The 411 on Southern Comfort Kitchen–Castro Valley #
Address: 3571 Castro Valley Blvd
Castro Valley, CA
Website: https://socokitchen.net/
The Vibe: Southern Comfort Kitchen is a fast-casual Bay Area chain focused on Louisianian cooking. The closest branch to me is in Castro Valley, which is the original and the only one I’ve now tried. I’d heard about their fried chicken sandwich so many times, I knew I needed to check it out.
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The restaurant is tucked into a small strip mall, and parking can be a challenge at busy times of day. The parking spaces that go past the building on the right are reserved for other businesses, but there is a lot with extra parking directly behind the restaurant. Look for the small road on the left side of the building to access it.
Inside, various New Orleans still lifes and brass instruments hang on lavender and brick walls. The JazzFest posters are a nod to the owners’ parents, who cooked for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for years when they lived there in the 80s. They passed on their love of cooking to their three sons, who first opened Southern Comfort Kitchen as a food truck.
The wooden tables have nice, wide black chairs, unlike the standard skinny ones business owners buy in bulk. As an owner of the average-sized American derrière, I appreciate that.
Order at the counter, and they’ll call out your number when it’s ready or bring it straight to you if the shop’s not busy.
My Take on Southern Comfort Kitchen–Castro Valley #
The Food: While the fried chicken sandwich is what Southern Comfort Kitchen is most known for, it’s not what I craved on my first visit. Rather, I ordered small portions of the crab fries and crawfish étouffée.
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Yes, that's a “small,” y’all! I should note that Southern Comfort Kitchen’s online menu mentioned the small option for the crab fries, but it did not appear on the menu in the store, only the full portion. So I asked, and they said it was available in that size.
The fries were delicious, with a healthy amount of rock crab lumped on top along with Old Bay aioli and Cajun seasonings on the fries themselves. The dish has plenty of green onions, and I love green onions. The fries had a great crunch, and they did not go limp under the aioli sauce.
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The crawfish étouffée’s sauce was rich with mellow spices. I appreciated its generous helping of green onions as well, though I did wish for more crawfish. Regardless, the étouffée combined nicely with the rice and the side of baguette that they provided even with my “small” portion.
My husband ordered a quarter muffaletta sandwich and a side of regular fries.
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The quarter looked large enough to satisfy a light appetite, with a copious amount of cheese melting out the sides. Ingredients include prosciutto, black forest ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, swiss, and olive salad. My husband had no complaints, but I did not try the sandwich myself as I’m not a fan of olives.
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The side order of regular fries is bountiful, as you can see, and the sauce served with them is the same tasty Old Bay aioli that came on top of my crab fries.
Of course, I had to go back to try the fried chicken sandwich. I should note that it's not a "hot chicken" sandwich, but an amazing classic one without chile heat.
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That is two—2!—freshly fried chicken breasts with a red vinegar coleslaw, pickles, and more of the Old Bay aioli. The incredible tastes and tingles from the herbs and spices in this well-seasoned batter thrilled my tastebuds. I refrained from drizzling over Crystal hot sauce once I realized how lovely the sandwich was without it, and I love a hot chicken sandwich. This one just plain doesn't need that extra zestiness. The coleslaw’s vinegar dressing tang, the pickle brine, and the creamy aioli all mingle with those seasonings, making a near-perfect mix of flavors and textures for a sandwich. No notes. Wonderful.
Would I Go Back? That answer is obviously yes. And I have yet to try their mac and cheese or vegetable sides (crispy green beans and brussels sprouts, please!). I also appreciate that Southern Comfort Kitchen offers many of their entrées in combinations. Can’t decide on fried oysters, shrimp, or catfish for your po’ boy? Go for a 50/50!
If you’re craving good Cajun cooking, I don’t think you can do much better than Southern Comfort Kitchen in the Bay Area.
Reviewed August & September 2025.
