Unbelievable dinner with my colleagues! Highly recommend the restaurant and hear the catering is amazing too!

AMAZING! WHY isn't this place busier? We came for Saturday brunch, and ate wonderful food with no wait. I had the fried chicken, lots of really crispy coating, which I'm pretty sure had onions in it. I also tried all my table mates' food, which was also delicious but that chicken... that chicken haunts me. read more

We had an amazing time at inspiration kitchen. We got the whole experience from ordering literally everything on the menu to getting a full tour of the establishment. Their mission of helping those in need by not only giving them professional/ kitchen skills but placing them in actual jobs within a 13 week program is truly inspirational. Btw everything is honestly delicious. My personal favorites were the shrimp and grits, pear salad and gumbo (it had just the right amount of spice). Tell everyone you know...this is a secret you don't want to keep :) read more

Came here for a rehearsal dinner and was blown away by the food. Everything was very tastey - the salad had yummy peaches (ripe and flavorful), the quinoa patties were nicely seasoned, the mac and cheese was not too heavy, and the salmon was nicely cooked. I'd definitely come back if I lived in the area! read more

The food was magnificent. I had a watermelon and mint salad that was amazing. The flavors were so distinct and paired so well. I also had the veggie burger. Also a very delicious item. Very flavorful. An overall delight. read more

I have used Inspiration for many events at my home. They do a fantastic job and are their people are lovely and such a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend. read more

This place had so much heart and soul - as well as flavor - that it is worthy of my very first Yelp review. The waitress was a peach from start to finish and gave meaningful advice when we asked for help choosing from the many delicious-sounding things on the menu. Crawfish beignets, spinach salad with goat cheese croquette, mushroom and shallot flatbread, and corn-crusted catfish hit every good spot on my mouth and beyond. The basil lemonade and apple cider tea were perfect compliments. Go here now. Just do yourself that favor. read more

Just got back from a great brunch at Inspiration Kitchen and I wanted to spread the word. Inspiration has great food that is well prepared and served at affordable prices. The space is beautiful, very bright and clean with exposed brick and wood beams. I had the chicken and waffles with cayenne syrup. A little more indulgent than my usual brunch fare, but well worth the extra calories. My wife had the catfish po-boy, which was excellent. Our server, Jeffrey was friendly and attentive. Can't wait to go back and try some of the breakfast items. They had an omelet with fried green tomatos and pimento cheese that looked really good. The atmosphere is very relaxed and it's BYOB. The party next to us brought their own champagne for some mimosas, which is a really great way to keep costs down at brunch. read more

Fantastic! The food was amazing - the service above and beyond. We got together here on a Sunday morning for brunch with my family (with 17 people we no longer fit in our 2 bedroom condo). We ordered family style ahead of time because of the size of our group. Mike, the catering coordinator, gave us several recommendations and we were not disappointed. Alicia, Monique, and all of the staff made the day a memorable one. The prices are very reasonable, it's BYOB, they have parking, and are very close to a green line stop. We are looking forward to our next trip! read more

I've been back a few times since I first posted and each time the food is fantastic and the prices are crazy low for what I'm getting. Seriously, like $12-$14 for an entire entree. Definitely worth going. Please do. It's a great restaurant and a great cause. read more

wow, what a great restaurant - there was 12 of us, we took some employees that came from out of state.Everyones food all 4 courses were delicious. One of the attendees commented that it was the best meal she had had in Chicago since moving here over 6 momths ago. The staff was also great. I will definately come here in the future and bring friends/colleagues. read more

Delicious! The food has special twists - like matzo ball gumbo - and is very flavorful. We were a party of 7 and we all LOVED our food and pledged to return. That it's in support of a great training program is icing on the cake. read more

Some of the best food in Chicago!! I couldn't love this place more. The staff is super friendly and the place is beautiful. I love that this restaurant is in East Garfield Park. I HIGHLY recommend eating here! Excellent vegetarian options too! read more

Amazing lunch!! The food and staff was lovely and inspirational. Our group literally ordered everything on the menu and absolutely everything crushed it! I can't wait to come back. What a professional and friendly atmosphere. read more

Wonderful food and a great organization. Upbeat and hip atmosphere. Can't wait to come back.

