Rodney's kitchen (RK) is the place to go for shrimp baskets, PO' boys, chicken wings, and more. I ordered the chicken philly and wow! loaded with chicken, peppers, onions, and cheese this dish burst in your mouth with tons of flavor. The place is clean orderly and the timeliness on the food delivery was spot on. What make this place so special is the fact that he provides free lunches to underprivileged kids in the community and also provide meals during the holiday season earning him an award for his charitable contributions. When in Waterloo Iowa, be sure to stop in and enjoy some great food and service. read more

Soul food in Waterloo - really? I was skeptical until I bit into a perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked Crawfish Po'Boy sandwich. Handed breaded with a perfect spice - not too spicy and not too sweet. A tasty Grilled bun and seasoned fries were the perfect partners. The flavor was sublime and allowed the crawfish to shine. My wife had the hand breaded shrimp Po'Boy - and it was also top notch. Then chef/owner Rodney asked if we'd like to try his version of southern fried okra. Without hesitation, we said sure - and in just a few minutes we were both eating the BEST fried okra we've ever had. We are from Texas, so that's a lot of fried okra to overcome and ultimately best in our minds. His version was well seasoned, lightly breaded and full of okra flavor. If his version was for sale in Texas, they'd probably build a statue of Rodney. Yes - it really was exceptional. True soul food transfers the food soul of the chef to the plate - and then into your mouth. Rodney's Kitchen is TRUE soul food. We will be back next week. It really is THAT good. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Outstanding crawfish Po'Boy Sandwich - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

Great food and great music. Really enjoyed catfish and fried okra. Shrimp po'boy was delicious too.

We were doing and I will road trip and was on our way home and I was getting close to lunchtime and my wife got on yelp and was looking for places in Waterloo area right away. She came across Rodney's kitchen and damn it was great. first I was gonna have the brisket sandwich but the catfish I've been hungry for catfish so we both had catfish and it was amazing. Rodney very nice. The place was nice and clean, enjoy talking to them I'd highly recommend it read more

I had a desire for some fried catfish and Rodney's delivered two large fillets that were flakey and tasty. My spouse had the fried chicken and it was equally good. You won't go away hungry. read more

I ate here, so you don't have to. Got chicken Philly after 1pm on a Friday to go. I expected it to be after the lunch rush, but it was dead. No customers and that should have been a clue. After I got my sandwich, it fell apart like a wet diaper after only three minutes and on the first bite . So now I have to go someplace else to find a fork. All I can say is that I'm not sure if anything was cooked there. I feel fairly certain it was only heated and assembled there. I expected slices of chicken, with slices of peppers and onions on top with slices of melted cheese, you know like a Philly should be? I got bits of onions and peppers with chopped chicken breast swamped in a liquid cheese-like sauce. This is probably why it fell apart. The sauce had way too much pepper and clearly processed elsewhere. The bread was processed elsewhere. The fries were clearly frozen. I'm pretty sure no real 'cooking' happened to my food; it was just assembled from all Sysco ingredients. Oh, and I got 1/2 cup of ketchup for the amount of fries that required 2 and they were seasoned, which makes it a bit weird with ketchup. I didn't get food poisoning and the service was good, only reason it doesn't get 1*. read more

I am sorry to give this place a 1 star from our experience. However, that is the rating it deserves for us. We arrived at noon on Saturday 7/17/21. The restaurant was advertised as a "Soul Restaurant", yet there were no soul items available. Not even crawfish. The only side that all meals had to have was French fries. No other "hot sides" were available (okra, Mac n cheese, collared greens, etc) The catfish was frozen and throw in a fryer. The pork tenderloin was a pre bought frozen fritter....which means minced meat - not a pounded pork tenderloin (something like a DQ would serve). Very disappointed in this place. read more

This is now a must stop, anytime we are rolling through Waterloo. The flavors are amazing. Food is always made to perfection. The breading on the wings, shrimp etc. is light and delicate. Just great. read more

The food was awesome! I got a shrimp poboy and it was made fresh! I also love the atmosphere! Would go back if I'm ever in the area again.

