Big Jones occupies half of the space left vacant when Augie's closed more than 6 months ago. I've been waiting for something -- anything! -- to open here, so when I saw activity over the past month, I was excited. The sign on the wall indicated a web site for "bigjoneschicago," which made me fear this was going to be a chain joint. Luckily, my fears were unfounded. The restaurant features "Southern Coastal" cuisine, which made as much sense to me as it does to you right now. I was thinking Carolina, but the menu posted in the window seemed more New Orleans. If you think "hurricane alley," you've got the region just about right. Some Creole, some seafood, some fried green tomatoes. Whatever it is, it works. The decor was just what I needed on a chilly day in April. The room is wide open, with pastel walls (seafoam, salmon), bamboo flooring and accents, plantation-style chairs and paper lanterns. Very spring. Full length windows let the sunlight stream in, and curtains drape along the walls. I stopped in mid-afternoon, which is "tea" -- light plates, sandwiches, and desserts, and lots of tea. I had the tasso ham and cheese sandwich, which is served with a side of fries and fried onions and okra. I could have made a meal of the side. I skipped the tea and had the home brewed ginger beer, which was delicious. But more gingery than you may be used to. If it was later in the day, or if my schedule was free, I might have gone for a sazerac. Since I am a pig, I forced myself to have a piece of rum raisin bread pudding. I like my bread pudding with a bit more texture, but it was good. Jones also serves brunch from 11 to 2, and dinner starting at 5. I passed by the restaurant about noon on Sunday, and it was packed. Not a surprise on a weekend, but forewarned is forearmed. I looked at the dinner menu, and in addition to the standard gumbo and etouffee, there are some very intriguing choices. Jalapeno Gator Sausage. Fried Chicken Salad. Brunswick Stew made with rabbit, not the chicken which is often substituted. Tallgrass beef is served both as a steak (sirloin) and a burger. Which ties in with Big Jones' desire to serve local and organic ingredients. Other reviews have complained about the service, but I found everyone very welcoming, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Granted, this was a Monday afternoon, rather than a Saturday night. The restaurant is still a work in progress. Quite literally -- there was some construction going on while I was there. But I'm looking forward to having more meals here. read more

In high school my nickname was actually "big jones." Not because of any part of my anatomy or anything. Because of my insatiable food cravings. People used to wonder if I was jonesing (during class hours?) big time. Okay, that's not entirely true. But it could have been. I do have a tremendous, um, appetite. What is 100% the truth is that I have not been to New Orleans in 12 years and Big Jones made me want to hop a plane there right away for some laissez les bons temps rouler. You know, whichever two words in the slogan translate into "good times." I took Spanish in high school, not French. The only thing this helped with was pronouncing the brunch dish I ordered - the migas. They stick out on the menu filled with Creole specialties but, being a sucker for chilaquiles, I was glad their cousin ended up here. These were made to perfection. The egg layer was soft and fluffy and the salsa layer tangy bordering on spicy. There was hot sauce on the table for the truly adventurous, but I was glad that the sour cream layer was plentiful. And they definitely satisfied the big jones I had for brunch. The portions here are eye popping. One of the people I was dining with got the french toast and it looked like it was about to crack the plate with its weight. Even if my migas hadn't migatagated my hunger, the free beignets bites that come with every table at brunch were warm, soft, and satisfying. And covered in so much powdered sugar that it left a stain. They were fun to stick in your mouth that the ladies I was dining with couldn't... But I'm not going to go there. This is a family review. As far as the waitstaff goes, let's just say that the service was friendly and attentive but not bawdy in any way. This isn't really New Orleans, just a classy southern-style restaurant. To satisfy a true debaucherous spirit, apart from this wonderfully tasty food, one would take a trip to the Big Easy. Which was, for the record, not a nickname of mine in high school either. Although it would have been fun if it was. read more

New Orleans style breakfast in Andersonville. Bourbon soaked roasted peach French toast knocked it out of the park. read more

