Wonder if Kevin Johnson fans who spent years watching him slam dunk his way to becoming one of the greatest NBA players of all time ever thought one day they’d be slam dunking his tasty buttermilk biscuits into a small bowl of gravy?
We’re at Fixins Soul Kitchen, and the place is as jam-packed as any basketball arena, with diners cheering on plates of traditional American cuisine, aka Soul Food, table after table.
Fixins Soul Kitchen opened in 2019, fitting up to 200 ever-rotating, hungry patrons inside and outside their tremendous 5,000-square-foot location at LA Live.
Due to its delicious grub and prime location for sports fans, concertgoers, tourists, and DTLA residents alike, Fixins always manages to over satisfy.
The plates are heavy, so don’t be surprised if guests get a little tired after eating a full meal. This is what’s known in the African American community as “the Itis.” And it’s a surefire way to let Fixins know just how much you appreciate their cooking by overeating it.
They Don’t Call it Soul Food For Nothin
Let’s talk collard greens for a second. A stable of the American diet, just as much as fried chicken, Mac n Cheese, corn bread, waffles, and candid yams, each is prepared slightly differently from one household to another, with flavors evolving subtly from generation to generation.
At Fixins, Grandma Gladys recipes have the strongest ties to the past. Kevin grew up watching his grandma Gladys win competitions for her soul food and reuniting with family over BBQs, red beans and rice, potato salad, and a lifetime of Grandma’s Peach Cobbler. Johnson family flavors now please patrons from around the world. We know Grandma is proud.
Soul food, much like soul music, transcends all cultures with the joys only eating good food and listening to good music can bring. Though both origins stem from a time of incredible hardship for African Americans held captive for over 500 years, the “soul” has provided energy for generations to fight for dignity and economic recovery to this day.
Kevin Johnson and his wife Michelle Rhee launched Fixins Soul Kitchen with far more grit than shrimp when it comes to championing community empowerment.
Along with its original locations in Oak Park, Sacramento, and LA Live Crypto Arena hoopla, Fixins just fired up a fresh new grill at their newest location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, aka Black Wall Street.
With a triad of Fixins support for causes like Brotherhood Crusade, a nonprofit that provides resources and programs to underserved communities, and Ron Finley Project, which teaches food-scarce communities to regenerate their lands, Fixins is cooking up a plan to open at least 40 restaurants in historically black or entertainment-driven neighborhoods across the U.S. and is about to serve up hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs, training, and steered recruitment of underemployed populations.
Ooh wee! That’s the hot sauce right there!
For DTLA, Fixins is our lively South Park go-to where families gather, and the aroma of good old-fashioned soul food fills the air. All-flavor and spiked drinks, and a super convenient place to catch the game. For Johnson, who spent 12 years traveling the country as an All-Star NBA player, it’s a taste of home.
Fixins Soul Food Kitchen is located at 777 Olympic Blvd., LA 90017. Another proud chapter in the book of black excellence is celebrated with every delicious bite.
