Faye and Joe’s Southern Bowl is a family-owned restaurant serving comfort food in the form of authentic soul food and Southern cuisine in a casual and welcoming atmosphere. We specialize in home-made southern dishes including fried catfish, fried chicken, smothered chicken, smoked BBQ ribs, beef short ribs, meat loaf, oxtails, smothered pork chop, baked turkey wings, salmon as well as, collard greens, dressing, macaroni, sweet potatoes, red beans, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes and more! Our food is prepared with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. Our goal is to provide a taste of Southern hospitality and home-style cooking to the local community.
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–8 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 399 E 81st Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone: (219) 472-8081
Website: http://thesouthernbowl.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
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Reviews
Lori Davis
First time coming to this establishment. I really enjoyed my meal but I didn’t get any pics. Food was nice and hot. I arrived at 10:55 and was told that they would be open in about 15 minutes. We were welcomed to come in and have a seat. Nice clean restaurant and bathrooms. I had the chicken wings, greens, macaroni and cheese and a side of sweet potatoes. I would come back again. A manager came to our table to check on us, she also offered a refill on our drinks.
… moreFELICIA JOY
November 2, 2025 update: after months of trying to support them, I have to update my rating and review. The food is hit or miss. They often do not have items they say they will have. If you say Sunday is banana pudding day, have plenty of it. They don’t open on time sometimes. They don’t answer the phone some times to help customers avoid driving there only to not be able to purchase what they wanted. They operate too slowly due to improper preparation for predictable peak times. They seem lax about addressing any of these issues. If it’s a business, run it like one. I’m super disappointed that they didn’t become what customers were hoping they would be.
**************************************
Prior review when they first opened:
– Overall rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars. I’ll eat here again and recommend it to others!
– Food: Overall good. Some items were just okay, some were great! Very good variety of options. See additional details below.
– Ambiance: Nice. The restaurant is clean with nice decor and plenty of seating. They put all the food in to-go containers and pack it up as if your order is carryout. This doesn’t encourage patrons to stay, but there is plenty of seating if you decide to sit down, unpack the food, and eat.
– Service: Very good. I was promptly greeted and she highlighted the available protein options.
– Location: Good. It is easy to get to, there is plenty of parking, and it has wheelchair and/or cane, crutch, and walker accessibility.
– Value/price: Good. I paid $25.78 for a beef short rib dinner with collard greens, yams, and cornbread. The portions were generous. We also bought one each of all the other sides to try them out. The total bill was $69.85 for the dinner, 7 other sides, and a slice of caramel cake.
Specific food ratings:
– Beef short rib: 10 out of 10
– Collard greens: 8.5 out of 10 (great flavor but too salty)
– Yams: 11 out of 10 (delicious!! )
– Black-eyed peas: 10 out of 10
– Dressing: 10 out of 10
– Mac and cheese: 8.5 out of 10 (great flavor but just slightly dry and not enough cheese)
– Mashed potatoes: 5.5 out of 10 (bland)
– Corn: 7 out of 10
– Green beans: 8 out of 10
– Pinto beans and rice: 6 out of 10 (a bit mushy)
– Cornbread: 9 out of 10
– Caramel cake: 5.5 out of 10 (very sweet but not as rich in flavor as I like)
… more**************************************
Prior review when they first opened:
– Overall rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars. I’ll eat here again and recommend it to others!
– Food: Overall good. Some items were just okay, some were great! Very good variety of options. See additional details below.
– Ambiance: Nice. The restaurant is clean with nice decor and plenty of seating. They put all the food in to-go containers and pack it up as if your order is carryout. This doesn’t encourage patrons to stay, but there is plenty of seating if you decide to sit down, unpack the food, and eat.
– Service: Very good. I was promptly greeted and she highlighted the available protein options.
– Location: Good. It is easy to get to, there is plenty of parking, and it has wheelchair and/or cane, crutch, and walker accessibility.
– Value/price: Good. I paid $25.78 for a beef short rib dinner with collard greens, yams, and cornbread. The portions were generous. We also bought one each of all the other sides to try them out. The total bill was $69.85 for the dinner, 7 other sides, and a slice of caramel cake.
