Delicious down to the sweet tea! Stopped by and was fortunate to stumble upon the oxtail special with rice, white beans, green beans, and corn. All fantastic! The cornbread is also a star. The restaurant is clean. The service was fast and friendly. The Kitchen is a Lake Charles gem. read more

See all

Great food, hot home cooking at its finest! Lunch portions are large enough to have leftovers for 2nd lunch or dinner. Lots of daily options! read more

Prices are not on menu and waitress didn't know prices. Only side on fried fish was potato salad. Would not recommend

Great food and a great selection. Just like a home cooked meal. Highly recommend. The service is always good.

Great food! I loved the cornbread and the mash potatoes Was craving some real soul food! read more

The Kitchen - Baked Turkey Wings Monday , Spaghetti & Meatballs Monday , Stuffed Bell Peppers Monday - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Good southern soul food how your granny made it ! Wonderful service, cute little restaurant with a great welcoming atmosphere, Definitely would recommend to anyone & will be visiting again read more

The Kitchen - BBQ Ribs Thursday - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

The Kitchen was exactly what I wanted from a down-home Southern place. It's clear that most are regulars but even as a random I was warmly welcomed. They only serve lunch and only certain things on certain days so check the menu ahead of time. The day I visited they had fried chicken, baked chicken or smothered steak. Meals are around $9 and come with 3 sides, a bread (yeast roll or cornbread) AND cake. That's a LOT of food for $9! But - how was it? Amazing - that's how it was! I had baked chicken (white) with white beans, mac and cheese and broccoli rice, with cornbread. My chicken had wonderfully crisp, nicely seasoned skin with juicy meat. The beans were plenty good (cooked with sausage) and I really liked the super cheesy buttery mac and cheese. The broccoli rice (I had never heard of this) was the star though - just completely delicious. What else? Tea is homemade, my cornbread was BY FAR the best I've ever had - still warm and light as air - and my cake was the sweet ending to a meal that was clearly made with love. These nothing I love more than a slightly hole in the wall Southern diner and the Kitchen delivered big time. Great food, great people - and you won't leave hungry! read more

See all

Great food and service. Real homemade meals. They have a menu for each day of the week so you know what you are getting. Been there twice and will definitely go back. read more

The hype made me think I was really in for a treat. But the first indication that I was wrong was that it was served on paper plates with plastic utensils. I understand the efficiency of throwing away dishes rather than washing them, but it's just wrong to serve MawMaw food on paper and with plastic The next clue should've been when I was given a mistake. I had ordered smothered pork chop with turnip greens and yams; instead I got turnip greens and cabbage --two very similar leafy greens that don't really jive. (After taking the order my waiter disappeared into the kitchen never to surface again. And the cook was having lunch with friends several tables from me.). Furthermore, the rice wasn't cooked enough; crunchy rice and gravy just isn't right. And, sadly, there was so little of that gravy for the inedible rice--none for the smothered part of the pork chop--I had to ask for more. The pork chop was not tender at all as it should be. However, I must say the cornbread was great!; in fact I asked for a second piece to be added to my ticket. The young man was happy to deliver it-- in his hand, not on a plate. Maybe the waiter was young and inexperienced. Maybe the cook was hurried. But this place has been in business long enough to have worked out the kinks. It wasn't even busy when I visited--way after the lunch crowd and way before closing time. Many Lake Charles customers are good home cooks themselves and know what it takes to put a plate of hometown goodness on the table. I'm surprised Lake Charles heavily supports this highly touted, yet really mediocre, place. If you are from out of town, don't let the food here make you think this represents the best of this city's offerings. I grew up here; I know. read more

it's consistently average. bread and dessert included, though. worth the price, i guess, but nothing noteworthy.

If you want some good ole home cooking for an affordable price..stop by the kitchen and thank me later

Amazing staff and great service. Real good home cooked soul food with daily menu changes. Huge portions with unbeatable prices. Everything our group of people had was given rave reviews. Highly recommend! read more

The food used to be good, but it seems like over the years they have fell off. The food is disgusting. Not like it used to be won't be back.

