Winston-Salem soul food brings the flavor by day and the grown-folks vibe after dark

By Iconique Magazine – Let’s Eat

There are restaurants where you walk in, order something, eat something, pay the bill and move on with your life. Then there are places where the food starts a conversation.

Simply Sonya’s Restaurant & Lounge in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is definitely the second kind.

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I stopped by Simply Sonya’s while in Winston-Salem during the 2026 International Black Theatre Festival, and if you know anything about that festival, you know the city gets a whole different kind of electricity when Black theatre comes to town. The official festival ran July 27 through August 1, bringing theatre, culture, artists and visitors from around the world into Winston-Salem. (NC Black Rep)

That meant plenty of people were looking for somewhere to eat after the shows, between events or before heading out for the evening and plenty of them found Simply Sonya’s.

For many festival patrons, including people experiencing the restaurant for the first time, this was an introduction to the kind of Southern cooking that doesn’t need smoke machines, tweezers or a 10-minute explanation from the waiter.

Just bring me the plate.

I CAME FOR DINNER. THE SAUCE STARTED SHOWING OFF.

My choice was the Simply Grilled Chicken Breast, accompanied by potato salad and macaroni and cheese, with a soft roll tucked onto the plate. Then came the famous Simply Sonya Sauce. I poured it on my chicken breast and took a bite and the rest was history.

Me: “Now we need to talk about this sauce”.

Seriously.

The chicken breast already had enough personality to stand on its own. It arrived with attractive grill marks across the surface, a good amount of seasoning and enough moisture inside that it didn’t fall into the trap that ruins grilled chicken at far too many restaurants.

My first was “Dry chicken is so disrespectful but This wasn’t.

The meat was tender, savory and properly seasoned, but once that Simply Sonya Sauce hit it, the entire plate changed personalities.

The sauce doesn’t choose between sweet, sour and spicy. It wants all three combined to make a flavorful and delicious sauce.

There is an immediate sweetness, but before your taste buds get comfortable, the tangy side comes through. Then there is that little spicy kick hanging around in the background saying, Oh, you thought I wasn’t coming?

It isn’t an overpowering hot sauce designed to make you regret your decisions.

The heat works with the sweetness and that’s important.

You get the sweet first, that slightly sour and tangy personality in the middle, then a little heat comes knocking at the back door. Put it on a piece of that grilled chicken and you’ve got sweet, savory, tangy and spicy working together in the same bite.

I dipped, Then I poured a little on the chicken breast, Then I dipped again.

At some point you stop pretending the sauce is merely a condiment and accept the fact that it has become one of the main characters.

Simply Sonya Sauce is the kind of sauce that makes you start thinking about what else you could put it on.

Me: Wings? Absolutely.

Me: Fish? Why not?

Me again: French fries? Hand me the bottle.

MACARONI AND CHEESE THAT KNOWS ITS JOB

Next up was the macaroni and cheese.

Nobody needs gourmet philosophy when they’re eating soul-food mac and cheese. I don’t need somebody telling me about the geographical origin of the cheese.

I need it creamy. I need it cheesy. I need it seasoned. In this order lol 😂

And I need it to taste like somebody in the kitchen actually cares.

Simply Sonya’s macaroni and cheese delivered that comfort-food feeling. Creamy cheese worked its way throughout the pasta instead of sitting on top pretending to participate. It was rich enough to satisfy without becoming so heavy that three bites made you tap out.

And against that tangy, spicy sauce from the chicken, it was the Perfect contrast.

You take a bite of spicy-sweet chicken, then come back with a forkful of creamy macaroni and cheese to cool everything down.

That’s how plates become relationships.

DON’T SLEEP ON THE POTATO SALAD

Potato salad can start family arguments.

Mustard or no mustard? Sweet or savory, Chunky or smooth?

Eggs? Relish? And somebody’s auntie is always standing nearby ready to explain why everybody else has been making it wrong for 40 years.

