YES GAWD! Â Great Home-cooking. Â Brings back memories of the great Soul Food of the South. Â Homely look place......nice people.....community oriented (small senior meeting happening at the next table) ---been there three times and the food has been great each time. Â Candied Yams, Cabbage and Jerk Chicken--- the Bomb! Â Love it.
Review Source:Today it's pretty darn chilly out. Â And I forgot I was supposed to go to the DMV for a client and let my son take the car... So off I went to catch the train to Five Points DMV. Â It wasn't a bad day - I only had to wait an hour - but I sure was hungry when I got out! Standing waiting for the train, I look behind me and see "Mona's Wings & Things" and well, lunch won out over getting back to work!
And boy, did I ever make the right decision! Â I was looking at the menu thinking "how in the WORLD am I going to decide?" Â They have good ol' Southern food AND Jamaican yumminess! Â Then the sweetheart of a waitress happened to mention to me that they have brisket today and decision made! Â I got slaw and huspuppies, and some amazing cornbread. Â It was all good (and a lot - I had to get a box) and I will go back when it's not so ding dang cold!
Of course, I also had to let my son know right away - they have fried catfish! Â I personally can't stand fish - but that boy has been in love with catfish since he was about 4 years old (and he's 18 now). Â I guess I'll have to take him out to dinner!
Yeah....I'm conflicted. There was some good food during my visit, there was some not so great food during my visit, there was some good service and there was some bad service.
I came here with my family at a weird time, around 3:00-4:00 on a weekday afternoon, but it filled up as I was leaving so maybe it's more popular a time than I thought. Initially we were almost the only people here. As we were eating it seemed like one of the employees made themselves food and sat down. She was.....exceptionally loud. The way she spoke to other people working, (IE: Rudely) made me think maybe she was an owner or family member. At one point while we waited for our food, two younger guys walked in and tried to sit down, and this woman barked "pull your pants up or go back outside." Partially, I totally admire this, but partially, her volume and ascerbic tone made the environment really uncomfortable.
For food, my dad and I split jerk chicken with collard greens, red beans and rice, and cornbread. The jerk chicken was overall good, though some pieces were very small and mostly made of cartilage and/or bone. Several pieces had large chunks of very slimy skin, which was also a bit unpleasant. The collard greens were good but dare I say, overcooked? I know a green has to be cooked for quite a while but they seemed like they'd given up. The red beans and rice needed some seasoning, and tasted exactly like the black eyed peas, which we also tried. The fried okra that my mother ordered was very good, and maybe actually didn't come from a Sysco bag!!
I know cornbread is a very personal preference, but for me, a crumbly cornbread is a bad cornbread, and my piece was so crumbly I basically had to hold it completely vertically over my mouth. On the plus side, prices are pretty reasonable (though $13 for a plate is a bit steep for lunch) and the portions are big. Our server was very nice as well. I would also add that although I am not the type to be swayed by a sketchy neighborhood, I'd probably leave this as a lunch spot, and probably wouldn't come here after dark for dinner. That's a total personal preference- if you are coming here using light rail, the Welton stop is right outside the front door of this cafe, which makes it really accessible. For the downtown/Five Points area, especially if Tom's is closed, this is probably your best bet.
After reading other Yelp reviews I decided to give this place a try. One of the handwritten signs on the wall warned that the food will take time to prepare because delicious takes time. The person behind the counter hyped the fried chicken, so I decided order it. Sitting in chairs placed off to the side, I waited 30 minutes until our food was finished. Excited about the prospect of real soul food in denver, I rushed home and began unpacking my food.
The first thing I noticed was a giant, 5 inch long, nasty, black hair poking out of the mac and cheese. Didn't they look at it before they closed the lid? I said to myself, "ok, simple mistake, I'm not going to let it ruin my meal." Then I took a big bite out of the fried chicken breast. No flavor. Dry. Stringy. Gross. I traveled 20 minutes across town, waited a half an hour, and drove back for this garbage!? I spit it back into the container and threw the whole thing away. I was not going to risk getting sick by eating more. I ate a PB&J so I wouldn't go to bed hungry.
KFC, on it's worst day, has better fried chicken than this place.
