Lordy do this place is AMAZING! Me and some of my friends here are from Georgia and we have been looking for a good place with good southern cooking, we tried Tom's and thought it seemed like cafeteria food but great googly moogly this place has it ALL! I had the fried chicken, greens, fried okra and hush puppies. I don't know if you people know this but okra is supposed to be covered in cornmeal not flour! This place knows! The fried chicken breast was as big as my head and will probably serve for 2 more meals for me. While we were waiting on our food Priscilla brought us out a sampler of the cabbage, black eyed peas and gravy covered chicken and they were all so great! Everything I tried was perfect. I wish I had saved room for dessert but maybe next time cause I will definitely be going back!
Review Source:My boyfriend's family is from Arkansas, so when I heard about this place I was excited to take him.
He really liked it! Fried catfish, shrimp, and chicken. Yum! The Mac and cheese tasted homemade and delicious. We even opted for peach cobbler (by this time we were soooo full that we were worried it was a bad idea. We were wrong.) Even if you just go for dessert, you've made a good choice.
It is very cozy and warm inside, nothing fancy. Our server was very friendly and helpful.
The food takes a little while to come out because it is freshly made. They do have signs to warn you about that.
We really enjoyed our meal there and will be back.
We were in need of some comfort food last night and stopped by Cora Faye's. The catfish breaded with cornmeal is to die for. Â The greens are very good, and so are the baked yams (seasoned just right), mac & cheese, fried chicken, grits, etc. Â If you dine in, the decor makes you feel like you're at grandma's house.
Review Source:Went to this local landmark for the first time the other day. Â It was off-hours so I was a little concerned about the service and the food. Â Both were very good. Â I had the pork chop with greens and black-eyed peas. Â The chop was juicy and flavorful. Â The greens were excellent with lots of ham infused. Â The black-eyed peas were a little bland and the corn bread a little stale. Â Overall, however, a very good meal.
Review Source:After ten years of living in Denver and passing Corafaye's on many occasions, I finally decided to go in last night...and I took 3 southern friends with me. Â All three are from Louisiana and myself...well, I'm a yankee from NY. Â
I had the catfish and chicken combo with mac n'cheese and yams. Â My friend had the catfish with a thigh, potato salad and mac n'cheese and my partner had the catfish with potato salad and fried okra. Â My friend's wife just ate hush puppies. Â Which she said were decent. Â I had two and they did taste pretty good.
When we sat down the restaurant was extremely warm. Â They decided to move us to what was a cooler area of the restaurant, but it wasn't. Â The wall AC unit was running but not doing a damned thing to cool down the place. Â The table we sat at hadn't been cleaned off and was covered with crusty food and crumbs. Â Nasty! Â We met the owner who is very nice and she came back later trying to sell us her cookbook. Â I thought that was pretty tacky.
On to the food. Â Well,my catfish was not that good. Â You can tell it was frozen (which is no surprise seeing where we live); however, for the price you pay, you would think they could get the fish at least fairly fresh. Â It was a little mushy on the interior of the filet. Â The mac n'cheese tasted store bought. Â It was NOT baked which is written in small print on the menu that they do not sell backed mac n cheese. Â My friends from Louisiana were pretty shocked over this considering this is supposed to be Soul Food. Â Not only did it taste store bought, but it was very bland. Â
The yams were really good. Â I never tried the cornbread, although it looked edible.
The potato salad had very little flavor as I was told (my friend had to add salt to both his mac n cheese and potato salad). Â The fried okra was boring and bland.
The fried chicken. Â Well the fried chicken definitely was homemade. Â My leg was crispy on the outside and it was moist on the inside. Â The thigh, I was told, was also OK. Â Nothing great. Â
The sweet tea was sweet BUT they charge you for refills!!!!! Â Who does that these days?!?
Our waitress seemed rather annoyed that we were there, but I also think she had some kind of health problem as she was breathing heavily in between announcing specials and asking for our order. Â She might have been as hot as we were.
We decided to get out of the hot brick oven and order some desserts to go. Â I got the double chocolate cake and my partner got the German chocolate cake. Â The double chocolate cake was average. Â It wasn't too dry or overly moist. Â The frosting tasted homemade to me...although my friend thought it didn't. Â The German chocolate cake was fairly dry. Â
My southern friends gave the place just an average rating -- nothing to write home to NOLA about. Â I gave it a thumbs down for cleanliness, the ambiance and the expensive prices for just average food. Â For two of us for dinner and dessert it came to $45. Â I could've gone next door to the KFC for half that amount. Â
We will definitely NOT go back to dine in, but if we have a hankering for homemade fried chicken we might order some take out. Â Otherwise, do NOT expect much from this place. Â After 10 years of driving by, it's no wonder I hadn't stopped before.
All of the sides that were passed down were wonderful. The owner was very attentive and gave me the background of the inception and popularity of CoraFaye.
