Hometown Eats: Soul Sisters and Brother Kitchen

BEDFORD, Va. (WDBJ) - All roads lead somewhere, and some intersect at a delicious destination that has people driving from hours away to get a bite.

Thankfully for us, it’s only a 40-minute ride to Soul Sisters and Brothers Kitchen in Bedford for this week’s Hometown Eats!

“Come in, sit down, get a home-cooked meal. We just love to cook,” said owner Dawn Harris.

Trust me, cooking is what this family does best.

“It don’t get no better than this,” said owner Garland Davis.

Welcome to Soul Sisters and Brother Kitchen at the corner of Dickerson and Moneta Roads in Bedford.

“We love to see people smile,” said Harris.

“My second visit here and it won’t be my last. I love it,” said customer Faith.

All it takes is one time inside this Bedford County hidden gem and you’ll be back.

“All the plates that kept passing by us on my first visit here I’m like, ‘Oh I should’ve gotten that! Maybe I should’ve gotten that!’ So, I have a lot of visits coming,” joked Faith.

That’s exactly why owner Dawn Harris opened this kitchen with her family in 2023. To give people a taste of her mother’s food.

“She loved to cook. She was always cooking for people. Her mac and cheese is famous. It’s her recipe that we sell here,” said Harris.

I think you already know the answer, but when asked what makes Soul Sisters and Brother Kitchen different, Dawn didn’t disappoint.

“Love. It’s cooked with love. That’s the difference,” said Harris.

Just like the kitchen Dawn grew up in, she’s still surrounded by family.

“My sister Natoyia, my uncle Garland, he’s one of the owners, and Shelia is like a sister to me and she is one of the cooks. Shelia is good at the baked beans,” said Harris. She added, “Natoyia does the collard greens but it’s my uncle’s recipe.”

“The greens, we get those fresh every week. Take them back and wash them and clean them and prepare them weekly. There’s nothing out of a can,” said Davis.

The one item you can’t go without is the corn pudding. Dawn described it, “My aunt Gayle (Garland’s wife) we have her corn pudding recipe. Everybody loves the corn pudding recipe.”

“A gentleman said I haven’t had corn pudding like this in almost 50 years. He said this reminds me of my mother’s cooking and he was probably 80-plus years old. He said I haven’t had corn pudding like this in 50 years,” added Davis.

Word travels fast and far when food takes you back 50 years.

“We’ve had customers who tell us it reminds them of what their grandma used to make. They’ll call to see if we’re open because they heard about us and they’ll drive like, one couple did drive like 2 hours just to come eat. People are really willing to drive just to have a good home cooked meal,” said Harris.

Whether you’re driving 2 hours or 2 minutes, when you’re in this joint, there’s no need to be in a rush.

“You don’t have that nowadays, it’s so fast paced, you’re in and out. I don’t want to make customers feel rushed. Come in and sit down like you do at home and have a good time with family,” said Harris.

The menu is full of those home cookin’ favorites.

“Smoked barbecue ribs, soul wings, fried catfish, hamburger steak, grilled pork chop, smashburger,” listed Harris.

“We’ve gotten some raving comments about how great that smashburger is,” said Davis.

“I like the sauce too, that’s the best part,” added Dawn’s 14-year-old nephew Aiden.

Why wait for the fair to come to town, you’ll find a carnival favorite year-round right here.

“They need to come check it out because the food is very fresh and is homemade,” said Aiden.

“If you love a family atmosphere then this is where you need to be,” said Davis.

“We love what we do,” added Harris.

Soul Sisters and Brother kitchen, a hometown eat all about family, fresh, and flavor.

Soul Sisters and Brother kitchen is located at 1117 Moneta Rd, Bedford, VA 24523 and is open 11am to 8pm Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. 11am to 9pm Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Wednesday.