05/13/09

YOU COULDNT PAY ME TO GO HERE AGAIN

by blknfly

My first visit to Ms. Tootsies was my first and last. Even though I didn't have to pay for my food due to a friend taking me to dinner, I was still upset because as much as I do not like McDonalds, I would rather have had that. Including me and my friend, there where four other guests in the place and the service was that of a packed house. I am also not clear on what they consider southern cooking but this place does not have it. I am from the south and what I tasted at this place was canned side dishes and mac and cheese that had so much cheese in it, it would clog u up for days. The prices are a whole 'nother story. OMG I WOULD NEVER GO OR TAKE ANYONE I KNOW TO THIS PLACE. NOT EVEN MY WORST ENEMY. GIVE ME CHINESE FOOD, WHETHER ITS CAT, DOG, OR WHATEVER, ANY DAY.

• Pros: There aren't any
• Cons: Too many to name

03/02/09

two separate restaurants - one good; other bad

by foodandbeer

I have never written a food review - strange, considering how much i love it... I am planning a friend's bachelor party and was thinking of Ms Tootsies for dinner... having read some "poor service" comments, I thought I would chime in...

There are two separately operated restaurants - both are "Miss Tootsies". one is casual and laidback (and also BYO.) The folks working here make you feel like family - great service, very pleasant, funny. There is often a wait; and they always offer to hold on to my brewskis while I wait. Unfortunately (and recently) the BYO restauarant is now only open on Friday and Saturday. i've been 5-6 times - loved it every time.

Now to the other side: Service is awful. The staff and many patrons have horrible attitudes. I mistakenly took my brother there for his birthday. me, my brother and two friends were fairly casually dressed - after all, we're eating fried chicken, mac n cheese and collared greens. I dont want to play the race card (well, yeah I do..) but 3 white boys and a puerto rican got horrible service, odd stares, etc, etc. We actually cancelled our reservation and walked next door. I was just back last week (only because the BYO/casual restaurant is no longer open during the week) and I got the same strange stairs. My crowd was mixed - Thai/Mexican/white. We got the "what are you doing in OUR restaurant" vibe. lots of snobs. totally bizarre.

moral to the story: go on the weekend. get great food and friendly service from the casual BYO. Or, poke your head into the formal side.

oh - and I think (though not sure) - that the kitchen is the same for both restaurants. food is great - I recommend the turkey legs with gravy, mac, greens and okre (sp?)

02/15/09

extremely poor service!

by ctsoul

We got there after coming from connecticut and looking for a parking space for about 40 minutes, that's just philly. We go in the first door and were asked to go next door to the bar? So we said oookk and it was'nt as intimate as the first place, so after standing in the doorway and take it was cold out that night...I first noticed the attitude of one of the waitresses and how slow she was moving and their was an elderly couple that sitting right on my left and we were so close to them I had no idea anyone was there. they were complaining about how long was it going to be before they got there food? So I said hmmm ok let's just see what happens, finally the hostess comes and brings us upstairs and she did'nt tell us we were going to a bar lounge and we don't drink...so we got upstairs and bought 6 dollar pepsi's . So she never took our names and so I was wondering how this worked, but the couple that came in after us asked the bartender how it worked. The hostess was supposed to remember all the people that she brought up and then bring them down once the table was ready. I said ok I guess her memory was good...nope!! 2 couples that came in awhile after us were seated before me and my wife!! This on top of waiting for over 40 minutes and so now we're getting mad and decided if she's not here in a certain amount of time we would leave, but then she shows up and we thinking maybe things are looking up. She walks ahead of us to the lobby and after we squeeze and bump people to get to the front she never even shows us our seats and we just stand their for a sec wondering what's going because she stopped helping us and went to the front door to talk to new customers. She looks at us and points at this little rinky dink table directly in front of the door where people are coming in and it was cold that night and I don't like people standing right over me while I eat. I mean right in the doorway, so we got up and went to wendy's for a burger instead, never going back!

• Pros: nicely dressed people, music good, atmosphere was nice,maybe reservations would work better
• Cons: service sucked, too tight, food I never had it so...3 dollar pepsi? mostly ice

02/02/09

amazing soulfood

by rivetdomme

i haven't been able to make it over in a bit but OMG! I loved the food! The greens reminded me of the ones my NC grandmother used to make. The catfish was amazing, the mac and cheese was the best I've have in years. If the service was slow, I don;t even remember (I was there for a b-day party and we were imbibing). The food is the thing here. Set your reservations and enjoy!

• Pros: the food!!!!!
• Cons: if i dorve, parking (it is off of broad and south

10/21/08

Great Food, Don't go on Fri,Sat&Sun

by Finish09

I love Ms Tootsie food!!! I hope that in the near future, their next door open to accomodate folks. With that being said, the place is too small, even though they have a place next door, they don't utilize it properly. If you happen to go in the winter time, you're screwed because they won't use their next door for their long wait list.