I purchased a cookbook out of peer pressure, but I am sure I will end up sampling recipes from it.
My friend and I both enjoyed everything we ordered. Â Even the red kool-aid!!
4 stars only because my friend, Shon serves the best fried chicken and could give this place a run for its money!
(S/O to Shon even though she isn't a yelper and will never read this...)
Why did it take me so long to go here after moving into this neighborhood?! Â I know, I know, I have since scolded myself.
I have stopped into CoraFaye's on a few occasions to grab some food on my way home, so this review is not based on a dine-in experience. Â I love the feel of this cafe. Â When you walk in, you feel like you have entered the home of the sweetest little lady on the planet...it's cozy and welcoming. Â And the first thing I made a beeline for was the dessert table that is strategically placed near the register (well played, CoraFaye's). Â Holy confections, that was a tasty looking table of treats! Â Focus, Cherie...you need dinner, you need dinn...is that German Chocolate Cake?!
On all occasions, I tried their fried chicken...dark meat, please! Â The breading is perfectly seasoned, not too salty, and delightfully crisp. Â And the meat is moist and tasty. Â Since I'm a sucker for greens (collard, turnip, mustard, kale...I love it all!), it's a must that I get them as a side every.single.time...they are so mother effing delicious. Â I have also tried their fried okra (delightful, as well), mac and cheese (my serving wasn't wonderful, dang it) and the rice and gravy (holy hell, CoraFaye's does gravy well). Â For dessert, I gave in and got the GC Cake...and tasty it was. Â
Every time I have stopped in, the carry-out service has been friendly. Â Maybe next time I will grab a friend, pop a squat and take in the warmth of CoraFaye's...and get a piece of that sweet potato pie they are always sold out of!
My bf and I went on a Friday evening for dinner. Despite the frequent belief that a place has to be swarming in order to be proven to serve good food? This place busted that myth. It was quiet, but great food and great service. What more can I ask for?
We had 2 entrees:
Trout with 2 sides (Cabbage and Black Eyed Peas) and cornbread: The trout was amazing - flaky and tender, crispy on the outside, and moist on the inside - YUM. The 2 sides were also really good- flavorful, and not too salty, just good cookin'! My cornbread was a dry but the rest of the meal made up for it.
2 piece fried chicken (leg and thigh) with 2 sides (Rice and beans and Greens) and cornbread: The chicken was a little too greasy for our liking and we would probably not order it again. The Greens were ok - a little too salty, but still good. The Rice and Beans were also ok. Nothing to rave about. His cornbread was dry too.
The sweet tea rocks! Watch out for refills - they are $0.75.
Desserts were great. Peach cobbler - oohhh... yummy - I didn't get mine a la mode, but still enjoyed it. Â German chocolate cake - 2 thumbs up!
We'll be back!
When I was driving there I was more than pumped for some good old homestyle mac & cheese, and when I got it, I left disappointment lingering over me, It was okay, but honestly, I was let doowwwnn. But the food was decent, not a place Even though i'm not  cramming to get back CoraFaye's but the staff was more than friendly, and very talkative. There was a lot going on the walls and in the rooms, left a little cluttered but I feel like the style they where going for was homey, good neighborhood dinner.
Review Source:I was really looking forward to this place, and though I was a little disappointed, I'm not done yet. My father's first rule for first rate food is the best one: "if it's a bit sketchy and doesn't really look like a restaurant, go inside". It was this rule that got me pumped up over the two weeks it took to clear some space on my calendar before I could make it in. Ah, so much potential: busy street, unassuming (ok, sketchy) strip mall, park in the back alley, and hand painted signage that wouldn't catch the eye of southern eagle.
I could go on in my typical eloquent prose, but I'm typing this on my phone, so here's the breakdown:
Dining area-cute as a button, although my table was a bit sticky.
Service-impeccable.
Soda-came in a can. At least pour it for me.
Fried chicken-1/5. Dry as the desert and zero flavor. This was a thigh too! How do you dry out a thigh? Also, it was a bit stringy. Maybe it was a poor quality piece to start.
Smothered pork chops-2.5/5.
Mac n cheese-3/5.
Rice w gravy-4/5 maybe higher.
My friend loved the Catfish-4.5/5 and okra and greens. Especially the greens.
Maybe it was an off day, but something just seemed to be missing. Salt? Seasoning?
While I am going to give it another shot and really hope to be blown away next time, it may be the prices that make me only an occasional visitor. $36 after tip for two people. Ouch!
Dear Yelp Friends (AND FOES)-
As a "TRUE" Southerner from Southern Alabama, Cora Faye's is outstanding. I could go into extreme details, but from one Southerner to another, just go....and I suggest on Sunday, as it's "Bless My Soul Lord" specials. Fried Catfish, Fried Okra (perfection) and the butter beans, oh so good....Not to mention Ms. Priscilla, the owner...a beautiful human being...LOVE LOVE LOVE having a taste from home in my backyard, when my grandmother lives 26 long hours away...Thanks y'all!