Food is very good! Well seasoned!! I definitely recommend this restaurant! They have a great menu daily and serve good homemade meals!! read more

I took a friend to lunch on 09/28. The food and service were okay. The restaurant was very pleasant and clean. I wasn't highly impressed with the food but that is more a "me" thing. I'm not that into BBQ and that's all that had that day. My friend loved it. My COMPLAINT is that I left the waitress a 21 + percent tip. (I wasn't highly impressed that she requested that I tip when I had already included it on my ticket) - however, I guess she wasn't pleased with it and changed my tip to a higher amount after I left the restaurant. I became aware of this when the purchase went through my bank. To my knowledge it is illegal to make changes to a closed ticket. read more

My daughter was recently in the hospital for 3 weeks. She was very ill & nearly died. We are a retired military family so we have friends all over. These two flew in specifically to be with us during this time. The one thing requested was SOUL FOOD! Let me just say, The Kitchen did NOT disappoint! So much so that we had it two days in a row! Definitely a bright moment in a very dark time of our lives! Delicious!!!! read more

The Kitchen - Hospital delivery FTW! - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

SHEEEEESH. Now it took two reviews and one picture to convince me in 0.5 seconds to stop here. When I first saw someone say "I ate here for 50 days" I was sold, and lemme tell you, you'll quickly figure out WHY. This place is a GEM. First of all, come hungry because they're gonna make sure you leave FULL AF. I came on a Tuesday and went for the smothered pork chop and my bf had the ox tails. First off, I knew I was in trouble when I bit into the soft butter bomb cornbread. It was the best piece of cornbread I've ever sunk my teeth into. Thank god they gave me one piece or I'd have needed to be rolled out on a stretcher after. Anyway, the food is amazing. They give you 3 sides + cornbread+ a slice of cake. I'm still slightly comatose from how amazing my meal was. The pork was tender and full of flavor, and it just melted into the rice n gravy. In conclusion: I left unbuttoning the top button of my jeans and so ready to visit Lake Charles solely for this place again. read more

The Kitchen just recently moved to this location and it seems like it has been a very good move. They have a daily menu with lots of good home cooking. The place is clean and the people are very friendly. It's open for lunch until 2 , then closes until around 5 for dinner. The food gives you the warm fuzzies while it soothes your hunger. They currently have a special that kids under 12 eat free on Tuesday nights. I do not believe that they have a liquor license. read more

I was in town for work and on the search for some good Southern cooking. Being a California kid, I got on yelp and crossed my fingers that someone would know about yelp in Lake Charles and write some reviews. I found The Kitchen and it was the best find EVER! I was running a little later than I wanted and rolled in as they were trying to close for the evening. I think they saw the dismay in my face when they said they were closing and agreed to give me a plate of food to go. I got the smothered pork chop, greens and yams and was not disappointed! I took my to-go box, found a nice spot to sit by the lake, popped open that box and ate the tastiest smothered chop I've ever had. And there was a piece of chocolate cake in there to die for! MMMMM...the Kitchen really knows how to cook it up and they exude "Southern Hospitality"...I'll be sure to go there anytime I'm in the area fo sho! read more

The Kitchen - Smothered Pork Chop, greens and yams...mmmm! - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

I will say 3 1/2 stars. The fried chicken was quite tasty (but slightly dry) as was the chef salad with the sautéed shrimp. I'm guessing this is a new place, because all the flatware is plastic and they serve the food on Styrofoam plates. (They would do well to use some sort of water filtration.). Maybe they are just working out the kinks, but had a nice meal there with my family. read more

ordered Rice and gravy with pork chops ! gravy was watered down meat was rough whole thing was very bland don't recommend a waste of money! mushy rice first and last time eating here. read more