Simply Sonya’s version stays in the familiar Southern comfort-food lane. Mine was creamy, cool and satisfying, giving the plate another contrast against the warmth and seasoning of the grilled chicken.

Macaroni and cheese brought the richness. Potato salad brought the cool and The chicken brought the savory…..And that sauce?

That sauce came to cause trouble…..Good trouble.

AND THEN THERE ARE THOSE SWEET POTATO EGG ROLLS

Simply Sonya’s menu isn’t shy about putting a twist on Southern favorites. The appetizer selections shown during my visit included soul-food egg rolls along with fried pickles, croquette bites, wings and other starters.

And comedian Michael Colyar, who has been closely associated with events at Simply Sonya’s and has appeared there for comedy events, has been particularly enthusiastic about the food—including the restaurant’s sweet potato egg rolls. Simply Sonya’s has hosted Colyar as part of its entertainment programming, including comedy events connected to the restaurant. (Facebook)

Michael Colyar’s take, paraphrased:

“The food at Simply Sonya’s is the real deal, and the sweet potato egg rolls are something you definitely shouldn’t leave without trying and the Salmon Croquettes are better than my Mama’s and she held that title for 20 years”.

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And just the idea makes sense.

Sweet potato, Collard greens and Macaroni All wrapped inside that crispy egg-roll shell? That’s soul food getting dressed up for Saturday night.

WHEN DINNER TURNS INTO A NIGHT OUT

Here’s where Simply Sonya’s separates itself from a basic lunch-and-dinner restaurant.

When the sun goes down, the personality changes.

The restaurant’s current Winston-Salem location is listed at 7843 North Point Boulevard, and its official site promotes separate nightlife hours on Friday and Saturday nights. Simply Sonya’s

That’s when the dining room energy gives way to something more grown.

Music and Conversation.

People dressed like they actually intended to leave the house.

With A little dancing and a little flirting. Definitely a whole lot of socializing.

This is grown-and-sexy territory.

Not “stand against the wall staring at your phone all night” energy.

I’m talking about the crowd that wants good music, good drinks, attractive people, conversation and enough room to dance when the DJ lands on the right song. Simply Sonya’s social media has promoted DJs, late-night food and entertainment as part of that nightlife atmosphere. (Facebook)

And there’s something smart about being able to combine those experiences.

You don’t necessarily have to eat dinner somewhere, leave, fight traffic, find another parking spot and search for another place to socialize.

During International Black Theatre Festival week, that formula made even more sense. With visitors coming from outside Winston-Salem, restaurants become unofficial gathering places. People who saw different productions suddenly end up sitting near one another, talking about performances, actors, fashion, business and where everybody is going next.

That’s where a restaurant becomes part of a city’s culture rather than simply somewhere that serves plates.

ICONIQUE MAGAZINE’S VERDICT

Simply Sonya’s isn’t trying to reinvent Southern food until you can’t recognize it anymore. Thank God ☺️

It’s taking familiar flavors and giving them its own personality.

My Simply Grilled Chicken Breast with macaroni and cheese and potato salad was a satisfying plate before the sauce ever touched it.

But once that sauce entered the situation…..Game changed.

That combination of sweet, sour, tangy and spicy is what stayed in my memory. It gave an already solid grilled chicken breast a signature flavor and created the kind of bite that makes you reach back toward the sauce cup before you’ve even finished chewing.

That’s what signature food is supposed to do. Make you remember where you ate it. It was so good I went back the next day to get some delicious wings.

Simply Sonya’s also understands something increasingly important in the restaurant business: people aren’t always looking for just food. They’re looking for an experience. Even During the day, come hungry. At night, come looking good. Because Simply Sonya’s can serve you a plate of comfort food, pour you something to drink, turn up the music and somewhere along the way turn dinner into an evening.

And when you order, Get that sauce and as a Matter of fact—Get extra.

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