spot that has few seating inside. Ms. Ken the owner is nice, sweet and really knows what she is doing back in the kitchen. It is like getting a home cooked meal when you are here. She regularly checks in if you're dining in and it isn't too busy. The fried chicken and fish platters are what I always get here. The only reason I do not give it 5 stars because the service isn't always the best with whoever is working the register which I believe is her son but again the food is amazing. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Fired whiting platter with collard greens and yams. - Caterers Near Me

Dropped in early for lunch with family. We arrived shortly after the doors opened. There was another group that came shortly after us. This quaint little location has a few tables for you to dine in or you may place a to-go order at the counter. As we entered, we were greeted and given some menus to view. The owner made sure to answer any questions we had about the menu, which was nice because I'd never been here. After ordering at the counter, we found a table and waited for our orders to be called. You order, pay, and are called up to retrieve your order once ready. I didn't mind waiting for the food to be prepared, and once the orders were placed, it didn't take extremely long. The portions were healthy and you could easily share or have leftovers for later. I ordered the pork chop meal with mashed potatoes, green beans & macaroni and cheese. These two thick pork chops were already huge, but the sides made for a hearty plate of food. The food came out HOT, and the pork chops were seasoned& fried nicely. The green beans were also seasoned well & the Mac had the perfect amount of cheese, for me! Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal. Though, if you do try the lemonades they make, you may find them to be a bit sweet! This place allowed me to get a home-cooked meal vibe & I appreciated not having to cook it! There was also music playing as we dined. It was nice to try this location and to support local business. If in the area and craving some soul food, I'd try items on the menu & maybe a dessert! Overall a good experience trying this location, as I'd seen some mixed reviews. I appreciate that the owner asked about our experience and seemed open to any feedback that we may have provided. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - pork chop meal w/ mashed potatoes, mac & green beans - Caterers Near Me

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This was a 10/10 experience. Such great hospitality. Be mindful this is a cash business but they conveniently have an ATM inside. Order your food to go or to sit, staff does not "wait" on you but that worked fine for us. Plates were plentiful and food came out fast and hot. Everything was delicious and not a thing I would ask to be different. Food was delicious, perfectly cooked and well seasoned! read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Whiting trio with wings, collard greens and rice - Caterers Near Me

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The food was very delicious as always hot and on time fresh ingredients very friendly and family oriented. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Whiting Fish Platter Yams, mac & cheese, Cornbread - Caterers Near Me

OMG! I finally caught them before closing time! Every time I'd think to go, I'd look it up and see that the were about to close! ‍ Anyway - I went and have ZERO regrets! The place itself is cute and "honey". I did take out - the gentlemen at the beefier was super warm and friendly. I had dark meat fried chicken which was DELICIOUS - perfect golden crispy crust and flavorful. (cooked to order so it takes a while - no prob!). The cabbage and collards were well seasoned. They could cut back on the salt a lil bit! The mashed potatoes were just OK. The cornbread that came with it was moist and tasty! Portion sizes were huge - I had an enough of the sides left for another meal! It's cash only, if you're going. read more

Finally made it over for a dinner plate after work on a Wednesday and I was in out in about 15 minutes.....impressive as I was prepared for a longer wait. They don't take orders over the phone, only in person and cash only. I had the whiting and wing plate with cabbage, potato salad and rice was included with cornbread. My next visit was also during the week but this time I had baked chicken and it was ready in like 5 minutes. Everything was seasoned well and simply amazing! read more

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Ken Cooks I visited Charlotte again this weekend and this place comes highly recommended thanks to the comments from my last video. Thanks for the recommendation. If you in Charlotte Check out this Soul Food Spot. Soon as you walk in you can tell they really in the back cooking too. My overall experience I would say was alright but idk if I would go back due to the guy at the register nodding off the whole time while taking my order. He should not be in the front or dealing with money cause clearly he was too high to function. Whiting - 8/10 Fried Chicken- 10/10 Greens - 4/10 (bland) Mac and cheese - 2/10..no flavor at all Potato Salad - 100/10 Overall I would rate my experience a 7/10. 430 Old Little Rock Rd, Charlotte, NC 28214 Food: 3/5 | Service: 3/5 | Atmosphere: 4/5 read more

Ken is always very personable & respectful! Her food is cooked with love & I always feel like family when I'm there! I love the fact that her kids help her in the restaurant. The food is always hot, delicious & fresh! You can have a variety of meats & sides but be prepared to be full & satisfied!! read more

Great soul food restaurant I love Ms.Ken she gives you an at home feeling and the food is so piled up in your box there's no way one person can eat it by their self. The restaurant is very clean and decorative and the homemade lemonade is so good as well I get 2 or 3 every time I order my food. read more

