Syracuse, NY
For Soul Food in Syracuse, the local food press points to SOULutions and Who Want Smoke BBQ & Catering, LLc. Picks from This Is CNY, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in This Is CNY. Updated July 2026.
SOULutions · Salt City Market
Soulutions is one of the original Salt City Market vendors This is CNY revisited in its five-year retrospective, where Sleyrow Mason still cooks soul food from a downtown stall. The plates run to smothered and oven-roasted meats, mac and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, and cornbread. Order the ribs with two sides and the mac, and check the day's board since the rotating mains sell out. It remains one of the market's steadiest kitchens.
Who Want Smoke BBQ & Catering, LLc · North Side
Who Want Smoke BBQ and Catering cooks on Syracuse's North Side, where This is CNY's Northside guide points to its Soul Food Sunday spread. The barbecue side turns out smoked ribs, brisket, and wings, while Sundays bring the soul-food plates of smothered meats, greens, yams, and cornbread. Order a Soul Food Sunday plate when they run it, or a rib platter the rest of the week. Hours run limited, so confirm before making the trip.
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