I loved the people who worked here. Â They were super friendly and gave us some free samples of the sides and joked around with us and were very kind. Â That was the best part of this place and that alone made me want to give a great review. Â I thought the catfish was cooked pretty well, but it was more bland than I prefer. Â
If this place wasn't as expensive as it is, it'd be a five star place and I have a strong desire to try some stuff I've never had before like frog legs. Â They were out of mac and cheese when I arrived, but their gravy was terrific, so their rice and gravy was delicious. Â
I'll eat here again when I want to splurge and try something new, but I'd come here often if it wasn't so expensive. Â And I'll bring my own koolaid next time.
All the things I said in my review almost 3 years ago about CoraFaye's still stands. And for that I'm thankful. Especially now that I live a hop, skip and jump away.
I also thought it would be good to mention that while the fried chicken is a personal favorite CoraFaye's actually has quite a few other recipes for Southern food that have been passed down from generation to generation in their family for over a century. I mean when a recipe is so good it stand the test of time against over 100 years you know you need to try it. (You do know that, don't you?) In the menu, these recipes are marked with an asterisk and there are quite a few of them so you'll have plenty of reasons to go back.
Dine in or take your food to go, either way it's a dang satisfying meal. And for the love of all things delicious, do not forget to get some sort of dessert be it cake, cobbler or banana pudding.
We recently visited during a trip from Houston, TX. Â We had high hopes, perhaps a little too high. Â Pluses: the catfish was perfectly seasoned, the coleslaw was good, the tea wasn't too sweet, the yams were very good and not overly sweet as is typical in most soul food places. Â Minuses: the mac & cheese was horrendous, the bill was $40 for two people.
If you're from the south, you'll probably be disappointed, otherwise the place isn't 1/2 bad.
(Cross posted on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnormoplease.wordpress.com&s=3c267f5663fc3074684e767752e7ca2bb2c11540c11f6e9a378a55c2f8f36cd4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://normoplease.wordp…</a>)
I've been meaning to try Denver's soul food restaurants for a while. Stop #1 was Cora Faye's for a picnic to-go order this afternoon. The nicest gentleman took our order and chatted with us as we waited. We ordered two fried chicken breasts and four sides: collards, black-eyed peas, fried okra, and and rice & gravy.
The collards, black-eyed peas, and rice & gravy were out of this world (as in, I could have made my whole meal just out of those three.) The chicken was good, but HUGE. We will definitely order only one breast next time. The fried okra was OK...perhaps I'm forever spoiled by my grandmother's super-crunchy fried okra with just the right amount of salt and pepper. These were a little bland for my taste.
Overall - I can't wait to go back and try a few more dishes.
I was turned on to CoraFaye's from a true Southern fried friend and when I get that craving for Fried Chicken it's off to CoraFayes I go.
CoraFayes is a real treat for anyone who wants real southern food served in a place that make you fell like your eating at you granda's house. Comfortable, inviting and downright cozy are but a few words that come to mind thinking about CoraFayes.
And the Chicken is simply over the top beautiful!!
The chicken is a wonderful blend of crispy skin which give way to juicy chicken which lovingly drips down your chin... ah so nice!! For those of us that really enjoy Fried Chicken CaraFayes is an oasisi of fried heaven.
the sides are tasty too. Cornbread, black eyed peas and desserts are all worth eating and enjoying but CoraFayes is really about..
FRIED Chicken!!! :)
Enjoy the fried Love!
I've been there once, and can absolutely say without a doubt I will not be returning.
I got the catfish with sides of fried okra, collard greens, mac-n-cheese, and black eyed peas. The catfish was waaaaaay overcooked and had the consistency of a shoe-lace, the mac-n-cheese resembled something you get out of a certain blue box, and the rest of the sides were also bad. The worst part of all - I wound up paying almost $20 plus tip!
I know sometimes cooks have a bad day, but all my food was bad - this cannot be a coincidence.
The old, dilapidated shopping center is full of lies because there is something absolutely wonderful inside- a cozy, grandma-esque dining room! Â CoraFaye's offers tasty Soul food prepared with pride, service by people with a genuine interest in the success of your meal, and wonderful jazz music dispelling even the coldest weather.
The Good & Bad Rundown:
+ reasonably priced menu options
+ warm, cozy decor
+ jazz music & live jazz weekends
+ kool-aid
+ fried chicken is nicely seasoned
+ creamy macaroni and cheese
+ crunchy catfish corn meal breading
+ excellent service
+ the owner visits the table with a genuine welcome- a lot better than the bourgie manager drive-bys that usually happen at restaurants
- kind of dirty (i.e. the table mat)
- the taste is only a 3.5/5 or 4/5; a disappointment but still good
CoraFaye's is a gem. The owner, Priscilla, is lovely. She always tells everyone about the history behind CoraFaye's. For example, how she chose the name or how old many of her recipes are. She wants you to love her food as much as she does and often will bring samples of things she thinks you need to try. There is a passion in CoraFaye's that makes it true "soul" food and it's clear the cooking comes from the heart.
