Ellnora’s Kitchen serving up mom’s soul food recipes in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Ellnora James’ dream was to open a food restaurant.

Her son, Elijah Libbett, made that dream come true.

Named in her honor, Ellnora’s Kitchen, Libbett has been bringing soul food and barbecue to Grand Rapids’ southeast side for about 17 years.

“My mother was a cook, she cooked for everybody,” Libbett said. “Everything I cook is her recipe.”

Ellnora’s Kitchen has been at 547 Eastern Ave. SE for the last 15 years. James didn’t live long enough to see the current location, but did see the original location that operated for two years on Franklin Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. Street)

James loved to cook.

“She would have big pots and pans and just be cooking,” Libbett said. “We could be in the neighborhood, she’d call you in, get you something to eat.”

Libbett says the consistency of his food is the reason his restaurant has survived over the years.

“The flavor never changes and the taste never changes,” he said.

A plate of soul food typically comes with meat and a choice of two sides.

“Sides might be greens, macaroni and cheese, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, rice, yams, dressing, potato salad… just whatever I’ve got, I’ll go with it,” he said.

On Feb. 23, a plate of chicken was being offered with two sides and a corn bread muffin for $10.

Looking for something other than soul food?

His father, Lester James, taught him how to barbecue.

“I do hamburgers, Polishes (hotdogs), pork chop sandwiches, turkey knuckles, rib tips,” Libbett said.

Customer Robert Brown said he especially loves the $4 cooked to order hamburgers that come with Romaine lettuce.

“The hamburger is the biggest deal he’s got in there,” Brown said.

What are turkey knuckles?

Libbett says it’s flavorful meat that comes from the knees of turkey.

“I think I was the first one to sell turkey knuckles in a restaurant in Grand Rapids,” Libbett said.

It’s a Michigan thing, he said. A 40-pound box of turkey knuckles goes for $80.

The rib tips are popular too.

“One thing about ribs, they don’t sell good down here (on the southeast side),” he said. “But rib tips, I can’t keep enough of them.”

Rib tips are $5 for a half pound or $10 for a pound.

His mother’s barbecue sauce is one of Libbett’s personal favorite recipes.

“She would tell me, ‘I’m not going to be here forever so you’re going to have to learn how to make it,’” Libbett recalled. “So through trial and error, I think I perfected it.”

The sauce is so good, he said some of his customers dip their bread into the sauce.

Ellnora’s Kitchen is decorated with Black icons, both inside and outside the restaurant building.

Posters in the dining room honor former President Barack Obama, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali.

His mother’s example inspired Libbett to give back to the the community that supports his restaurant.

“Growing up poor, my mother was a single parent working two jobs. She struggled. I watched her struggle, but even in struggle, she was willing to give back – she always gave back – because someone else always had it worse,” Libbett told MLive in 2016.

Ellnora’s Kitchen is known for giving out free meals with all the fixings over the holidays. About 900 free meals were given away last Thanksgiving and over 1100 meals for Christmas, Libbett said.

“For Christmas, we feed anybody that comes in,” he said. “The kids get a gift, the adults get a chance to win a door prize, but everybody gets a meal.”

Ellnora’s Kitchen adopted four families in need during the last Christmas season, found out what they were hoping for, and “made their Christmas happen,” he said.

Libbett said he also gets a lot of support from his sisters, churches and members of the Grand Rapids community.

He holds fundraisers for the holiday giveaways and said he is always collecting and stockpiling gifts throughout the year for the next Christmas.

The charity work has transformed Ellnora’s Kitchen into an organic community meeting spot on Grand Rapids’ southeast side, Libbett said.

The restaurant has worked with Mothers on a Mission, Grand Rapids mothers who’ve lost children to street violence. Ellnora’s Kitchen also takes part in a “cease fire” event in the summer that works to stop gun violence.

The soul food options change each day, the best way to see what’s currently being served is to stop in and talk to Libbett or call 616-272-2766.

Many of the orders are to-go, so after the COVID-19 pandemic, Libbett shrunk the dining room to two tables, enlarging his kitchen. He offers outdoor seating in the warmer months.

Ellnora’s Kitchen is open Tuesday-Saturday from noon – 8 p.m. Libbett said he may have to close early for the day if he sells out of meat, such as the rib tips.

More from MLive:

Michigan Best’s Local Eats: Don’t forget about the food at GRNoir Wine & Jazz

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Gursha Ethiopian Restaurant offers traditional East African cuisine

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Local Mocha offers premium coffee, casual fare in downtown Grand Rapids

Michigan Best’s Local Eats: Tilapia fish meal a favorite at this Afro-Caribbean restaurant