Amazing food, fried chicken fresh & hot, mac & cheese was smooth & cheesy just like grandma's. Meatloaf was super flavorful and the portions were huge. Definitely worth the trip, a true neighborhood gem. Be prepared to pay with cash. No complaints. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Fried chicken, Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, collards, mac & cheese and cornbread - Caterers Near Me

Walked in, it was very smokey. It was definitely something going on with the grease. It was so bad people eyes started burning if you stayed inside to wait. Sides were good. Chicken wasn't so good. Think it was time to change that grease. Fish was fried to over hard. Probably because the grease. Definitely would try them again. . Love their lemonade and sweet tea. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Wings, collard greens, mac and cheese, rice and yams - Caterers Near Me

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How do I say everything. It was great the food very flavorful the place itself was inviting. Overall 10 1/2 I'll go again and again

I finally got the chance to try Ken Cooks today. From the moment I walked in, until I left, I was shown nothing but kindness and hospitality. I ordered the fried chicken, macaroni, and broccoli casserole. Each entree comes with either rice or mashed potatoes; I chose mashed potatoes. After about 10 minutes, my food was done. Ms. Ken let me know that there was a mixup and I was given rice on my plate instead of mashed potatoes but she gave me container of potatoes with the meal. When I opened the plate... wow! It was a work of art and smelled just as good. After sampling everything, I knew why so many people recommended this place. I really hated I had to go back to work because a meal of that caliber deserves a nap. Ms. Ken seemed like a sweet and genuine person and I wish her the absolute best. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Caterers Near Me

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I was excited to try Ken Cooks from hearing about it from other posts and following her. It was my cheat day and I was ready to indulge. It was busy from taking orders to restocking. I could hear her from the Kitchen thanking folks for being patient. That made me chuckle cause we really wasn't waiting long to me. I enjoyed the chicken wings the most from flavor to crunch. Again this was my cheat day so the salt and sugar was more noticeable for me from the fish, greens and sweet potato pie. I'll try the cake next time. The corn bread didn't even make it home. The strawberry lemonade was so good but I needed to cut with water and once I added vodka it was perfect. Nonetheless it was tasty and supporting a black business was a win. Everybody in there was hustling. I've shared with friends and I'd go back for another cheat day. Till then - back to kale and grilled stuff... read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Whiting and wings with greens and Mac and cheese!! - Caterers Near Me

Quality and quantity are amazing! Kenyatta is producing great food! I cannot wait to return.

The food and customer service at Ken Cooks was phenomenal! They provide complimentary cornbread on top of the large portions of savory food served. If you're looking to try soul food in the Charlotte area make sure to make your way there, it will not disappoint! read more

Great food, wonderful and friendly customer service. The quality and quantity is emasculated. Had enough food for seconds. Thank you

Hospitality was great, acknowledged as soon as you walk in the door, throughout your meal & before you walk out the door. Food is DELICIOUS‼ Portions are enough for a doggy bag & the price is worth it. There is a wait because the owner is also the only cook & everything is cooked to order. I love not having to worry about if my food will be fresh or not. Keep rockin' out Ken SN: If you haven't been, I can vouch for her & you should try it for yourself. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Fried salmon over a bed of rice, Mac & chz, candied yams, cornbread & tropical lemonade - Caterers Near Me

I visited Ken Cooks as a part of the Blackity Black Tour from Michigan, which is a travel group which travels all over the country to support all black owned businesses the week of Juneteenth. When I tell you that this was one of my favorites food spots in Charlotte. Not only was the food delicious, but it was fresh, hot and plentiful. I had the fried Salmon, greens, Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. Ken was the sweetest, and so personable that you felt like family. The restaurant was clean, and the service excellent! If ever in the area again, I will be back. Please check her out, she's amazing! read more

I must say I give Ken Cooks all 5 stars. The food was amazing. As soon as i walked in i was greeted and handed a menu. I ordered takeout. I love that while cooking the owner even greets customers from the back. I appreciated that! Fried Chicken: Was seasoned to perfection and very crispy. 5 Shrimp: Seasoned to perfection as well and not over cooked. Sides: Macaroni and cheese and yams The macaroni was very cheesy and the yams was . Strawberry lemonade: Yummy it's very sweet with a little tang. Addictive is all I can say FYI ** If you choose to pay with a debit card it's a $5.00 fee. It's best to pay with cash other than that everything was nothing but amazing. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Caterers Near Me

