Phoenix Restaurant Named Among Best Soul Food Joints in U.S.

Yelp's list of top soul food spots includes a beloved Phoenix restaurant that's also on The Arizona Republic's 100 Essentials list.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 2:55pm

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Yelp has released its list of the "Top 25 soul food restaurants you'll want to call home" in the United States, and a no-frills Arizona joint made the cut. The restaurant, JL Smokehouse in Phoenix, is also featured on The Arizona Republic's 100 Essentials list for 2025 and 2026.

Why it matters

Soul food restaurants often serve as community hubs, providing not just delicious meals but a sense of cultural identity and tradition. Being recognized as one of the best in the country is a point of pride for the Phoenix restaurant and its loyal customers.

The details

To curate the Yelp list, Andrew Perrin, Yelp Maryland Burbs Senior Community Manager, identified restaurants in the soul food category and used Yelp Elite Squad's "volume and ratings of reviews." All restaurants were open as of Dec. 18, 2025, and had passed health inspections as of Dec. 9, 2025. While Yelp provided limited details about JL Smokehouse, The Arizona Republic's features team praised the restaurant's sausage, likening it to "some kind of manna from heaven."

  • Yelp released the list of top soul food restaurants on February 3, 2026.
  • JL Smokehouse was featured on The Arizona Republic's 100 Essentials list in 2025 and 2026.

The players

JL Smokehouse

A no-frills soul food restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona that was named one of the top 25 soul food restaurants in the U.S. by Yelp and is also featured on The Arizona Republic's 100 Essentials list.

Andrew Perrin

Yelp Maryland Burbs Senior Community Manager who curated the list of top soul food restaurants in the U.S.

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The takeaway

This recognition of a Phoenix soul food restaurant as one of the best in the country highlights the vibrant and diverse culinary scene in the city, as well as the enduring appeal of traditional soul food dishes that bring communities together.