Alvis Kirk wanted a restaurant. His son-in-law Steven Harris shared the same dream. Kirk’s dream was never realized because he died in 2011. Harris, however, brought his desire to fruition on June 30, 2018.
He decided to pay homage to his father-in-law by naming his soul food restaurant Mr. A-OK’s Kitchen. Kirk’s painting even hangs in the restaurant at 4403 Rittiman Rd.
Harris has a history in the restaurant finally has the chance to run his own place with his wife Cindy.
“I knew it was coming,” He said. “I think I earned my way to be here.”
Faith and hard work made the space come to life. In fact, scriptures from the bible also hang on the walls, symbolic of the Harris’ faith. Harris said Mr. A-OK’s Kitchen was God’s plan.
“What else could it be,” He asked.
The menu is filled with traditional soul food eats and a twist which gives way to his wife’s Korean heritage too.
“Try everything. You won’t be disappointed,” He said.
Oxtails, meatloaf, fried chicken, greens and yams are some of the items that make up the menu. Cindy’s soul rolls are the offering with a twist. Think egg roll with soul food inside.
In fact, the soul rolls can be your favorite combination of southern cooking. For instance, if you fancied mash potatoes, smothered pork chops and collard greens they can put it in a soul roll.
Neighborhood Eats was provided with a super-sized taste test. It started with their creamy macaroni and cheese, fried fish filet and tartar sauce. Good! Extra kudos to the mac and cheese. It is a seriously good side.
Next, they had us try their blackeye peas, yams and oxtails in gravy. The sides are tasty but the oxtails are magnificent!
Onto Cindy’s soul rolls which came stuffed with meatloaf, collard greens and mac and cheese. The soul rolls come with a side of gravy for dipping. Neighborhood Eats was skeptical but pleasantly surprised at how good the soul rolls taste…especially with a little gravy. Recommending!
Mr. A-OK’s Kitchen brought out some of the finest fried chicken Neighborhood Eats has ever had on a plate.
They followed that up with a grilled meatloaf sandwich with cheese, side of okra and a side of gravy. Yes, yes and yes!
The food kept getting better. Up for the tasting was the chicken fried steak smothered in white gravy, green beans and cabbage. What a combo!
The chicken fried chicken was the final entrée. It’s a Texas-sized chicken breast swimming in white gravy paired with mash potatoes, collard greens and cornbread. Fantastic!
They finished us off with banana pudding, socket it to me and coca-cola cakes. All of them quite tasty!
Overall: Mr. A-OK’s Kitchen is really good soul food. Harris works on consistency and the love required to deliver a good plate of food. He also has a restaurant background which is friendly to a customer who doesn’t have all day to wait on food. This is a startup soul food place but you can’t tell that by their food. The ambiance is a work in progress. But if Neighborhood Eats is coming to Mr. A. OK’s Kitchen it’s all about the grub! The sweet potato cake, soul rolls, oxtails, macaroni and cheese and their swamp water to wash it down.
Give Marvin your review of Mr. A. OK’s Kitchen. If you have a restaurant suggestion for him send him an email (Mhurst@kens5.com), tweet (@Mhurstkens5) and post it on his Facebook page. #KENS5EATS