8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Every Day

Mississippi Mary

Mary Elizabeth McCallum-Stewart, the first born of Fannie McCallum, was born in Jackson, Mississippi. Her family did not have great wealth, but they were great in love, and also great cooks.Mary first learned to cook under her mother’s guidance. She would later take these cooking skills, along with her own pots and pans, to the west coast in search of something better for her and her children. Mary was the first to leave our home of Jackson, Mississippi. 

When she first arrived in Los Angeles, she sold dinners out the trunk of her car. In 1964, she met Mercedes Hall, a business woman. Ms. Hall owned a bar & grill and offered Mary the opportunity of a lifetime...the chance to turn her vision into a reality. Thus M&M Soul Food was born.Now, more than 50 years later, the name M&M Soul Food is a household name that holds international recognition.We, the family of this great legacy, hold in our hearts the great strides she made, the opportunities she provided,the empire she built, the love she spread, the prosperity she gained, the peace she left, and the unity she obtained.

Venni Mac's

The McCallum family has owned and operated M & M Soul Food Restaurant since the mid-1960's. In 1989, Mary's brother, Ventress McCallum, bought one of the three restaurants marking the beginning of Venni Mac's M & M Soul Food Restaurant. Mary and Ventress left a legacy that the McCallum family will continue to cherish. Though many have tried to duplicate, we were the ones to originate. “Be Original”

The restaurant has been a major contributor to the community by providing jobs, quality food and catering services. The restaurant specializes in seafood gumbo, catfish, red snapper, chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, beef short ribs, oxtails and cornbread and boasts the best peach cobbler and banana pudding on the west coast.

What is soul food?

Often referred to as “country cooking,” or “comfort food,” traditional Southern food includes dishes such as fried chicken, collard greens, black eyed peas, cornbread, sweet potatoes, peach cobbler and more. Soul food utilizes many of the same ingredients as Southern food. However, more than that, the historical and cultural origins of the cuisines differentiate the two types of culinary traditions. Soul food has come to be defined as African American heritage cooking, Southern food eaten and prepared by Black people. The term soul food originated during the Black Power movement in the late 1960s and ’70s. Source: https://www.ediblecommunities.com/stories/what-is-soul-food/