Blowing warmth into my shivering hands, I waited eagerly for the traffic to pass. As the last car drove by, I quickly ran across the street, and there it was: Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop.

As I entered the shop, the little bell above the door happily chimed as the employees greeted us with jolly smiles. Soft Christmas music filled the shockingly crammed shop with loud customers at every table. There were vibrant holiday decorations that brightened up the room like a Hallmark movie.

As soon as I walked in, I suddenly felt cozy and welcomed. The little shop brought everyone together to enjoy a hot meal on a cold day. There is clearly so much love and joy that is put into making the restaurant perfect, which brought a smile to my face.

The generous man behind the counter nicely asked if wanted to sample any of the steaming soups. I was very surprised; I’ve never been somewhere where I could sample their meals. It was very helpful for me in deciding which one I wanted. He poured the soup into a miniature bowl and then handed it to me. I expected such a simple soup, but what I got was much more.

When I sipped on the soup, I could feel the warmth going through my body. The delicious taste made me eager to buy it. So, after I found the perfect soup to buy, I had to walk over to another counter and order there.

However, not only do they have soup, but they also offer a variety of sandwich options to have on the side with your soup. Each sandwich had a unique name that appeared on the menu above the sample counter. They were all calling my name, but I could only choose one.  

After I purchased my meal, there was a little table with two candles along with decorations placed nicely in the center. It brought much more life and excitement to the shop, and it made the restaurant look more appealing from the outside. While sitting at the table I find myself in a sea of holiday spirit.

The table had a clear view out the window; with the shop located on Wealthy Street, I was able to admire the beautiful view of Eastown from where I sat.

As I eagerly dug into my meal, I instantly tasted all of the love the chefs put into my meal. I ordered the cheese sandwich called Garage Sale and a tomato soup. The cheese began to melt off the bread, and I could tell it was freshly made. The gooeyness from the bread and cheese melted right away as I bit into it. As I began falling in love with each new bite of the sandwich, I started to dip it into my soup. The texture of the sandwich mixed with the creamy soup made a perfect combination. The quality of each bite left me wanting more.

They take classic soups and display them with love and tempting flavors. Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop was not at all what I expected; it was so much more than a classic soup shop. The shop exceeded my expectations. It was a great experience in such a small place, where everyone is able to come together and enjoy delicious meals and embrace the holiday spirit.