Sissy’s Southern Kitchen & Bar...sensational or so-so?

My Dinner

I wanted to try Sissy’s for over a year, so when a group of girlfriends were going, I made sure I joined them. Described as a Soul Food restaurant, I was really excited! Then reality set in...I'm from New Orleans and I have spent a considerable amount of time in the Deep South, Alabama and Georgia to be exact. So that sorta kinda makes me a born and bred connoisseur of southern cooking. Could Sissy’s live up to my expectations? Well, I believe in giving everything a fair chance, so I put my food snobbyness aside and eagerly went for dinner.

As far as the ambiance goes, Sissy’s nails it! Cutest.Place.Ever. Small yet roomy, vintage yet modern. The staff even looks like they belong there. There's a big chalkboard with seasonal specials that serves as decor for the main dining room, which is a stones throw from the bar and is also a stones throw from the second dining area, which is actually an enclosed porch. When we arrived for our 7 pm reservation, the natural light from the second dining area filled the whole place. Throughout the restaurant, there are benches, banquettes, small shabby chic chairs and plenty of community tables giving off a real homely feel and encouraging conversations among tables. Amplified by a full house, the place was really loud (in a good way) and the energy was enthusiastic!

Now on to the food.

It was a group of five of us, and we wanted to try everything. Here's a rundown of what I tasted (notice, I said tasted, not ordered!): 

¾     Watermelon Crush Margarita - I love margaritas (on the rocks. no salt) but I have yet to meet a watermelon margarita that I like. I think the watery consistency of the fruit dilutes the tequila. Sissy’s may have even forgotten the tequila because I didn't taste anything. Some might say that’s a sign of a smooth drink … blah blah blah. Whatever! Since I wasn't with my drinking buddy friends I didn't put too much emphasis on it.

¾     Fried Green Tomatoes - the tomato was rather meh and we concluded it wasn’t super fresh. On the other hand, the tomato was topped with a shrimp remoulade sauce and it was pretty tasty!

¾     Sissy’s Fried Chicken - ok, so this is what Sissy’s is known for. You get to select your pieces and I got dark meat. It was juicy, cooked to perfection and well-seasoned. I'd say it hit the spot. Fried chicken is served with your choice of coleslaw or whipped potatoes & gravy.

¾     Coleslaw - honestly, the coleslaw was straight up awful! Hopefully it was just a bad batch because other than that, I can't understand how this is on the menu. Seriously, it was nasty and I don’t like to use that word.

¾     Whipped Potatoes & Gravy - these were good but I'm not the biggest potato fan so maybe I'm not the best judge. I only touched the gravy to make room on my plate for the corn.

¾     Creamed Corn - let me start by saying I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE corn! And creamed corn is one of my favorite indulgences! Sissy’s did not disappoint. It was so damn good! I could even taste whole kernels, signaling my 'this is fresh and homemade' radar! I should’ve ordered some to go.  I mean, I wish I had some right now!

¾     Fried Halved Okra - oh my, these were excellent! I love fried okra and this was probably one of the best I'd ever eaten. Sissy’s cuts their okra in half length-wise and fries the spears so there's more to love!

¾     Jalapeño Cornbread Muffin - again, another one of my favorites; but Sissy’s didnt deliver. No spice, not sweetness, no flavor.

While we saw plenty of mouth-watering desserts pass our table, we were too full to give any a try. 

I’m writing this review the next evening after my visit so I have to be honest and say that  most of the food was forgettable, with the exception of the creamed corn and fried okra. Yes, even the fried chicken. Don't get me wrong, the fried chicken was great when I was eating it. But, today I have a hard time recalling why it was supposedly so good. Among a landscape of good fried chicken, is it really good? Does it measure up? Stand out?

Despite it all, I feel the meal was worth my calories! Every last one I consumed! Now, would I recommend Sissy’s to friends? If they already have plans to go, I would rah-rah the visit but I wouldn't say it’s a must visit. As for myself, would I go back? Sure, why not? While the food was average, the decor and the energy of the restaurant, plus a fun group of girlfriends, made for a great Tuesday night dinner!

So, I would say Sissy’s is so-so and my final rating is 3/5.