I can not believe I have not reviewed Soul Fish as of yet. I am a huge fan. Let me preface this review by saying ... My grandfather owned two successful catfish restaurants. As a child I grew up on fried fish filets and hush puppies until my grandfather had to retire and sell his restaurant due to his Health. He still cooks up a mess of catfish for us about two or three times a year when we visit. Yum! My standards for good catfish are extremely high. Good fried catfish is not greasy, light cornmeal batter, tender flaky inside, and slightly crispy on the outside. Sounds simple enough but the truth of the matter is... Good fried catfish takes skill. After an epic searched for any decent catfish in Memphis and surrounding areas that took a few years ... My family and I decided to give up. And when I heard about Soul Fish it took some considerable convincing to get them to go. We where, none of us, disappointed! Soul Fish is without a doubt the best Catfish in Memphis. It is perfectly fried... Hushpuppies are tasty, coleslaw edible if not always yummy, fried pickles crisp and tart, pickle green tomatoes so yummy I could swim in them, and vegetables always cooked and seasons well (special recognition to the cabbage, broccoli, and black eyed peas). The service is always friendly, fast, efficient, and correct. The blackened catfish is pretty tasty too ... Sometimes they get a little heavy handed on the seasoning. Deserts are pretty great as well. My sister loves the Mississippi mud chocolate thingy they have (I'm not a chocolate fan). I've introduced many people (about 40 or so) to Soul Fish - locals and visitors alike - and no one ... And I mean not a single one of them where disappointed. So why four stars instead of five? True... the catfish is the best in Memphis - however it is not the best I've ever had. And Sometimes a filet or two at Soul Fish fall short of perfection... However ... I'm a regular and a fan of Soul Fish Cafe. If you have spent hours and disappointed meals trying to find good catfish in Memphis ... Look no further ... This is the place for you. I promise you will not Be disappointed! read more

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If there's one place that I can count on to be consistent when I go back home to visit family, it's this restaurant. My fish is always fresh and crispy. I'm a creature of habit so I get the same thing with fried okra. The service is always attentive and giving. The staff is usually willing to give whatever sauces & condiments that are needed to enjoy the meal. Depending on the day you go in, you may have a wait, or you may be able to get right in and have a seat. I recommend going during the lunch hour or during the week for dinner because on a weekend or Sunday afternoon, you're gonna have a wait. read more

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2 spots in Memphis , both good sweet tea blackened salmon with vegetables was great will go back.

So I ordered the blackened salmon with hush puppies and sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries were OK our server who was very attentive and really was great. Gave me extra sauces. That work well with the fries who knew that honey mustard here as well with it. The salmon was good . The only issue I had was I ended up with cornbread instead of hush puppy, but that was rectified really quick. Overall, I give it a 9.5 out of 10 and my overall meal price was $23 and some change. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Sweet potato fries, cornbread, blackened salmon, hush puppies - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Still on the amazing food stops from our December 2025 Smoky Mountains trip, our final Tennessee meal had to be memorable--and Soul Fish Cafe delivered. Memphis is a slight detour on our way back to Texas, but there was no way we were settling for fast food along the highway. We wanted good seafood--fresh, satisfying, and worth the stop. So glad we chose this spot. From the outside, it's simple and unassuming. Inside, it feels like a slightly bougie fish cafe--clean, cozy, and well-kept, with subtle holiday decor and that warm Southern hospitality greeting you at the door. Our server, Denise, was professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. The one-page menu keeps it simple, and she walked us through it along with the daily special. We ordered the gumbo, salmon burger, and a grilled salmon plate--everything tasted fresh and cooked to order. A perfect seafood meal in Tennessee. We left full, happy, and already planning what to try next time. Definitely a spot worth revisiting. read more

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We loved the catfish dip! It was a wonderful appetizer; My favorite was the fact that it didn't taste fishy like most dips that has fish in them. I had the tropical tacos which were three with flour tortillas and sweet potato fries and it was more than enough food for two people. The people in my party also had catfish and chicken and shrimp and everybody really enjoyed their meal. We also had the best server and had excellent service. read more

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The food is superior always the service undeniably the best. Immaculately Clean can't wait to go back.

Had the blackened fish ceasar salad! Never had blackened (cat)lfish in a ceasar salad! It's stellar. Really tasty. The fish alone is really quite good and with the salad I really enjoyed it. Had a sweet tea with it and the tea's not too sweet which I was a little surprised. Service is really friendly and place is spacious and super clean. read more

Had the best time eating a late lunch at Soul Fish on Cooper Avenue. I have been to the other locations but this one by far had the nicest hostess in the front of the diner. Our server Rachel was very nice and attentive. My friend and I started off with water because it was pretty hot outside. We ordered immediately since we were hungry. Both of us wanted the whole catfish platter that came with two catfish, fries, cole slaw and jalapeno hush puppies. Our food was fresh and fried just right. The diner was clean and spacious with tables and booths. Another gal brought us our food when it was ready. I like the team effort when servers are busy and someone else steps in to assist. Not sure what took me so long to try out this location. Another plus is there is a parking lot! Cooper Young is known for parallel parking galore. So glad we found soots. I am sure we will return again. It is a happy place. read more