Worst service ever. First the rude waiter took our order after 10 minute's. Then we waited almost another 50 minutes to get our food. We were the only customers in there the entire time. My fish was completely raw. After returning it I did not even receive a sorry. Then 4 minutes later my refried fish returned without so much as a word. After being fried twice fish was unedible. Â As I was paying I didn't even receive a thanks for coming. Considering there was about 7 employees working I find this unacceptable. Sad because I've previously had great experiences there. I probably will not return as this may have been one of the worst experiences ive had at a restaurant so far in Denver.
Review Source:I was looking for a place for a bite to eat before stuffing my face with sweets and cupcakes at the Yelp Elite Event last night. Â Perusing my Yelp app for close and yummy places I find Welton Street Cafe and I was sold, so off I went.
Upon entering I find some of the most friendly ladies greeting me as I walk in. Â Smiles from ear to ear eager to assist me. Â The smell of home cooking surrounds you like a warm blanket.
Taking a look at the menu and remembering some of the other Yelp reviews I decided I was not in a mood for fried chicken tonight but I wanted the Jerk Chicken that's so raved about with Mac and Cheese and Red Beans and Rice as my two sides. Â Keep in mind that if you decide to order the Fried Chicken it notes on the menu that it will take 25 minutes since it's made to order. Â I don't know about you but I'm totally willing to wait for made to order Fried Chicken. Â The Jerk Chicken arrived piping hot with a house made Caribbean Jerk sauce. Â The depth of flavor was sensational, every bite I got different flavors, my taste buds were dancing about with pure joy. Â Mac and Cheese was solid, I added some of their hot sauce to mine for some extra kick - that's how I roll. Â Red Beans and Rice was also good, a nice soul favorite. Â
The atmosphere was that of a family get together. Â Everyone laughing and visiting with friends and family. Â Very casual dining with authentic Soul/Caribbean food served with love. Â This is a place to savor, take your time and eat leisurely. Â Definitely a place added to my hot list of great places with great food.
Great people! Â Got the jerked chicken and jerked pork. Â Unfortunately while tasty, both lacked any heat. Â Maybe they dialed it down so as to appeal to more people but when I order anything jerked I expect it to be hot. Â Both had no heat at all. Â Again, both were flavorful. Â Going to git it another shot and order something different.
Review Source:We ate here on a tuesday and came back for take out on thursday. Probably one of the best soul food places in five points. They have Pates! pastry dough filled with meats and cheeses they fried to perfection its a meal in its self. Â they also have great waitresses and friendly service!
Review Source:The food was good, the service was good. Â It was easy to find for tourists like us. Â Parking in front, free on Sunday. Â We were seated right away and although it took a few extra minutes for the food, it wasn't too bad. Â I had the fried chicken, my husband had the whiting and my colleague had the smothered pork chops. Â Everyone was pleased. Â The yams weren't what i expected. Â i wouldn't recommend them. Â The mac n cheese is creamy as stated in other reviews. Â The red beans and rice was tasty also.
Review Source:Cooooomfort food.
If you've got some time to spare and Tom's isn't open, look no further than Welton Street Cafe. Thats what we did on a Saturday afternoon. Boyfriend and I came here with one goal in mind- to satisfy our fried chicken craving, and satisfy we did.
We both ordered the fried chicken dinner plate: $11.55 (25 min wait)
Breast, thigh, drum, and wingette
with choice of bread (we opted for the cornbread)
Two Sides- me: Mac and cheese/ greens, him: slaw and hush puppies
Our server was kind enough to warn us that the chicken will take 25mins and she was not lying. Don't come here starving unless you can wait because the portion was huge.
Now as for the chicken, the juicy pipping hot seasoned chicken (slightly on the salty side). Tons of chicken and fried with a crunchy skin. I wouldn't say the best chicken ever, maybe if I didn't have to wait and ease up on the salt, but very satisfying for Denver. As for the sides go, they were ok, nothing special but it did provide a nice accompaniment to the hot chicken.
I grew up on a variety of authentic cuisine, southern being one of them, but I rarely eat it anymore due to the setbacks outweighing the benefits; however, when I want decent southern food in Denver, this place is at the top of my list.