One of the best dining experiences I've had. Ann and Ayesha provided phenomenal service and are doing fantastic work for the community with every meal they serve. read more

The food was amazing. Cheese rolls for free to start...the best spinach I have ever had...melt in your mouth fish and a decent atmosphere (I ordered the Catfish meuniere, creamed spinach, and citrus glazed sweet potato for $11) . The only thing that kept it from being 5 stars was the fact that the service was a little slow, as we went about 10 minutes without water mid-meal. However, it was well worth the wait. read more

First visit but will not be our last. A great day begins at Garfield Conservatory followed by one of the best meals you could ever wish for at Inspiration Kitchens. One block walk from Garfield. Inexpensive. Clean, upscale ambiance. Knowledgeable efficient server. Imaginative menu. Well executed preparation. Simply delicious brunch appealing to both vegetarians and non vegetarians. Particularly recommend: pecan French toast, the grits with shrimp, soups, crawfish hash, cherry tarts with homemade ginger ice cream to die for, sweet potato creme brulee. For a special feeling of luxury, order a cup of tea. You will be wowed by the way they present your choices. read more

I think this place is great, but have noted that the quality seems to have diminished somewhat. I'm a creature of habit, and usually stick with the same dishes, and have noted that incrementally they have been less and less stellar. From not as high quality meat, to meals that weren't hot (when they should have been). I'll continue to go because I love the concept, but I hope that there's a turnaround soon. read more

Deeeelicious!! I can't wait to go back! The crispy Brussels sprouts are the best I've ever had, but I'd order everything we had again; goat cheese brulee, friend chicken sandwich, pickles, and red velvet brulee. read more

I worked primarily with Veah Larde, Catering Assistant Mgr. Later I also worked with Rachael a new Catering Manager on my daughter's July 3rd wedding. Let me state that without Inspiration's constant help the wedding would have never gotten off the ground. They are extremely flexible and anxious to please. The reception venue was the Garfield Park conservatory. Even though Inspiration was not on the Chicago Park District's list of approved caterers we were able to use them because they are only a block away and often cater events for the conservatory. Awesome! That meant we could use Binney's for our liquor. If you don't know about them find-out. We had a "California Bar"; beer and wine only. We were able to provide our 130 guests with 4/5 beer choices, 3 of which came with fruit provided by Inspiration. Also we had at least 8 different wine choices and a Moscato for toasting. Inspiration put nice ice buckets on the table for that. Lastly we could have a demi-sec from Michigan, and an IPA that was local. As an aside, anyone reading this should know that Horticulture Hall is not air conditioned. Also its a greenhouse. The Jenson room is. That's where we put our guests first to give the day a chance to cool down. We also rented 5 big fans and we got lucky. July 3rd and the days preceding it were not terribly warm. By 7 p.m. when we sat down to dinner the room was in the mid-70's and no one complained. We opened all the doors to the Monet garden, no mosquito, and by dancing we were in the low 70's. Did I mention that Inspiration is a non-for-profit that runs a 13- week completely free Chef training program. They also feed the hungry and do other incredible things for our West-side community. So we got to feel good about satisfying our invoice with them. What the most important fact? The food. They had ample staff on hand to pass three appetizers: deviled eggs, craw-fish cakes, and a mushroom goat cheese crostini. Yum! And the presentation was just as nice. Garnishes such as thyme and watercress graced the ample offerings. Our guest gobbled them down and washed it down with their chilled beverage. Inspiration also had their own version of ice-tea available. We hired a reasonably priced live classical guitarist to play in the background. I have the guitarist number, James Cornolo. Not sure if I should post it here? Their Chicago Southern-Fusion style food was served family style. Once again presentation was lovely. All the linens and chairs were white and Inspiration served the salads in large, white, square bowls. Guest could choose from a beet salad with goat cheese and a spiced pear, walnut salad each boasting a variety of interesting greens, and they were nicely dressed. The main entrees were Brisket with Bourbon Maple Sauce, Mac and Cheese, Grilled veggies, and a very tasty, moist, Seared Salmon. Anybody still hungry? I didn't think so. Servers were attentive to removing plates and keeping the courses delivered to all the tables at the sames time, therefore making Family Style seem more formal. I did ask the bartenders to circulate with the most popular wines at the tables. They were happy to comply. I wish that they would have circulated with a water pitcher as well, but I got too busy to ask. Also Veah knows this already, but not all of the wines were available at all times at both bars. We had gone to the trouble of printing posters and placing them above the bars so that the guest could choose. We even included a description of each wine's general characteristics for the novice drinkers. Both Rachael and Veah were present for the entire reception and obviously still worked well beyond our leaving and arriving. Veah carefully secured the cake decorations to the small six-tiered ceremonial cake. Rueter's bakery on Grand Ave did the cakes. We had a small chocolate birthday cake made by them as well for all the July birthdays. Who blew out the candles. Don't remember. Too many things to keep track of. Our D.J. Phil Peterson, amazing guy, said that the managers were easy to work with. The rest of the guest were served Costco's white gridded sheet cake. Not only does one large cake serve 48 people but its under $18.00 and delicious. We had bowls of fresh raspberries and blueberries brought out when the cake was served. The fruit was also from Costco. All of the servers and bartenders were helpful, flexible, courteous, and very hard-working. They held up against hot, stressful working conditions, and were dressed in black and white. I highly recommend working with Inspiration kitchen, both for the high quality/inventive cuisine, and for the warmth and attention they provided to me the MOB and the other family members who got involved in planning this complicated event. read more

