Joanna’s Soul Cafe & Jazz Club

O Holy mother ‘a catfish luvin god in heaven, please forgive me, for I have sinned. I always thought it was a little severe to list gluttony as one of the seven deadlies, but I understand now. You were trying to save me from myself. And the brunch buffet at Joanna’s. Well, it’s too late now.
I really loved the fried catfish bits and the cheesy grits and the collard greens and the macaroni and cheese and the peach cobbler. I really liked the potatoes and the dish they call «jambalaya» that looks and tastes exactly like the «red rice and sausage» my neighbor in Georgia taught me to cook. The mac ‘n cheese was spiced — something you don’t see much of in Seattle. The cornbread was ok, the red velvet cake too dry. But the real winner wasn’t even part of the buffet. Since it took until halfway through the meal to get a glass of water or a cup of coffee, the flustered but friendly waiter brought out complimentary plates of waffles and syrup. Oh my. The waffles are amazing. Crisp on the outside, meltingly light on the inside. I’m dreaming about what the Chicken and Waffles they serve at dinner time must be like.
I think this is a good deal at $ 19 for a true Southern home cooked buffet in a no-​frills atmosphere. It really felt like being back in Savannah. And since my soul is doomed anyway, I might as well go back.

The fact that Joanna’s only had one review is a large part of why I joined this site, since this place deserves to be packed every night of the week and have its praises shouted from the top of Mt. Rainier.
I went not long ago based on a review from The Stranger, and I was not disappointed. First off, they brought out tiny corn bread muffins to whet our appetites. They didn’t seem entirely homemade, but my mom’s weren’t homemade either, so they tasted just like what I remember from home. Great stuff.
I ordered the fried chicken (as did two of the friends I was with). There are only so many places to get that in the city, so that tends to be a staple decision. The chicken here was a bit more subtle than that of Ezell’s, but it was really well cooked, juicy and flavorful. As sides I had the Mac & Cheese, which would hold up against my own (I’m rather proud of my recipe), and the grits, which were incredible, and I’ve got Southern roots, so I don’t hand out that praise lightly. A friend ordered the catfish and was similarly pleased with his experience.
One note for anyone on a diet (and if you’re on a diet, why are you headed for soul food?): the portions are huge. You will definitely need some food coma time once you leave, but as you sit in your stupor, you’ll definitely have a smile on your face.

I write this review with heavy eyes. I have just experienced the Joanna’s Soul Café and Jazz Club Sunday Buffet. It is quite an experience to say the least and my eyes are heavy because I am experiencing the «itis».
First off, the fried chicken is exceptionally juicy and delicious. The catfish is moist and also doesn’t have any extremely fishy flavor that can ruin it for some people. The bacon was tasty, but then again you can’t ruin bacon. The sausages were also tasty. Tasty tasty tasty.
With the proteins out of the way, I have to say that the grits were fantastic! Very peppery and probably some of the best I’ve ever had. The greens… they were sweet… that is what is making me give this place 4 stars instead of 5. A brief talk with the chef revealed that he made his collard greens with turkey rather than with Ham Hocks that I am used to. The Jambalaya was excellent as well. It seems that the buffet version comes with sausage and chicken but no seafood. Regardless it was excellent!
The home style potatoes O’Brien style potatoes were quite tasty but the Mac ‘n Cheese felt a little lacking but then again I’m not much of a mac ‘n cheese fan. Am I missing anything? It’s really hard to think right now… oh yeah, the cornbread was good, but I’ve had better. I think they were from an instant mix box… strange considering that everything else looked like it was lovingly made… oh yeah, the green beans were good too… but also had some sweetness in it. I’m a big fan of savory and it threw me off.
Deserts anyone? I was struggling at this point but couldn’t leave without trying a few. The peach cobbler was excellent. Kept warm and had a great cinnamon flavor. The Red Velvet Cake was nothing special, but for some reason got better and better with each bite… I ended up really wondering why I didn’t have more of it.
There was also a salad bowl with your choice of two dressings and a few bowls of hot sauce and a cat fish sauce. All in all I am in a state of pain as I type this out. I’m looking forward to coming back here and sampling some of their other menu items that were not on the buffet menu. I think after I can think more clearly and the soul food overload leaves me, I’ll edit this entry to be more coherent, but the bottom line is that they serve good food here. Check them out.