It is heading north towards Five Points but located in an area that is only mildly seedy- close enough to downtown to stay continuously monitored but far enough on the outskirts to have an increased level of loitering and buffoonery going on outside.
Though, I usually always order a pate, I normally steal a bite of other entrees ordered by the people I am dining with so I have enjoyed small quantities of the wings, fries, fish, chicken, mac & cheese, fried okra, and peach cobbler.
The only downfall would be the amount of time it takes to actually be presented with the food you have ordered which, to some, may not be a downfall at all. Made to order, great, southern food. You're willing to wait a bit longer for that, aren't you?
I might be from Israel, but I know good food when I eat it, and this "soul food" was very mediocre (didn't even come close to soul food I had in Louisiana and Oklahoma).
I've eaten there twice, and can absolutely say I will not be giving this place another shot. I never judge a restaurant based on one experience, but if I don't like it the second time I won't come back.
The first time I ate there I got the fried catfish with a side of greens, mac-n-cheese, fried okra, and cornbread. The catfish was flavorless and dry, the greens were bland and overcooked, the mac-n-cheese tasted only slightly better than something you can get out of a box, the cornbread was flavorless and slightly stale, the only part I enjoyed was the okra, which was fantastic. The experience definitely wasn't worth the money (around $18 including tip)
On my second visit I got the 12 piece honey-hot wings. The wings were nice and juicy and with application of hot sauce and ranch they were pretty tasty. But again, the meal wasn't worth the price ($10ish). I would rather get my wings at BWW.
Overall, the food at the Welton St. Cafe isn't bad, but definitely overpriced for the received gratification.
Every time I dine at Welton Street Cafe, I giggle inside at the bunch of suckers, just a block away, that THINK they are dining on good Soul food. Â Welton Street Cafe has nice service and a sincere, unique sense of style in their food. Â Yeah, you need more time to spare when dining here. Â But they make your meal from scratch EACH time, which is a standard that goes heavily under appreciated. Â Hidden behind the light rail, in the inconspicuous Five Points Plaza, this is what a good secret looks like.
The Good & Bad Rundown:
+ made fresh each order
+ fried chicken is not dry; flavor-fully spiced but a teensy salty
+ tender catfish but unless I'm mistaken it's still the fresh frozen filets
+ nice service
+ good hours of operation
+ casual, relaxed
+ good hushpuppies (and I've never before liked hushpuppies)
+ accepts cash AND credit cards
- pricey BUT the food is GOOD so price and wait are worthwhile
Psst.. just so you know:
~ read the signs (i.e. wait to be seated or you won't be served)
~ have patience
~ decor is humble, which makes the food more real
Wow-Welton Street, you are something else. Â Let me just get this off my chest-I love your jerk chicken! Â But, I have nothing to compare it to. Â I have a feeling though, that this is some of the best and if I dare order it anywhere else, it was be total disappointment. Â Our waitress told us most places use pre-mixed sauces, but here, they make their own special blend and even have some secret ingredients that are special delivered just to them. Â The fried chicken was really good too, but I was hoping for some more peppery flavor in the breading. Â It's mto (made to order) so it takes some time, but is served up fresh and hot. Â The chicken is tender and juicey, and not too greasy, well, for fried chicken at least. Â The mac and cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy were okay. Â The red beans and rice were my favorite side. Â
They had reggae music playing and everyone was smiling and singing along. The staff was so nice and very outgoing. Â Our waitress chatted it up with us and so did the crew from the kitchen. Â They came out and introduced themselves and asked us about our day. Â The restaurant had an amazing energy and vibe. Â We felt very at home here. Â Being here made me miss Sunday dinners at my Grandma's house.
This was my second time eating here. The first time was last summer. I recently (as in March 2011) dined here again to treat a friend to a birthday meal.
The place is on Welton Street right on the Light Rail line and there is parking in the Five Points Plaza. I am all for Southern food (being a Southern girl myself) and I was happy to have a reason to return.
We were greeted promptly and seated. We both selected the catfish sandwich and sides. After we received our sandwiches, we both took off the buns and just ate the catfish fillet, as it was a full piece of catfish and we'd both decided that we didn't want all the bread. Our waiter told us that next time if we didn't want the bun to just let them know, so they wouldn't waste the bread. My friend was offended as he felt it didn't matter because the price wouldn't be any different.
