Best Soul Food in Washington DC · Washington, DC
The Florida Avenue Grill has served soul food since Lacey and Bertha Wilson opened it in 1944, and it bills itself as the oldest soul-food restaurant in the world. The counter and booths have dished salmon cakes, grits, fried chicken, and half-smokes to Washingtonians of every station for eight decades.
A cornerstone of D.C.'s historically Black Shaw and LeDroit Park neighborhoods, the Florida Avenue Grill remains a genuine institution — Southern breakfast and lunch served the same way since World War II.
Each Centurion Award is a dated record tied to one year’s evaluation — earned annually, never carried over. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Florida Avenue Grill
This page is the standing record for Florida Avenue Grill (2025). It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.