Food: Outstanding! Ample+ servings at very reasonable prices. Service: Outstanding! Staff very courteous, professional and go out of their way to make dining there a pleasant experience. Miss Nella is the perfect "lady of the house." I felt very well taken care of as a customer. Ambience: Casual elegance with soul. I was more than pleased! I was very satisfied. If you want an elegant soul food dining experience, this is the place! read more

A friend recommended this place to me! It exceeded my expectations, the food is amazing! Definitely a hidden gem. The young lady at the front was sweet and helpful. I got half Basa, fried chicken, potato salad, fried cabbage, and it came with cornbread. Food came out hot and was seasoned really well. It is super cute inside felt like I was at a family members house, it had a wonderful vibe. I would definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

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I had such an amazing experience here! The flavorful food, decor, prices, and service was phenomenal. I feel like I stepped into my family home! We started off with free samples of the gumbo and I was extremely impressed! I ordered the catfish dinner with a side of greens, potato salad, and cornbread. The portion size of the fish was huge and the sides were regular (which is great for me). I didn't need much hot sauce but there was a variety of them available which I deeply appreciate . The tartar sauce was delicious too! Nothing but chill vibes, oldies on the playlist, and calming digital fireplace on the screen. Although we came about an hour and a half before closing, the service didn't feel rushed. And the food was beautifully prepared. The young lady that served us was sweet and knowledgeable; able to say on hand what the menu offered and provided recommendations. She even let us sample the Mac and cheese before committing to it! What a gem! My only feedback is please make the restaurant sign in front of the building more noticeable. The place is next to a barbershop and from the outside you can't really tell where you're going. I'm so happy I found this place and we will definitely be back! And btw, I don't eat everyone's potato salad lol this is the closest comparison to my auntie's and I'm happy I can have it anytime now! read more

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So glad I found this local spot! Immediately when we walked in, the owner and staff were very personable and really made us feel comfortable and taken care of. And I really liked the decor. You can tell they took their time to set up a theme that to me was giving rich auntie (in a good way ). Food was on point! Besides the gumbo in the picture, we also got fried fish, pork chops, and cake for dessert. The gumbo did what it was supposed to with rich flavor and tender seafood. The fried items were nice and crunchy and not too greasy is really important to me. For dessert, it was hard to choose because everything looked good, but the lemon cake we got was delicious. Giving five stars here because soul food is not easy to get right and they hit the mark on everything. Nella's place is cozy, no frills, homemade food. I will be back! read more

I really wish people would take the time to seek other options. Im glad I did. The family wanted Chicken. Immediately 3 popular restaurants came to mind. Something told me to try Yelp. Im glad I did. Nella's was a hit. They have family meals that are on par, monetarily, with fast food restaurants. It's affordable. I ordered the 10piece fried chicken family meal. Greens, Mac n Cheese, Rice/gravy with 6 pieces of cornbread. Under $50!! I was disappointed that it came with all 10 pieces of chicken being wings. My fault for assuming it was a variety. But it was fried to perfection and we did enjoy it. Everything was wonderful. Tasted like real home cooking. Unfortunately, they don't seem to always answer the phone. I wanted to call in my order and it be ready when I got there. But no answer. Were they open? YES. read more

Nella's Place - Beautiful decor - Soul Food Near Me - San Leandro, California

This place is amaaaaaazing!!!!! The lady was so sweet and greeted us immediately! Made our food fresh to order. Gravy turkey wings Mac and cheese cornbread and their chocolate cake!!!!!!! Gravy was so good and peppery. Turkey soft and tender! Fall off the bone. Seasoned fries. Moist cornbread and the most chocolatey moist decedent cake!! Can't wait to go back and try other things on the menu. read more

Nella's Place - Soul Food Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Trying all Restaurants at Bancroft and Dutton. Really enjoyed the food. Don't bother with the dessert. For as good as the food was, the desserts were a disappointment. We will be back though. read more

As soon as we walked in we were met with a cheerful welcome. We took a seat where we felt most comfortable as instructed. We ordered the 6 piece fried basa with a side of garlic fries and collard greens. The 6 piece dish was plentiful! Each piece was juicy and all I needed to add was fresh . We also ordered a combo dinner with prawns and chicken with 2 sides of cabbage and cornbread. The cabbage had a hint of sweet and was well seasoned and the greens were delicious. As we were packing up a to go box I asked her about the banana pudding cake and she said is was one of her most popular. I tried a bite before leaving and it is definitely worth a try. If you are looking for a friendly, cozy atmosphere and some good old soul food cookin this is the perfect place! read more

This food wasn't good, it was delicious!! We had a young lady the would put the best of waitresses to shame. Excellent customer service, eye contact and listens and repeat your order back to you. Beautiful young lady welcoming with a smile. The owner was so welcoming and beautiful place of business. We will most definitely be back! read more

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Formerly known as Sistas Soul Food Kafe, they change their name to honor their Mother. I placed a to go order for Catfish Dinner & Seafood Gumbo. The Catfish Dinner came with 2 side, Garlic Mashed Potato Fries with a slice of cornbread. The batter was a little salty and thick, the fish was a thin piece. It was over cooked a little. The Gumbo had great flavor, came with 4 pieces of dungeness crab legs and some spicy sausages. The interior of the restaurant is very clean. the service was pretty quick and they are friendly. read more

