New soul food restaurant plans opening in downtown Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Old soul food is finding a new home in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Fork and Sports, a new sports-themed soul food restaurant from restaurateur Vaosa O’Meara, tentatively plans to open at 209 Third St. SE in late February or early March.

The space, owned by Fun Not Fancy, has been vacant since Taco Gato closed in November 2024.

O’Meara, who brought the popular Harold’s Chicken franchise back to Iowa with a southwest Cedar Rapids opening in February 2025, is filling up a new kind of plate with her next concept. After the closure of Vivian’s Soul Food in 2022 and the departure of other restaurants with similar menu items, like Jamaican Pat’s Caribbean Kitchen, O’Meara hopes to revive a robust menu of rib-sticking dishes.

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“Vivian’s did so well, and I think it’s because there’s a want for that comfort food,” she said. “When I’m anywhere online, people who sell plates out of their homes seem to do well because there’s nothing like that here in Cedar Rapids.”

Her new menu will include all the fried, baked and smothered classics including pot roast, smothered pork chops, corned beef, baked chicken and a fried chicken similar to her specialty at Harold’s.

In recent weeks, Harold’s has tested new sides including cabbage, collard greens, red beans and rice, cornbread, macaroni and cheese and spaghetti — all of which will appear on her new restaurant’s menu. Weekly specials will bring other soul delicacies like oxtail and lamb chops into the fold.

But don’t fill up too quickly — she also will have an emphasis on dessert at Fork and Sports, too.

The new restaurant will serve lunch and dinner, with plans for late night service on weekends.

“I can see people enjoy eating before they really get into their night,” O’Meara said. “I really want it to be a place that people can chill.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.

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