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photo credit: Christina Slaton
Luella’s Southern Kitchen
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There’s a lot of fried poultry in this Midwestern city, but comfort food isn’t worth sh*t if you’re not comfortable. Lucky for us, this is where Luella’s excels. It’s named after the chef’s great grandmother, his wife takes your order, and you get the feeling that everyone in this humble little restaurant is a close friend, yourself included. Expect the staff to have a little bit of sass and a huge amount of pride in the food coming out of their kitchen.
Luella’s isn’t your typical order-at-the-counter fried chicken spot, your first tip-off being presentation. It’s not extravagant, but some extra thought went into the appearance of your dish, which we appreciate from time to time. Don’t let that confuse you—this isn’t a luxury experience. Unless you want to set price expectations low, we don’t recommend it for a first date. We like to come here after a long, usually bad day to remind us that the world is full of a lot of good things, most of which can be had at Luella’s.
We love Luella’s because it’s casual, BYOB, and serves familiar food with outrageous flavor. It’s easy to carry out, but we suggest you grab a 6-pack beforehand and settle in for the full experience. The welcoming family operation gives you feelings you don’t get elsewhere, which is why it’s one of our favorite spots. If you leave dissatisfied, that’s on you, not Luella’s.