East 12th Kafe

One day, we're all going to end up at Luby's, gumming away on our spinach and black eyed peas. But until then, we can dine at East 12th Kafe, which is a little bit like a Luby's distilled down to its best offerings: Deliciously bad-for-you mac n' cheese. Crunchy catfish. Collard greens with just enough tang. This is Southern comfort food with a Cajun kick, where service is reliably friendly and the atmosphere is almost Cheers-esque. It's one of those places that, even brand new, seems like it's been a neighborhood staple for years.