Big Jones - Roasted peach French toast from Big Jones - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Two reviews for Southern places in two days, and both of them get 5 stars! My Pa would be happier than a piglet sleeping under the shade of a magnolia tree. I reviewed Wishbone (aka the best place for Sunday brunch ever) yesterday; Big Jones has a similar feel to much of their menu, but it's just more upscale. And it is absolutely delicious! I went there for dinner two weeks ago; I started with an amazing spicy corn chowder. It was velvety, smooth and full of complex yet subtle flavors. It was better than the smell of dew drops on a honeysuckle blossom in the warm Savannah Sun. My entree was the Catfish Pecan, which was more victorious than the Union soldiers at Gettysburg! It was perfectly balanced between the flavor of the fish, the pecans and the mustard; it was a great savory and sweet combination. And please do not go here and simply order wine with your meal! You must order a specialty cocktail! I had the Carolina Julep, which is, "Firefly Sweet Tea Infused Vodka, Lemon, Cane Syrup, Mint, Club Soda." It is the amazingly refreshing and sweet and just perfect for sipping on as you watch the lazy Mississippi River drift by you. The enviroment is very relaxing, quiet and simple. The staff (at least our waitress) couldn't be cuter and sweeter. Even though I have lived in Chicago my whole life, my dad is Southern and has really bestowed upon me appreciation for good Souther cuisine. Big Jones has it, and you would be quite the fool to not experience it for yourself! read more

OH my, I cannot believe I did not update my review earlier. First of all, after reading my first Yelp review, the owners contacted us, apologizing profusely for the misunderstanding, and also sent a lovely invitation to bring our friend out (who didn't make the first brunch) for brunch/lunch on them. Over the top customer service! THAT is what I'm talking about people!!! SO nice. Second of all, we've been back twice for weekday brunch/lunch since. Once was with a group of 8 or 10 people in July. The other time was a few days ago, we took my mom there for her birthday. The waiter overheard us wish her a happy birthday when our food came, and when we were done eating presented us with a piece of red velvet cake (on the house) with a candle in it! So sweet! And oh my god - SO good. It had a cream cheese semi-freddo on the side - the perfect match. The waiter was so sweet. We wanted to put him in our pocket and take him home. Alas, we did not as we figured this might have creeped him out a bit. Anyhow, I'd give this place 10 stars if I could. Everything is just so good. They never balk at my "um could you sub a salad for the potatoes" (and this last time I had a lovely salad with green apples and shaved celery/fennel - yum!), the service is great, the waiters very personable, and obviously the owners know what they're doing. :) Bravo Big Jones, for coming through for us!!! read more

Holy pastels!!! This place just screams "I'm ready for Easter", but it's actually like this year round. The only real thing I have to contribute to Big Jones is watch out for their Bloody Marys... they are dangerous!!! Seriously we both only had two and we were rocked, so much that we took a nap when we got home. As far as brunches are concerned I would say that they are pretty fair. Everything had that healthy and fresh taste to it... even the bacon. My pancakes and eggs were very light and fluffy (yes I said fluffy you got a problem wit dat) but at the same time very filling. The fried tomatoes were excellent as well. The service was great, letting us just enjoy the day. At first I thought that the waiter was a little slow but he was just VERY meticulous and it was so much fun to watch him place everything in front of himself before he brought everything out to a table, almost like an art form. I would go back to try the lunch or dinner menus. read more

Service: Excellent Bathrooms: Spotless Atmosphere: Narrow, Felt country-ish Food: Above Average Maybe I was having an off night! I genuinely liked this place. I thought the menu could be a little more extensive. I would have liked to see an Etoufee or Jambalaya. Cornbread was excellent, Shrimp and Grits was good not great! Chicken Salad left much to be desired. read more

The patio out back is perfect for a Sunday brunch with friends during the summers. The beignets are authentic and just delicious. I recommend their skillet cornbread, gumbo and fried chicken if you want to satisfy your nostalgia and cravings for New Orleans food. read more

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Definitely a place to try! I ordered the buckwheat banana pudding pancakes! It was really good! And their Patrick obrien potatos are to die for! The ambiance is modern slash southern. Service is pretty good. And they are busy!! I would love to come back and try lunch menu or dinner. read more

Big Jones - Buckwheat banana pudding pancake - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Being married to a woman who split time between Southern and Deep Southern homes growing up, Big Jones was both a great find and a dangerous find. We have been a few times for brunch and when I ask where she wants to go, invariably, she says Big Jones and I don't mind. They take reservations which is great because I don't wait for brunch. Brunch waits for me. The eggs romero is one of the best brunch foods, that I have had this side of Irish Breakfast. Poached eggs over pulled pork over grits with a drizzle of Carolina BBQ sauce (basically cider vinegar with spices). It was great. With the poached eggs, it was unctuous with funky, salty pork and sour sauce all over a bed of sweet and salty grits. My wife read that they serve pimento cheese which apparently is the Cheese Curd of the South (by that I mean that it is an embarrassingly humble nostalgic treat). After sampling some, she made me drive around the city looking for some. Did I mention that they offer complimentary beignets? They do. read more