I have to say the catfish was prepared wonderfully. It was very light, not greasy or heavy and very flavorful. I must remember to come back more often than once a year. While I do try to refrain from eating fried foods on a regular basis, their catfish is a reason to make an exception on occasion.
Good Southern Food. Â A great alternative to Tom's Home Cookin either for dinner or on weekends (when Tom's is closed) or when Tom's is packed out at lunch on weekdays. Â
The service was super friendly, but be prepared to wait awhile between ordering and getting your food. Â Making from scratch takes time. Â
The fried chicken was great, and my friend said the jerk chicken was as well. Â Best fried okra I have had in Denver. Â Good yams as well. Â As you can see, it may not be super healthy, but it is a great place for a good slow meal with friends and lost of hearty food.
All entrees are priced around $10 or a bit higher. Â So, it ain't cheap, but it is a lot of good food.
For you Southerners, sorry no sweet tea. Â That was a bummer for me, but the lemonade was a decent alternative.
I only take the time to write reviews for those who deserve 5 stars.
Having said that, this won't take any time at all:
1) Order fried chicken. Â It's the best you've ever had that you haven't prepared yourself.
2) Pick your sides, you'll love any of them - my favorites are the mac and cheese and the greens because then I can pretend to get my dairy and fruits/veggies in there. Â
3) Now, just you wait your 20 or 30 minutes.
If this isn't acceptable within your time frame or expectations, good. Â That means less of a crowd for me . . .and more lively banter with the severs that know I'm just a chicken-fry-smitten white boy, and haze me accordingly.
PS - watch out for the distinction between hot sauce bottles and ketchup bottles here. Â It can grow hazy at times.
As a few other reviews have indicated, come here when you got a little more time to spare. The fried chicken is made fresh to order so it takes a while...but damn it...it's the business.
The food here is great and the people are friendly. Best part, for any students, you can lightrail train D up here and get right off and walk into one of the best southern food joints in Denver.
Yelp keeps bothering me to review this place because I posted a picture so I'm finally giving in.
My first visit I had the jerk chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese and fry bread. I don't know what did it to me, but I was nauseous for like a half hour after I ate, but everything tasted good, minus the fry bread....you gotta go with the cornbread.
The second time, I decided to stay away from the Jerk Chicken and got the fried chicken with cornbread, collard greens, and mac and cheese. Everything was amazing, I've been to Sylvia's in Harlem, and it is right on par with it. The mac and cheese at Welton is actually the best mac and cheese I've ever had so they have Slyvia's beat there. I just wish Welton had those amazing ribs. Since I didn't get nauseous this time, I was much happier with my experience. And I love the waitress that's always there. Sweetest woman ever.
Southern style cooking in the heart of five points. Â I stopped here for lunch basically because of my long wait at the DMW. Â I ordered the Perch sandwich, fry bread and mac and cheese. Â The previous reviews are completely right about the long wait. Â I waited almost an hour for my food. Â The perch was really salty and the mac and cheese was just OK. Â The food was nothing special. Â
The service was good. Â The waitress sat down with her friends for a while and didn't follow up with how my food was. Â At one point I needed hot sauce and honey and I basically had to get up and get some hot sauce from another table myself. Â Then I had to remind the waitress about the honey a 2nd time. Â
I ended up missing my number being called at the DMV. Â I then had to wait another hour for my next number to be called. Â Going to lunch at this place wasn't worth that extra hour at the DMV.
Overly cooked tough chicken,
The food wasn't worth the 30 minute wait or the $11.50 price tag. I can't understand why everyone west of the Mississippi can't do a simple meat & veggies correctly. 1st of all, get the meat right! 2nd an anorexic portion of greens that tasted straight out of a CAN!! isn't going to make the chicken any less inedible.
 I also can't understand why everyone west of the Mississippi finds most of these restaurants 4 stars & up? I lived in NC, GA, & FL & honestly had better food at a dodgy rest stop in SC.