Best things to me are the fried chicken, the black eyed peas, the rice and gravy (the gravy period, and I never eat gravy), the cabbage and any of the desserts. There is no alcohol just in case you felt like a drink, but there are at least 2 colors of Kool-Aide and of course sweet or regular tea. And rejoice! The cornbread is not sweet, it is the real deal.
Great family spot for good old southern style supper!
I met some friends who live in the area and a) it was an awesome bike ride over. b) the sweet home cooked chicken, biscuits and greens made the ride back a whole lot more comfortable.
This is an awesome locals spot that I am now proud to say Denver has a really cool hidden secret, that is not an after hours night club... which I am sure is not cool at all.
They had a great jazz pianist on a keyboard, that night and after talking to some other musicians hanging around, it appears that they have a big jazz following.
First and foremost I must say that this food is delicious. Like most southerners and comfort food lovers, this is the food I grew up on.
For the sake of brevity I'll make this simple:
Chicken- Great
Frog Legs- Ok
Cabbage- Good
Greens- Good
Mac and Cheese- Good
Rice and Gravy- Good
Fish- Great
Cornbread- Ok
Okra- Good
Kool Aid- Nice touch
Sweet Potato Pie- Words can't describe my love for you
So yeah, basically the food is pretty darn good, and a fine representation of what some call soul food ( I just call it food). Price really depends on what you want. There's plenty of deals but if you want to pile it on, it will cost you.
The decor is what really makes me just love this place. It might sound cliché but it really reminds me of my Grandmas house back in Florida. The old timey knickknacks, black and white photos of people that resemble your server (his Grandparents I think) tattered leather bound Bibles, church fans, worn basketball trophies, Delfonics tunes..........
The food was great but most importantly I just felt happy being here with my family.
So, I - a southern boy - was jonesing for some thing from home... from the days of my youth. Something authentic. So, I Yelp'ed and came across CoraFaye's.
Now, let me echo the sentiments of many people before me... the outside and the neighborhood can seem a bit sketchy. But, as it has been said before "don't judge a book by it's cover". Because if you do that in this case, you're gonna be missing out on some fine southern grub!
I walked in and was greeted by very friendly staff. It wasn't quite like stepping into someone's living room, but damned if I didn't FEEL at home. Â The antique decor was very cool! But, I didn't necessarily go there for the decor.
I can't eat the decor!
So, I was shown the menu and had a laundry list of fine southern and soulful delicacies to choose from.
I elected on the smothered pork chops on rice. But, sadly, they were out. I was kinda disappointed by this, since I was the only one in the place at the time. Well, let me reword that... they only had one smothered pork chop left, not the two piece that I was looking to get.
So, I settled on the chicken instead. OOOH!!! The chicken skin/crust was phenomenal. Seasoned just right. And a fine blend of spices they were. The meat was fairly moist, but could have been a little more so. That said, it was very good. The rice and white gravy was very good as well. The Mac & Cheese, was, well, nothing to write home about. Nothing bad at all, just not earth shattering.
After a very nice meal and a great conversation with Dewayne (sic) the gentleman who was taking care of me while I was there, I decided to try some desert.
Dewayne recommended the Berry cobbler. It was a nice blend of raspberry, rhubarb, cherry and possibly another item or two. The cobbler was heated up. He added a nice scoop of vanilla ice-cream and off to taste bud bliss I went. It freaking rocked! Â As for my visit today (my first) desert was far and away the hi-lite of it all.
Well, aside from the awesome hospitality rendered by the staff.
I must highly recommend CoraFaye's... very good (not totally great, but who really cares) southern cooking, awesome desert and out of this world service and hospitality.
The one thing I would change... and it is a VERY SMALL thing... but, refills on drinks (sweet tea) are not free... and I wasn't informed about that until 4 or 5 refills later... NOT a big deal, but, still...
I will def. eat here again.
If you're craving some down home cooking, no matter how much cash is in your wallet you can find something at Corafaye's.
Only have a few bucks? Well, grab a recession special. For $1.25 you can get a bologna or a spam sandwich. If that doesn't sound good (and why wouldn't it??), order a couple of pieces of fried chicken, or a waffle, or how about that new combo everyone is cooking up these days - chicken and waffles? For $3.25. Which is what I tried. This bright red, cinnamon-flavored waffle square is definitely worth a taste, especially smothered in syrup and butter.
Onto my faves: I could eat their black-eyed peas, creamy mac and cheese, and crunchy fried okra every day of the week until my heart gave out. Sweet tea? Yes, keep my glass full. Peach cobbler ala mode? Bring it on.
