On his day off, Charles Nelson, 51, co-owner of Cuddy’s Soul Food, is in the kitchen at his mom’s house. He’s helping her cook fried whiting fish, a nostalgic dish tied to Black culture and part of the tradition of Fried Fish Fridays, a Black tradition that is separate from the Lent season.
“We are going to start bringing Fried Fish Fridays to Lawrence Hall,” he said. But for today, it is an intimate meal for Nelson, his mom and cousins at the house.
“One thing you have to do in this world is eat, and bringing the dishes our ancestors ate and sitting down to eat them with your friends and family having those conversations is really what brings the greatness to the food,” Nelson said.
The menu at Cuddy’s features soul food staples like ribs, collard greens, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, sweet potato cornbread, oxtails, fried fish, black-eyed peas and rice, as well as unique items like soul rolls — customers can order soul rolls filled with oxtails, steak and cheese, seafood, red beans and rice or other items in a handheld meal — and kabobs. Inside Lawrence Hall in Lawrenceville, the comforting aroma of frying fish drifts through the air as you pass by Cuddy’s space.
They have a 75-cent wing special every Monday and during Steelers football games. For Super Bowl Sunday, they’re considering a few options, like an all-you-can-eat or buffet-style dinner.
Nelson is about the business, while his cousin and business partner Reggie Nelson, 55, is about the food. While cooking is a bit more challenging for Charles Nelson, it’s still fun for him to learn different recipes. Lately, he’s been adding new ideas to what they’ve already been doing.
“Even though the recipes my parents gave us taste great, it’s always good to expand your mind and try different things. Customers love that,” Charles Nelson said. “Nowadays, everyone is on TikTok seeing these different recipes, so you really have to bring it now.”
Reggie Nelson imagines Cuddy’s gaining the prominence of an Eat’n Park.
“Soul rolls, we do those with nothing but love and soul,” Reggie Nelson said. “We also hand-stick our kabobs after we marinate the meats, like chicken or beef.”
The name Cuddy’s is also tied to their family traditions.
“The name ‘Cuddy’ stands for cousin for us. We call all of our cousins Cuddy … it’s like 70 of us or more, and those are just first cousins,” Charles Nelson said.
They started the first Cuddy’s in Homewood in 2017 as a candy and convenience store, but their aspirations grew when they began adding more food and bought a grill and deep fryer. Now, the most popular items on the menu are the turkey ribs and oxtails, though the chicken wings are a top contender.
“Our oxtail is fall-off-the-bone tender. As far as the flavor, every meal we cook is unique. We treat every customer like family. As soon as you walk up to us, you get that personality that makes you want to come back,” Charles Nelson said. “Before you even get the food, you’re getting a great greeting, so that starts it off.”
Nkoiyai Fears, 21, was at Cuddy’s with his mother and grandfather, Melvin Jackson Sr., 81, for lunch.
Jackson ordered fish, greens and candied yams. “It’s flavorful. I’ve tried other places, and I give them four stars above the rest,” Jackson said.
Learning to cook was part of growing up for the Nelson cousins. They inherited recipes from their great-grandparents, grandparents and parents.
“I learned how to cook from my mom, being in the kitchen with her and helping her out,” Charles Nelson said.
Charles Nelson grew up between the Hill District, Homewood and mainly Lawrenceville. Being able to own a business in his old stomping grounds is a full-circle moment and a blessing, he said. “It’s one of the greatest feelings ever.”
Expanding into Lawrence Hall was a matter of happenstance. While in Restaurant Depot, Charles Nelson saw a “for rent” sign for the space in Lawrence Hall.
“As soon as I saw the for-rent sign, I called them, and me and the owners formed a great partnership,” he said.
They are in the process of reopening the Homewood location as a candy store.
“The Lawrenceville location gave my Homewood customers a place where they could actually sit down and enjoy the meal, compared to Homewood being takeout only,” he said.
Charles Nelson recalls how, in Homewood, a menu item gained significant acclaim from the neighborhood.
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“It’s a spud potato on a stick. The customers loved it and came down constantly to get it,” he said.
At 40, Charles Nelson returned to school to obtain his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Point Park University to advance his business skills.
By the summer, their goal is to have a food truck. By the end of the year, they hope to open another brick-and-mortar location.
Reggie Nelson grew up in the Lower Hill District. He started cooking around age 9, frying chicken and cooking things like liver and breakfast foods such as sausage and eggs.
“I also grew up in a household with three younger siblings and I cooked for them too. I did a lot of cooking at Grandma’s house,” said Reggie, as he and Charles shared a laugh.
“Working together, it’s a joy,” Reggie Nelson said. “It’s a ride, it’s a journey.”
Coming up with the menu was a mix of family traditions and competition experiences, like at Juneteenth Festivals and Rib Fest, where they gained an understanding of what customers liked.
“And other events, where we’ve won first-place trophies, so we know those are good items,” Reggie Nelson said.
The cousins see Cuddy’s as a way to create generational wealth and a legacy for their family.
“We’re hoping that we’ve built the business enough so our kids will be able to take over. Even when we’re gone, there should be a Cuddy’s here,” Charles Nelson said.
They are one of the first to open a business in their family, they are teaching and showing their younger cousins and their children what is possible. “You don’t have to go out here and work for somebody else … you can build your own,” Charles Nelson said.