Ms. Tootsies Soul Food Cafe

Went to Ms. Tootsies last night, the atmosphere is nice still but my food was salty. I had the seafood delight I think that’s what it was called.

Came here for my cousin’s birthday celebration and I’m still thinking about how HUMONGOUS the portions were… kind of crazy but DEFINITELY worth your money. I honestly couldn’t really eat my entrée because i was so full off of the «starters». EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING was made with love. The service was friendly and everything came in a timely manner. Their style of singing Happy Birthday was fun too! Our server, Marquis was new but he handled our group very well (it was only his 2^nd day on the job!), We laughed the entire night! The dessert (carrot cake) was a HUGE delicious slice (fyi it does have nuts). For pre-​starters we had drinks (which were pricey but strong): the code 12, grown folk iced tea, pink lemonade, envy– all delicious. Then for starters we had the tootsie pops (chicken drumsticks with a sweet chilli dipping sauce that will make you smack your lips lol), Jerk wings (there is no cute way to eat this… just get in there with both hands… and try to keep from licking your fingers after.), Crab mac n cheese which was fresh and tasted good but they only came out with 3 small cheese balls which wasnt worth getting for the 5 of us… i’d recommend that for 2 people. For Entrees we had: Fried catfish, collard greens (which were really flavorful but just a little too salty for me), and fries, Fried whiting, collard greans and yams (definitely on the sweet side), Fried chicken wings, mac and cheese and string beans (nom nom nom), Fried catfish, mashed potatoes, collard greens, and i cant remember the other dish but on top of all that we had the nerve to get cornbread too — which were also delicious. The gave us the check with tootsie lollipops which was super cute. I also like the fact that they have an all white couples room to dine in, nice spot for date night. If you are looking to eat a really flavorful heavy southern meal… come HERE and wear something expandable that wont show the ten pounds you’ll probably gain in this one sitting… matter of fact just go to the gym after this.

I came here yesterday with my friend to finally experience the famous Ms. Tootsie’s. My friend had already been but wanted to come back because she enjoyed her food so much. We came around 6pm and were seated right away. We got the two for $ 25 special along with the crab cakes and fries appetizer which was very good. For the entrée I ordered the fried fish with macaroni and cheese with collard greens. Everything tasted good but neither of us finished our plates because we were stuffed! I was surprised that the portions were so big. Overall, I had a great time and I really enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant. I’m definitely coming back again!

I am visiting from CA and was referred to this restaurant for good soul food. WHY DIDN’T SHE WARN ME ABOUT THE SERVICE. When we arrived we were told it w/​b a hr wait– she took our number and indicated she would call. After a hr we checked in on our table– we were then told they are prepping a table and it would me 20mins. After 20mins we followed-​up and a different hostess indicated it would be another 15−30mins because they were «slowing down the kitchen» what? Where does that happen? Mind you there were 7 open tables in the backroom– I also failed to mention they had a vacant table in the main dining room vacant for 1hour! Oh that’s reserved… Needless to say we were seated after 2.5 hours– why didn’t we just leave! once seated the POOR service continued– everyone around us were being served and we didn’t even have water! After several conversations with the Manager that was fairly nice but VERY ineffective. At the end they comped our meal but I must say my plus + was so disappointed and no longer hungry-​she ate one bite of her food and declined to finish. I in-​turn enjoyed a few more bites of my smothered pork chops which were good but at this time it was 1:30am. This was a huge disappointment … On the upside the drinks were good!

I was a bit nervous visiting this restaurant after reading some of the reviews about the service but the great recommendations on the food is what got me in the door. Feedback is accurate, food is GREAT but service can be better. Our waitress could not recommend anything that we asked but she kept checking on us which was great. Drinks are strong and sweet– just perfect. Fried chicken and mac-​n-​cheese was cooked perfect. Cabbage is SPICY, so becareful! Lol

Service was slow and inattentive. All of our food came out at different times. From the time the first person received their food to the last was about 30 minutes apart. Then some of the food was cold. When we spoke to the manager did apologize and offer a small discount to our check. However by this time the damage was done. The food was typical soul food, nothing extra ordinary. Fried chicken had good flavor. The lobster Mac and cheese was good. Waffles were dry and tasted burnt. The lamb chops had too much sauce drowning them. Overall I would not return.

If I could give this place no stars I would. I have been to Ms. Tootsies several times and each time the quality of service has gone down tremendously.
I am involved in a women’s group and a lot of the women had never been to Ms. Tootsies before so we agreed to have our first meetup there — especially because of the BYOB.
I went on their website several weeks beforehand, but it CLEARLY says they do not accept reservations more than 2 weeks in advance.
I set myself a reminder and went back on the website on ⁴⁄₁₆ and made a reservation for a party of 8 for ⁴⁄₃₀ and thought all was well.
I realized today that I never got an email or phone confirmation and decided to email and find out what was up.
I received a call within 10 minutes of sending the email, but I was at work and could not answer. I called the number back and it was Ms. Tootsie’s, but it machine said to call back during business hours — WEIRD!
I received another phone call and it was a gentleman who advised me that they were all booked and did not have any reservations due to the Penn Relays. How is that possible when I made my reservation on ⁴⁄₁₆?! He was not very apologetic at all. It was kinda like a «oh well» situation. There was not any talk about how to resolve the issue at all. We are very disappointed, because they ruined a good time for us and is leaving us scrambling to find a new venue. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Avoid Ms. Tootsies!!!

tl;dr Waiter was great, appetizers and cornbread were amazing. The tea was delicious and The food was good. Go on Saturday its BYOB.
Nothing negative to say about Ms Tootsies. If you can get a seat in a time that you wouldn’t mind waiting that’s clause for 5 stars already because the food and service is a given (at least to me it was). Went here while on a weekend trip to Philly. It was BYOB Saturday and we were allowed to sit at the bar and drink while we waited for a table. The hostess was very attentive, continually updating us on the status of the table. The bartender gave us wine glasses after see that we had a bottle of wine and gave us ice and a bucket to keep it chilled. The wait for the table was not long at all luckily. We started off ordering two appetizers that the waiter was extremely knowledgeable about. The new buffalo shrimp that they have on the menu were amazing and the crab mac&cheese balls were good and I don’t even eat seafood. The tropical iced tea was delicious and free refills made it worthwhile. It had a very familiar taste but I wouldn’t want to give away any secrets. I ordered the fried chicken with collard greens and mac and cheese. Pretty good entrée but the appetizers and the CORN MUFFIN w/​Strawberry Butter were the highlights of the night. That corn muffin was like cake and reminded me of home cooking. I enjoyed my dining experience at Ms Tootsies. It was even someone’s birthday and we got to see the awesome birthday song the staff performs. Definitely going back next time I’m in the area.

B.y.o.b. Saturdays? Sold. PSA the service and attention and overall pleasantness of the staff is the main reason for the 5 stars! Heyyy Reecie!!!
The only thing that I can truly be irked about was how there were literally no liquor stores near/​next to the restaurant. So if you’re reading this, go to the liquor store on 7^th and South Street before heading to the restaurant.
Anyways we got there no bottle in tow went to a nearby store to get wine coolers/​beer but then my boyfriend wanted wine so we went back to 7^th and south and came back to Ms. Tootsies. The whole process probably took 30 minutes… and Ms. Tootsies was VERY busy. The hostess held our table which I really appreciated. We ordered crab cakes and fries to start. The fries were a bit soggy but seasoned well. The crab cakes could have had a crisper outside. We also got the watermelon iced sweet tea which we mixed with cucumber vodka from the store. Yum. I ordered the chicken basket with Mac and cheese and asparagus. All perfect. Usually I like Mac and cheese to be creamy this one wasn’t but still really good. The chicken truly lived up to its legacy of savory goodness and the asparagus was thick and grilled just right. He got candied yams, mashed potatoes, 4 wings and a waffle. The candied yams were sweet and soft the mashed potatoes were tasty too and kind of tasted like there was stuffing mixed in and his waffles were melt in my mouth. The portions were plenty and we definitely had leftovers this morning which tasted just as good as last night. Overall nice experience with the R&B playing (even though some songs were on repeat) over dinner in «the Love Room». Would definitely go back on my next Philly trip.

I visited your restaurant last night and it will be the last time I ever do so again. SERVICE WAS HORRENDOUS. When I first walked in, there was no one at the door (AS USUAL), SO I had to wait for someone to acknowledge me. A gentleman did– who actually turned out to be a server– and asked me to have a seat since my other guest wasnt there. I sat in the midst of a party whos reservation was messed up and confused with another– I wouldnt have known that if your staff member hadnt been so vocal about the screw up on your end– some discretion was needed. I sat around 7:50, my guest arrived at 8pm. The larger party was sat, however no one came back over to see if we were taken care of. By this time it was 8:15 and several guests were seated before us. Would it hurt to have a hostess, whos main focus would be keeping track of guests that are arriving? The girl who dealt with the large party finally came over and we were sat in the «White Room». Which seemed a little different from the last time I arrive. It seemed as if we were eating the last meal ever to be made in the restaurant, like you guys packed everything up and the only thing left to pack were the tables and chairs.
A girl came over after 8 minutes of us just sitting there– as opposed to the two minutes it should normally take to be greeted-​, and said «Can I get your drinks? We have iced tea, soda and water, iced tea is refillable». Thats it. No smile ‘Hi welcome to Ms. Tootsies, My name is so and so, Ill be taking care of you. Have you ever been here before’? No introduction at all— We were hoping to order cocktails but since we noticed that there was no cocktail list– only an eyesore of a black spce where it once was– and were
only offered non– alcoholic bevs, we quickly assumed there was no liquor. My guest ordered the tea, and initially I asked for club and lime, but was told you only had tonic. Another server came over and simply said «yall ready to order?»… UM WOULD IT HURT TO GET A PROPER INTRODUCTION??? I had to ask for one– after all– what if I had never been there before? How would I know which app/​entrée to try? What if I needed something? Who would I know to ask? — He then apologized and said he thought the other girl did it already. He then took our orders.
We noticed after a while that there was no cornbread muffins. The girl came back to refill the drinks, we asked for muffins, at which point she said we dnt have anymore and walked away. Huh? Dont have anymore? As in you were 86’d for the night? Or you guys no longer sell it period? So we sat there puzzled until our entrees came. The food came out in good time– The fish although huge and beautifully plated, had no flavor. The string beans were good but the meat, potatoes and carrots were overwhelming. The mac and cheese was the only thing that hadnt failed me at that point. We asked the server why there wasnt any liquor being sold at the establishment. He said «WHEN WE FIRST OPENED WE WERE BYOB, SO THE OWNER WANTS TO TRY IT OUT AGAIN. WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR 15TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY, SO HE WANTS TO SEE HOW THE CUSTOMERS LIKE IT». Like whattttt? After having liquor and a couple full service bars, one does not simply decide to stop and offer BYOB. Its quite obvious that the liquor license was lost. Even if thats the case– things happen sometimes– set a standard and let your guests know your a BYOB!!! Soon as we sat we should have been informed of that. It should be made more prominent on your website as well. SET A STANDARD!!! Looking over and seeing a bottle of Henny and a sixpack of beers on the next table is not something your «upscale» restaurant should allow! Most BYOB allow for wine only– The only byob place that allows hard liquors and beers are afterhour clubs… From the time I walked in, not once did I see a manager. Not once. No one came to make sure food or service was okay.
We asked for containers, we were not offered any coffee or dessert. Are your servers not aware of the art of upselling??? How important that is ESPECIALLY since the check average is lower due to the lack of alcohol sales?
There have always been service issues when I have come in the past, however, since the food used to be good and it was a black owned establishment, I still continued to support. However, I can no longer do so. I looked forward to dinner yesterday all day long, only to be tremendously disappointed. Poor business management is showing thru out all areas of the restaurant. I hope for the sake of the business it improves, but I for one will not be returning.

I will definitely return to this restaurant. Food and vibe are worth the few headaches. I must say that even with a reservation you will be left out there waiting, Especially if your entire party is not ready to be seated. the bathrooms are coEd and I’m not talking about using the same bathroom privately, I mean sharing the same facilities. Me and one stall in a man in the stall right next to me. washing hands together, etc. That was a huge turn off. I enjoyed the food and my favorite part was the Happy Birthday song, hands down the best of any restaurant I’ve ever heard. Absolutely get the vibe of downtown Phili. I am from New York and I enjoyed the culture which radiates in Ms. Tootsies.

I have been trying to plan a Birthday Celebration for at least 10 years now and for some odd reason it never happens. This year I finally did it! It was everything I’d imagine and more and I owe it all to Ms. Tootsies!!! The ambience of The Lux Lounge and the Sky Bar was absolutely exquisite. The DJ was on point, the food was Delicious and the staff was amazing! I wouldn’t change not one thing… Besides the fact that I wish I would’ve had it there 10 years ago. Thanks again Ms. Tootsie’s. I look forward to planning my next event with you. Very Elegant and affordable!!!

