This mac and cheese honestly hits on a different level. From the first bite, you can tell it's not just thrown together it's crafted. The cheese is rich, smooth, and perfectly melted, coating every piece of pasta without being too heavy or greasy. It's that balance a lot of places miss: creamy without feeling overwhelming. The texture is where it really stands out. The noodles are cooked just right not too soft, not too firm so every bite has that perfect consistency. And if there's a baked top layer, it adds that slight crisp that contrasts the creaminess underneath, making it even better. Flavor-wise, it's deep. You can taste the blend of cheeses instead of just one basic note. It's savory, slightly sharp, and comforting at the same time. It's the kind of dish that doesn't need extras to prove itself it already stands strong on its own. What really makes it memorable though is how it feels like more than just food. It's the type of mac and cheese that reminds you why simple dishes matter when they're done right. It's warm, satisfying, and leaves you thinking about it even after you're done. Some meals fill you up... this one stays with you. I am impressed!! read more

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The staff were very friendly which is always a good start and the interior was very warm feeling! The food was next level though I would heavily recommend the Cajun Crab Fries, everything else was great too but it definitely took the crown. Im just drooling thinking about it . Everything was clean and overall this is one of the best spots Ive been to in CV. If you want a full review of the food I tried you could check out the videos Insta: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYEFhGzhFJM/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8p6R9JP/ read more

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It's actually pretty good, even with it delivered! Here's what we tried: Blackened trout - this one was not spicy. It came with two thin fillets, coated in blackened spices. DH liked the flavor and that it came with a side salad. This could be a healthier option. Red beans and rice - this one had some spicy sausage in with the beans. It had a lot of herbs too. Rice seemed well cooked. DH said it was fine, but not something he gets quite often. Crab fries - kids liked this one. Pretty good portion size and classic flavors. Not too saucy. This one is not spicy. Little one wanted more crab, lol. Catfish and fries - nice cornmeal batter, light layer that remained crispy through the delivery. The inside was moist and not musty. It came in thin strips, not large fillets. Pleasantly surprised at how good it was! We got regular fries instead of cajun fries. There were two different dips that both tasted like thousand island & mayo. Little one used it for the catfish and I used it for the fries. DH said this place beat his low expectations for seafood delivery. He said it's not a bad option for Southern food. It's probably better to eat it fresh. Everything was solid, but didn't have that "wow" factor. We'll likely try it again, but it's not a regular spot. read more

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4.5/5 Their soul food was flavorful, satiating, and absolutely delicious! I haven't tried many soul food restaurants, but based on the reviews, I think I already stumbled across one of the best ones in the Bay Area. Sadly, they only offer beignets on Sundays. 4/5 Cajun Crab Fries: Hot and fresh french fries combined with crab? Super good! There was a fair portion of shredded crab ontop. 4/5 Who Dat Shrimp: It was flavorful and nicely deep fried. It was delicious but I did get a bit of flavor fatigue after a couple pieces of shrimp. The sauce with french fries was also a good pairing. 3/5 Mac & Cheese: It was pretty average and my least favorite item that I tried from the menu. I'd recommend another side. read more

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We were craving a little something different for lunch today and decided to go for some southern flavor. This place is clean and bright and the staff are friendly and attentive. We got the catfish po boy sandwich, the salad with fried chicken and blackened ranch, and a side of cheesy grits. Everything was absolutely delicious. The flavors most definitely hit the spot! I found that it tasted authentic but with a clean "California" twist. Fish and chicken were cooked to perfection. We're going back to try the shrimp and grits. If you like New Orleans flavor you must check it out! read more

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The chicken strips here are insane. Juicest chicken strips I've ever had and fried to perfection. The blackened fish is flavorful and grilled wonderfully. Brussels sprouts have a sweetness to it while also having a nice crisp. We had a kiddo with us today and he downed the rice and beans plate. The server recommended who dat shrimp which had a yummy sauce but I do prefer the chicken strips myself. They recommended that I try the poboy next time. I've been here twice and one time they brought the food to the table and the other, we picked up at the counter. Maybe this depends on how busy it is? There's plenty of sauce, water and utensils inside for you to help yourself. The lot in front hardly has any parking, but there's a parking lot in the back! read more

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First timers here!! Will say not a bad souther spot. The winner for today would have to be the fried catfish and the crab fries they were chefs kiss. As for the gumbo and jambalaya, nothing standing out but they are great dishes overall. Service was great and friendly. There is seating inside with tables. Fairly clean for the most part read more