While I loved the crispy, salty-peppery coating on the fried chicken, it did have me chugging water the rest of the day. Plus, I'm not usually a fried chicken fan - maybe this hearkens back to my 5+ years as a vegetarian - so it was an unusual impulse for me that day. Next time, I'd probably order bbq again, because that was a definite home run on my last visit.
What you should know:
- Park on the street, or there is off-street parking in the back.
- Starting the first week in April, they'll be doing live jazz in the living room on Friday nights. Which I will be returning for.
- The owner, Priscilla, will come chat you up after your meal and she remembers faces. I hadn't been in for four months, and she knew me right away. She'll be sure to tell you that some of her family recipes date back hundreds of years. Honestly, I'd pay a wad of cash money for her black-eye peas recipe!
- If you're put off by the decor of your grandma's house, then you probably won't like it here.
- Lots of southie menu options here: frog legs, beef oxtails, pig ear sandwich and pig's feet plates, neck bones over rice, beef 'n liver with onions. Just come check this place out!
Feels like dinner at a friend's house...really homey and comfortable. My husband and I live around the corner from CoraFaye's and have been intrigued, but hesitant to try it. It looks a little dingy from the outside. But after reading positive Yelp reviews, we gave it a shot...and boy are we glad we did. The owner came over to chat a few times, but she wasn't annoying. She seems to be good at reading how much or how little people want to chat.
The inside is comfortable and clean. The service is great. Even for this squeamish semi-vegetarian, I found plenty to eat on the menu. You can get 3 sides as your meal and there are tons to choose from...mac & cheese, black-eyed peas, cabbage, greens, fried eggplant, cornbread, candied yams, etc. I had the butterfly shrimp and it was nicely breaded and tasty. It did not taste like the fry oil had been sitting around too long - very clean and fresh tasting. The sweet tea is tooth-tingling sweet, but a little at a time and it's great. Homemade desserts sit out in the front room for you to peruse. Had the chocolate cake and it was perfect - just baked that morning - not too much frosting and not too sweet.
I can honestly say I've never heard my husband moan and groan that much over a meal - his hands were covered in BBQ sauce and he was a happy camper. That alone makes me want to return :)
Just an FYI, no liquor or beer is served.
I've been Cora(fied)..............
I have to agree. The dining room reminds you of grandma's house straight up - comfortable and relaxing. Our server led us to the next dining room - he said it was warmer than next to the door (true.) He impressed me: late teens, professional and thoroughly knowledgeable about the menu.
I had the brisket with rice and beans and fried okra. One friend had the catfish special w/th slaw and okra and my other friend had the neck-bone gravy over rice with okra. I don't know if I would order the brisket again, but the catfish was pretty good, especially the breading. I didn't know okra could taste so good, either. The catfish and okra did not taste greasy, at all.
Some of the more unique items on the menu:
Frog legs
Rabbit (Sunday only)
Chitlins
Sweet Tea
Collards
Grits
Black-eyed peas
Pigs ear sandwich
Liver & onions (Tuesdays?)
Fried Bologna sandwich -"aka Recession Special"
About half way in, the band members of Jakarta came in to eat and it got pretty loud. The owner, Priscilla, also came by and checked in on us. All in all, a good time. I'm already planning my next trip: fried chicken, mac & cheese egg roll and Kool-Aid.
Parking in back too. FYI: open Christmas Eve.
After reading a recent review for their great pie selections and we were 2 blocks away we pulled over to give it a try.
Yes, the outside is a little eclectic looking, but once you walk in you find yourself in a cozy cafe greeted warmly by the employees.
FYI, there's no CoraFaye. There's Priscilla the owner who told us Cora is her mom and Faye her sister, but I heard her answer to CoraFaye when called.
So, not very hungry after coming from dinner we got a slice of their Chocolate Chocolate cake and 2 scoops of ice cream. Priscilla came over to chat and offered us each a sample friend chicken wing to hook us in for coming back. She did...
Grand total for a quick snack was $4. Everything on the menu was $12 and under. I'll be back for the fried chicken and peach cobbler which sounded really good. And the sweet potato pie too.
FYI, they have a side room for private parties.
As a Southerner who's been living in the West (Seattle) for eighteen years, I have a deep, enduring, and mostly-unsatisfied yearning for some of the native foods of my childhood. We were a white family in a small mountain town in Southwest Virginia and none of us had ever heard the term "soul food" but the food is exactly what we used to eat. It's the food of poor people; the parts of the chicken, pig, cow, or the types of animals that affluent Southerners didn't want and that were plentiful and cheap.