So, after living in Atlanta for a few years (as well as spending time in Memphis), I LOVE FRIED CHICKEN! Â
Since I've been back in Denver I've been on the hunt for some delicious fried chicken. Â Tried Tom's Home Cookin' - chicken is just ok and it's served as if you are eating at the local trailer park...White Fence Farm - the Casa Bonita of fried chicken...gave up looking for it.
And of course, there's YELP*....I looked for what others had to say and found the Welton Street Cafe. Â Thought I'd give it a whirl...
We walked in and two lovely ladies asked if we were eating in or take out...we said eating in and were handed menus and asked to take any seat.
Since I was specifically looking for fried chicken, the rest of the menu didn't grab my attention. Â I asked the server if it really took a long time if I ordered the fried chicken and she replied it takes about 25 minutes. Â
I'm on a mission...I'll wait...I'll also take the mashed potatoes and the coleslaw. It was fun to listen to her ask what kind of bread I wanted...I opted for the corn bread. Â She repeated the list to almost every table without missing a beat.
One awesome addition to the meal: the restaurant does not mess with the soda dispenser and the Coke was just as sweet and tasty as you would get in Atlanta.
Yep, a half hour later she brings out a plate of what smelled and looked like deliciousness. Â It's almost a meat and three, but dessert is not included in the meal (I miss certain things about the South). Â
The potatoes were fresh with just enough gravy, the coleslaw was fresh and tasty...was perfect to put the dry corn bread in :) Â
And then there was the chicken....the delicious 1/2 of a chicken....four pieces ever so lightly breaded (not so much "breading" but flour and seasonings), was fried perfectly golden brown and the meat was hot a juicy. Â There's definitely enough to take the breast and the wing home for a late night snack. Â
Upon leaving the restaurant the ladies were just as hospitable as when we got there.
I believe I have found a little tasty bit of heaven in Five Points.
Thank you for reading.
After an hour long wait at the DMV, my partner and I were hungry and some soul food seemed like the right thing to do. She ordered the jerk chicken dinner with sides of Mac n cheese, collard greens and fried bread and I ordered the fried catfish with hush puppies, fried cabbage and corn bread. Â I have to say it was some of the best soul food I've ever had. The jerk had a really good spice to it and the catfish had a nice crunch on the outside and was nice and tender on the inside. As far as the sides go, I could eat them as a meal bet themselves, especially the Mac n cheese which was nice and creamy and the hush puppies were very well seasoned.
The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. Â We were lucky that we arrived early because the place really filled up for he noon lunch hour. We are definitely looking forward to coming here again.
Wow - you all must be desperate for soul food, but this was not good at all!
I went based on yelp reviews and was totally disappointed. I ordered catfish and mac & cheese and I should have asked for cardboard with a side of packing peanuts, because they tasted about the same.
On top of the bland food, the decor sucked and I was served on paper plates with plastic utensils. The neighborhood was also a little seedy complete with creepy guys standing outside staring at me through the glass window.
The only positive was that the service was fast. Clearly that's because the chef skipped the step where you season the food.
blech.
My experience here exceeded my expectations! Great service and amazing food, so much yummmmm for my money. Tom's Home Cookin' has some competition.
We wandered in here on a snowy Friday night and the place was pretty much empty. We scored a booth table, were promptly served drinks and had our orders taken. Although it took me an eternity to pick 2 sides from the laundry list of home cooked goodness. We were warned it would be 27 minutes until I received my piping hot plate of fried chicken-a nice courtesy if you weren't aware of the time required for really really good freshly fried chicken.
Then we waited for what seemed suspiciously less than 27 minutes and were rewarded with 2 enormous plates of food. One HUGE plate of jerk pork with hush puppies and yams and another HUGENORMOUS plate of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and fry bread. Mmmmm fried.
The fried chicken was incredible. Crunchy, fresh, not too greasy, but moist and beyond delicious. Loved it. The mac n' cheese was a perfect amalgamation of all my favorite versions. The noodles were soft like my favorite childhood recipes, the sauce was a balance of creamy and cheesy that landed somewhere between velveeta and fresh cheddar and the flavor was out of this world. This might be my favorite old school, home style, take me back to childhood mac n' cheese in town. Also fry bread+ honey = yum.
