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 🙏

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!

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!

Fantastic food, great service, this place is new and fresh and just what Wollongong was missing. It is small and cosy and no doubt with it being soooooo good that it may one day be hard to get into. I would recommend anyone go as soon as possible as soon as people find out about it they will flock to it. I had the cheese burger and it is made just the right way(American style) and also the pork bites... one word delicious.... and after that couldn't resist the French toast... OMG.... keep up the good work guys and I will definitely be back

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

15.09.22 In response to the reply from SoCo. I merely noticed a typo in my review and edited it. I did not realise it repost the entire thing, that was not my intent, my sincerely apologise for that. The typo that I corrected was changed from "refused to reused" oil. Happy for you to confirm this with Google review. I do not go "fishing" as suggested. -----Original post----- 3 star rating as was very disappointed that the oil was reused/old and we arrived when the door opened. - The fried chicken that came with the waffle had the taste of old oil and covered in burnt bits which make it very bitter and unpleasant. Good waffle and the cheesesteak Po' Boy was not bad. Good service.

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!

Me and my partner went on a date here and it was 10/10! We were greeted and served during our visit by a really lovely girl! The restaurant is small and decorated very cool. Our food came out quickly and was very delicious, and really well priced for the quality and serving. Very satisfied. Thankyou x

What an absolute hidden treasure of Wollongong. Just enough tables to be feel like a restaurant but just few enough that you feel like you're in a cafe. The food put the comfort in southern comfort. Beautiful.

Amazing dining experience! Very friendly service keeping us well looked after and feeling comfortable and homely. The pork bites flavour was to die for and all the cocktails we sampled were delicious! I had some tacos and my friend a burger. Our only problem was not being able to finish all the food as we got too full! Will definitely be coming back to enjoy again!

Unusual and innovative menu. Our food was excellent and service faultless. Somewhere a bit different in a good way. Quite small so a booking is a good idea on busy nights.

What a Great place Great service,Great Food.The owners are awesome made us feel so welcome.Book in for lunch or Dinner.❤?

Wollongong's Culinary Constellation has a new star in SoCo Kitchen. Chef Sean and Amy have announced themselves with a bang. This dynamic 2 person team delivers an incredulous output of fabulous food and services including in-house corn bread. From light snacks through to the exquisite duck's breast (on the specials menu) pictured and to the container with our take away Jerky at the end of the evening, the love shines through in every dish and everything they do. It's BYO (wine only) and in house there's some funky New Orleans' beers and a small but very adequate bar. Check this place out, and it definitely won't be a one off affair. Wollongong is blessed at present with an amazing array of talented young chefs /eateries - Sean and Amy have just helped raise that bar yet another notch.

What a fantastic culinary experience!! All the meals were delicious. Authentic southern American cuisine and the hospitality to boot. These guys nailed it, we were full and still considering ordering more. We will be back!!

A great local restaurant with really friendly staff and a lot of love for its customers. The food was fantastic, and the chicken and sausage gumbo was delicious and perfect for a rainy day - really nice flavours and some amazing cornbread to go with it. They have more than a few vegan and gluten free options too, and the french toast we had was the perfect ending to the meal. If you like Southern comfort food you’ll love this place, and if you don’t then you’ll still find something you like, I promise. Also, if you like foreign Fanta flavours like pineapple, grape, peach, etc you’ve found the right place!

Quite literally the best food and service I've had in a very long time! Great service, super friendly and inviting atmosphere, the food was amazing and very generous portions! The drinks were amazing also. The staff/owners were very accommodating and super polite. Such a great spot loved every minute of it. 10/10 if you haven't already, please give it a try you will not regret it!

I had the chicken burger which was absolutely stacked and tasted pretty good. My partner had the burger which was good.. the cocktails were a bit of a letdown as it tasted like there was barely any alcohol in them but still giving 5 stars as we enjoyed the food the service and the location.

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

Absolutely amazing from the second we walked in. Service was great, music was great, food was soooooo good. We ordered the pork belly bites, soco gumbo and the chicken and waffles. I was in heaven with the waffles. Tastiest dish ever. Now I understand why Americans love chicken and waffles.

Well priced and amazing food, I mean, I would legit fight someone for the brisket they serve. The people who run it are fantastic, very welcoming and hospitable Please go and eat there, you won't be disappointed

A taste of Louisiana in the Gong. Fried Cajun spiced croc, tater tots, gumbo and corn bread with some awesome beers and cocktails. The staff are legends, definitely recommended!

This delightful restaurant, and the delicious food, both reach out to you like a warm hug. Such a lovely welcoming environment with a great vibe, and unctuous soul food. Loaded tater tots are a must, gumbo is rich and delicious, the ranch dressing is ridiculously YUM, and there’s a great range of drinks and cocktails. Enjoy!