I had spoken on the phone a couple of times to Joe Bonner, the legendary jazz pianist who has lived in Denver for decades, and he suggested that, as a fellow Virginian, I might like Corafaye's. So, on Wednesday, January 13th of  '09, we dropped in about 3 p.m. for a late lunch. There was nobody in the place and we were instantly greeted by a bubbly, pleasant young girl who gave us menus and left us to peruse. One look told me I was at least in the right place: fried catfish, fried chicken, frog legs, chit'lin's, pork chops, collards...all the proper stuff, all in one place. The special of the day, here on "Oink-E-Dokie" Wednesday, was, in fact, a pig's ear sandwich(!) or the pig's foot plate - with with two sides included.
Judye is a fried chicken fanatic, constantly on the hunt for perfect chicken, so she ordered that. For me, there was no other choice: frog legs and catfish with potato salad and black-eyed peas. We ordered and got two sweet (of course!) iced teas, and sat back to look around. Corafaye's is a wonderful, homey, cluttered two rooms of tchotchkes, liberally sprinkled with signs for their dishes and festooned with photos of their role in the festivities at the Democratic National Convention and in Obama's inaugural day breakfast. A picture of my friend, Joe, in a tux and seated at his electronic piano, was prominently displayed, as well as numerous framed copies of awards from local publications for best Soul Food in Denver.
The plates came and my nose told me with a second that this was real, honest, basic Southern food. The frog legs were quickly fried in a wonderful, intense herbed breading that offered a light heat. They were delicate and perfect and carried no trace of the sort of over-cooking that sometimes makes frog legs like biting into little bungee cords. The potato salad was nicely flavored with chunks of sweet pickle, mustard, mayo, and vinegar. The black-eyed peas were a revelation: a pinch of cinnamon was added that gave their earthy, smoky flavor a sweet, spicy grace note. And my catfish was simply PERFECT; beautifully cooked (MOST cooks get it too brown and dry it out) and moist, with a savory corn-meal crust that crunched when I bit into it. I usually douse my catfish with malt vinegar but I ate every molecule of this with nothing and was completely satisfied.
Judye got a side-order of their signature Red Waffles, a thick, crusty waffle tinted with red food coloring. They were aromatic as an entire bakery and slightly undercooked inside, creating a creamy, melting character with their wonderful, spiced flavor.
"How is your chicken?" I asked her.
"This is probably the best fried chicken I've ever had," she smiled.
I know this is the Southern kid in me having a Nostalgic Episode but my table companion, Judye, was born in Long beach, CA, and raised in Sumner, WA, and she was in similar rapture. We simply didn't have room for dessert, which I certainly would have loved, so we got a slice each of their gorgeous, homemade cakes - Coconut Cream Cheese, Double Chocolate, and German Chocolate - and had them later, with our son. The German Chocolate, my childhood fave, was probably the best if its kind I have ever eaten and it wasn't as good as the Coconut Cream Cheese.
I also can't say enough about the friendliness and personality of the staff. After 18 years in Seattle, it's kinda startling to be greeted so warmly, have employees - including one who was off-duty and the cook, too - drop by to chat and say hello. I felt at home there as I have seldom felt since leaving North Carolina in 1992.
I can't praise CoraFaye's highly enough. It was the perfect antidote to a stressful day's traveling and EASILY the best Southern food I have ever had in the Western part of this country. I had originally written here that the food at CoraFaye's isn't very good for you but, as Priscilla, the owner, explained in a message, they use oils with no trans-fats and their beans are pork-free, so I stand corrected. Just exactly HOW they make this food taste this authentic without using fatback and lard is a mystery, although I suspect it should be chalked up to "just knowin' how". At any rate, if you want to eat some healthy Southern food that tastes so good that it OUGHT TO BE bad for you, CoraFaye's is one of the best bets I've ever found.
In the world of Denver soul and Southern foods, CoraFaye's (named for the owner's mother and sister) is a new kid on the block. But as the restaurant ably proves, youth is not always such a bad thing, especially when paired with the enthusiasm and genuine warmheartedness of the folks who work there.
This thoroughly unpretentious place on Colorado Boulevard serves up many kinds of everyday chicken, pork, beef, fish, etc. dishes, served with mouthwatering sides like hearty greens, soft macaroni and cheese, dense cornbread, and sweet-but-not-cloying Southern yams (or, as you may know them better, sweet potatoes).
However, they also have some offerings which are only served one day a week. So depending on when you stop in, you could try neckbones (with meat so tender it falls off the bone), or an intensely meaty pig's ear sandwich (available with one ear or two), or oxtail, or liver 'n' onions, or pig's feet, or rabbit, or chit'lins, or pig tails... wait, what did I miss?
Supplement your meal with a Soul Food Eggroll (the one with smothered chicken is especially good), some nostalgia-inducing Kool Aid (red? orange? blue? Why sure) and a great big slice of Red Velvet Cake or bowl of Sweet Potato Cobbler.
And there you have it! Now that you've got the scoop, see for yourself!
PS Monday is a Long-Handled Teaspoon Day and therefore CoraFaye's is closed. But you can have fun there the other six days of the week!
