Creole Soul Kitchen

This is hands down the best American food I've had in Brisbane . The service was top notch and the food was incredible . I can't recommend this place highly enough . They have just saved me in flights heading over to get my chicken and biscuit fix !!!!!

TL;DR: The American fever was running hot several years beforehand, and that might still actually be the case. We all know there is a space for that unique robustness that is a whole essence in of itself. Most of those overlooked how wide and diverse American cuisine can be, especially with the region which highlights its strength the most - Cajun, Creole, and the southern Louisiana area in general. Even that hasn't got a foothold as much as it should , but tides can change. Creole Soul is an indication of that, and its popularity is still soaring. The reason is pretty simple, combining several agreeable elements into one: service that is a combination of relaxed, hard-working, and friendly is the foundation, then we have the dynamic menu which dishes up so many exciting morsels, which presents itself in a good package - a cosy and welcoming hole in the wall. Hype may be a killer in most places, but this time the hype was akin to a protein shake.

I can't overstate just how long it has been that I have been waiting on this place. Even at its quietest, this was always a blip on the radar. American cuisine is always going to be getting my attention, but the regional area of Cajun/Creole/New Orleans in general is something on a whole new level. This would need to be a case of opportunity, and finding the right time to finally pounce. When that opportunity arrived, it essentially fell into my lap - to say the least, it was elation. For that, it was the monthly meeting with my friend for a meal out and my choice came about. July was that month, and without missing a beat I realised American was the way to go - and arranging it for the 4th. That came first, and seeing the chance to get to Creole Soul - put two and two together, then before I knew it, we were off.

Many places have exploded right onto the scene, only for the embers to die down a short while afterwards. That is not the case here, as it is still very busy on most nights - this time around, the 4th of July fell upon a Thursday, and it was with little lady luck that the two of us managed to squeeze right into the last table. That leads well to the service here; it has that distinct air of taking it all easy in the backdrop of everything being busy and happening. It looks so easy to obtain, yet like anything that looks effortless all it is a product of hard work and management.

They have put a good enough effort into the design, to ensure that this isn't just another restaurant, or one that is gimmicky, nor surface-only about what they want to serve. Sometimes it is not just about serving a different kind of cuisine, or getting unique one in to attract customers for a short time. It is about getting into the skin of the country, or region the food is from, and if any stories about trips to Louisiana are correct, this gets New Orleans' French Quarter down really well. The bar is alight in a distinct glow, plus several pictures of New Orleans adorn the wall. It is fairly small in space, and the seating is low-key casual and very comfortable. A good bonus is that each table has two kinds of hot sauce to have with the different bites - we are truly in the Southern style at this restaurant.

If there was a case study to be done with how to do customer service, you have it right here. Even when it was full to capacity, the folks working here will take the time to make you feel welcome. The idea for eating is to take it more leisurely, which allows the restaurant to not seem so busy and bustling, which helps the atmosphere be more relaxed and quiet. When it finally comes time to order, they offer the option of everything coming out at once or as it is ready. The latter was more preferred, which helped the food be fresher and hotter. If there was anything I took away from the service, it was when one guy - the manager I presume - took time to talk about some of the items on his menu, indicating to me a true care for his craft. He was friendly, down to earth fellow as well.

Then there is the menu, and boy is it something to behold. Not often is it that in anticipation for visiting a restaurant that I literally go without food for the majority of the day. That was how excited I was with what was in store. Much like New Orleans itself - plus the cuisine - the food represents a real melting pot. An Italian influence is present through the pizza and pasta, which have a few classic dishes and some more innovative inventions. Where it really shines the light of how diverse and vibrant the food can be, it is with their little plates - this restaurant is definitely one that is meant to be done in a group. If the range there was not enough, they frequently have a special's board going around which gets even more inventive and enticing.

For the big eater, large plates can be ordered. These really get into the southern style of eating, through pure size and the attention to detail with the meal. Being ones not to disappoint, the trusty old gumbo makes its presence known. During the lunch time rush, a wide range of po boys are available. Like with the small plates, it is a case of just read it for yourself. Finishing the whole meal off, they make sure to send clients off happy - the desserts are just as grand, and just as rich. When it comes to the drinks, there is a big range of beers, spirits, and wines from the bar, along with the usual sodas and juices. Most notably the drinks menu is generally after dinner kind of fare.

The idea was getting a range of different, small bites to enjoy making the most out of coming here. In one way, it was hard to know what to order - each piece sounded just as good as the last - and in a way, there was one that was just to hard to pass up. That first one was a southern breakfast favourite, chicken and biscuit. My friend like the look of the duck wings, so that was ordered and it filled in for chicken wings this time with the American outing. Lastly with the small plates, it was a sudden snap decision - and was possibly the best one of the night. The special's board looked just as good as the rest of it, so deserved attention likewise - the prawn corndogs rounded it off.

All three of these morsels were utmost tasty, and well worth having a sample. After all that I have heard with chicken and biscuit, it was great to try the southern favourite. I can definitely see why people love it so much, especially when the biscuit is lighter than a scone. Add onto that, very tender chicken wrapped in a deliciously seasoned coating, and a small bit of butter to put on said biscuit. This is as simple as it gets, but these little simple building blocks I reckon are essential to get into the essence of any cuisine. So far, so good.

After that, we have the duck wings. These had far less meat on the bone compare to their yardbird counterpart. This may often be a downfall, yet it was made up by the sheer crispiness of the skin and the darker taste of the meat. They were peppered with a distinct, fiery seasoning, and coated with a sweet pepperberry sauce. What came of this combination was something brilliant, trading spicy notes with sweetness from the fruit jelly, showing even more depths to this regional cuisine.

