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Start a Top 5 for Soul FoodEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in KPBS, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, San Diego Reader, and San Diego Magazine. Updated August 2026.
Surf & Soul Spot · Rolando
A take-out-only counter that splits the week, surf menu midweek, soul menu Friday and Saturday; ask for the weekly special and a signature lemonade.
Ali's Chicken & Waffles · City Heights
A halal chicken-and-waffles counter operating out of the back of a City Heights donut shop, with shrimp and grits on the side.
Bankhead Mississippi Style Cooking · Spring Valley
A family cafeteria counter cooking Mississippi recipes, fried chicken, smothered chicken, collards, red beans and rice, finished with peach cobbler.