My boyfriend's plate of jerk chicken got a thorough visit from my fork. I loved the hush puppies (perfect crispy little corn balls) and the yams. But truly I couldn't keep my hands off the jerk pork. Tender, succulent, and juicy, soaked in a sweet and spicy jerk sauce that made me smile.
Good food. Not fast. But serious home cooked deliciousness resides here. And it happens to be a 2 minute walk from my house. I win.
Hopefully, reviewing the Welton Street Cafe before eating the fried chicken is like reviewing Fogo de Chao after eating just the vegetarian menu. Â I didn't eat the fried chicken. Â I dug into the Caribbean menu and went with the jerk chicken. Â It was alright. Â The chicken was served as boneless pieces of chicken breast cooked in a jerk sauce like gravy. Â The jerk sauce (middle schoolers are laughing at that phrase) was splendid, a nice balance of heat with all spice. Â The chicken was okay - a little on the dry side and not what I am used to when it comes to jerk chicken. Â But I would definitely get the chicken again. Â My sides were the red beans and rice, which were delicious, and the fried okra, which was not memorable. Â I am planning a return trip for the fried chicken - but for now, just three stars.
Review Source:The food was good but, damn, service was sooo sloooow. The place was surprisingly busy for 2pm on a Saturday, but over 45 minutes to get a couple of plates?? Definitely not recommended if you're in a hurry!
I ordered the jerk chicken (absolutely delicious - a  juicy, spicy, sliced boneless chicken breast. I would have it again, for sure), mac and cheese (good but not great. Didn't taste homemade tbh), hush puppies (super crispy and really dry but, when smooshed up and soaked in the jerk chicken juices and spices, every bite was a mini explosion of flavor), and fry bread (doughnut-like and fantastic). He had the pork chops with fried okra, black eyed peas and corn bread. Apart from the peas which were perfectly tender and flavorful, everything else was satisfying but not really exceptional.
Although I wasn't  completely blown away by the experience at WSC, I definitely want to go back to try the fried chicken - it looked (and smelled) amazing!
3.5 stars for now.
Welton Street Cafe is a Five-Points institution and proof positive that there is still a bit of soul amongst the gentrification. Part soul food and part Caribbean restaurant, Welton Street Cafe serves generous portions of jerk chicken, catfish and fried chicken with heaping sides of mac and cheese, okra or greens.
Everything is made to order so make sure you have time to appreciate your meal. Last time I was in I had the jerk chicken, which is the best variation I have ever had on the dish. It was definitely spicy with a great chili kick but also some underlying sweetness of pumpkin pie spices. The meat was smoked and fall off the bone tender.
I always order greens for the side, because they are simply amazing. Pork and spices compliment the light bitterness of the leaves for the perfect greens flavor. The rest of the sides are all excellent though I have never been a fan of okra. And everything is served with a sweet homemade cornbread roll that I love to soak the last bits of sauce with. And if you have room, try their rotating selection of deserts such as cobbler or spiced rum cake. Yum.
Service is always great; an informal but convivial feel that makes you think you're eating in your aunt and uncle's kitchen. Simply one of top destinations for Caribbean or southern cooking in the city.
I was craving soul food and thought why not head to the "hood?" I say this laughingly because having graduated from Temple U. in North Philadelphia (getting out of their alive everyday is truly the challenge) makes one appreciate this eclectic, culturally diverse neighborhood.
I first tried Tom' s but he's gone fishing until the 6th. We continued a couple blocks up and stumbled upon another soul food joint. I asked a local if it was worthy. She tactfully said she lived across the street and never eats there. She told us that Welton St. Cafe is where it's at.
My boyfriend went inside to order us some jerk chicken, mac and cheese, greens, red beans and rice, along with cornbread and flat bread. I asked a another local outside what was good at Welton's and he recommended everything. He also told me that the first woman was incorrect on the second soul food establishment we considered. He said it was "Hood Icon," and in business for over thirty years.
I truly enjoyed the greens cooked to perfection without a trace of bitterness. The mac and cheese was pure comfort and creamy. The red beans and rice were certainly tasty, although I would have appreciated a degree more heat. Same is true for the jerk chicken. The corn bread was also satisfying, but would have been even better with jalapeno or perhaps some whole kernels of corn to retain the moisture.