Went with a group of friends for brunch. Food was ok. Tried the beignets first - there was a slightly off taste to them based off the oil they were fried in that didn't make them as enjoyable as they could have been. Ordered the shrimp and grits without the ham based gravy. It wasn't very flavorful though. My table and I had to request salt and pepper to doctor up our orders, as we agreed that most of our food lacked flavor. Also tried one of the biscuits. I enjoyed the biscuit the most out of everything I ordered. It was crispy, and the butter and jam served with it was quite tasty. The food also came out at different times for all of us so we could not really participate in eating the food together. The waiter was also kind of weird, lol. He would just stare at you for ...a while. It was strange but for some reason it matched the vibe of the place. All in all, I wouldn't come back again but it was an ok experience! Definitely not a restaurant with "soulful"/flavorful food. read more

When my friend Sharon told me to pick a place for dinner in Andersonville, I knew just where to go. Here: http://www.yelp.com/list_details?list_id=VJ0fjaCcyaf5kOZBwQnbEQ I trust John B.'s reviews, and he didn't disappoint. We had a great dinner at Big Jones. I had the Tallgrass Beef burger, which was wonderful: enormous patty of grass-fed beef, Worcestershire, wild mushrooms, onion, Fontina and garlic aioli. Incredibly tasty and too big to finish in one sitting; I finished it the next day for lunch. My side salad was good, with a citrus-y balsamic dressing. Sharon ordered a fish entree, which I forget, but she enjoyed it also. The dining room itself is warm and elegant. We ate here on a Monday night, and we practically had the entire place to ourselves for most of the meal. (go Monday if you don't like crowds). Our server was friendly and attentive. Drink refills were promptly offered and, at one point, he replaced my dirty knife that I'd used to put spread on a cracker. (my friend urged me to put more spread on a different cracker, to see if he'd replace that knife, too). For dessert we split the Mississippi Mud Pie, which was truly decadent and too big to finish. We felt free to linger and, eventually, left happy and sated. I'd happily return to try some other dishes here. read more

The owner of Big Jones wrote me and asked me to take down my review.. out of respect for the fact that I did not eat there, I took it down, I emailed him back with my thoughts, which went unanswered. It is nice to know that Yelp can make a difference. Here is the review I took down: (now back) I admit, I am a sucker for advertising, and although technically speaking this was not an ad, but the Hungry Hound stopped by Big Jones for lunch and sold me on the fried chicken. The Hungry Hound on ABC7 loves every where he goes, nothing is ever negative with Steve Dolinsky. OK, I get that. My mistake, was going there for dinner and hoping for that same fried chicken as seen on TV....IT IS NOT ON THE DINNER MENU. That's me bad, for not looking on line before making my way into Andersonville to enjoy what looked to be pretty good. For a so called Southern place....the prices were downtown Chicago. The least expensive thing on the menu was a 14 dollar hamburger. I walked out. I wanted the chicken, no chicken. No me. (that was the review from last week) Now...the owner pointed out to me, they have 3 items on their menu for 12 dollars, including a bowl of gumbo. Sorry, I missed that!~ A friend of mine was at Big Jones and told me he had the 3 piece rabbit dinner. He said the pieces were small (tiny bunny) that he got 4 pieces and it was one of the best meals he ever had. I asked the owner, again about his chicken!~ My question was, "If you come here for lunch, and you order the fixed price 16 dollar chicken dinner, do you have to have at least 2 people at the table order this?" I contend, if your fried chicken is as good as ABC7 reported on, without making clear it was only a lunch item, why not adjust your menu, make a four piece or two piece dinner entree? read more

I think our server needed a red bull or something, but what she lacked in energy the food made up for in flavor. New Orleans eggs with crab cakes, potatoes O'Brien, Delicious! I probably should have only eaten half but the poached egg was staring at me like a huge eye, taunting me! Had to show him who was in charge! Coffee is nice and strong though i'm not a huge fan of the simple sugar. I remember when simple sugar came in a white packet labeled "sugar", ah the good old days :) Classy looking joint (velvet curtains aren't just for stages you know), pricing was reasonable and the food was good, which translates to hell yeah i'm going back! I think I've got a Love Jones for Big Jones brunch. See what I did there? read more

