Kelly Rowland Reflects On Favorite Houston Soul Food Spot And Meal Named After Her

Ahead of Kelly Rowland‘s fame as a global singer and burgeoning actress, she would tackle her hunger at her favorite H-Town soul food spot, This Is It — like every other Houstonian. As a young Kelly was making a name for herself alongside her group members Beyoncé and Michelle Williams, they would still find time on Sundays to sit down at the local hot spot for good conversation over a tasty meal.

“Every Sunday, until it was time to go tour or go do promo or whatever, it was that space. That’s the part of it that makes you feel this sense of calm and home and community,” Rowland told VIBE about her favorite childhood restaurant.

The now 43-year-old mom-of-two has returned to her Houston roots to reflect on one of her “comfort” places of food with Pepsi’s Local Eats Better program. The initiative “turns local restaurant regulars into hometown celebrities” with a chance to be featured in a Pepsi ad and have their favorite menu item renamed in their honor.  

Pepsi

The Houston restaurant is a “fourth generation, family-owned institution that offers comforting familiar dishes in a relaxed setting.” In honor of Kelly, the establishment has renamed the “Motivation” singer’s favorite meal in her honor: peppered steak with rice and gravy, green beans, peach cobbler, and an ice-cold fountain Pepsi.

“A meal at Houston This Is It Soul Food isn’t just about the delicious food and drinks but the memories you create when you’re there,” she said in a press release. “The pairing of soul food and drinking Pepsi will always remind me of celebrating some big moments with my family and friends, and I’m excited to share a taste of that with others.”

Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice stated, “Neighborhood restaurants have a unique way of connecting with their diners. The Local Eats Better With Pepsi program is about celebrating the eateries that keep guests coming back for more than just the food but also the community they create. We’re honored to spotlight these hometown gems and the loyal regulars who support them.”

To further discuss her partnership, Kelly spoke with VIBE via Zoom about her soul food homecoming, her own experiences with cooking, eating on the road, and more.

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VIBE: Does it still feel like “home” to you whenever you get to go to your favorite restaurant, This Is It Soul Food?

Kelly Rowland: This Is It has been a part of my life for more than 20 years — before and after the label, before and after the fame. It’s been a place that has not only fed me with food, but just with the space. It’s this feeling of community and peace and a sense of grounded-ness there, and of course I love the food. I’m a southern girl, so I don’t skip on meals.

How did you decide on which meal would be named after you? Is it your favorite meal?

To be honest, you can close your eyes and pick [from the menu] and you’re still going to be fine. But this is definitely one of my faves — the pepper steak is just delicious, especially when you smash it up and mix it with the rice and gravy and green beans… just one big flavor bomb.

So Houston has their own food scene as other cities do as well. What is the furthest you’ve ever traveled to just get some food?

Okay, here we go [laughs]. So the furthest I’ve traveled for a good meal… I remember I was craving some really good Mexican food and Houston has really good Tex-Mex. I actually went to my best friend’s mom’s house — because it was the way she made it that just felt like home. I remember I was supposed to go on vacation, I was like, ‘Nah, I need this enchiladas verdes.’ So I literally went home to Houston and I had her enchiladas verdes. It was delicious and she knew exactly how to make it.

Another time I went to Italy and we got pasta. I was like, ‘We have to go back to that restaurant.’ I ran to this restaurant. It was so good. I ate everything that came to the table and enjoyed my wine. It was great.

Is cooking something that you like to do personally?

I do when I get time to do it and it’s consistent; I’m actually really good at it. The first thing my 3-year-old will ask is, “Mommy, can you make me pancakes, please?” And my son likes the way I do sunny-side-up eggs and my husband likes these particular breakfast sandwiches. So in the morning, it’s literally like a whole show, you know what I mean? But I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

And I didn’t know I would love it so much until I see how they clean their plates. I see how happy they are. I see how I get a kiss on my forehead or my little one hugs my leg. The part that they’re going to remember when they’re older is, ‘My mom made these pancakes.’ I love that because I would say that about my mom’s green beans and I would say that about her fried chicken. I want those moments for my kids to be able to say that about me too.

What is it like eating on the road when you’re touring and just busy?

With all the people that I know, I think it’s important to chime in with them. It’s like, Ciara just visited Houston on her tour and she called me. She said, ‘Kels, where the spot’s at? Tell me where the spot’s at.’ So you got to call your people. If I was in St. Louis, I’m going to hit up my husband or I’m going to hit up Nelly and ask them where should we go? Which they’re going to send me to this pizza spot that I’m not really keen on. But they love it. I like to be in the know.

In Philly, I’m going to call a girlfriend of mine because she’s like, ‘I know this spot for Philly cheese steaks.’ I want what that city has to offer and you want to be around the people. You want to see what the community feels like and you want this moment to ‘kiki and kaka’ with them. That’s when you’re really living, that’s when you’re traveling, that’s when you’re experiencing the world and you’re allowing all these places to show you who they are.

How important is it to you to support Black businesses, especially ones that are in the same city that you’re from?

We’re supposed to do that, you know what I mean? As a community we have been supportive of so many other businesses and I think that when we continue to give in our own circles and spaces, we continue to grow. Our dollar continues to grow, the Black dollar continues to grow. We say what’s cool, we say what’s not. And these [Black] businesses really need the support.

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From Aug. 27 until Sept. 24, Houstonians can eat like Kelly for $15 exclusively at both Houston This Is It Soul Food locations. All fans who submit their restaurant story by Oct. 31 will also receive $3 to make their next meal better with Pepsi.

Fans can enter on Pepsi Local Eats website.