Fried chicken, pork chops, dumplings, cole slaw, pies, and slow cooked greens are what I grew up on. Â Truth be told, I was in a real restaurant only once before the age of 18. Â I'm a southern Ohio hillbilly. Â It was fellow Yelpers that got us here anyway. Â
It was a Tuesday, and quiet. Â This place truly did remind me of my Grandma's house. Â I expected to look up and see the picture of the US Capital painted on the back of a piece of glass that was on the wall of her house. Â I felt totally at home in the cozy, old fashioned, homey atmosphere. Â It definitely needed to be filled with family groups and was big enough to accommodate them. Â Instead it was filled with the delicious smell of perfectly fried chicken.
It was really hard to choose, there were so many familiar favorites. Â I went for the smothered chicken and rice, with half and half greens and blackeyed peas. Â She went for the chicken and dumpling specialty. Â Both were great. Â Mine was enough for a farm hand, and the dumplings were more than she could eat too, but came in a bowl and not a platter. Â The greens were perfect--they had that perfect tartness that only the right amount of apple cider vinegar can impart. Â The cornbread was not dry but it was unexpectedly--not sweet. Â It was crumbly, made with more cornmeal that most modern recipes use. Â I would have slathered it with jelly if I had any (got to watch my cholesterol!).
The blackeyed peas were perfect, and surprisingly not as salted as the Smothered chicken gravy. Â I am a very light salt eater and I realized how far my salt intake had dropped from my upbringing. Â I expect most people wouldn't have noticed it, as the gravy was very chicken-flavorful and not at all greasy. Â
I noted many items I wanted to have. Â In addition to the mains mentioned by other Yelpers, I saw Wednesday's pig's feet (not to be missed--I hope they are pickled), and the Sunday smothered rabbit, as well as Friday's grits...I could come here every day and find a favorite. Â
Since I could not finish the huge platter of comfort food, naturally I unashamedly split a piece of the double chocolate cake with Lillian.
We are a chocolate cake family, and I have made and eaten numerous chocolate cakes from Food & Wine, Epicurious, Bon Appetit, and Irma Rombauer over the years. Â I can tell you truthfully this was the best double chocolate cake I have ever ever had. Â The texture was simply unbeatable and it was the perfect balance of chocolate and sweetness. Â It went down in a minute. Â
My plan is to return soon and bring my extended family. Â My mom will love this place.
P.S. Â There is parking along the front, and there is also a lot off the back alley with a walkway to the front door.
I had a deep need for some collard greens. DEEP. So I read the reviews here on Yelp, and decided to go. Whoops! Closed on Monday. My craving had to take a back seat for 24 hours (meanwhile, I went and found some ribs).
Warm and friendly server--very helpful, pointed out highlights on the menu and the daily special. Mentioned the articles on the wall about the place.
OH, yeah. That fried chicken is like all the best moments of my childhood around a table rolled into one. The only way to have improved it is to have added biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, fresh canteloupe, and fig preserves, but I digress.
The corn bread was not as dry as I'd expected, based on the other reviews...it was a good combo with the beans. The greens were just heaven. I didn't even need to add pepper sauce or vinegar. Perfection.
Next time I try the catfish...
We finally went to CoraFaye's after a visit to the zoo. I've driven by so many times and read the reviews. So glad we went!
The storefront is a bit off-putting, and i had no idea what to expect inside, but once you open the door it's like you've stepped into another place. We were there slightly after normal lunch hour and were seated right away. Service was prompt and friendly.
Ms. Priscilla came out and talked to us, after she had sent out some samples of new things she's thinking of adding to the menu. What a nice woman, and a great cook.
I had a single chicken breast country dinner, meaning the fried chicken came with two sides and a choice of corn bread or a roll. The fried chicken was delicious. Not greasy, and not too much breading. It was very moist inside too. I had the greens and red beans and rice. The greens were a bit bitter, but tasty, along with the ham (I think) that flavored the greens. I'd like to try out all the sides so I'll have to return quite a few more times! The cornbread was dry, I agree with other reviews. Probably quite good with gravy - I dipped it in my rice and beans broth and the greens broth.
My husband had the catfish sandwich along with potato salad. Both delicious. She really knows how to fry food in a non greasy way. The catfish fillet was gigantic, too.
While they were out of sweet potato pie (have to go back!) we picked up a slice of German Chocolate Cake and an order of peach cobbler to go. The cake was really good, moist and not too sweet. I haven't tried the cobbler.
We had sweet tea which was good. It reminded me a bit of one of the flavors in Thai Iced Tea and a little like some tea I've had in the south. I'm not a sweet tea connoisseur but this was pretty good.
I love the homemade nature of this food, and how tasty and flavorful it is. The welcoming service and personal anecdotes were welcome too. A great find!
I look forward to trying out more things and maybe being a bit more adventurous next time.