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I've been thinking about catfish for a few days now and honestly, this delivered pretty good. I learned that there is no rhyme or reason to how soft or hard they fry the fish, so I recommend letting them know your preference ahead of time. My fish was fried super hard n crispy which I don't like, while my husband had a big nice and flaky piece, which he doesn't like, so we switched and were completely happy. The table next to ours said her fish was fried soft, so it was sent back to re-do. But maybe asking patrons ahead will save time, money n food. The fish was delicious and seasoned well. I had okra, which was battered, a lil thick for me but overall ok. The fries were cold and barely seasoned, so I didn't really like them. The hush puppies tasted good, a lil greasy but nice flavor. The sweet tea was delicious! read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Catfish Plate, okra, fries (good fish) - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Soul Fish Cafe is a nice establishment, and the food is pretty deceit. I almost always order the fried and/or grilled catfish.

I placed an order for two cakes to go but received an incorrect chocolate cake instead. Upon calling to resolve the error, I spoke with your manager, Karen. Her approach was entirely unhelpful and dismissive. She immediately instructed me to return the cake without allowing me to explain my situation or suggest an alternative resolution. There was no apology for the mistake, and her tone implied I was seeking something for free. Furthermore, she stated that emailing would accomplish nothing. As I relied on a ride to get here, returning the item is not a practical solution for me. I found Karen's customer service to be incredibly poor and disrespectful. I was left feeling blamed for your establishment's error and was profoundly disappointed by the lack of empathy and professionalism.Karen is a good house one!!!! Keep up the good work Karen you will get promoted to restroom attendant!!!!! read more

Soul Fish Cafe - The wrong order!!! - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Service suck on today is the festival and for you to come in to even wash your hands they ask you to buy a drink and I feel like that is a crime shame . It's like 105° outside and they refuse to let people use the restroom. read more

Only been once but I always dream of the food. 12/10 portions and taste. In a neat part of town and good service. Reminds me of a small town seafood / southern restaurant I grew up going to in MS. read more

Dam this food slaps so hard. One of the best meals we had in Memphis. The fish was top notch. The greens were on point and flavorful. It was so good that we ordered to go boxes! Service was great! Staff was super friendly and helpful. We left a big tip! read more

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Customer service phenomenal "not black owned" food was phenomenal and absolutely must try.. I never had soul food this fast ever. Usually I have to wait about an hour and a half before the food comes to me .... Hysterical all last food was great. The price matched read more

I travel to Memphis from AZ every summer and the Soul Fish location on 862 S. Cooper Street, Memphis is my absolute go to for delicious catfish, trout, hushpuppies, and all the sides you could ever want. Everything is always so fresh and you get your food Hot. You will get the best service in town. We usually sit on the patio and get Monica as our server, who is the absolute sweetest person ever. I recommend starting off with the hushpuppies, you won't regret them. I usually order 3 then quickly get irritated once I eat the last one... because you're still reaching for more LOL. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Catfish, Broccoli, White beans and Fried Porkchop - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Great service, clean and bright, and a large menu selection. I had a large lunch earlier and we started with hushpuppies and fried pickles, so I chose the veggie plate. Black eyed peas, collard greens, and a sweet potato along with cornbread. The veggies were delicious but I just have to mention two things. The cornbread and hushpuppies. No. Not good. Two of my faves but neither had any flavor. Perhaps it is a regional thing, I'm from NC, but these just were bright yellow and lacking in so many ways. I would return for all the other reasons though. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Stopped by to grab a quick bite to eat before a volleyball tournament. Buffalo shrimp mild were really good! We should have ordered 2! Fried perfectly. Blackened chicken Caesar salad had some great flavor. They didn't skimp on that seasoning for the chicken! Blackened mahi sandwich (daily special) great flavor just needed some kind of spicy remoulade sauce to tie it all together. Bun was not able to hold up to the juicy piece of fish. Maybe french bread toasted would be better suited. Shrimp po boy disappeared before I could get a bite! So assuming it was good! Sweet tea was amazing! One of the best I have had. read more

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The portions are misleading because they served small amounts of the products. Jumbo Shrimp fried are NOT jumbo size but medium size portions. Take the word Jumbo off the menu. The Catfish fried are NOT the whole filet but they are cut in half in size. They are cheating the customers on portions. Why? You guys make enough money on profits. read more

Food and service were so good. I also got the fired pickles that aren't in the picture read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Catfish Plate with okra and Mac 'N Cheese - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

My sweet tea lemonade, broccoli (no cheese), and blackened salmon were perfect. Great food, chilled ambiance, and great service at the Cooper location. read more

We eat at Soul Fish weekly. LOVE IT! My husband says their chicken wings are the best wings he's ever had. I'm mostly a vegetarian, and I love their sides. Delicious. However, when I stray, their blacken salmon is the best I've ever had. Love Soul Fish! read more