• Pros: Clean bathroom, great food, lovely service
• Cons: Too small, no area for waiting

10/21/08

The wait to be seated

by ctf

I have no comment on the food because me and my husband never made it in. We went on Sat 10/18/08 around 10:30pm and was told the wait was about 20-25 mins. That was a not a problem the problem is that Mr. KeVen Parker (owner) waiting area is outside. Yes you must wait outside in the natural elements and when your table is ready they will call you via your cell phone. How unprofessional is that. Sat was a little cool and my husband and I was going to go next door to the bar lounge but was told we had to pay to get in $10. I'm a little confused as to why you have to pay to get in the bar if you are waiting for a table right next door at his other establishment. I don't think patrons one should have to stand in elements to wait for a table and two should not be charged to enter the warm atmosphere next. Waht happens in the winter months and rainy days. Keven Parker instead of turning the place next into a bar you should have expanded that cubicle of a resturant that you have to make for a better waiting area. I even heard his staff complaining about it.

• Pros: I could not find any
• Cons: Waiting outside in the streets for a table. Paying to enter the RBL next door while waiting for your table at the Soulfood Cafe

10/10/08

Loves It!!!!!!

by ciani23

Say what? Ms. Tootsies is delicious, and one of the best soul food joints I've been to. Very nice atmostphere and of course people. I would defintely recommend this spot to others. I'm from Philly but currently live in Maryland. But whenever I'm home I bring my friends (from diffrent geographic locations) and this is one spot I always check out and they all love it. I havent found anything like it in DC yet? Try it, you wont be disappointed. Kevin Parker is doing a great job, Kudos!!!!!

• Pros: Everything from the rooty to the tooty!!!
• Cons: Small

10/04/08

Somewhat overrated

by sskalish

Visited last night. I had high hopes for this place, and it turned out to be only a little above average in some areas, and disappointing in others.

I will say that the fried chicken, the mac and cheese, and the blackeyed peas were quite good. It wasn't the absolute best fried chicken I have ever had, but it was very good. The iced sweet tea while good in it's own right, was maybe a little too sweet. But here's where they lost us. The wife ordered the smothered turkey chops and found the meat to be a little dry even with the gravy. I tasted it as well and agreed with her. That dish would be so much better off if they served it as just a regular turkey dish with stuffing and the gravy which would have tasted a lot better. Trying to turn turkey into a pork chop didn't work so well this time. It was never meant to be served and cooked that way. Maybe it's good on other nights and they had an off night with that dish. I don't know. I liked the gravy.

Also had a problem with the service. Our waitress, while very nice, completely forgot to order our salad from the kitchen that we had ordered as a starter. She let us know right before the main dishes were set to come out and apologized, but at that point we decided to skip the salad since the food was coming anyway. It's not good if your staff forgets things like that, and disappointing since we wanted to try the salad with the lime chicken. And it seemed that several tables who seated after ours got their food much quicker than we got ours. I will say that what everyone else was eating looked good, and we found ourselves staring at everyone else's meal because we weren't eating.

This place had such good reviews and I had built it up in my mind. I was disappointed to have this experience. And now the wife never wants to go back. It is a shame because they do several things very well. But I think the management may be resting on it's laurels a bit. They've got to step up their game.

• Pros: some very good dishes
• Cons: some not so good dishes, and service was lacking

09/17/08

Fantastic food, really poor service

by lawgirl33

Have been meaning to go here for ages. Went on a Thursday night, around 8:30pm, which I guess is a slow night for them. Were maybe 4 other tables occupied in the restaurant. We had to wait a REALLY long time to place our order, get our drinks, get our salad, get our entrees, get our check... it was painful. The staff seemed too relaxed, probably because it was a slow night, and just appeared much more intent on hanging out and talking to each other as opposed to serving.

Huge positive - the food was truly phenomenal. We had the fried chicken and the ribs. Mac and Cheese. Not a single complaint. Probably worth going for the food, but I kind of shocked at how incredibly poor the service was on a slow Thursday night..

08/22/08

Good all around food

by FidelMyers

I don't know why anyone would give a bad review to such a place, because the wait time is that of Red Lobster and Olive Garden and any other restaurant that you go to. But the only difference is that they give you a lovely lounge to sit in and drink until your table is ready. If you love SOUL FOOD, and you happen to be in Philly, check out MS. TOOTIES. one of the best or possible the best in Philly.

• Pros: everything that of a typical restauraunt that is in high demand
• Cons: I would recommend that they expand their restauraunt cause it's that good