Ms. Priscilla and the rest of the staff could not have been any nicer to me or to my protege reviewer who is almost five now. Â Talk about making yourself feel at home. Â I was tempted to go upstairs and change out of my work clothes, but then I remembered that this was not my house, I was just being welcomed into the restaurant as if it was my house.
Fried chicken was perfectly crisped, not the slightest bit greasy and Ms. Priscilla was kind enough to throw us a couple of chicken breasts without additional charge because she said they were small. Â Huh? Â I shudder to imagine what big breasts looks like.
One thing that I really liked is that the food was all seasoned, but salted very lightly. Â If you want to add salt, you have that option, but nothing is so salty that you feel like you are going to have a stroke the moment you leave. Â Other restaurants take note, I can always add more salt if I want, but I can't take off what you already put on there.
In addition to the chicken, we both enjoyed mac & cheese, greens, candied yams and black-eyed peas. Â Double chocolate cake for dessert with some complimentary ice cream too. Â All was quite good.
All in all, when you look at the variety of soul food specials on the menu for each day, I think I will need to come back at least 7 more times. Â I know that Ms. Priscilla will definitely make us feel as if we just walked into our own house each time we show up.
If you ever wanted to eat fried chicken or beef OXTAILS in your grandma's kitchen, go to Cora Faye's and you'll get to. Â You can drink kool-aid and/or sweet tea while you do it and then top off your esophogus with a piece of peach cobbler or german chocolate cake that is to die for. Â
I'm pretty sure I want to eat here once a week for my fix of delicious magic fried food. Â The dining area alone is worth the trip, but then you'll be completely enraptured by the home-baked desserts. Â They are so moist and delicious. Â I am very happy I know about this place.
Cora Faye's restaurant is the bomb!! Â My husband and I will definitely be back AND I will be using their catering services this summer!! Â
The place is downhome fantastic. Â The food is good, the hospitality is great, and the atmosphere will take you back to your Momma's old house or your Grandmomma's place. Â
Excellent!!
I really really love this place. Â
Everytime I've eaten here, it feels like I'm 12 years old and eating dinner with my mom and dad in the kitchen.
Everything on this menu, and I mean everything, is the exact dishes my mother made when I was a child (and still makes to this day) right down to the chitlins', and these meals are what I made for my son when he was growing up, and now make for my southern raised boyfriend. Â (except for the chitlins'). Â
I've tried so many things on the menu, but my favorites so far are the:
smothered pork chops
fried catfish
fried chicken
oxtails
neckbones
collard greens (not bitter!!)
macaroni & cheese
I'd love to try the chitlins', but my Mom told me a looooong time ago..."Don't eat chitlins' outside the home. Â You never know how well their cleaned".
Now that doesn't mean that I don't trust CoraFaye's, it's just that they're pig intestins. Â And I know damn well my mom spends more than the better part of a day just cleaning those damn things, and I can't guarantee that anyone else commits to that much time. Â I don't even trust myself to get them as clean as my mom does, which is why I'll never cook them myself. :-(
But, I digress.
I think you should not only try this wonderful restaurant, but I would challenge you to step outside the box, if even just a little bit, and try something like the oxtails, or the neckbones. Â You'll have a new favorite dish to tell you're friends about. Â
CoraFaye's gets a green light.
I LOVED this place. Â I went there today with a friend for lunch. Â It isn't much to look at from the outside but inside it's an adorable piece of southern country kitchen charm. Â I had the fried chicken which was excellent -- wonderfully crispy skin, just the right amount of salt in the coating, and not at all greasy. Â The cornbread muffin is southern cornbread, not sweet, with lots of nice crunchy edges, just like southern cornbread should be. Â (It is dry and some people will want butter, but I liked it just the way it is.) Â The candied yams are delicious.
My friend raved about the greens which I'll try next time, along with a piece of coconut or caramel cake!
The only thing I didn't love was the macaroni and cheese. Â It was a bit sweet which wasn't to my taste.
As far as I know, this is the best southern/soul food in Denver.
Dec 07' Â After several more visits I found a chink in the armor of food greatness at Cora Fayes. I thought the dry cornbread muffin on my first visit was a fluke but on subsequent visits they were always dry. I'll have to ask the next time I'm in if I'm just eating them wrong or something (my daughter says it's because I'm not slathering them with butter but she's a slatherer. I'm a dry toast kind of guy (to which she replies "boring"). Place still is tops in comfort, comfort food, Â and hospitality for me and everyone I've steered there.
Lori M. has steered us to some of our favorite new spots and this one is "THE" place. This great home cooking may not appeal to everybody but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it? Such a cozy room and such nice people. But that isn't even the reason to go here. The FOOD. Melt in your mouth catfish nuggets, the best pan-fried chicken and tasty sides (greens can be bitter but LM was right, they are good). We had three desserts. Banana pudding, sweet potato pie, and coconut cake (the best damn sweet potato pie I ever knew) which were all very good. We're hooked. Thanks Lori.
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