Great service, the whole catfish was tasty, then we ordered more fillers and had okra and black eye peas. All delicious in a very nice setting. read more

So I've had Soul Fish Café multiple times but always take out. This was my first in-restaurant experience. We were in a group of seven. The restaurant promptly seated us. And the weight staff was very pleasant. The food was delicious. The quantity was more than sufficient. And it was served fairly quickly. I will be back. I recommend you give it a try. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Menu - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The food was the best. Service was better than best. I'm staying in the area and wanted to eat close by. Their menu looked like what I wanted. I ordered catfish, okra and a cucumber salad. Amazing. And the wait was not long at all, and it's a Friday night. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Catfish, okra and cucumber salad, to go! - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This place is pretty darn good. And the food and service was fast! - Catfish: Good coating and clean tasting catfish. - Cajun cabbage: this dish was fantastic. A red wine vinegar, sausage and peppers...cooked down with the cabbage...darn good and wanted more. - White beans: not full flavored beans...but good and a nice side. read more

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If you are ever in Memphis Tennessee, you must go to Soul Fish Café. That food is outstanding delicious. I will go there every time. I'm in Memphis Tennessee excellent food five stars. read more

Service was prompt and friendly. They never left us wanting or needing anything. Relaxing atmosphere for some business talk while enjoying great food. Shrimp and catfish were breaded and cooked very nicely. I particularly enjoyed the cucumber salad as a palate cleanser and just refreshing. I must say the lemonade was very tasty as well. read more

This is always my stopping point when driving from OKC to Tampa. All about the wings, unsweet tea and cake here!!! So yummy!!! I'll see ya on my drive back home next week!!! read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Chicken Wings - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I love this neighborhood and part of Memphis, the decor that lines the overhead walkways has so much charm. There's good parking available in the attached lot. Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, with high chairs and booster seats also readily available. Service is friendly and also readily available, love when everyone had a great attitude. The food sticks close to the southern comfort food genre, there's some tacos and salads on the menu that give some variety. Mostly fried and grilled fish and shrimp plates and sandwiches. My wife loved the French fries and thought the sweet potato fries with the cinnamon dusting were also yummy. I couldn't get enough of the blackened catfish, honestly some of the best seasoned and delicate catfish I've ever had. I would be back for those filets alone. Only complaint was that the hushpuppies came out quite oily and that the tartar sauce was a bit too mayo forward, I though is could use some more seasoning to wake it up a bit. Wishing as I'm writing this that I had saved some room for the Mississippi Mud Pie that looked amazing. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Hushpuppies - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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The catfish dip was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and her suggestions were great! read more

They use to be good on portions of the food. We put in an order during lunch time. The food came but we didn't expect small small portions. The Fried Catfish were NOT filet. They cut in half made to look like you got a lot and they were thin with little fish meat. The Fried Shrimp were small even though the menu said Jumbo size Shrimp. That is a flat lie. The sides were small in portions as well. They should be ashamed of themselves for over charging. They need shut down there 4 location for ripping the customers off on their hard earned money. We do NOT recommend them. read more

The food was good, but they don't tell you they charge a 10% tip on take out orders.Keep that in mind when the tip screen pops up when paying. You have already been charged 10%. read more

Food was good. I had the catfish plate (regular /3 piece) with Mac n cheese and green beans. The catfish was light and seasoned well,Mac n cheese reminded me of Cracker Barrel's Mac n cheese and the green beans i liked as well. Service was fast and staff seems nice. Atmosphere was open concept and mixed crowd of people from young to old, diverse crowd. I was able to take the plastic cup as well .I would come back. read more

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Food is great, the customers should have self control they act like wild animals, just LOUD AND OUT OF CONTROL. Some yelling across the floor so disrespectful they were HUGE LADIES dressed in yellow they were seen and heard no need to yell service was great Poplar location 4-18-2026 read more

The food was great and so was the service. Shrimp and catfish plate is amazing. Just right on the portions and great taste. It's rare that I order chocolate cake and eat more than one bite. This cake was amazing. The icing is perfect! What a great find! Our 11yr old enjoyed her chicken tacos and so did I...... read more

This was my favorite meal in Memphis! I'm drooling just thinking about how tender and flavorful that blackened catfish was. Husband got the catfish po'boy and said it was excellent. His meal also came with some of the best sweet potato fries I've ever had. Waitress was super nice and complimented my dress, which made my day haha. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Blackened Catfish, catfish po' boy - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Food was delicious. Fried catfish was really good, the Mac n cheese was delicious, chicken wings had a great cook and seasoning to them. Unsweet tea was also very good and the mud pie was phenomenal. Hush puppies also were good. Hard to go wrong here read more

Quick friendly service with no waiting on a Saturday afternoon. Food came out fast after ordering. Great place for a fast fried meal when you have other things to do. read more

Soul Fish Cafe - Cabbage - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee