Food review: Joe's Southern Kitchen, London

Set in an old transformed warehouse in an area known for its Gastronomy, Joe's Southern Kitchen sits in the heart of bustling Covent Garden. A two-storey restaurant, it boasts a large bar running all the way through supplied with some of the finest tequilas and rums we've ever laid our eyes on.

As we entered we were welcomed with a strong whiff of those beautiful American pancakes, and greeted by a traditional hillbilly. The restaurant had certainly put some effort into celebrating Independence Day and, although the theme isn't a particularly difficult one, they played with it very well.

We were seated and served drinks very quickly, as a fan of Rose there was not much choice pandering to that on the menu, however they certainly make up that lack of selection with their wide choices of spirits. It was then, that we faced the challenge of choosing from the menu, which brought a diverse modernised selection of Southern cooking – great for those chicken lovers.

With the theme of the day strong, we went in for The Bourbon Menu, in which everything was either smothered, marinated or coated in Jim Beam - we were definitely not complaining. We were slightly guided to our choice, the recommendations gratefully appreciated.

At this point we were encouraged over to join in the complimentary cocktail making session, there was another friendly hillbilly placed at the end of the bar with his Mint Julep station. Given the option to take part and make our own or have it made for us, we went for the considerably more exciting choice of the latter.

We were then slowly talked through how to make the perfect Mint Julep, which consisted of rum, mint, sugar cane syrup and ice - although we weren't sure this is the first thing we should be drinking on a Friday afternoon. That and with no cap on how many we could have, entering ‘Whose taste the best’ competitions might not be the most responsible of promotions...

However we then remembered it is a celebration after all, and as young girls in our 20’s we were never gong to shun a free cocktail or three, and they did taste divine. So much to responsibility.

Our starters then arrived looking positively delectable. One was the Hickory smoked chicken breast fillet, with Jim Beam Rye and apple slaw along with a watercress salad. The chicken just oozed flavour, the smokiness was just on point, and as for the apple slaw, we think we could have eaten a bowl of that just alone.

We also went for the Shrimp and Jim Beam gumbo, with crispy fried Catfish and pickled okra. This dish excited us a little , not only was it something we never really expected to see on the menu, but it was something we had never tasted before and always love to try something new.

Yet again the dish was full of flavour, the gumbo had a lovely spicy tinge to it, the shrimp and catfish fresh and juicy. The only thing was an accompaniment for the gumbo; with a lot of juices left we had to request some bread to soak the rest up.

Pleased with starters, the excitement for the main was ramped up further, but on returning from a wander around the restaurant, we came back to the table as if we’d missed a course. Sat there, as delectable as it looked, was a pancake with banana and cream.

We did find this quiet a bizarre thing to do, we had just finished our starters and waiting for mains as we were presented with dessert. We went ahead and tucked in, the caramel and banana just melted in my mouth, very delicious, however we would have preferred it after my chicken.

When that arrived, it was the infamous Beer can chicken (above) that we had been recommended, apparently the most popular dish on the menu and said to represent the restaurant and its Southern style the best. The full dish was a huge chicken, served with Southern fried potatoes and Joe’s slaw, and epitomises the feel of the South, as its designed as a sharing dish, all hands in.

We replaced the potatoes with fries, which were coated in some delightfully tasting chicken sprinkles, and a Caesar Salad. In its true form the whole chicken was brought over carefully placed on top of beer can, which embellished the experience considerably. As the chicken was carved we tucked into the rest, and to no surprise it was a party on our taste buds.

This place just has the flavour locked down, and with every item there is a new exciting taste, which infuses the mouth with happiness. The chicken was sweet succulent and juicy, and our own downfall was that we couldn’t finish it. We couldn’t even have dessert, although we had chomped through that cheeky pancake.

The staff was very attentive and we felt well looked after. The service was quick and the restaurant in itself had a great atmosphere. As for the food it was simply fantastic, and very reasonably priced - if you can’t jet over to the States to get your Southern feel we'd offer Joe's Kitchen as hearty a recommendation as the food on offer.

For more info on Joe's Southern Kitchen head to their site.

Peckish? You can find plenty of restaurants for your next meal on our section here.