plate of cornbread

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Cornbread is one of those tasty, home-style treats that seemingly everyone has their own take on. This includes many chain restaurants, which offer options ranging from sweet honey-infused muffins to tantalizingly spicy jalapeno and cheese breads. To find out which one stood out above the rest, we went to the people who'd know best: reviewers. It turns out it's not a Southern company — it's the New York City-area chain Cornbread Soul.

To determine Mashed's rankings of chain restaurant cornbread, we consulted reviews on sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp, looking not just for flavor and appearance but also consistency across a large number of locations, ensuring the chain was responsible for the quality, not any individual restaurant.

Top honors went to Cornbread Soul, which proudly says on its website that it "obsess[es] over every detail of each meal." The made-from-scratch cornbread is cut into pie-shaped slices and is available in two-, six-, and twelve-piece portions as a side. A slice also comes with each meal, which include classics like fried chicken and fish, ribs, turkey wings, and even oxtail.

Consistent praise for quality cornbread

Although New York may not seem like the place you'd expect buzz-worthy cornbread, the reviews are all the evidence you need. As a Yelp user put it, "This place is so comforting and has hands down THE BEST CORNBREAD I'VE EVER TASTED!!!" Some folks have even said the item rivals what you find at authentic soul food spots in the South. Regularly long lines are also a big indicator of just how popular this small but expanding chain's cornbread has become.

The eatery also boasts an impressive 4.8-star rating on Google, powered by over 6,400 reviews. One satisfied diner wrote, "I was being assailed by the flavors and softness of their cornbread. I spent a few years living down South, and I can't get [S]outhern food this good down there." Another person noted that the dish "had a great texture—not too gritty or dense." It's among the most frequently mentioned items in these reviews, along with praise for Cornbread Soul's service.

So, if you get tired of whipping up your own easy cornbread recipe, consider checking out this chain if you've got a location nearby. Cornbread Soul seemingly doesn't disappoint with its namesake item, and the great reviews leave little doubt.