In a bit of a sketchy neighborhood and well off the highway we knew we were onto something with all the workmans trucks full of tools and materials parked out front. Family owned and operated the food was good quality and a real bargain of a price. Ice tea looked like coffee, dark and strong. My better half had their beef stew. Flavorful, tender chunks of beef and not too salty at all. She gave it high marks as she fought off most every attempt to pilfer a sample. I had the fried shrimp and fish, perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. The steady stream of locals pulling up a chair or grabbing a to-go box seemed to agree. Make an effort to eat here, excellent value and food made by loving hands. read more

LET ME QUALIFY THIS AND SAY...MY REVIEW IS FROM EATING THERE FOR A SOLID 50 DAYS IN THE YEAR OF 2011... So unsure of what's happening there now in April 2019. When I was in Louisiana, THE KITCHEN was the place I would have dreams of eating daily. I have never been to a place where it costs about $8+ for a huge entrée, 3 sides/veggies, cornbread/roll, AND a slice of cake and a DRINK? GET out of town. It was no wonder I gained 37 lbs in one year while in Lake Charles, Louisiana. But I digress, I had the Smothered Pork Chops, the rice and gravy, the yams and the black-eyed peas. This was my go-to meal. I always had the strawberry cake and a diet soda - of course DIET because it means the rest of my carb-loaded meal doesn't count right? hahah Anyway, I would also order FROZEN Sweet Potato pies by 7am every week. I would get them and bake them at home OR send them in the mail to folks in the Northeast! Mrs. White and her husband are the owners. Ms. Pat was the waitress and friend of theirs. All were lovely people who do downhome cooking. I assume the prices went up and a few things have changed as inflation and costs of general items, licenses, etc... always go up too. I didn't think about Styrofoam at that time but hope that ALL businesses get away from using such destructive plates, containers and cutlery. And let me add I had eaten at the Cajun Café and Sha Sha's and..they were fine. My opinion is THE KITCHEN still stands because of its downhome business model and food... without doing all the extras. It is NOT an upscale environment so don't go looking for that. You go HERE because you want comfort food and don't have to guess whether it is tasty or not. No pretense..just sitdown and eat. read more

I enjoy this place for a real taste of down home cooking. Private parking lot. Good waiting staff are very pleasant and friendly. Food is excellent and very reasonably priced. read more

The Kitchen - The placemat menu yummm - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Hands down the go to place to eat in Lake Charles Louisiana!!! Order extra cornbread... Cuz you're gonna want to eat some later. Had the spaghetti and meatballs... Incredible! It has a little kick for those of you who can't handle spicy... The meatballs were amazing. The people who own/run the place are so nice. I can't wait to come for back again, I'll be back for the food, not the casinos. Cheers Austin TX read more

Based on other Yelp! reviews, I decided to check this place out. The reviews were spot on, the food was down home excellent. I happened to go on fried catfish day and although they were out of tartar sauce, everything else was great. The seating is very limited and was full, so I got my order to go. The gent working the desk was very helpful, kind, and brought my food out to me where I was waiting. I would like to see more tables in this place; with some advertising, I'm sure they could fill them daily. read more

Hole in the wall and worth the find, a diamond in the rough! A cozy place for some down home cooking. The potato salad has good spice and flavor, baked bean are just as they should be. There is a daily menu of 5 choices that each come with 3 sides of your choice that also change daily, cornbread and cake. The cornbread is made in house and should not be missed. The staff is friendly and welcoming. An all around great experience. They close at 6 so this makes for a great lunch or early supper place, and is very reasonably priced. read more

The Kitchen - a car parked in front of a restaurant - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

If you want good old fashion country cooking, this is the place. This local restaurant really knows southern cooking. I had roasted pork, mashed potatoes, green beans. The pork was roasted just right. The pork was moist and tender. Their cornbread was so awesome we took some to go, to take back to Houston. read more