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Love the food here! Real authentic New Orleans cuisine. Reminds me of our trips to the south. This time I switch up to the Blackened Shrimp and Grits from my usually Who Dat Shrimp and Grits. You can't go wrong with either. Their grits are so creamy and flavorful!! They have a few Abita beer on hand as well as wine and soft drinks. The staff is friendly and professional. The restaurant itself is tuck in a little strip with 3-4 other small businesses so the parking lot is small, as is the restaurant inside. There's half a dozen or so tables to eat inside and a few outside but either way wear a jacket because even inside is very industrial with metal chairs. read more

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I got the catfish and crawfish étouffée. It was okay. The catfish tasted good, but the portion was smaller than expected compared to review photos. The crawfish étouffée was just okay. It tasted one-note, and the rice was undercooked even after a 30-minute drive for takeout. It tasted fine overall, but I wouldn't go back. The only positive was that it came with a lot of crawfish, and it was fresh, not frozen. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - thin catfish strip - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Stumbled across this place because the restaurant I originally wanted to go to was unexpectedly closed. I was excited because love Southern creole. I ordered the seafood gumbo and the brown sugar lemonade. Counter service was fine but waited for a few minutes even though there was no line. Guy took the person's order in front of me and then walked away. After a couple minutes, the other girl had to tell him to come back. Food was good and had a good amount of seafood/protein in it, but a tad salty. I'll likely be back to try other menu items if in the area. Nothing the crystal hot sauce packets couldn't fix. Nothing special about the brown sugar lemonade. It was really tart. Probably because it was nearly gone so I got the bottom of the pitcher. Definitely should be mixed. I ended up mixing it with tea because it was so tart. Something a little worrisome was that their ice machine was broken so they just had this giant bucket of ice on the counter with no lid and customers were to stick their hand in there and grab the scooper and fill their cups. Ummm what if customers had dirty hands or coughed/sneezed?? and they're all just grabbing the scooper and throwing it back in there. Y'all should've really had this behind the counter, sanitary, and the staff filling the cups with ice when a drink was ordered. Pretty sure that not up to code. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - seafood gumbo - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This place is deliciousss and has allll the classic Southern comfort foods as in New Orleans from seafood like crawfish and blackened shrimp, jambalaya, Brussels sprouts, gumbo, beignets on Sundays, banana pudding, grits, Cajun fries, hush puppies...you name it. Nothing too spicy either. Try the sweet brown sugar lemonade. I had difficulty ordering! I feel likely we have a quick place in the Bay to get our fix of Creole food. Warning that the parking lot is small, maybe ~10 spots or so. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Hush puppies - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

We came in for some late lunch 2pm on Saturday and there was plenty of parking. It's a spot where you order and then sit wherever is open. It seemed like they had a lot of takeout orders and a lot of people coming in and out. The seating was limited so it felt a bit homey. We ordered a crawfish etouffe and fried catfish with fries. That was plenty of food to share for two and we had leftovers after. The fried catfish was delicious. The batter wasn't too thick and everything wasn't too oily. Loved the fish flavor came through. Crawfish etouffe didn't have a lot of crawfish but the overall flavor was nice. I would probably order takeout and maybe add some cooked frozen crawfish to it. Want to try the grits next time! read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Fried Catfish w/ Cajun Fries - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I live in San Francisco, but Southern Comfort Kitchen is always on my wishlist for places that I wish weren't so far! It's not often I come out to CV, but every time I do, I think about coming here. It's an order at the front and find your own table type of restaurant, but they have very solid tasting southern food that hits the spot and satisfies that craving! The catfish is consistently tender, well seasoned, and mighty flavorful. Portions are nice and quite filling overall. Good amount of seating, not too noisy, and very friendly staff make this place a definite recommend! read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Seafood Gumbo - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Ordered 50 50 shrimp and catfish and got, catfish and something else as you can see on the receipt in the picture below. This was a DoorDash order. We usually get what we order this is the second time ordering and having an issue with the order we placed. We do love the food but unfortunately disappointed this happened again. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Catfish and something else instead of shrimp - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Staff was very kind and the restaurant had plenty of parking / seating. I ordered the shrimp sandwich and my friend got the jambalaya. I thought the shrimp was very juicy and had a crispy texture while being seasoned perfectly. The jambalaya was way too salty though and was hard to have a lot of it. I'm sure the fried chicken sandwich would have been good too read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Jambalaya - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I had really high hopes for this place considering the reviews. Sadly will not be coming back. Carb to protein ratio is super off. In what world is anyone eating 3 cups+ worth of grits? 7 pieces of burnt tasting shrimp. There is a difference between burned and blackened. Flavor profile was flat, no dimension, just salt & cajun. Ordered Hush puppies and the least to say is I've had better. Texture was tok grainy for my liking personally. I would recommend in investing in better quality ingredients instead of high quantity carbs that will def lead to unnecessary food waste. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Blackened Shrimp w/ Grits - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

