About the campaign

Why we’re doing this

10weeks
13businesses
1community

Pack the House is a ten-week campaign from The Seattle Medium, in partnership with the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Byrd Barr Place and Central Area Collaborative.

Every week for ten weeks, we feature one Black-owned restaurant — in the paper and here. The ask is simple: show up. Dine in or order direct, bring someone with you and tell people where you went.

These restaurants are more than places to eat. They create jobs, strengthen our community and provide spaces where people connect and celebrate. What helps most isn’t just a good review — it’s becoming a regular.

Show up. Spend money. Come back. Support Black-owned restaurants, one meal at a time.

Featured restaurant

Simply Soulful

Southern soul food · Central District · Black-owned & women-led

A Black-owned, women-led soul food kitchen on South Jackson Street. Simply Soulful started in 2014 at a local farmers market with Grandma’s signature sweet potato pie, and still cooks the family recipes from scratch — oxtails over rice, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles.

Braised oxtails in gravy over white rice, with a bowl of collard greens and a cornbread muffin, on a woven placemat.

In their words

Simply good food, made from scratch

Three Simply Soulful bottles on a red background — Mama’s BBQ Sauce, Mama’s Simple Rub and Mama’s Spicy BBQ Sauce. — The Mama’s line — BBQ sauce, simple rub and spicy BBQ sauce.

Simply Soulful was founded in 2014, after starting as a local farmers market selling Grandma’s signature sweet potato pie.

We are a Black-owned, women-led Seattle restaurant dedicated to bringing authentic, comforting Southern soul food to our community. Our menu features signature family recipes made fresh from scratch, crafted with love to make every guest feel right at home.

Deeply rooted in our neighborhood, we serve as a vibrant gathering space that celebrates local culture, brings people together, and gives back to the community we love.

Signature family recipes made fresh from scratch, crafted with love to make every guest feel right at home.

At a glance

Call Directions Menu Hours

Location: 2321 S Jackson St
Seattle, WA 98144

Contact: (206) 402-6618
www.simplysoulfulcafe.com
info@simplysoulfulcafe.com
@simplysoulfulseattle on Instagram

Hours

Four to order: Oxtail dinner
Braised oxtails in gravy over rice, with collard greens and a cornbread muffin.

Shrimp and grits
Shrimp in gravy over creamy grits.

Biscuit sandwich
A split biscuit with egg, cheese and bacon.

Banana pudding
A house dessert, made in the family tradition.

On The Seattle Medium

Read on, listen in

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How to take part

Three ways to pack the house

The campaign only works if seats get filled. Pick whichever one fits your week.

Best of all

Dine in

Take a seat. Bring someone. A full dining room is the whole point — it’s what a packed house looks like.

Reserve this week’s table →

Next best

Take out

Can’t make it in? Ordering direct from the restaurant — not a delivery app — keeps the most money on the block.

Find a number to call →

Costs nothing

Spread the word

Post the meal. Tag the restaurant. Tell one person who hasn’t been. Word of mouth is what fills the next ten weeks.

Follow @theseattlemedium →

All 10 restaurants

Every restaurant, all ten weeks

The full roster is live from day one — you don’t have to wait for a restaurant’s week to come around to go. Filter to find one near you.

Cuisine Showing all 10

Plus three coffee shops

For the morning drive, the meeting, the workday

These three aren’t on the weekly rotation — they’re here for the whole run. Buy a coffee, hold a meeting, get a few hours of work done.

The schedule

Ten weeks, ten restaurants

Each week brings a new feature article, a new at-a-glance, and a new neighbor saying why they love the place. Everything else on this page stays put.