Big Jones could be compared to the Paula Dean of Chicago's restaurant scene, that is if you scratch all the butter. So notable that they: -Remain Eco-friendly with sustainability, especially with their seafood selection, and are a Certified Green restaurant (2 stars on the scale: bamboo floors, Organic/locally-grown and locally-raised ingredients, website powered by renewable energy, and more!). -Are present at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park on Saturdays providing cooking recipe demonstrations. They also buy many of their ingredients, vegetables, and fruits, plus the flowers for table decor there. -Possess one of the best fan clubs with fabulous benefits (birthday/anniversary vouchers, invitation-only wine tastings, etc). Also, they are active electronically on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Note: If you join their Dining Club, the anniversary voucher good for "Two complimentary entrees with cocktails for your big day" is too good to be true and really is "Buy two entrees, get two cocktails on the house." -Host many events that promote and benefit many not-for-profit organizations (such as the Gulf Recovery through a shrimp dinner) -A dish for everyone's diet and taste buds (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, low-cal; They make exceptions!). -Part of Open Table to easily make a reservation. -I finally made it on a Tuesday for Fried Chicken Night which is HUGE and delicious! Three large pieces of chicken are served with corn muffins, mashed potatoes, 'voodoo' greens and a buscuit. BJ recently made the Top Ten Friend Chicken list by Bon Appetit! critics. Congrats! For these reasons and more, Big Jones is in my top three "Go To" restaurants when friends/family visit, I'm asking for a Yelper dining recommendation or I'm not sure what I have a taste for... read more

Big Jones is one of our favorite places. This week features Soul Food and the fried okra and biscuits were outstanding. The fried okra was light and crunchy. The spicy mayo dip was a perfect compliment. The biscuits were crunchy and came with some honey butter and delicious jam. The Big Jones burger changed a bit recently - it doesn't have pimento cheese anymore - but that's okay. It's still out of this world. One of the best burgers in Chicago for sure. read more

Pathetic really! We'd heard about this place from a friend, but we forgot about it for a long time. On the day we chose to go here we spent over 45 minutes trying to find its name, only remembering that it had a silly sounding name. I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader if the name suits the place. Big Jones (argh! I need to know the story behind it) is not a Frat Bar or even restaurant. Sorry people that's what your name evokes. It is a REALLY REALLY good restaurant. There are other items on their menu that I intend to taste again but on my first visit the sirloin steak's description caught the eye, while the missus tried their signature catfish. We were both blown away by how good our meals were. Since it is a cajun joint it would be a crime not to eat some Gumbo which we did. I part regretted eating this because I wanted more but needed to save room for dinner. Finally and as important, the service was efficient, friendly and unobtrusive. Bottom line, why on earth did it take me this long!? read more

I don't know if I just got there before the crowd or whether the ridiculous Chicago winter was forcing people to stay in bed longer on when I was there last Sunday, but I was surprised that our party of 5 were immediately seated for brunch. We didn't even have to wait until our 5th person was there to sit down. I guess I'm just used to waiting forever no matter where I go for Sunday brunch. Especially when I'm at a restaurant with such good food and service! Everyone there was incredibly friendly. Almost immediately after being seated we were given a plate of beignets and our drink orders were on the way. (I was desperate for coffee, but they had a great list of brunch cocktails that were tempting me.) I had my usual eggs benedict, but this was not the usual eggs benedict. The hollandaise sauce was fantastic, and instead it was served on a puff-pastry instead of a traditional english muffin. But I think the thing I loved the most was the Fried Green Tomato appetizer. They were SO crispy and served with an awesome remoulade and pickled shrimp on top. I would go back just for those. I live in the Loop so I don't trek up to Andersonville nearly enough, but if I find myself in the area again on a Sunday morning, you can bet I'll be at Big Jones. (In fact, if Spring comes this year, I probably would haul myself up there just to eat here.) read more

Yelpers do not be fooled! This place is not what other reviewers stated. I was excited to try this place out because last time we came it was a 2hr wait during brunch Sunday. The service was not great, the server was a bit rude to us. The server forgot to get the orange juice. I had ordered the simple breakfast and my boyfriend ordered the chicken fried pork tenderloin. Simple breakfast: the eggs were a little to salty, the corn bread tasted fishy, the liver sausage was a little bland. Chicken fried pork tenderloin: just okay, nothing spectacular. French toast: just okay. (FYI: do not order the expensive half filled mimosa) read more

