Yelp released a list of the Yelp Elite’s “Top 25 soul food restaurants you’ll want to call home” in the United States, and the no-frills Arizona joint happens to be one of our favorite too, making The Republic’s 100 Essentials this year.
To curate the 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.
Here’s a look at the restaurant Yelp Elite said was the best soul food in Arizona.
JL Smokehouse in Phoenix
While Yelp gave an anemic sentence about having the food shipped if you can’t go to the restaurant, The Arizona Republic’s features team thinks highly of JL Smokehouse, likening the sausage to “some kind of manna from heaven.” The restaurant made The Republic’s 100 Essential list in 2025 and 2026.
Rating: 4.5 from 438 reviewers.
Details: 2010 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. 602-620-5132, jlsmokehouse.com.
Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @baharcreative on Instagram.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix restaurant named among best in US for soul food
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