What I might have left with the biggest impression in the whole meal might have been the prawn corndogs. These were a take on the classic American snack, trading small sausages for prawns. After that, the prawns were straightened out, dipped in a batter, then some cornmeal and appropriately deep-fried. A skewer was placed through each one, so they could be eaten by hand. I can easily see what all the fuss is about with these suckers, in the cliched way of thinking where they were all my life. Unlike many battered snacks, the batter is as light as a feather and even hugs close to the meat. The prawns were sweet, crunchy, and tender. To go with them, like the traditional style, they had a couple of dipping sauces - one mustard, the other I forget.

In addition to the small plates, a version of the classical fries was thrown in for good measure - you just got to do it. They have waffle fries with various sauces, and the mozzarella and gravy version looked the tastiest. No negotiations were being had with the pizza either- these looked to good to pass up. The one ordered was one not like anywhere else in town, having a white sauce base, with minced crocodile sausage, plump prawns, green onion and semi-dried tomato. They call this one King Creole.

Although maybe not in the absolute best fries around town, credit is going to be given for doing something completely different to the norm. The waffle cut allows for some experimentation with toppings, plus getting the right balance of crispy outside and soft inside. The mozzarella melted well over it, plus the gravy was thick and rich. Topped off with some herbs, this amps up the infallible bar snack.

Though if there was any reason to come here, learning lessons from the night, it would be the pizzas. Even just for something different- these are a morsel to behold. They are done in the old Italian style, thin base, few ingredients, spread lightly, allowing them to do the work. The pizzas was pipping hot, and served at a generous size. Each ingredient was top quality, especially the plump prawns. What one next, that is the hard question.

After that, it was a double dose of dessert. With my friend, I knew the real sweet to introduce her to from this part of the world were going to beignets. At this point, even with leaving a whole lot of room in her stomach during the day, she was tapping out. She did get to try a bit of the signature doughnuts, as well as the banana fosters that was also ordered. By default, the beignets came with a coffee - good old black coffee here. Both deserve a recommendation. The beignets were robust suckers, and dusted with plenty of icing sugar. The coffee on the side was a good idea, made from a smoother bean than normal. Bananas foster was even better, a combination of hot caramel sauce, nuts, and vanilla ice cream (melting from the rest of the dessert) made for a real treat. Do yourself a favour, and reserve room for this baby.

What might be the epitome of the impressions about the place is getting excited about it. The menu was just so big, that my friend thought more visits in the future ought to be done in order to gauge what they got to offer even further. I could not agree more, since even just the basis that they have is good enough reason to keep returning; with the specials, there is no telling what they will conjure up next. That is not even getting onto their lunch menu. If it also weren't for such good service, service that showed a real care for their craft, it might be a whole different story. Beforehand, I had tried out a place down the Gold Coast that did similar fare and it had me wanting to book the next ticket to New Orleans, and it is safe to say that Creole Soul has reignited it like never before.

Soul food!!! This place was amazing. Their menu was way to difficult to choose from. We wanted to eat all of it. But we did make our choice over a glass of wine. Hubby had a very yummy red lager. Tasted like honey. We started our meal with lamb cutles which melted in your mouth. Followed by pork belly which was fried to yummy perfection. Our main was chicken fried steak!!! Never had such a mind warp dish. Its steak but looks and smells like deep fried chicken. The taste is something that we still talk about. Amazing. Will definately go back again.

The first and best authentic creole restaurant in Queensland! Marc was great in recommending some wines to go with the food. Do yourself a favour and have the lamb ribs if they are still on the menu....

The best restaurant in Brisbane. You will not be disappointed. Have the chicken & biscuit with a side of waffle fries smothered in garlic butter. The best!

Amazing staff and customer service! Gumbo was a little starchy and under-flavoured for my liking but super keen to come back and try their po' boy one day (seemed like a crowd favourite there!)

We’ve had the opportunity to eat in New Orleans a few times so we were excited to find this creole restaurant in Brisbane. Service was welcoming and efficient. We had the Gumbo which was delicious and tasted and looked authentic. Also tasted the chicken and biscuits with syrup. The chicken literally melts in your mouth and is a nice taste with the Biscuit and sweet sauce. Will have to return to try the beignets as we had no room for dessert. Only suggestion is that I would love to see cornbread on the menu. Highly recommend.

Dining at Creole Soul Kitchen was an amazing experience. There is an almost overwhelming number of amazing dishes to choose from. The staff showed so much patience in giving us ample time to make our final decisions. We started with fried eggplant and prawn & grits. The prawns were so succulent and the entire dish was packed with so much flavour that I would have loved to have it as a main. For our main dishes, we tried the chicken fried chicken, chicken gumbo, seafood gumbo and the jambalaya. This was followed by a range of desserts. All the food here was scrumptious, and everything we tried was unique and had a complete different flavour profile. The service was excellent, and we also loved the conversations and learning about the history of the dishes. We'll definitely return for more.

Went in for with some mates on one of their recommendations. The food was incredible and the staff were dead-set legends. Great people! We got stuck into a few beers and some bourbons; and had a couple of po boys (a 'garbage truck' and a weekly special) with waffle fries, and a chicken fried steak. It was everything three growing boys into the beers could want from American food: as far away from healthy as you can get, and in huge portions! A big selling point for me was late night service. Everything in Brisbane shuts so early, so finding places that are open late is always so gratifying. Will definitely be back soon!