Went there for brunch on Saturday using a reservation. Seated immediately, not very busy. The food was tasty but the service was downright AWFUL. It took 10 minutes for our waitress to get to our table to even take our drink order and I would have forgiven this had I not seen her just standing back by the drink refill station talking to other workers the entire time. After she took our drink order, it was another 10 minutes before I had to actually stop her and ask her to take our order. I've been a waitress for many years and under no circumstances should you ever have to ask your waitress to come take your order. After our order was taken, we NEVER saw the waitress again the whole time we were there. She never returned to our table to refill our drinks/coffee or to ask if we needed anything. The most irritating part about this was watching her stand at the hostess stand talking to the hostess instead of helping us or completely ignoring us when she walked by our table. The place isn't that big so we could see her ignoring us every time she walked by us. When we finished our meal, she never even returned to give us our check. I had to ask another waiter for our bill and then even he returned to our table with an attitude and shoved a small receipt in front of my face asking if this was my order and how i wanted to pay. Once again the most irritating part about this was watching our waitress stand in the doorway between the front and back dining areas and DO NOTHING. I'm not sure if she was having a bad day or not but that service was inexcusable. You don't charge $15 a plate for brunch and then give the CRAPPIEST SERVICE EVER. We will not be returning here which is sad because I was so excited to go here in the first place and that awful waitress put us off of the place forever. I've never had service so bad, not even at the $5 breakfast place by our house. GET IT TOGETHER BIG JONES! Hire some wait staff who have some manners, know how to do their job, and don't look so surly about having to take an order. read more

I used to think Big is not always better, but I've been proven wrong. Big Jones entered my mouth with their delicious food and into my heart with their great service. We took advantage of the prix fixe menu for $25 consisting of: *Appetizer - Fried Green Tomato (4 stars) & Crab Cake (5 stars) *Salad - Blackberry salad (4 stars) *Entree - Stuffed Quail w/ fried hominy and a sweet corn puree (5 stars) *Dessert - Red velvet cake w/ cream cheese frosting (5+ stars) & Mississippi Mud Pie (5+ stars) *Beverage - 1/2 price bottle of sparkling wine (5 stars) I ate my food like I eat my [insert here]; yes, it was that good! The server was wonderful, attentive, knowledgeable, fantabulous, pure awesomeness (okay, I'm running out of words here)...point being, the service was outstanding. She brought out glasses of wine to taste to help us determine which bottle we wanted. The servers also came around to show us what the dishes looked like before we ordered it. I wanted to kidnap our server, take her home and have her serve me for the rest of my life. Okay, that really sounded demented, but she really was that good! I'll definitely be back. I think tonight (Tuesday) is a fried chicken special with $5 margaritas... Hmmm, wonder where I'll be!! :) read more

Big Jones provides a superlative dining experience. The cocktails are "spot on", the staff is attentive, young, and hip, and the food is delicious and healthy - suprising for Southern food. I have to say that I don't necessarily love the South, but I love Big Jones - a little bit of Alice Waters influenced to be sure... NorCal southern with a great cocktail and wine list that compliments the culinary adventures available. I especially love their brunch. P.S. Que C is trippin! He doesn't know shit from apple butter! read more

Good, not great, food, but the service is what put this over the 3 star rating for me. Both the owner and the waitress who served us were incredibly kind and really interested in hearing what we thought about the meal. The appetizers (blue crab cheesecake, crawfish fritters, and fried green tomatoe) and red velvet cake dessert were PHENOMENAL. But the entreese were nothing special. I did the oyster stew special-- the sauce and grilled frisee were great, but the oysters themselves were just meh. The crawfish etouffee was fine and the braised pork shank was HUGE but underseasoned. All of the cocktails and coffee drinks were nice though. I think this is going to be a place that we keep heading back to, but next time, we'll make it small plates of appetizers and cocktails instead of doing entrees. read more

After years of wanting to visit, Big Jones made its way back into my brunch orbit via a list for having noteworthy Eggs Benedict. It was the perfect time to host my sister's 18th Birthday brunch as that's her favorite brunch dish. Long story short, we arrived with a party of 12, but the table wasn't set up. At first I was a little skeptical but conversations with the host made me excited that the wait didn't bother us. Plus they provided our table with complimentary Beignets and skillet cornbread. Hard to be upset with your belly fully. No one had a complaint about their meal, in fact, the manager noticed how quiet we all were once the food was served. I recommend the Eggs New Orleans or the Bayou Teche Omelet with the side of kids shrimp and grits! If you're not a seafood lover, the Fried Chicken and Biscuit was extremely yummy. Just keep in mind it's friend in pork lard, however it was totally worth the bite. Not to mention chef cooked up a special vegan dish for my cousin which made our afternoon even more special. Can't wait to do dinner at Big Jones! read more