We're from California and out here on business and I looked on Yelp to find us a spot to enjoy some good food and to our amazement we found Rodney's Kitchen. My husband ordered the brisket burger and he said it had lots of flavor and very juicy, I got the philly cheese steak oh man I ate the whole sandwich with all the fixings!!!! I'm not big on onions in my food but this time I enjoyed them with my philly cheese steak sandwich. Fries were fresh & the perfect amount of season. Definitely will recommend this place to anyone in the neighborhood. Keep up the good work Rodney & staff. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Well this explains how good the food was. - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

This is a must do. Shrimp Po boy was on point. Will definitely be back. Service was quick and price was very reasonable.

I would rate this place even lower if this application would allow me. I and the owner are African American. I could strongly state that I've been treated more fairly in upscale five star restaurants in Colorado and Texas. There were no "may I help you" or "thank you.". And, the quality of food was poor in every aspect! The chicken wings had hair and dried up blood. Totally unacceptable! I love supporting all small businesses because I am a small business owner; in addition to, a regular employee serving the public sector at a professional level . I've always value and give exceptional service to all customers. I understand the reason for so many empty seats at this restaurant... read more

The knowledgeable, friendly staff know the menu and will help you choose. The Brisket Burger is popular as is the Chicken Philly. I had the fried chicken and it was fabulous. Lightly breaded in flour and cooked in a light oil. To. Die. For. Boyfriend had the burger which was thick and tasty. Fries were hot and fresh with a light dusting of seasoning salt. The menu changes as the chef is very creative. This is an up and coming place that serves great food and helps those in need in our community. They fundraise for local nonprofits (House of Hope) and serve hundreds of free meals to kids in need. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Rodneys Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

Great experience today at Rodney's Kitchen. Staff was incredibly friendly. We ordered the brisketburger, and it was out of this world! We also ordered a shrimp po' boy, which also was great. Would highly recommend to locals or anyone passing through! read more

Rodney's is amazing! I went there and had the crawfish po boy. The crawfish was fried in a delicious batter and was very juicy. The bread was soft but the lettuce and tomatoes were crispy. It was $15 well spent, and now I'm stuffed. I'd give it 6/5 stars if that was a thing. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

See all

Stopped in as we were passing thru Waterloo. Had the Brisket Burger and Shrimp Po Boy. Both excellent. Brisket was really tender with a hand made patty cooked to perfection. Wish I could come thru more often. read more

I stumbled across Rodney's through Yelp while visiting town for business. It was really good - I had a Crawfish Po-Boy and fries - fantastic! Staff was very pleasant and helpful. Greatly enjoyed the experience and I will be sure to visit again next time I am in town. I can't recommend Rodney's enough! read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Crawfish Po-Boy and fries! - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Best food in the block by far. You will not leave hungry. Rodney does it right and is a real philanthropist outside of his restaurant

We came in today with high expectations. We weren't disappointed. Excellent food. Nice atmosphere. We will be regulars. Thanks Rodney's Kitchen. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Brisket burger and chicken Philly. Great flavor. Good portions. Have been wanting to come here for awhile. So glad we did. - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

8/25/20: Fast and friendly service. Had the brisket burger, as recommended. It was very good. Took it down the street to the beer garden and enjoyed it with a nice German beer on tap. read more

Ordered the crawfish po'boy for dinner, and I was blown away. I'm a Louisiana boy deep down, and I never would have imagined in 1,000 years that I would have to travel to Waterloo, Iowa to find the best crawfish po'boy that I personally have ever tasted. Nothing but love for Rodney and his family. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Best crawfish po'boy ever. - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Fried chicken so good, "it made my tongue go flipide flop"! Make the trip to Rodney's Kitchen Soul Food. read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Fried chicken baby! - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Our group had philly steak, shrimp, and catfish poboy sandwiches. They were great! Plenty of meat, hot, and fresh! Owner was very nice and accommodating. Will definitely be back to try other items. Clean fresh atmosphere. read more

The food here is amazing! The sauces, and seasonings are unique and are packed with flavor. You don't get that hardly anywhere anymore. I will definitely be back. Only suggestion-have a fountain pop machine. I didn't like having a can of pop with my meal. read more

Overall amazing place, great environment, service and food. Of one of kind restaurant in Waterloo serving soul food. Check them out at there new location down town Waterloo. 624 Sycamore St, Waterloo, IA read more

The catfish was banging! The menu was a little limited, though. When I asked for a soul food place I expected to see, at least, Greens, Mac n Cheese, and cornbread on the menu. So I was very disappointed on that level. (My cousin did tell me that if you call a few days or a week in advance, they can prepare greens for you.) The catfish was cooked "hard" with a perfect crunch and not overly seasoned. The french fries were, too. If I was out-and-about in Waterloo and just had a taste for some fried catfish, I would swing through Rodney's. read more

