SoCo Kitchen & Bar Wollongong

Never had a bad experience here. The food that comes from this tiny, 1-man kitchen is seriously impressive. Not to mention the faultless service that will keep you coming back.

The duo that run SoCo are well deserving of the positive praise.

First of all Amy is an absolute machine running the floor, then the food Sean produces is 👌 I've wanted to try this cheeseburger for aaaaagggggeeessss!! And I definitely was not disappointed! But from the Chicky nuggs to the cornbread to the chicken and waffles, everything is prime!
We will be back, again, again and again.....
Oh and try the hot sauce!

One of our regular eateries- Some of our favourite dishes are Fried Chicken and waffle, Bleu on Black burger and beef brisket. They have a really nice selection of booze too. Last but not least, always great to see the lovely Amy!

The bottom end of Crown street is not just a place for seedy bars and weekend revellers anymore. There are lots of little gems opening up that are serving up thoughtfully designed menus and amazing food.

Soco Kitchen is the brain child of Sean Jones and Amy Bennett. Sean works his magic in the kitchen and Amy takes care of everything else front of house.

The venue is cozy and intimate with a bar at one end and tables lining either side of the modest dining room. They decor is super cool and kitschy. The original gaudy depictions of Roman goddesses and cherubs still adorn the walls; remnants of the locations former life as an Italian restaurant. Overlaying the old is southern/ creole American paraphernalia such as skulls, beads and the like. It’s weird, but hey, it works!

The thing that really makes your evening memorable at Soco is the amazing service delivered southern hospitality style. Amy is a sensational host and you really feel like she is inviting you into her home to settle in for some amazing home style cooking.

We had the smoked fish dip and Cuban pork bites for entree. The fish dip is light and creamy. The fish flavour isn’t overwhelming and topped with beautiful popping row there is lots of good things going on with this dish.

The pork bites look like a small serve but they are decadent and rich and more than satisfied our group of three.

For mains we ordered the Soco Gumbo, Fried Chicken & Waffle and the Slow Roasted Beef Brisket. All the dishes were great. The chicken and waffles has some very unique flavours with sweet meets sour and juicy chicken meets crunchy batter and fluffy waffles.

The brisket melts in your mouth and is served with baked potatoes and wilted spinach. The dish is tasty but very very rich and perhaps a little heavy for some. Bring your appetite because it’s going to fill you up!

The gumbo is probably not the same as you would find in the US but it holds its own as a complex and satisfying dish. It’s comfort food that will have you licking the bowl… if you can get through the serving. And don’t forget the corn bread, it’s delicious.

We didn’t get a chance to sample the extensive drinks and cocktail menu but it looked really interesting.

We had a great nigh! Thanks 🙏

I cannot recommend this place enough from the food to the wine this plave is an absolut hidden gem in crown street.
Ive follow them on insta this whole time and just finally got around to trying this place and everyone raved the food was amazing. Sean knows hows to cook if i could eat his gumbo every day i would. Then wine choice what we original wanted wasnt available but the other choices did not disappoint the wine is an amazing selection.
I give my hats off to this amazing couple and what they have brought to wollongong and ill will bring more friends and be more frequent cause i have missed out on this food for too long.

Went here with my partner as a birthday treat. The staff immediately greeted us and was super friendly. The food was spectacular! The atmosphere was very dark western. Definitely a place to check out when in Wollongong!

Cannot fault this place at all. The food is to die for (the cuban pork bites + gumbo + brisket are heavenly), the interior is beautiful, the music is great, and Amy is an amazing server, always so friendly and attentive. My partner and I love coming here whenever we can- absolutely our favourite restaurant in the illawarra!

Tucked away behind a very small store front on crown st is this little gem. The couple who run the place are amazing and always make sure that everyone is looked after. The food is delicious, and it absolutely has a Southern Comfort vibe to it. The small dining room coupled with the staff's friendly casual approach makes for a great intimate atmosphere. If you're looking for a taste of the south with hospitality to match, then I'd 100% recommend stopping in at SoCo Kitchen. We've never had anything less than stellar experiences here.

Dined in last night to try the current specials. All of the food was absolutely delicious. The cocktails were great and service as always was fantastic. If you haven't been yet you should add it to your list! Thanks for a wonderful experience Sean and Amy!

Southern Comfort cookin in the heart of the Illawarra. These guys are a great team - thoughtful, attention to detail menu with heaps of weekly variation (alligator cevice!) and enthusiastic front of house with that southern warmth!
Loving the combos of hot sauces, local & imported beers and simple food done at a high standard.
Loved the po-boy... Generous serving, with Louisiana hot sauce. Awesome.

Let's face it, this is the one stop shop in Wollongong for enjoying "deep south" comfort food. A rockin lil restaurant that smashes out the flavour. It is really important to support small business too, with the owners being a young couple working as a very productive team. It looks like Dad helps out on the busier nights, and man that fella can clean. If you can't manage to eat in, the food is equally as tasty delivered.

My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner and loved it! I've wanted to come & try SoCo for so long and we were not disappointed. Before even trying the food, we could have given a 5 star review. The service was fantastic and everything sounded amazing on the menu. We were super happy with our meals & cocktails! We will definitely be back - thank you!

Always had amazing food, literally haven't found anything on the menu that's not spectacular!

This place is a hidden gem! Atmosphere is stunning but the food is absolutely next level. We had pork belly bites, chickie nuggs and gumbo. The sauce on the nuggs is out of this world! But honestly, the star of the show was the corn bread. Holy actual hell. Do yourself a favour and order double corn bread. Every. Single. Time. You won't be disappointed.

Really enjoyed everything that came out, we got to try a number of different things as we all shared dishes so we could taste different things, couldn't fault any of them. Drinks were also top notch, up there with one of the best margs in the Illawarra. Will definitely be back.

Wonderful food, best in town/state/country. Amazing and friendly service.
Cannot recommend highly enough

Super good, so good infact all the tables started to talk to each other about how good the food is

Southern Hospitality in Wollongong, its their brief and it is what they deliver. Perfect venue to have some food with people you love especially on a cold rainy night. Menu is perfect size because everything is delicious and cooked to perfection, flavours are perfectly balanced If you don't get lucky enough to get in their take away hold up nicely and are still delicious.

First time here and definitely won't be my last . I will be visiting every time i come down for work, that's for sure . Food is amazing

One of the best restaurants in the gong.