If I should return, I would most definitely order the  fried chicken next time along with one of their Pates (Flat bread filled with many options). This bread is so delectable, somewhat like funnel cake without the sweetness. Heart attack on a plate? Perhaps, but we are eating soul food now.
So, I finally decided to try Welton Street Cafe last weekend, and it was awsome. Â I won't bore you with my experience with the south and southern food in my younger years, so I'll just say it's extensive. Â And the same with my bf.
Now.....this is the best southern food (or dare I say 'soul food') restaurant I've been to since I was last in Beaumont, Tx. Â Hands down. Â None better.
I ordered the chicken wings, mac & chs, greens. Â My bf had the jerk chicken sandwich, yams, Â and fried okra.
The chicken pieces were large (not kfc baby chicken size), hot, and spiced to perfection. Â The mac & chs was creamy and delicious, and the greens were just beautiful...not bitter!!! Â
The only thing I can tell you about my bf's meal, is that the fried okra was hella good!! Â And I'm not a okra fan at all. Â
He inhaled everything else, so I didn't get to taste those items. Â But he did say 'so good'....which came out sounding like 'go wood' cuz he had a mouthful of food when he said it. Â I understood him though. Â :-)
The service was top notch and everyone seemed very happy to see us.
If there is one thing I've learned from growing up in the South it's that good fried chicken takes time to make and that it tastes worth every minute that you'll wait for it to come out. If you order fried chicken at Welton Street it could easily take up to a half hour before you see your food. But, when you get it and the breading is perfectly crisp while the meat it juicy and tender you'll immediately forget about the wait.
A word of warning about perfectly prepared chicken - it is burn-your-mouth hot when it comes out. So try and give it a few minutes to cool if you can. If you can't wait I recommend tearing it apart and at least giving it a little blow of air to cool it off to avoid maximum mouth burning.
Another thing about good Southern food is that it always comes with cornbread. Welton makes corn bread that I'm envious of. It's moist and flakey, crumbling apart in you hand/mouth as you're trying to wolf it down.
In addition to my delicious chicken and corn bread I had yams and mac and cheese. (Come on now, you know if a place offers mac and cheese, I'm ordering it.) The mac was really good, not fancy pants good, but basic cheesey pasta comfort food. The yams were the same - just the right amount of sweet.
The service was friendly, just like eating in a Southern restaurant, or a really good soul food place here in Colorado. If you're a fan of Tom's or Joseph's or just really good Southern food I'd recommend paying Welton Street Café a visit.
I grew up in the south. I will admit, I am a bit of a food snob when it comes to good old home country cookin. I also grew up on the 'wrong side of the tracks' in Florida so frequenting a 'soul food' restaurant wasn't something new to me. I had expectations. High ones for that matter.
Walking into the Welton Street Cafe reminded me of my favorite place for catfish in Orlando that I would take my grandma to when I would visit. Firstly, I didn't feel out of place or uncomfortable. Maybe that was my upbringing but I didn't get the feeling that it was 'weird' for a white boy to be walking in. I ordered what I always order - fried catfish dinner. Side of greens. Cornbread. And I always struggle with the second side order but this time I went with the mustard based potato salad.
Every side dish in the place is homemade with the exception of the fries and onion rings.
T and M ordered the chicken dinner about 10 minutes before I arrived. Yet, our food all came out at once. And their chicken was still hot and savory. I was pretty impressed with that.
My catfish was lightly breaded and fried up crispy, not overcooked, not burned and not soggy. To top it off, there was a big bottle of hot sauce ready to go.
I was pleasantly surprised that the greens weren't overcooked and not loaded up with salt. They had a wonderful consistency that I'd never had with greens at similar restaurants. The potato salad was good. Not anything to write home about and I'd probably get another side next time.
Now, the cornbread is a different story. The BEST I've ever had! A bit crumbly, yet moist and bursting with flavor.
I did go out on a limb and ask for something I was hoping to hear a yes to........'do you have sweet tea?' No. Oh the humanity!!!! How can I eat fried catfish with no sweet tea. (insert southern accent here) You like sweet tea? I like me some sweet tea. You gotta have some sweet tea. I'm not kidding. Sweet Jesus, make some sweet tea. I will even come in and show you how to boil down the sugar and make it. I know I live out west. There is no sweet tea west of Kentucky. I get it. I understand. But how cool would it be for the only restaurant in Denver to serve up some sweet golden deliciousness? It would make this great restaurant even more amazing.