Oh yeah, another first and definitely LAST visit. Upon arrival things were great but it did not take long for things to go downhill. Establishment was clean, employees friendly and helpful. My daughter had been wanting to try this establishment for a few months so today I met her at the restaurant for lunch along with my 5 yr old granddaughter. My daughter ordered the collars, whiting & yams which comes with white rice and cornbread also. I ordered yams, pork chops and mac and cheese and the grand had an order of mac. Nice portion size, everything looked good. My daughter tried some of my pork chop and we were both like it's a bit tough so I cut into the middle and it was not cooked completely. I went to the counter and told the young lady (later found out she was the owner's daughter) that my meat was not cooked thoroughly she told me just a minute. The owner came to the table and asked if I wanted another plate to which I said no so she proceeds to say "you ate all my rice, mind you it was regular white rice, half my mac and half my yams so I'm gonna have to charge you for that" So I tell her no problem. A little while later she came back and gave my daughter a full refund for my meal. "She said I didn't look at it prior and that he knows better than that and that she was sending him home, told him to get out of her kitchen". Just as we were gathering trash and the remainder of our food the owner is pulling and pushing on some young man telling him to get out of her restaurant. She started saying he's on drugs, she tore his shirt off of him. This commotion goes on for about 5 minutes in the doorway so we are forced to sit there and witness that mess. There was approximately 8 patrons eating and two of the women went towards the door as if to help the owner and as they did the owner pulled out a chemical spray. The man is screaming, the 2 women are screaming and the one daughter has been sprayed also. The owner goes in the kitchen to get milk for the 2 ladies to pour in their eyes. So now for the food, it was not nasty but it was a bit on the bland side. The fish was fishy which to me means it wasn't cleaned well, the best side was the white rice and yams. With a little seasoning it would've been perfect and cooking my pork chops completely. I really can't believe what I witnessed at Ken Cooks today. I am beyond pissed that my granddaughter had to see it, she is a bit traumatized by the experience. Perfect example of why we are looked down upon. When trying to support your own goes horrible. read more

The food was delicious and freshly prepared to an excellence in soulfood. I want to buy some items before the holidays. The customer service was friendly and spiritual. read more

On September 21, 2025 I went to this restaurant to order food. My boyfriend read the reviews on Facebook and we decided to go and try it out. We waited almost 15 minutes to order but that wasn't a problem because it was very crowded. The problem was when I got home my slice of cake was missing. It was too late to call the store back because it was closed and wouldn't be open until Wednesday. When I called Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday no one answered the phone. As a matter of fact it goes straight to voicemail. We decided to go back Sunday and order some more food because it was tasty. This time we had to wait outside because it was too crowded inside. Once I got to the register I mention to the cashier who was the same person who took my order last week that they forgot to place my slice of cake in the bag. Out of nowhere, a woman blurted out stating , No, honey you can't expect for me to replace a slice of cake seven days later. Then I tried to explain I called but no one answered. She replied, you should've emailed. I left it alone but that's RUDE, HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE and BAD BUSINESS ETIQUETTE!!!.. She continued to talk negatively in front of customers on what I had said to her.. I will not be going back read more

I was excited to try Ken Cooks for the first time, but I never even got past ordering due to the terrible customer service. When I arrived, I saw credit card stickers on the window, so I assumed they accepted cards. After placing my order, I was told it was cash only--which would've been fine if there had been a sign on the door. I simply suggested to the owner that adding a sign would help first-time customers avoid confusion. Instead of a polite response, she got defensive and rude, yelling, "I don't have to do anything! Everybody that comes here knows." When I pointed out that I was a first-time customer, she continued with an attitude, shouting, "It's on Google! It's everywhere!" and "That's what's wrong with people like y'all--think somebody gotta kiss y'all ass." To make things even more ridiculous, I later found out she went on Instagram Live complaining about customers--including me--because I simply said "wow" when I was told it was cash only. Since when is "wow" a bad word? Apparently, she had a problem with me just expressing surprise. Instead of handling feedback professionally, she chose to rant about customers online. It's bad business when you can't accept simple feedback from a customer. I will not be supporting this black owned business in the future. read more

Amazing food, something I have been missing in complete Soul Food Meals. Ken Cooks brings your taste buds back home! I am very impressed with the setting, service and quality of the food. Now this...is the real deal of Southern Comfort with affordable family prices. Thank you everyone. read more

I had the fried salmon, broccoli casserole. Also the mac and cheese. When I tell you it was so good. My friend had the same and he ate all of his food quietly not talking just eating. And the strawberry juice is delicious also. The salmon was seasoned perfectly and the corn bread was so good. Will be back for sure. read more

