Soul Food Restaurants near Leander, TX

“great place and great people. also amazing beers.“

“When you think of great food in Austin, visions of smoked brisket or a plate of street tacos may come to mind. While these staples of central Texas help to satisfy many people's state of being "hangry," I wondered if the ATX food scene had any soul. The answer is a resounding, yes! In both its name and its varied offerings, Whip My Soul provides its customers with the staples of soul food that you might find in many houses for a Sunday family dinner. I'll preface this review, by letting you know I'm a White guy, originally from Pittsburgh, but my foster parents were Black, and ingrained in me an appreciation, no a requirement, to properly season your food. I also understand why certain relatives are not allowed to prepare food for big meals because (whispering) their versions aren't very good. Whip My Soul's recipes ARE that good. Now let's get to the food. I wanted to try a number of different items, so I went with the 4 Shrimp and 2 Chicken Tender Platter ($18.99). You get two sides, and I chose the Cheezy Mac and Mean Greens. I added a side of Sweet Glazed Yams. Sides are $5 regular and $9.50 large. They also have a side menu to add protein to your Dinner Plate or platter, and I wanted to try the fish. It was $3.50. All in, the shrimp and chicken platter with the fish add on was $22.49. I was immediately impressed with the amount of food you get for that amount of money. The shrimp were large, breaded, and seasoned with a special proprietary seasoning "dust" with the right amount of bite. The chicken tenders were each 3-4 ounces, breaded, and had a similar spice profile. The meat was moist and definitely lived up to its tender name. The fish was one 4 oz piece, breaded, and again used the house "dust." The sides were...amazing! Seriously, it has been a minute since I've had store bought mac-n-cheese that tasted so good. The Mean Greens turned out to be a friendly reminder of how good food can taste when it's properly made. Likewise, the yams were soft and soaking in a glaze . While I love my wife, I am glad I came alone. She would have eaten that whole order, and I would have been outta luck. Their sweet tea is also done right, no pre-mix fake tea. The also have a Kool Aid bar with six colors: blue, green, purple, yellow, orange and red. I grabbed a half dozen red velvet chocolate chip cookies ($7.50) for the road (for my wife). Consider supporting this family-owned business. If you haven't had soul food, Whip My Soul is the perfect place to get a taste or two, or three of this cusine. If you grew up eating it, you know that the day will end right with a platter from here in your belly.“