I have not been pulled over by the police or had to deal with the police in any way, shape, or form for years ... but this weekend they suddenly couldn't get enough of me. I've been pulled over 3 times and received a separate citation from the parking violations bureau, all in the last 4 days! Â Turns out my tags have expired over a month ago, but I did not know this because I recently moved and the expired tag reminder-mails specifically say "do not forward" to a new address.
Point..? It's time to go to the DMV!!! Having recently read the reviews posted below, I have been itching to try the DMV's prestigious neighbor, the Welton Street Cafe - as fine a case of preparation-meets-opportunity as I can recall in recent memory. :)
Loved the place. The service is extremely welcoming ... the daughter is the host/waitress, mom cooks the jerk and the greens, and the son cooks the hamburgers. The portions are hearty. I split a cheeseburger, a jerk-chicken sandwich, and sides of greens and fried okra. Down-home deliciousness. My only regret is I was too stuffed to try the peach cobbler desert, but there will most definitely be a next time, just as soon as I finish paying off all those tickets...
I like to eat. A lot. It's why I work. I could tolerate living in a cave, if it had a fridge and an oven (both micro and convection). I like big, hearty meals, and I love southern cooking for that reason. Â
  I went into the Welton Street Cafe tonight after riding my new bike all day, knowing I was hungry enough to eat me some southern food! I had the fried perch and the jerk chicken. My sides were greens, yams, okra, and black eyed peas, biscuits and honey finished the meal off, and I ALMOST finished both entrees, but these were huge portions!!
  This is awesome southern-style food, and I am going back for everything on this menu!
Small family owned great cafe in the heart of Five Points, sometimes the services is lacking but the food makes up for it. They have huge portions and a variety of dishes, My personal favorite is the big home style hamburger they sell for a little over $4. They also have a huge catfish sandwich that is sure to fulfill anyone's appetite.
The menu ranges from full blown fried chicken dinners (enough to feed at least 2) chicken wings, burgers, fish sandwiches, mac and cheese (get some) and various others sides, pates (chicken cheese and broccoli is my favorite)
There is a genuinely excellent restaurant with splendid food and very good service, and it isn't reviewed yet? Â Hmmmm....
We had been to the Five Points DMV and then walked across Welton looking for a place to get a midafternoon meal, as Tom's was already closed and that's where we usually go when we're in this particular area.
So a lady in a car asked us if we were lost (we did sort of look lost) and we told her we were looking for a good place to eat. Â She recommended the Welton Street Cafe, right back across the street and the Light Rail tracks to where we had just been.
She said, "tell them Minerva sent you!"
So we took Minerva's advice and went to the Welton Street Cafe. Â We liked the friendly greeting and the artwork on the walls. Â Especially the tiger print! Â
My daughter and I ordered the Jamaican Jerk Chicken (breast meat) entree and shared it. Â It was more than enough for 2 people. Â 2 side dishes and a choice of bread were included with it, so we got the fried okra and sweet potatoes, and she got an additional side of black-eyed peas, + a generous piece of fresh cornbread to share. Â Â My bro got the pork chops with red beans and rice and another side, and the fry bread. Â Not health food; this I know, but this delicious meal was well worth whatever calories it contained. Â My bro, who is a very picky eater, said these were the best red beans and rice he had ever had. Â My daughter thought of getting extra portions of various sides to take home, but kept remembering that she is dieting and in the end decided not to.
The menu at the Welton Street Cafe included several fish entrees including Tilapia and Catfish and Cod. Â The table next to us ordered fish and it looked very good.
I'm pretty sure this cafe does not serve alcohol...it is just a cafe.
There is free parking in the lot behind it, which is nice. Â
This is a true neighborhood cafe, without pretense. Â I will try to find out if they have a website with their menu on it. Â Not sure if they do or not. Â
Their portions are huge and the food is tasty and well-prepared. Â I highly recommend this place!
And thank you, Minerva, Â for pointing this cafe out to us!!!!!!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