Don''t believe the hype! Food 3/5 Service 1/5 Cleanliness 3/5 Price 1/5 Food - Basic soul food - ordered fried salmon and wing dinner w/ yams and greens over white rice .... The salmon was the best part of the meal followed by the greens. The yams will put a healthy person in instant diabetic coma too sweet to eat. The rice was simply a garnish I guess... no butter not salt just dry! Wings were little bitty wing dings for the nominal upcharge I was expecting whole wings, but they were good just not worth the cost. Let's talk about service.... a teenager with who rather scroll on their cell phone than greet patrons was sitting at the cash register... can't say she greeted us but we spoke and she looked at us. read more

The food is absolutely delicious. It's very hard to find good Soul food in Charlotte but this place is a hidden gem. Customer service is tremendous. Definitely a business that I love to support. read more

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Welcoming atmosphere and AMAZING freshly prepared and well seasoned food! Cooked to perfection! read more

The fried salmon is top notch!!! The collard greens, fried okra, Mac & cheese and the mashed potatoes. Everything was delicious. I was eating from 3 different plates. read more

Good food!Excellent customer service.Variety of great options.Flavorful food.The food was displayed beautifully . We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.We came on Sunday and returned on Wednesday with a friend. read more

The customer service is top notch, facility is clean and the food is even better. No other soul food restaurant in Charlotte can compare.

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because of the baked chicken (separate meal bought for tomorrow). These 2 meals were phenomenal!! The fish was well seasoned and the overall 1 and half drive to get this food was worth it!! I will definitely visit them again. With that being said....the dark meat chicken was seasoned well but SUPER small pieces. I had them put the sides on the sides. On a positive note, all their entrees come with rice or mashed potatoes. Taste like your moms read more

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Visited today. Good... customer service, clean and food came out fairly quickly for certain items to be made freshly. Cons... Cash Only (which from a small business standpoint I can understand) inconsistent offerings.. looking now at other reviews, they run out of things often. I ordered pinto beans... out, I ordered cabbage... out. I asked for butter for my cornbread... we don't have any, I wanted just a cup of ice water with the lemonade I purchased, they only offer paid bottle water. The food was very mid. When you have your mouth set for something and have to substitute, it's annoying. Could I have left yea, but I live 40 min from there. The chicken was fried perfectly and seasoned well. The rice was not the same temp as the other food, semi warm, and just had butter on it, kind of looked and tasted like margarine, Greens and Mac n Cheese were bland AF. Cornbread would have been better if you had butter to put on it. If you grew up with traditional soul food spots, this may not be it. No gravy, no cornbread dressing, no random pig parts lol. There has been an uptick of Asian and Greek owned "soul food" places and I wanted a black owned. This was more like Southern cooking more so than soul food spots, I.ECoffee Cup, Floyd's, Chicken Box. read more

OMGeeeeee!!!! This food is slap yo mama, finger lickin' good!!!! Lawd, Ken Cooks gonna keep me fat . This is by far theeee BEST soul food I've had in Charlotte and I've been living here for 18yrs! We had fried chicken wings and fried pork chop, collards, yams and mac n cheese. We had to get a side of yams and more lemonade to go!! Absolutely delicious!! Large portions and the food was seasoned to perfection! The owner came out and greeted her customers with her pleasant and welcoming smile. This food is straight from your mama and grandma kitchen! Delicious!!! read more

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The food is really good and well seasoned. My family and I will definitely be back. It's a nice asset to the neighborhood. Located in Pawtuckett Shopping Center across from BB&T bank @ Moorse Chapel & Little Rock Rd. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Chicken- Green Beans- Mac&Cheese/ Dinner Roll. Happy Father's Day. - Caterers Near Me

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If the catering Is as good as the take out...YES . The pork chops with pinto beans and collard greens was soo good! I had a 8 mile ride to home , but once home, steam still fogged my glasses and this hot meal was very satisfying!!! Seasoned well, not any stems to stretch the greens, pintos soooo good!!!! I leave a pic next , I am sure you don't want to see my empty container. read more

Everything Was Nasty It All Tasted Like Stuff Out The Can Only Thing Was Good Was Cornbread and That Was Burnt.... Will Never Eat Here Again So Upset Lawans Closed They Was The Best Soulfood Place In Charlotte read more

The BEST soulfood in Charlotte! The owner is welcoming, and I could tell she takes pride in her establishment. I love how they put the presentation even in the to go plates. Lettuce and lemon garnish for the fish. We came at 5:30 pm on a Saturday and they closed at 6. Our food was hot, fresh and delicious. The owner is very friendly. This is definitely a delicious restaurant that I would support again. I have sent several friends and family to support this business and will continue to do so. read more

Ken Cooks Catering - Fried Whiting, macaroni and yams - Caterers Near Me

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food is mediocre..collards were disappointing...to much seasoning on beef cubes..,pork chops are pork steaks...very large w/o taste read more