We ordered a dinner takeout on a Friday night and there's private lot for parking! The restaurant itself seems small, and seems to be a place where you order at the counter and find your own table. We ordered the 50/50 with cajun fries, fried chicken strips, and the appetizer crawfish etouffee. I wasn't the biggest fan of the fish - it had a really overpowering fishy smell to it, but the breading was so crispy and flavorful! The shrimp were pretty small, but again, the flavor of the breading saved it for me! The tartar sauce they provide was also great! I thought the fries were a little soggy, but that could be from the drive back home. The chicken strips were juicy - a standard well done chicken strip. The crawfish etouffee was my favorite thing that we ordered. The roux was delightful, so savory, and they definitely do not skimp on the crawfish! Super peppery and warming, just such a hearty dish! read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Crawfish etouffee - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Bomb chicken sandwich with so much flavor! On the spicier side, but so worth it! Highly recommend. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Blackened Chicken Sandwich - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Food is fresh, hot, authentic, and surprisingly nostalgic. Highly recommend ordering a lemonade and dessert as a sweet treat. I'll be back for jambalaya, cajun fries, and beignets next month. read more

This seems to be hands down my favorite soul food place when it comes to gumbo, fried chicken, fried catfish, etc in the East Bay. So glad that they now have a branch in Alameda and not just a food truck that comes on Saturday at South shore. At the CV site, service especially on weekends and holidays are rough. There's just a long line of people waiting and being in a small place and also a small parking lot, it can get difficult if you're not ready. So this is a fair warning. The ambiance of the place is on the louder side and due to it being packed on weekends and holidays, you know what to expect with the mass of people, a busy kitchen crew, and busy staff. If you have the right expectation, then you'll do fine. read more

What a hidden gem! Easy to miss, parking lot is small and gets crowded fast. Restaurant is small with limited seating indoors and two tables outdoors. It can get busy and crowded very fast. I would recommend going during non busy hours so you can find parking as well as find a table so you can sit and enjoy your meal! The food here is incredible -- flavorful and comforting! Definitely would recommend and one of the best restaurants in Castro Valley! read more

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The food comes out a bit staggered. The food was good. The wait was about 30 mins. It was so good I am going to back for seconds! read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Geasy camera. - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This place has either gone very far downhill or today was a bad day for them. Dry, overcooked and flavorless. The fries are stale asf and everything is under seasoned. I got catfish and chicken strips with fries and a side of jambalaya. The catfish strips were as skinny as the fries and the jambalaya taste like spaghetti. Even the sauce was dissapointing, it was the only thing with a little flavor and they fill the cups less than half way. Barely had enough for my strips. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - So dry and over cooked. No flavor - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Absolutely delicious! We ordered a fried oyster po'boy and fried catfish with Cajun fries and were happy and satisfied. Just stopped in the area to walk around the lake and we are so happy that we did. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Fried Classic Po' Boy with oysters - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Foods good. Service sucks. Ordered catfish and fries and they just handed me a bag no sauce or anything. Anyway would go again for the food just don't need to tip. read more

This is such a great Southern comfort food spot in East Bay, close to the shopping center in Castro Valley. Definitely recommend what we got! 1. 50/50 with Cajun fries (shrimp and catfish) 2.Gumbo 3. Hush puppies--5 pieces Parking was easy to find in front of the restaurant, thought I'm sure it helped that we came before noon. read more

