4 Tha Soul soothes the spirit

I love chicken wings, and judging from the number of wing places with punny names I see constantly popping up all over town, I’m not the only one. Upon my visit to 4 Tha Soul, a new soul food restaurant on South Cedar Street, I had a severe hankering for wings, which made me reconsider the pot roast dinner I originally planned on ordering. The deciding factor? The pot roast dinner came with pre-ordained sides, but the wings offered more of a choose-your-own-adventure experience.

I ordered the five-wing dinner and selected buffalo sauce, which I find difficult to resist, from the four flavor options.  For my side, I ordered greens with smoked turkey, and, having just dropped an unspeakable amount of money on cat dental surgery (if you know, you know), I added a side of mac and cheese to soothe the burn. 

The wings were breaded and fried, and pockets of sauce-soaked crunch exploded in my mouth with each bite. I usually prefer non-breaded, smoked wings, but these were exceptional — crispy and bursting with flavor, not just from the zingy buffalo sauce but from the meat itself, which was juicy and tasted as though it had been brined. 

The collard greens were greasy but delicious and subtly smoky with the addition of the turkey meat. They paired perfectly with the mac and cheese, which was rich and dense. I highly recommend taking the piece of cornbread that accompanies your meal and letting it soak up all of the tasty broth from the greens. 

Was it a decadent meal? Absolutely. But it was also the perfect meal for doing what I call “getting your cram on,” which is when you eat a large pile of deliciousness to comfort yourself and unwind after a particularly stressful day when you forgot to eat. A meal to soothe your soul, you might say. 

Apart from its standard menu items, 4 Tha Soul offers specials like catfish, shrimp and grits, smothered pork chops and a soul food burrito with fried chicken, greens, candied yams and mac and cheese, all of which sound amazing and worthy of a return trip. My only regret is not getting the banana pudding.