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Meh...I went here because of a friend's recommendation a few years ago. Everything I ordered was burned: the gumbo ya ya down to the homemade biscuits. The waiter was kind and wanted me to be happy, however, the food left a lot to be desired. I next tried a burger and fries as a safe bet but the fries were bland. I realized that this chef's interpretation of southern cooking was completely different from my experiences of authentic southern and creole cooking. Big Jones does have a great ambiance and locale going for it :) read more

Big Jones - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very disappointing visit to this restaurant. Ten minutes after being seated, someone finally stopped by for drink orders and we asked to place our order. Upon ordering their Boarding House Lunch, we were told they were out of fried chicken. We heard an excuse about it being featured somewhere and demand was high. They serve this lunch from 11-3 everyday, and it was 12:30!! And the place wasn't even FULL! We decided to try and find something else on the menu. Well, another ten minutes passed without so much as a glance our way. So we left, very unsatisfied. I hope they start ordering more chicken in to cover maybe two hours worth of patrons. read more

If you're planning to start a diet tomorrow, go to Big Jones today and order everything on the menu. Starting with the drinks, I had a Charleston Mule-- which combines Ginger Beer and Firefly Vodka with lime and soda. Yum! It's a nice summer time drink (one that I won't turn down in fall either). We ordered pork belly with corn cakes for our appetizer. It was awesome-- it pretty much was like the best bacon and pancakes I've ever had. I had the shrimp and grits for my entree: cheesy and delicious, but not too rich. A perfect combo. My uncle had the sweet tea pork chops and was equally pleased. If I can give you one suggestion when going here: save room for dessert. Even if the drinks, entrees, and service hadn't been great, he desserts were so fantastic, it would be hard not to give Big Jones five stars. We ordered the Mississippi Mud Pie and the Red Velvet Cake. Both are delicious. The mud pie is so rich and gooey, and the cream cheese semi fredo that accompanies the red velvet cake is like nothing I've ever tried. I've been dreaming about both since we went here. I love that their focus is local/sustainable food and they do a great job with it. I'll definitely be back! read more

I went here for my chicago burger club meeting in October. They were extremely accommodating for a party of 9. It was great. Service was quick and they were attentive without being overbearing. The burger was amazing. The menu looked fantastic and I wanted to try everything even tho I was expressly there for the burger. I will be back. read more

I went there last night for the fried chicken special and was treated really well. It's true that the service is thoughtful and friendly, which sets a nice tone and gave me the courage to ask what "popcorn rice" was. The cornbread was very yummy, and I am not a fan of cornbread normally. Theirs has a kick to it and resembles a muffin-top (like Elaine's idea from Seinfeld, not the overflowing flesh resulting from too-tight pants). Also, I had the spring vegetable creole which was tasty but there could have been more vegetables - both variety and quantity). Next time I'd like to try brunch, and I was also intrigued by the violet tea on the drink menu. I'll go back. read more

I've been here twice for dinner. The food is pricey for what you get, but most of it is good. Here's the lowdown on the things I've tried: The good stuff: -Fried chicken - half a chicken is plenty for 2 people, IMO -Voodoo greens -Salad (seasonal offerings) -Rye and Sally Lunn breads -Pimiento cheese and pickles -Chatham Artillery Punch cocktail Not good, but not bad: -Brussel sprouts - the lemon flavor was strong, but it was a nice change of taste when paired with the fried chicken Better avoided: -Calas (dough fritters) - the dough was dense and chewy, and there wasn't enough chocolate sauce -Boudin Rouge (blood sausage) - bland -Tete de Cochon (head cheese) - gelatinous and borderline slimy, and whole peppercorns are hidden within, waiting to assault your tongue Service is generally prompt, friendly, and helpful with recommendations. The restaurant has a nice interior and environment while still being casual; Big Jones would be just as good for a date as a meal with friends. If you're driving here, you'll want to build in ~15 minutes to find parking because street parking is often scarce. read more