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Tried southern comfort kitchen for dinner. Everything on the menu sounded great and we wanted to try a variety, so we got a side macaroni, side jambalaya, and seafood gumbo. The sides are large portions. You could get a couple of sides and call it a meal. The seafood gumbo was filling and flavorful. Prices were reasonable for the amount of food given. The service was quick. But where we were sitting there were quite a few bugs, which was uncomfortable when eating. Otherwise food was good and we will be back next time to try more items. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Side Jambalaya and side Mac & Cheese - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I went to Southern Comfort Kitchen again and as per usual ordered my regular order of gumbo and it was amazing. I really do enjoy coming to this place and being able to have access to such great gumbo in the Bay Area is really a special thing to have. The service is always warm and friendly. Everyone there seems like they're part of the neighborhood. The fried catfish is absolutely delicious as well. It's got the right kind of breading if you know what I mean. Everything was speedy. The food comes out on time and nice and hot. There's plenty of seating inside and outside. Overall, it's always an experience for the senses to dine here and I will continue to recommend this place. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - gumbo - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Service is extremely inconsistent. If you dine in, go by yourself. It was 30 minutes between the first dish and the last dish when I took my family of 4. Utensils were empty. Napkin holders were empty. Jambalaya was cold. read more

Came to have lunch with my fiance. The service was pretty good. The menu is posted higher up, no pics of the food are on the menu. If you want to eat there, you order and pay for food first and then take it to your table when it's ready. The bathroom was fairly clean. There is only one private stall for men and women in the restaurant to share. Food was delicious. Definitely plan on coming back. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I haven't been since Covid shut everything down. And we drive from Manteca. So I was really looking forward to this. I was so disappointed in the food. I used to go twice a week and literally raved about this to everybody. I'm not sure what happened but it wasn't for the better. read more

I wanted to like this place.But it's not for us. 4 thin prices of fish, Mac and cheese dry, beans and rice no. Sorry It's a no for me.But the place was clean. read more

First time here. Parking plenty Clean & great natural lighting. Didnt wait long to be seated for a party of 3 on a Sunday morning. It was busy though. Service, great. Every worker that interacted with my family and I was welcoming & friendly. Every bite of everything we ordered was DELICIOUS. Portions were PERFECT especially for my family & I. read more

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I visited Southern Comfort Kitchen for a mid-afternoon snack with extended family and found it to be a worthwhile experience. We ordered the Seafood platter, Gumbo, and an extra side of fries to share. I felt happy to be sharing the food because it was fried and rich, but was quite good. I particularly enjoyed the gumbo but noticed that I didn't receive any pieces of okra in the entree bowl - I'm used to okra in gumbo, so was surprised. The seating inside is limited but we had no trouble finding a table for the 6 of us that day. The service was also very good and I noted a warm greeting and pleasant experience ordering. Overall, I was happy to have given this establishment a try and would return for my Southern food fix in the Bay Area. read more

This places was the worst it... the drink station was dirty cups lids everywhere...wets area on the floor... the coke was hot and flat the ice tea tasted like it been there all day... I ordered the sausage jambalaya tasted like straight tomato paste...the service was not bad though... I will not be going back...the food was not soul food at all... read more

Met up with my high-school friend visiting from out of state whom we visited NOLA together in our younger years. This place has a good selected of food that will remind you of your trips to the Big Easy. I settled on the catfish po'boy and regular fries. Service is quick and friendly. The portion was pretty good and I had left overs. Love how they give a side of remoulde. The favor was good and fish was nicely battered and cooked through and dressed. Ordered the sweet tea which was just as tasty. The only bad thing was the doors didn't shut properly and it was chilly and so the cold would be coming in and we had to keep getting up to close the doors together. Hopefully they fix this. Other than that, I will be back to order more items. read more

Southern Comfort Kitchen - Catfish po'boy w/regular fries. - Southern Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Definitely will have to stop by again. The staff was friendly and the food was very flavorful. I tried their shrimp and grits and although not my favorite, the shrimp has a lot of flavor and the grits mixed well with the sauce. The chicken tenders were crispy yet tender on the inside and the fries and macaroni and cheese pair well with the meal. Definitely a spot to ball out and satisfy your Cajun cravings. read more

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The food is incredible especially the fried chicken sandwich. I haven't had a sandwich like this in all the best ways. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Happiest of Junteenths! Today a friend and I stopped by for lunch and the line was out the door! It didn't look as if we were going to get a place to site, but we lucked out! This time, I had the blackened shrimp & grits combo plate - MAN, that was delicious! So far everything has been great at every stop! Quality, friendliness, and taste has me wanting to stop more often! Worth every hard-earned penny!! read more

We ordered catering from here. A half tray of fried fish, half tray of red beans and rice and full tray of macaroni. When I arrived my order was ready, and an employee even walked it out to my car for me. Everything was piping hot, well packed and most importantly delicious! Highly recommend. read more