When the Boston Culinary Trail is established, 604 Columbus Ave. will be a mandatory stop. From the late 1960s through the 1980s, this was the location of Bob the Chef’s, the city’s foremost soul food restaurant, where you’d go for ribs, chitterlings and glorified fried chicken. The sweet-potato pie was legendary.

After owner Bob Morgan sold the business in 1990, Bob’s became Bob’s Southern Bistro, a New Orleans-accented eatery-cum-boite and, more recently, Circle, a pricey French cafe that opened and promptly closed. Now, under the proprietorship of former Barking Crab director of operations Ziad Chamoun, it’s morphed into a restaurant/lounge with nightly live music, called Stork Club Boston.

The menu, overseen by executive chef Jeff Poliseno (Vox Populi), is inspired by the previous tenants. You’ll find contemporary reinterpretations of Southern soul classics, the occasional New Orleans influence and such French faves as steak frites and cassoulet. Plus, a trio of sandwiches. The kitchen remains open until 1 a.m.

Music fans will love the live jazz, blues and r & b - loud enough for you to enjoy but not so loud that you can’t carry on a conversation.

Unfortunately, the cuisine is not as consistent as it was back in the days when Bob manned the cash register by the front door, intoning “God bless you,” when you paid your check.

Blackened catfish sliders ($13) - fish, lettuce, tomato, onion and peppery remoulade, layered onto plump mini-buns - are delicious. But “spice-cured” country ribs with prickly-pear BBQ sauce ($12) aren’t spicy.

You can taste ginger and nothing else in spongy rock shrimp and ginger spring rolls ($13) - served with lackluster miso and ponzu dipping sauces. Wild-mushroom bisque ($8) would be better minus the heavy-handed drizzle of sage oil dappling its surface.

In this economy, I applaud Stork Club for its huge portions and reasonable prices. You can eat cheap during the “all appetizers half-price 6 to 9 p.m.” promotion, every Monday night.

Thumbs up for the (mostly) moist, buttermilk fried chicken breast ($16) with white sauce and tangy, braised collard greens. But what’s with the gluey, chive mashed potatoes and overly dry boardinghouse biscuit? And how about a thigh or drumstick?

Grilled center-cut, bone-in pork chop ($19) is pink and juicy. But a garnish of wild-mushroom “ragout” is too salty and a side of rosemary-scented, white-bean “cassoulet” is mushy like refried beans.

Try the beer-battered fish and chips ($17): a giant fillet of tempura-light fried cod and excellent French fries with oniony, homemade tartar sauce and a small salad of dressed greens.

The Velveeta-orange macaroni and cheese I fondly remember from the Bob’s era has been successfully updated. Now, it’s gouda and cheddary, “creamy” mac ’n’ cheese ($12) studded with shavings of ham and crunchy broccoli rabe.

Late-night munchies? Have the handmade Angus burger ($12), topped with melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato and ice-cold onion strings. Excepting the strings, it’s altogether satisfying - particularly with a mound of those fab fries.

Given the affordable food prices, Stork Club’s wine list needs more than one bottle priced less than $30.

Desserts ($7) include buttery cinnamon bread pudding with almond whipped cream and homemade vanilla bean cheesecake, as guiltily rich as we’d hoped. Service is knowledgeable and friendly.

Were he to stop in today, Bob wouldn’t recognize the place. The utilitarian lunch counter atmosphere is replaced with polished wooden floors, brick walls, Chinese-red banquettes and ottomans and dimmed lighting.