Not as big as Jones says he is... Introduction was a bit rocky. I sometimes question if I'm treated a certain way due to my ethnicity. This place made me feel that way at first by the preppy male host and dressed up "cuz I gotta go to work" gothic girl bartender that jumped into the middle of a conversation. They both gave my party a hard time about where to sit. We almost walked out. Other people were then seated where we wanted to sit. What's up wit that? Anyway- waitress was very nice. Food was ok. Fried chicken wasn't bad but Mariano's hot bar is better and cost less. Greens were under cooked. Bitter beans were hittin! That means good. If this place was not next to such great restaurants then I would have rated a 3 star. However, I can not recommended a place where food is subpar and service is less to be desired. read more

After a tough Friday at work and my weekend off coming up I was stoked to grub on southern cuisine. I am a true Northerner but I definitely appreciate southern fare. As I made my grand entrance in my scrubs no less I realized this place may not like a cool dude in scrubs. Big Jones (BJ) *using BJ throughout this review should be fun* had a very dark casual-intimate appeal to it as it reminded me of the Logan Square bar Analogue. I was expecting a casual-diner type of atmosphere. Kind of like walking into a country bar with your pointy boots and cowboy hat but all you hear is Ludacris and Wu-Tang blaring out the speakers, now realizing you look like an a**hole in your western wear. But I don't like country music anyway...Hmmmm! Anyway no biggie I carried on. So I was seated at a high-top near the bar and was attended to quickly. If you know me I will most definitely order a cocktail with my dinner, in this case a Distant Star. Now that my friends was an absolutely delicious and refreshing cocktail (Chamomile infused Gin, honey, lemon, mezcal). However for what was a rather small cocktail the $12 price I thought was a little steep for the size and neighborhood. On Mondays all cocktail are half-price that means $6 for some darn good drinks that price point I like. Next comes my food. Fried Chicken (white meat) and Mac & Cheese. Boy let me tell you that Mac & Cheese was straight up gangsta. A strong cheesy flavor but not too salty or creamy, and somewhat caramelized on top, EXACTLY the way I like it. Easily the best Mac & Cheese I have ever had. BJ's Fried Chicken on the other hand was very ordinary, not bad but ordinary. This does not surprise me as I am notoriously difficult to please when It comes to Fried Chicken. A friend of mine made Fried Chicken at home many years ago and It was the best I've had. No restaurant has ever come close to it. Oh well maybe someday. BJ's wasn't dry but wasn't very moist either and it tasted a little bland. You need some juicy POP in that chicken. Overall BJ's did a number of things very well. The Mac & Cheese was the best everrrrr! A great Distant Star cocktail. Service was very fast and attentive (although you do not need to fill up my water glass every 5 seconds). However the Fried Chicken was a bit dissapointing and the price points were a little high for the neighborhood. I will be back though, probably on Mondays for that Mac & Cheese and half-priced cocktails. 3.8 stars read more

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If you want food poisoning or Covid this is the place. No masks or gloves, made me cautious already, but then I was bed ridden for two days after eating from here. read more

Wow, just wow. It was really cool to go there in the afternoon and have tea. The service was amazing. One of the owners even came over to check on us and ask our opinion about the place. I ordered the Tallgrass Beef Burger. It was large, juicy, perfectly cooked, and tasty. The "a' plenty" that it came with was great as well. In fact, I enjoyed the food so much I went back two days later for dinner and was again floored with how great the service and the food were. If you are there for dinner and enjoy spicy food, you HAVE to try the Jalapeno Gator Sausage. I'll leave it at that. Now quit reading my review and go eat already! read more

We had a really bad service experience here the other day, 97.8% of it the as a result of a lousy performance from our server... Might have been new, might have had a [really] bad day, not sure. Throw in a few minor missteps from the kitchen and it was frustrating to the point of just having to laugh. Still, having been to Big Jones a few times before and LOVING it every time, we knew this wasn't the way things normally go -- the exception rather than the rule. Why 5 stars? Because the issues were pointed out to the Chef and he took care of everything -- made it all right. This is the sign of a professionally run kitchen that knows the meaning of customer service. And for that reason, I'll continue to recommend the restaurant to others and patronize it myself. I do have to wonder the reason for having no bartender. It seems the servers would just have a better time at things with a little support staff. I'd love if someone from the restaurant would PM me and tell me the reasoning behind that. Just curious. read more