I’ve been to this place on and off for several years. The food has been consistently good. But it’s always a myriad of problems with our dining experience.
1. As we walked in we stood several minutes and waited to be greeted by a hostess.
2. As we waited a waiter came out and announced to the dining room…“Attention everyone, we are out of cornbread. Lol
3. We placed our drink order. I asked for hot tea… waitress left to get it then came back and said, «sorry, we are out of hot tea» WHAT? Who runs out of hot tea!!!
4. We ordered dinner. My friend got the wings $ 16 and I got crab cake entrée size $ 18 BOTH come with 2 sides. We both wanted Lobster mac as 1 of our 2 sides and were told that was NO extra charge. The waitress came back and said it was actually an additional dollar charge. Bill time we were BOTH charged an additional $ 8.00 and the manager would only credit the bill $ 4.00 each instead of honoring the $ 1.00 extra price we were quoted.
5. We were told we were lucky because we got the last 2 available orders of lobster Mac and cheese. Smh I thought about the unlucky consumer who would order lobster mac that evening.
It has taken me 10 years or more to give this place a bad review. As I’ve stated, I’ve been coming here for YEARS and they’re ALWAYS out of something, unreasonably long wait, Bill issue, extra crowded, something…
My friend insists on dining here because the food is good (when it’s available) and we are supporting a minority owned business. Wanting to support and wanting to actually get what’s on the menu shouldn’t be such a daunting task. I’m sorely disappointed.

Met a dear friend of mines who wanted to meet up for a girls night out.
We did not know that the restaurant was a BYOB, and we immediately went to the bar only to be told that they do not sell alcohol. The bartender did offer us the watermelon ice tea. We drank that while waiting for our table.
The tea was very sweet, and I could not taste any of the watermelon. The restaurant is very dark and the music was very good.
The bathroom was a bit dirty. I could see that it needed to be cleaned even in the darkness of the bathroom. Once our table was ready (the wait was only 15 minutes), we were promptly seated.
I ordred the catfish dinner with collards and sweet potatoes. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable and nice! She was very thorough about the menu and what desserts were available (which there were not any at the time, she said they were all sold out).
My meal-​YUMMY!!! The catfish fried perfectly with some bite, and the collard greens as well. The delicious food made up for the overly dark restaurant, BYOB, dirty bathroom, and the worn décor. The prices were a bit on the high side, but it was very good soul food.
My girlfriend ordered the fried chicken dinner and the wings were huge! Her mac and cheese looked on point as well!
All in all a very good food experience.

be prepared to leave with a carry-​out box! Ms. Tootsie’s is not a game — the food is AMAZING and they give you plenty of it! i had the smothered pork chops, mac and cheese, and collards. the chops were succulent! the collards were flavorful and the mac was very good! the corn muffins and sweet tea hit home though. definitely coming back for more! oh — the address is actually 1312 South Street!

Went on a double date.
The bad: parking. They are anal in Philly. Got a ticket at 9:57PM – 3 minutes before it was free street parking. The waiting time was also EXTREME. We waited about an hour and a half to be seated.
The good: AMAZING FOOD! Great portions. I ordered smothered pork chops, macaroni and cheese, and yams. Only was able to finish less than half a pork chop. My boyfriend ordered collard greens and they were amazing (I don’t eat everyone’s collards).
I will return but maybe on a weekday and maybe after 10PM (people were seated faster after that time).

This review is very simple. When a restaurant can put together style, GREAT FOOD and with Black American flavor, you have Ms. Tootsie’s I went here in the summer and experienced an soulful touch on… sorta fine dining. The building was on south st… almost missed it but I found it. Prices were very good for what they served… dam the rest of this review, look at the picture and make your own evalution!!!

The food was really good had the fried catfish, collard greens and mac and cheese. Mac could use some improvement but it was decent. The corn bread with strawberry butter was really good. We waited a long time for a table becuse we made a reservation online and they said they don’t take same day online reservations. They should probably post that on their website.

Great food comes with a really long wait! The prices are manageable.
I enjoy the friend chicken, Mac and cheese, and the candy yams from this spot. I always stop by when I am in town which is usually three times a year.
The last time I went we waited 1hour and 30minutes. The food was good but the service felt rushed and the waiter only checked in once.

I’ll start with the positives! Because it’s Sunday, we were able to find parking in front; the restaurant wasn’t crowded; our server was sweet!
Now, will I be making a return visit: NO! He owner’s response to not being greeted upon entry left a nasty taste in my mouth (no pun intended); the «signature tea» is not authentic (more like Powdered tea and fruit juice); the corn muffins were clearly microwaved as they hardened almost instantly after cooling. I had shrimp and grits and the shrimp tasted as if it had been fried in chicken batter. My plate was chipped and it took damn near 20mins to get a glass of water to wash down the sugary tea!
The area we were seated in could use some touch-​ups of paint and the padded walls appear discolored and dingy, perhaps the ambience is better in the dark.