I went here for lunch with work colleagues. Had the best gnocchi I have every tasted, just melted in the mouth, Cajun Gnocchi with prawns - delicious. The Buffalo chicken wings with their special blend of spices were also delicious. I loved the music. Everything was very clean and well presented and the owner and Chef were friendly and attentive. Highly recommend.

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!

We went for dinner last night and it’s very quickly become one of my favourite places in Wollongong. The food was great and the service was lovely too. Please make the mashed potato balls a regular on the menu and I’ll be there all the time!

Simply amazing. Cool little joint run by two amazing individuals. Great customer service where you feel completely taken care of and the food was outstanding, I ordered the Rajin Cajun burger and I am only up for disappointment with other chicken burgers from now on at other establishments. Keep up the great work and don’t change.

Amazing food - best bacon cheeseburger in Wollongong, gnocchi and the gumbo are other menu highlights. Wonderful owners, you can tell how much love and care they put into the place. Wollongong's perfect small restaurant

I nice little niche restaurant in Wollongong serving southern style comfort food. Staff are friendly and the food is exceptional. Im yet to find an item on the menu that I didn't like. Serving size is large and every bite is delicious. Recommended for anyone in the Wollongong area with a penchant for southern style comfort food.

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

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

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!

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.

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!

Brilliant food, service and beers 10/10

The service was warm inviting and so friendly. The food was also delicious. Highly recommend ??

Burger was good but about 10 fries were thrown into a massive box, so we received our order both cold and without the portion we paid for.

Delicious little slice of southern USA!

The food tasted amazing. We ha the cheese steak and fish and chips both were really good. Also the staff were so nice to answer our questions.

This little gem turned out to be a wonderful find and it’s proximity to the IPAC centre and entertainment areas makes it an ideal location. The atmosphere is warm and intimate and each dish served was thoroughly enjoyed. The service was very quick and friendly from Amy and the margharitas were to die for. We will be back :)

An excellent start up here!! The food is original and have options for ALL dietary requirements, the staff look to be owner operators which shows in the food and service ???? Vege Gumbo and Jack Fruit Soft Tacos are my picks. Get behind this one Wollongong!

Great food and great service! Definitely recommend, everything we ordered was really tasteful!

Food does not disappoint, great music and people

I've eaten the fried chicken burger twice now, and it's absolutely delicious, perfect in every way! Beautiful balance of all flavours, and incredible crunchy fried chicken, juicy on the inside...even the pickles and jalepeños used are incredibly divine! Please never change a thing! ?

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.

The nicest couple in Hospitality! Best food. Can't reccomend enough

Best southern American style food this side of New Orleans. Staff are fantastic. Highly recommended.

Best burgers this side of Surry Hills

This place is absolutely amazing! We couldn't complain about Any of our dishes, they were all delicious, full of flavour and very filling! We have been wanting to try SoCo since it opened. We turned up 15mins before closing and were welcomed with a happy, friendly face and a massive smile. Brisket is a must! Just melts in your mouth! Gumbo was something very different and was delicious with the corn bread! We will definately be making this a regular lunch / dinner spot!! No time for photos unfortunately but they wouldn't do the food any justice anyways. You can't capture the flavour. Just take my word and get down to SoCo, you won't regret it!!

Visited SoCo tonight for the first time Sean and Amy are amazing! As soon as we walked in Amy was the hostess with the mostest. And Sean in the kitchen brings South American flavours bitchen! 2 bloody legends killing it on Crown! A must dine and unique experience in the Gong!

amazing food, amazing hospitality, awesome home made chilli sauces.

Fantastic food, amazing service, will definitely be back soon

Finally got around to visiting this little gem, highly recommend visiting whilst they're running the Christmas Menu.

Great food at a decent price, very friendly staff

Best tacos in Wollongong. Awesome beer!

Good food, good service and reasonably priced

Food is UNREAL. The waitress is amazing and so friendly. Food is served super quick too!

Great cheesy fries ? really large serving for price, nice crispy little bacon bits and great liquid cheese sauce. Jalapeños were really nice and came with the fries. I would say best cheesy fries I’ve had in Wollongong . Cheese burgers were also really tasty :).

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.

Nice vibe, great food. Great for Americana vibes and soul food

My wife took me here for my birthday dinner. Every dish was awesome and we walked away very full. Service was great and if you having a few drinks definitely try the spiked peach ice tea.

This place is amazing, a must for anyone looking for the flavours and ambience of America's deep south without leaving Wollongong. The food is sensational, topped with homemade hot-sauce and washed down with delicious bevvies (like spiked iced-tea and craft beers from America). I already can't wait to back :) Oh and the staff are super friendly with great taste in music, too.

Such a great place. Food was amazing and the owners are excellent. Hidden gem. Please give it a go! Try the pork bites and the gumbo..