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again. I wanted so desperately to like Big Jones. I was SO excited when I first saw the menu. The glowing reviews make me wonder if my experiences are anomalous, but the fact is that after two visits, I've found Big Jones does exactly one thing well, and that thing ain't "meals." So I'll start with the good. Big Jones has some damn fine charcuterie. Maybe not the best in the city, but good enough to get me to eat blood sausage and head cheese and refuse to leave any on the plate. But the food? Yikes. It's run the gamut from dry and bland to inedibly greasy and salty, completely skipping over the delicious happy medium between the two. On top of that, serving sizes are totally inconsistent. It'd be one thing if all the dishes were small, but my husband ordered shrimp and grits so skimpy he was starving within two hours, while my large omelette with grits (the same price, I believe) filled me up until dinner time. We also had issue with service the last time we were here. While our server was friendly enough, it was only after we were about 1/3 through our dishes that he offered the (oh my god so desperately needed, HOW CAN SOMETHING FILLED WITH SEAFOOD AND SAUSAGE BE THIS BLAND?) salt and hot sauce. Several minutes later he swung by with some black pepper. I dunno, guys. Maybe if I lived in the city, I'd come here just for the charcuterie platter, or give the main menu one more shot, but I just don't get to Chicago often enough to waste a trip to Andersonville for one more utterly mediocre meal. read more

Brunch is a hot commodity in Chicago, it seems, so the fella and I called ahead to inquire about the wait at Big Jones last weekend. The hostess popped us on the list via phone, which was unexpected but super nice of her, and we were seated within a few minutes of our arrival into this cute bistro. Good thing, because there isn't much room to wait inside. It's close quarters and loud in the front area, so we were glad to be stuck in the small back area. Our server endeared himself to me when he was greeting us and accidentally threw a ramekin full of sugar cubes at me (I caught it, like a champ). Normally, throwing food at a customer wouldn't score points, but this guy was so charming and on top of everything else that it didn't really matter. The beignets were a-mazing as only hot, fried, powdered-sugar-dusted dough balls can be. My boyfriend ordered biscuits too, and they came with honey butter and raspberry jam that were both excellent. I wish they had biscuits and gravy on the menu here. I really do. We ended up splitting the Eggs New Orleans and the Corn Cakes. The Corn Cakes are savory and come with black beans, salsa verde, avocado, sour cream, green onions and your choice of eggs (I went with poached). They were good, but there was room for improvement, albeit slight. Chorizo would be awesome and a maybe slight crispness to the pancakes for texture. I liked the Eggs New Orleans a little better. This is their version of an eggs bennie, made with popovers, blue crab cakes, poached eggs and béarnaise. The popover and the crab cakes were both tasty (not stingy on the crab) and the poached eggs on both dishes were absolutely perfect. Add a little hot sauce and you're in business. Also of note: -They use Intelligentsia coffee here. I just had a delicious regular cup of coffee and it was refilled liberally. -Savory waffle with duck confit. Why didn't I order this? The Yelps will never know. I have to go back and eat it. read more

Expected much much better. Decided to have dinner here with my partner after the Andersonville wine walk. The turnips were bland and not washed properly, crunched on some sand or dirt after a couple of forkfuls. Waited 45 minutes for our entrees. Crawfish etoufee was barely warm and underwhelming flavor. Tagliatelle with mushrooms was also barely warm and lacked flavor. i have eaten here many times before, brought my partner and friends for brunch and dinner. Unfortunately due to the disappointing food experience on the top of the clueless host and servers we won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

We were really looking forward to our brunch over Labor Day weekend, but we were disappointed - mostly due to poor service. We had reservations for 11:45, but we weren't seated until after 12:00. It was busy, no problem. Unfortunately, service was very slow throughout. We waited a while for the beignets (and were disappointed by them - much doughier than Cafe du Monde beignets), and even longer for our food. When our food did come out, they brought the wrong plate to one in our party of four. We had to wave them back to the table, after which they took it back to the kitchen and found the right one. The waitress then had to be reminded twice to bring ketchup, and the food was lukewarm by the time she finally brought it. The worst part was the busboy clearing the tables before we had finished eating. We hadn't even had our food for 20 minutes before he started taking plates that still had lots of food on them. We asked for one back, and he apologized and put it back down, but then proceeded to take the plate of beignets. When we indicated that we weren't done with that either, he said, "Oh, you wanted that?" in a sarcastic tone. We just let him take it (I think we were all too surprised by his nasty attitude to protest again). It was too bad - the food was good, but the service overshadowed the experience and we won't be back. read more

Just finished the fried chicken picnic and it was delicious! Chicken outstanding, biscuits delightful, beans and rice yummy. Thanks!