Tim’s Soul Food Cafe
2047 Genesee Street, Buffalo / 893-2050
review by Mike Niman & Laura McClusky
Buffalo Gazette Culinary Arts Critics

It’s really just a tiny little place on the Genesee Strip in Schiller Park, but for those who have ever eaten there, it’s a giant! We’re talking about Tim’s Soul Food Cafe (http://www.grannywoods.com), home of "Granny Woods’ Sauce." This little take-out spot is also Buffalo’s newest, and maybe the best, Soul Food sensation.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s better than mom’s best. This is fine food with a soulful N’Orleans twist prepared in a spanking new kitchen under the watchful gaze of a trained chef. The menu is extensive, featuring delicacies like Pecan Chick with Jack Daniel’s Butter, Coconut Chicken Fingers, Shrimp Etoufee, Honey Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Chicken Primavera. They can instantly bring you down south to the Bayou with Louisiana Bayou Catfish, Crabcakes Cajun Steak, Hoppin’ John Soup and VooDoo Pasta.

Do you want to stay closer to home? If so they have all those old favorites such as Fried Chicken, Smothered Pork Chops, Meatloaf, Pork Chops and lots of BBQ Ribs, Short Ribs and Shoulders. All the dinners are $7 and include two sides.

It’s not the size of the menu that impressed us, especially considering many of the items aren’t available all the time. What impressed us was the knock you on your butt quality of the food. And that Granny Woods Sauce is GOOOD! We had the BBQ Ribs and the Pork Roast. The Ribs were incredible — which is a feat considering the absence of that tell tale mark of good ribs, the sidewalk cooker. The Ribs were meaty, lean and tender and as promised, the sauce was marinated in right down to the bone. These are the kind of ribs you write home about. And did we say, that Granny Woods’ Sauce is good — hot sweet tangy smokey, the perfect tongue ticking blend. So good they sell it by pint or by the gallon ($19.95).

The pork roast was sliced thin, swimming in gravy with red and green peppers and onions. Was that a hint of thyme as well? Delicious.

For sides we had Macaroni and Cheese, Red Beans and Rice, Greens and Yams. The Yams were scrumptious, sweet with typical pumpkin pie spices. The Greens seemed to come to life withe a tangy smoky flavor. The Macaroni and Cheese was full of cheese and flavor and baked just right. The Red Beans and rice were a little bland for our now spoiled palates, but proved to be a great stage for an encore performance by, you guessed it, that Granny Woods’ Sauce.

And don’t forget desert. We had peach cobbler and a big sweet fist sized twenty five cent (that’s no misprint) cookie. Brownie’s are a quarter too. We suspect the folks at Tim’s have a sweet spot in their hearts for the neighborhood kids as evidenced not only by the cheap cookies, but by their angle tree as well. Kid’s make a X-Mas wish, post it on the tree, and patrons buy the gifts and are entered into a contest to win a catered holiday party. Oh, did we mention Tim’s caters parties as well?

So, as the folks at Tim’s Soul Food Cafe say, "Come In and Get You a Plate!"