Ya Yas House Southern Cuisine - (Near Schenectady, NY)

5 /5 Nan Han: Was craving some southern food today and stumbled upon this place from google search. I’m so glad I stopped by! The place was so welcoming. The owners greeted me with all smiles and homey feelings! I got the fried catfish, candied yams, collard greens, Mac salad, and corn bread. Everything was excellent! Got so much food and very much worth the price. I’m so happy I trusted the reviews on this one. Definitely coming back for more next time I’m in town!

5 /5 Laura Palmieri: We went in for lunch on a Saturday. Not busy at all when we got there but filled up quickly. I had the baked catfish. It came with sweet potatoes, collard greens and corn bread. My husband had the fried chicken and the same sides. Freaking delicious! Probably one of the best meals Ive had! My husband agreed. The owners checked on us a few times. Really friendly people that have some great cooking skills. Well definitely be back. Highly recommend.

5 /5 S Jennifer (Rare Rose Photography): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars – A Truly Heartfelt Southern Experience I went to YaYa’s House Southern Cuisine tonight with a friend, and the food was absolutely delicious. We also happened to visit on a night when they were generously passing out Thanksgiving dinners, and it genuinely showed how much they care about their community. It was such a beautiful gesture, and we felt blessed to share that moment with them. The chicken was perfect — tender, fall-off-the-bone, and seasoned so well. Their whole meal had that warm, comforting, made-with-love Southern feel. YaYa’s has heart, soul, and incredible food. I highly recommend stopping in if you’re in the area. We’ll definitely be back!

3 /5 Lauren Williams: You never want to leave a restaurant saying “I could’ve made this better, at home”, but that is exactly how I felt leaving YaYa’s. I want to preface this review by saying I was born and raised in North Carolina and just moved up to Schenectady from Louisiana, so I feel like I know Southern Cuisine. I went to Yaya’s on a Wednesday evening with high hopes, especially after finding out the owner/chef was from Mississippi! I got the Wednesday Pork Chop special, and I was not impressed in the slightest. I guess the reviews for this restaurant are as high as they are because this restaurant is in upstate NY where people don’t know good AUTHENTIC southern cooking. After the visit, I checked some of the other reviews debating if I would leave one, and to see if I was the only one of my opinion. I was not. Other’s agreed that the collard greens tasted like Glory Greens out of the can, the yams also taste out of the can, corn muffin was cold, and it’s hard to mess up a pork chop. The host was a very nice man, and asked if the food got the “Southern Approved” stamp as I was leaving because he heard my accent, and I just told him I guess it was good enough for this area.

5 /5 Jamil Mangan: The food here is downright amazing—some of the most authentic Southern cooking I’ve had in a while. First time I came, I had the catfish with collard greens, plus it came with candied yams, a complimentary potato salad, and a corn muffin. Everything was seasoned just right and full of flavor. Second time around, I got the four wings (which were pretty big), candied yams again, string beans, potato salad, and cornbread. Just as delicious. All that for around $20, and let me tell you—it’s a lot of food. Definitely worth it. The service was… interesting. The woman at the front wasn’t exactly warm, but she got the job done and was polite enough. Still, the food makes up for it. If I’m ever back in Schenectady, I’ll definitely swing by Yaya’s House again.