Where to Eat: A Southern Soul Food Breakfast @ The Flavor Table

The Eats: Large portions of hearty soul food breakfast favorites like Smothered Porkchops and Grits

The Location: South Los Angeles

The Vibes: Down-to-earth, chill

Good for: Couples, families, small groups

When-To-Go: Daily, 6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (closed Mondays)

The $$ Factor: Entrees, $13 – $17

The Names behind the scenes: Chef / Restaurateur Marilyn “RED” Wallace

The 4-1-1: Reservations aren’t accepted; walk-ins only

Parking Situation: Free nearby street parking

I’ll Be Back…: For the Peach Cobbler French Toast!

The wait for a table may sometimes be excruciatingly long and mimosas may not be in tow, but The Flavor Table still has a southern soul food breakfast that’s totally worth your patronage.

Popular Southern and American dishes — like omelets and the Smothered Pork Chops and Grits pictured below — are scrumptious and massively proportioned. And I do mean massive (I was chomping on these pork chops literally for the next three days).

The menu itself is broken down into four sections:

1. Breakfast combinations: A selection of meats like turkey sausage patty or Louisiana hot links with two eggs, a biscuit and grits or country potatoes. 
2. Omelets: Omelets with an array of veggies, seafood and meat fillings, with a biscuit and grits or country potatoes. 
3. The Crossover…A Southern Flair: Either Smothered Pork Chops, Short Ribs or Shrimp, all served with grits.
4. Delights: Sweeter options, like the Peach Cobbler French Toast, pictured below. This choice in particular includes four sizeable half slices of French Toast bathed in powdered sugar along with sweet, warm cinnamon peaches and smooth whipped cream. 

To note: It’s so hard to decide which is better — grits or the country potatoes — so save yourself the hassle, and order a side of each.

Almost all meals start off with amazing warm biscuits, complete with honey, butter and jams. They’re so fluffy! 

One of the most popular entrees is the Shrimp & Grits. It comes with a generous portion of sautéed shrimps, drenched in a thick étouffée, all topped with colorful bell peppers and chives.



Also, you can’t go wrong with the Fried Catfish Breakfast Combination, which has heaping amounts of both country potatoes and golden fried catfish. Seasoned well, the catfish is flaky on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside.



Lastly, an honorable mention must go to the beverages. The Lemonade is so sweet and sugary, and the Sweet Tea makes you feel like you’re down South. There’s also a drink called the Sunrise with Passion, pictured below. It’s a mixture of passion fruit and orange juices, with frozen cranberry juice at the bottom, which eventually floats up to the top. Hence the name, Sunrise. 

And while The Flavor Table doesn’t serve alcoholic libations, I was advised by staff that you can still bring in your own alcohol.

So the next time you’re looking for a really, really filling breakfast in a casual, chill environment, head over to The Flavor Table. See you there soon!

For more information: 

Website, Facebook, @theflavortable

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