Specific food ratings:
– Beef short rib: 10 out of 10
– Collard greens: 8.5 out of 10 (great flavor but too salty)
– Yams: 11 out of 10 (delicious!! )
– Black-eyed peas: 10 out of 10
– Dressing: 10 out of 10
– Mac and cheese: 8.5 out of 10 (great flavor but just slightly dry and not enough cheese)
– Mashed potatoes: 5.5 out of 10 (bland)
– Corn: 7 out of 10
– Green beans: 8 out of 10
– Pinto beans and rice: 6 out of 10 (a bit mushy)
– Cornbread: 9 out of 10
– Caramel cake: 5.5 out of 10 (very sweet but not as rich in flavor as I like)
L Hoskins
I love the ambience of the restaurant. It was very clean. Cleanliness is a thumbs up for me. I have the catfish. Oh my God the pieces were so big. That felt good because lately a lot of restaurants are becoming skimpy with the catfish. The pieces were big and thick. The food was flavored well. I had the greens and red beans and rice. The cornbread wasn’t as most as I would have like, but overall good food that was seasoned well.
… moreParis Walker
The service was amazing. The food was mouthwatering everything was on point. The temperature of the food was great, 10 out of 10 definitely will recommend it to families and friends. Great environment very friendly people great customer service skills. The establishment was very clean.
… moreChrystal Lee
I had the beef short ribs, sweet potatoes & mac n cheese. All were delicious. The meat was tender and savory. Like home cooking. The restaurant is very clean and nicely decorated. The host was very nice and polite and took the time to give me a little history of their restaurant. They are newly opened. There’s parking available right out front, and the restrooms are clean and decorated like the restaurant, with a tropical theme. My meal cost was around $26.00.
I will return to try their other dishes.
… moreI will return to try their other dishes.
Ashlee A
⭐☆☆☆☆
This was my first time here and unfortunately it will also be my last. My boyfriend ordered the beef short ribs, and they were extremely dry like they had been reheated from the day before. As for my meal, I was appalled to find a feather still on my fried chicken. That is completely unacceptable and a clear sign that the food is not being cleaned or prepared with proper care.
Finding feathers on fried chicken isn’t just unappetizing it shows a lack of attention to detail and cleanliness in the kitchen. On top of that, the food was bland overall. For the price, I expected much better quality and care.
… moreThis was my first time here and unfortunately it will also be my last. My boyfriend ordered the beef short ribs, and they were extremely dry like they had been reheated from the day before. As for my meal, I was appalled to find a feather still on my fried chicken. That is completely unacceptable and a clear sign that the food is not being cleaned or prepared with proper care.
Finding feathers on fried chicken isn’t just unappetizing it shows a lack of attention to detail and cleanliness in the kitchen. On top of that, the food was bland overall. For the price, I expected much better quality and care.
John G
I thought the food here was very good. We got the beef short rib and catfish meal with two sides each and it was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The sides were also very good. We had the mac&cheese, yams and greens. Only issue we had was knowing where to place the order. I will definitely be going back.
… moreDarrel
The food taste GREAT. VERY DELICIOUS!
My only issues are:
1. The portions aren’t sufficient to the price.
$20 for 4 wings and 2 small sides.
$30 plus for 1 small beef short rib. Mostly bristle and fat.
2.They open at 11am. I got there they were closed. The young lady instructed me to come back at 11:30am. I called back at 11:40am, no answer.
I drove back there around noon she took my order.
Other then that, I would definitely try this place again because it has a very nice atmosphere and the food was DELICIOUS!
Please give them a try and let us know ow what you think.
… moreMy only issues are:
1. The portions aren’t sufficient to the price.
$20 for 4 wings and 2 small sides.
$30 plus for 1 small beef short rib. Mostly bristle and fat.
2.They open at 11am. I got there they were closed. The young lady instructed me to come back at 11:30am. I called back at 11:40am, no answer.
I drove back there around noon she took my order.
Other then that, I would definitely try this place again because it has a very nice atmosphere and the food was DELICIOUS!
Please give them a try and let us know ow what you think.
Terese Mittler
The food takes just like Grandma made it. The absolute best candied yams in any restaurant. They even have ox tails and ham hicks on select days. The food was absolutely amazing.
… morePatricia King-ballard
The King Konnection Family got together for dinner on Sunday. The food was great. The service was absolutely great. The owner’s daughter took good care of us. Sorry, but I forgot her name. She was like a breath of fresh air. She was so hospitable. I thought I was at Mom’s house for dinner.
All I can say is, go for yourself and give them a try. Dine in or carry out.
… moreAll I can say is, go for yourself and give them a try. Dine in or carry out.