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The interior of Soul Fixins' has six round tables and little else, save for the richly savory scents of abundant, authentic soul food. A mix of blue and white collar diners come in for cafeteria-style service, ladled from trays of ribs, fish, and shrimp. Chicken fried, baked, barbequed, and smothered is a signature offering. Hearty meatloaf has little filler to distract from the beef, and a topping that marries ketchup and barbeque sauce. There's cooked-to-order items like salmon cakes, plump hushpuppy-like balls with cornmeal breading. Entrées are served with fresh cornbread and two sides; choosing from sharp-cheddar macaroni and cheese, citrusy collard greens, sweet candied yams, and gravy-drenched mashed potatoes can pose a problem. Real Southern sweet tea, served ice-cold, is ideal for washing it all down. For dessert, cakes and pies are joined by banana pudding, which has the consistency of pastry cream topped with fat banana slices floating beneath a meringue square. — Ethan Wolff

Candied yams, $3.50; fried chicken, $9.95; banana pudding, $4