Wow from the amazing service to the food this place is great!!! Rodney is extremely friendly and his food is great plus free beer when you dine in and it's locally brewed !!!!!! read more

Wow, this little gem of a place is a really wonderful addition to downtown! Rodney does a lot for the community like the kids' lunches. The food is the bomb. You will CRAVE his chicken! read more

Great food. Done fast and right. I can't wait to return and bring my entire family back. Also look forward to eating on-site once safe

This place is great! We shared the rib special, a big pile of ribs on a slice of Texas toast with potato salad and baked beans (outstanding beans, sweet and full of meaty flavor) for $10.99, plus don't forget the 2 free beers that come with the meal--how cool is that!? We also split the Hawaiian burger: so juicy and delicious, a slice of grilled pineapple, cheese, jalapeno (just enough of a bite but not too hot) and sweet chili sauce (comes with fries)--couldn't resist! I wish we had an event coming up, 'cause they cater, too! read more

I would give 5 stars because my burger was very good however when I asked for more ketchup that had been individually packed into expensive plastic cups I was told it would be $2.50 extra. Grieved by the obvious tomatoe famine that had stricken this small town in Iowa I politely declined his generous offer and choked down my dry ground up cow. If you go here, do yourself a favor and stop by Hy-Vee first and get yourself two bottles of ketchup. One for you and one for Rodney, because he clearly doesn't have enough. Both will probably cost you less than $2.50. ;) read more

First time here. Just passing by town and dropped by Rodney's kitchen. I was unaware of what to get. I was greeted by Rodney himself and made good suggestions of what to get. He recommended brisket and hawaiian are the most popular. Followed by shrimp and crawfish po boy. I don't like saucy sandwiches and I do not care for buffalo-like sauce so I ordered shrimp po boy. It was really good. It was not salty. It came with a side hot sauce which I did not care for because it tasted like buffalo. I am glad i was on the side. The bread was soft, and the lettuce and tomato tasted fresh. It was topped with 5-6 big fried shrimps. Yuuuuumm! The whole thing was not overwhelmingly saucy. The sandwich had light mayo which did not overwhelm the sandwich itself. The fries on the side were also good. It kind of had like salt, pepper, and maybe chili powder or paprika. It was not your bland fries. I believe an order comes with a drink too. Rodney told me alcoholic drinks are free with the meal and nonalcoholic ones are $1. I do not know if he was joking but I got bottled water instead. He is a pretty friendly dude and you can tell he is proud of his establishment. I would be too. The facility has a fastfood look yet homey with his family's photos plastered on the walls. He told me that he will be introducing a comedy show and live music in the next few months - which is exciting! Would recommend! read more

Rodney's Kitchen - Shrimp po boy - Soul Food Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Wow!! Extremely delicious food here! Brisket burger, french fries, catfish po'boy were all so tasty. Cooked perfectly and seasoned very well. Rodney is a great guy and has a lot of accolades to show for his cooking talents. Check this place out, you won't be sorry! (Or hungry!) read more

This place was amazing super nice guy. I had the chicken philly it was cheesy with very good flavor lots of chicken! My boyfriend had the brisket burger, the burger was very juicy and the brisket was very tender, he really enjoyed the seasoning on the fries. We would definitely recommend trying this spot out! read more

Great food--really nice people, very clean an friendly. I would eat at Rodney's anytime!

Rodney's is clean, the staff is friendly, and it was the best Philly Cheesesteak I've ever had. Truly outstanding.

Great little place with excellent food and service. The breading on the chicken is amazing!!

The fried chicken from Rodney's is amazing. It's tender and super juicy. The spices are amazing. I haven't tried the ribs yet, but I plan to soon. Overall, fantastic. read more

Excellent food! Great service! Absolutely will be a regular! We had Philly, crawfish po boy, brisket burger, and shrimp po boy. Every one of them was delicious. read more

This is definitely in my top 2 in Waterloo. The food is amazing. Every dish. I took one bite of his chicken philly sandwich and my toes curled! Every bite is flavorful! The only downside is no fountain pop. If you want pop, you have to buy a can. Otherwise everything else is great! read more