Don't let looks deceive you. The inside and the outside are not that nice. The food is absolutely to DIE for. I can't even talk about it right now because I'm thousands of miles away and it was some seriously memorable food. I personally loved the Mac and Cheese. The corn bread tasted like cake. Everything was so flavorful, it was DELICIOUS! Only 4 stars because the atmosphere really is a bit odd. It works though.. read more

See all

This is the best soul food I ever ate talk to the owner Mr. Arthur he knows how to cook I drove from Houston Texas took me two hours to get here to eat his amazing food thank you to the staff and management great food! read more

The Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

See all

Good down home cooking at a reasonable price. The staff is friendly and engaged. I got no complaints. If you're looking for something fancy, this probably isn't your place. read more

The Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

If you're looking for that touch your soul, mama made this food go here. Great food. I got the smothered steak, rice and gravy, mac n cheese and green beans. It also came with corn bread and cake. Great prices and very friendly staff! read more

The Kitchen - Delicious - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Simply superb! I was taken here for the first time about a year ago. They have yet to disappoint me. I have gotten the spaghetti and meatballs, the meatloaf, and the baked chicken. Always flavorful, never bland and with a little kick to it. Id say the cornbread is the best in town. Also the service is great. I give it 5 Bams on a scale of 5 Bams! read more

The Kitchen - Menu - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Home-cooking. Plastic utensils and a styrofoam plate and cup. No biggie. I had okra sausage and chicken. With corn and potato salad. Th corn tasted weird. I don't like when places try to get jazz up corn. Just serve plain corn. It's good that way. Potato salad tasted like it was out of a can. Not special. Chicken was chewy. I would come back. Good value for the food. Not thrilled about it like everyone else. read more

I ordered on a Wednesday from Waitr and my food was perfect! It was still hot, seasoned perfect and I ate 4 hours ago and I am still full. I just wish I could order everyday from them!!!! read more

We were Driving through LA and were starving for some local good food.. This place was amazing.. If you're in the area don't pass it up. They have a set menu every day. I wish I showed up for rib day. Maybe Next time read more

The plate lunch is decent here. It's a similar thing to what they used to have at Cajun Café when they were open, but done with better food in a worse environment. The pork chop was good, but not greatly above average. The yams were served in a cloying syrup that was tough to get past. It's hard to mess up rice and gravy, and theirs was decent. Same for the smothered cabbage, but some kudos to them if that hunk of tasso I got in my cabbage comes standard in every serving. The service was good and friendly. In a town where you can find so many good plate lunches but only a couple of great ones, The Kitchen doesn't shine brightly enough to be special, but I imagine I'll be back there for more lunches when I'm nearby. read more

Exceptional impressive excellent, simply WOW. The food was simply out of this world. I traveled through on the way back to Austin and needed some home style southern food and boy, did I get what I was carving... and some!!! I happen to come in on Thursday so I end up having the Ocra-Chicken-Sauseage lunch (and some Brisket on the side) which came with great sides (get potatoes salad). Miss Pat who was my server, was also a treat, she's a warm, loving retired lady who works there for the love of people and it is shown. :-) read more

Stopped here on the way home from NOLA, and very glad we did. I will never visit Lake Charles again without eating here, it's that good. The owners are smooth as silk, the waitress was like your favorite cousin, and the food made my grandmother smile from her grave! We didn't even get the cornbread (all gone by the time we arrived), just gives me one more thing to look forward to next time. Home-style Southern cooking ... as good as it gets, and fairly priced. We even got another order to bring back home to Houston :) read more

The Kitchen - Owner/cook, waitress, and my Chicago-raised girlfriend discovering the goodness of Southern homestyle food on our first visit. - Southern Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

If you like spicy, 5 stars may be for you. Everything (potatoes, corn, greenbeans, pork roast, stuffed pepper) is spicy but the cornbread and cake. But then you should expect that from a local spot in Louisiana. Paper plastic plates, utensils, foam cups. I can see this might be a local favorite. For us, it did not measure up to the 5 stars we saw posted by others. An A-OK spot, as Yelp would say, for 3 stars. read more