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I had a great late dinner at Nella's Place. We were welcome in we chose are table. Some many soulful items on the menu. Got me some peach cobbler all good! read more

Nella's Place - Fried chicken wings & prawns with garlic mashed potatoes and fried cabbage with cornbread slice orange. - Soul Food Near Me - San Leandro, California

Would try another dish, but had turkey wings they need to cook till crispy not soggy wings. Other reviews said good food, I don't know if it was because young folk was cooking that day, I didn't see any of the older women who established this place in the kitchen. Maybe that was the problem,. Nella I usually don't give second chances, get it right. read more

One of the few places around that seem to serve homemade food. Staff is friendly, and I have not had a bad meal there yet !

I loved the fish and chicken...the desserts are amazing (who knew Banana Pudding Cake!). But the vegetable we so sweetened that it made me feel like I was drinking sweet tea instead of vegetables. read more

Came here a few weeks ago with my husband after our date at the Oakland Zoo. He ordered the fried chicken with collared greens + mac n cheese + I ordered the fried catfish with mashed potatoes + corn. We both wanted to try a little bit of everything so we didn't want to duplicate our orders + everything was delicious! Service was also really great. They gave of samples of different foods so that we would be happy with our final order. read more

Very welcoming had great music and got my order super fast 10/10 highly recommended macaroni was super good cornbread was aaaamazing read more

It is so beautiful. The ambience is amazing. The food is awesome.! The gumbo tastes like my mom made it! Faye, the owner is so a-tentative to her clients needs. read more

I can't give a review yet. They were closed even though I'm here during posted open hours. I came here because the of the glowing reviews first. Then, I noticed the owner replied to each one. As a service manager, that tells me she's engaged with the service she's providing. And, that most certainly leads to better service, good, business, etc. I'll have to try and get back here. Friday Nov 3 909pm read more

Everything was Fanlicious!! The soul food was creative and perfectly seasoned!! I will definitely be back soon.

We randomly chose this eatery on the fly. We were totally blown away, as the decor, staff open for it's afternoon servings. Let me tell you!! This little joint was POPP'N with culturally love. Pristine admosphere, fresh meal right in front of us. Very short wait time, oh my goodness, (SAMPLING)'S, of specific meals. Quaint and very BIG HEART OWNER. The type of place you wanna be in. We will be back. We ordered meals to go, on top of our order. WHY? Because this was exactly what my customer and I do when all the boxes are check. Fresh! Love on a Plate. read more

Nella's Place - a dining room with a table and chairs - Soul Food Near Me - San Leandro, California

I love our local Soulfood spot here in San Leandro. I have been coming here on and off since when they first opened 10 years. apologies for not posting anything sooner . As a vegetarian I absolutely love the fried cabbage and greens. The desserts are always fantastic. The service is great. The ambience is great. Location is perfect. I'm glad that we have this restaurant in our neighborhood. read more

The fried catfish is the best!!! The service is excellent!! My fav was the potato salad and greens

Every time I have gone here the food has been excellent. The hours of operation leaves a lot to be desired. Sometimes when they are supposed to be open they are closed. This makes patronizing this establishment difficult because the lack of consistency. read more

All these years never knew this place was here.Food was fresh. Felt like I was at home.

We have been coming here for more than 10 years. The thing I love about this place is consistency, the food is always how it should be and never differs. It's as good today as when we first started coming. A lot of places change the food around and it's never the same.....Faye is always making sure the food stays delicious. The ambience is fantastic, the music is always on point, and service is amazing. If I could give more stars I would! read more

SOME OF THE BEST SOUL FOOD IVE HAD IN A VERY LONG TIME!!! THE GUMBO WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. The customer service was great and she even offered us multiple samples. I felt like I was at home & I felt very welcome. The vibe here is right & I highly recommend to anyone lookin for authentic soul food read more

Tasty everything...greens are amaze-balls, spicy Mac-cheese like I never had. 'You gonna eat yo cornbread?' Yup! Appreciate the homelike, friendly vibe. read more

Nella's Place - Gumbo, cornbread and side of corn - Soul Food Near Me - San Leandro, California

Everything was great!! The food was seasoned perfectly and fresh! The service was great, she bought the food out to our car, the ambiance was amazingly pleasant and inviting. I definitely will be going back! I live in San Jose, the soul food I got there was spoiled...NELLA'S PLACE is the place to go!! read more

The owner Faye shared with me the reason the cool, inviting ,dinner spot is called Nellas Place. With pride and admiration she shared that its paying homage to her loving mother who she recently loss. Im certain she is a proud of you. I ordered Gumbo and it had enough of everything in it.I also had the Peach Cobbler my fav and crust galore If you're looking for home style soul delights,stop in and treat yourself and say Hi to Faye. read more

Don't get me wrong, the food here is delicious! But make sure to call before you come to make sure they're open because this was the 2nd time I drove 40 minutes out and they were closed again during their business hours. read more