1:03
Soul food, sunlight and a $9.99 special: Inside Saint’s Paradise Cafeteria
Washington is home to some of the finest dining in the world. In fact, it’s home to 24 Michelin-starred restaurants, where a meal can easily cost hundreds of dollars per person.
But what if you could get a heaping helping of some of the best soul food in the nation’s capital for under 10 bucks?
Saint’s Paradise Cafeteria is located in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, in the basement of the United House of Prayer for All People church.
“Our blue-plate special is $9.99,” manager Alicia Guy said. “You get chicken. You get fish, and you get a drink.”
Along with the protein, you also get two sides like baked macaroni and cheese, seasoned collard greens or potato salad and bread.
The menu also includes fried, baked and smothered chicken, pork chops, spareribs and short ribs, along with cabbage, candied yams, mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and rice.
Is your mouth watering yet?
“Today, our special is meatloaf and short ribs,” Guy said. “Yesterday, our special was spaghetti and pig feet.”
A longtime DC institution
Saint’s Paradise has been feeding members of the United House of Prayer and the surrounding community for more than four decades.
Guy’s connection to Saint’s Paradise goes back to 1983, when she first worked at the cafeteria before leaving for a 35-year career with Marriott. After retiring, she came back to run the place she still calls her church home.
“The love, the peace,” Guy said when asked why she returned.
Customers like Linda Walker have been coming almost as long.
“The old ladies in the kitchen cooking, and the food is fantastic,” Walker said. “I recommend it to everybody.”
One of those ladies is 83-year-old Ora Roberts, who has worked at Saint’s Paradise for about 30 years. Roberts specializes in eggs and pancakes and loves every minute of it.
“Who wants to sit home and lay around and get old? Not me,” Roberts said. “That’s my purpose.”
Breakfast, too
Saint’s Paradise is open every day from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and accepts cash only. Its breakfast menu includes bacon, sausage, scrapple, eggs, grits, fried potatoes and fish.
Though the restaurant is below street level, large skylights fill the dining room with sunlight.
Peter Boersma, who lives in D.C., heard about the cafeteria from friends and stopped in while on paternity leave.
He ordered fish, potatoes and grits, then went back for banana pudding.
“Love it. Definitely would come back,” Boersma said. “Want to come back and try all the lunch stuff too.”
Save room for cake
Alberta Savage-El, a lifelong member of the church, is one of the cafeteria’s bakers and makes a variety of cakes for the cafeteria.
“I do key lime cakes. Then I do a strawberry key lime,” Savage-El said. “I do a pineapple coconut. I do a chocolate chip, chocolate on chocolate.”
And at Saint’s Paradise, Guy said three ingredients tie it all together.
“Love, peace, joy,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Soul food, sunlight and a $9.99 special: Inside DC’s Saint’s Paradise Cafeteria 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-08-27 14:10:41
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
Гладни ли сте? Mr. PER е на път!
Скара на истински дървени въглища, прясно приготвена храна и удобна онлайн поръчка в Бургас.
🔥 Mr. PER – Краснодар
Централен пазар „Краснодар“
ул. „Св. Климент Охридски“ № 49
Бургас
🔥 Mr. PER – Меден рудник
Третата спирка, блок 46
ж.к. Меден рудник
Бургас
Истински въглища. Истински вкус. В Бургас!
skaranadarvenivaglishta.com
