Annie’s Soul Delicious: The Soul Food For LA’s Biggest Celebrity Names

Step inside and be transported: oxtails simmer in thick gravy, shrimp and grits arrive piping hot for any meal, and fried chicken glazed in habanero honey will snap you out of a midday fog. The air hums with Motown classics and the unmistakable aroma of butter, spice, and something that feels like home.

In 1998, Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker hired Annalisa “Annie” Johnson to cook her “soul delicious” food for the Hope Floats movie cast and crew. It didn’t take long for word of her cooking to spread through Los Angeles, prompting her to start Annie’s Edibles, a catering business that fed film sets, music videos, and private events. Finally, in 2018, she opened a permanent soul food restaurant in Little Ethiopia on Fairfax Avenue, transforming her catering legacy into a community destination.

Before opening her restaurant, Annie already catered to some of the biggest names in Hollywood—Sandra Bullock, Queen Latifah, and Matthew McConaughey among them. Today, Annie’s Soul Delicious continues to attract a steady stream of famous faces alongside a bustling lunchtime crowd. A table in the back might seat a Hollywood superstar one day, a sitcom regular another, or a rapper’s entourage next. Still, Annie treats everyone the same way: with a smile, a story, and a plate piled high.

During the pandemic, when many restaurants shuttered, Annie kept her doors open from Thursday through Sunday. Lines still wrapped around the block, proof that people weren’t just hungry for her food—they were hungry for her warmth. Long after those days, the dining room still pulses with chatter like a family reunion. High-flying agents, busy parents, and bleary-eyed regulars all squeeze in elbow-to-elbow, breaking cornbread and trading stories.

Handshakes and laughs are the currency here. First-timers are greeted like old friends, coaxed in with big smiles and the promise of something “soul delicious.” After two sips of sweet tea, the staff calls regulars by name. It’s the kind of hospitality that makes time slow down—a reminder that food, at its best, connects us to one another.

In the kitchen, Annie’s crew cooks from memory: fried catfish with a crackling crust, mac and cheese that slouches into a glorious heap, cabbage braised until fragrant, peach cobbler bubbling under a golden crust. Every dish tells a story—some passed down from Annie’s Louisiana roots, others inspired by years spent cooking for celebrities and film crews who came to crave her signature touch.

Ask Annie about her cooking, and she’ll shake her head and grin.

“People doubted me from day one,” she said in a recently published episode of The SBRBNLA Podcast. “But cooking is my superpower.”

That superpower shows up in the details—the way the collard greens are seasoned just right, the slow patience behind her oxtails, and the warmth that lingers long after the last bite. Her food isn’t just about taste; it’s about memory, resilience, and joy.

In a city obsessed with what’s new, Annie’s Soul Delicious stands out for what’s timeless. It’s a place where Southern roots meet West Coast cool, where regulars bring their kids to experience their first taste of real soul food, and where tourists stumble in, unsure of what to expect, only to leave raving about the best meal of their trip.

There’s no pretense, no fancy plating—just soulful cooking made with intention. The walls are lined with photos of Annie posing with celebrities and family alike, a visual timeline of her journey from private chef to LA icon. Yet despite the star power, Annie remains humble, often found in the kitchen herself, stirring gravy or plating fish.

“Every plate that goes out has a piece of me in it,” she says. “That’s how I honor where I came from.”

Annie’s Soul Delicious is more than a restaurant—it’s a living, breathing love letter to community and tradition. In every bite, there’s a sense of history and hope, proof that soul food is more than comfort; it’s connection.

Want to know what soulful hospitality feels like? Take a seat. You’ll leave with a full stomach, a few new friends, and someone will probably remember your name next time. The LA restaurant is open from noon to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.