My wife and I dined with our 2 year old son and we were amazed at the quality of the food. I had the steak and my wife the pork and we both thought it was the best meal we had in a long time (for only $12 a plate no less!). Our son was being a typical 2 year old and making a mess, but the wait staff was great with him and brought him out crayons and paper to draw on and offered to bring his food out early. It was a great dining experience! read more

first, I have to give props to the mission... but the dining experience alone makes this a 5-star. For dinner, I had the catfish, with fabulous grits and roasted green beans. also shared a flatbread, with mushrooms, leeks and gruyere cheese. But the best was the complimentary bread - CHEESE BISCUITS. They were an amazing combination of flakiness and a heavy denseness. If they had been on the menu, I would have made a meal out of them. read more

Inspiration Kitchen is a great restaurant here in the Garfield park community, I've been a very happy customer since it opened over six years ago (2011), one of the top selling menu items was the the Shrimps and Grits, I say was, because this item was served as a square or rectangle cake that appeared to be baked or browned in a skillet, now it's served like a bowl of breakfast grits very grainy texture and loose consistency, not good. I spoke with the new Chef/Instructor to share my disappointment in the new way this item is being prepared, and was told it will not go back to old way of preparing Shrimps and Grits because the students can't make them make the cakes with the same consistency every order and he's trying to train them for employment in any restaurant; perhaps it the instructor who can't follow the recipe and wants to blame it on the trainees. I took his response as an insult to me as a concerned customer, If the top seller is working why change it? Remember you are trying to build and retain customers not run them away. It pains me to give a one star, it's not against the restaurant, it's against the Chef and his explanation and the "Fake Shrimp and Grits"! read more

I wanted to love this place as I love this type of cuisine and because of the good reviews on yelp. I took my mom for Sunday brunch and it was the worst service I have received in a restaurant. The waiter took our order and we waited 45 minutes for our food. I wanted to get up and leave after 30 minutes but my mom really wanted to try the food. I ordered the chicken and waffle and didn't realize it came with an over easy egg on top. I let the waitress know and she said no problem I will bring you a fried egg. My waffle did not have syrup on it so I asked for syrup also. Well I finished the meal before she came back because the chicken was actually very good with my dry waffle. The waitress comes back 30 minutes later and let's me know they have a large party to cook for so my egg will take a little longer. I proceeded to grab my jacket and I asked for the check. She comes back and apologizes saying she discounted my meal. I was so put off by this experience and I won't return. One of the other customers mentioned that maybe this was an "off" day for them because he usually has good service. I won't know either way because I won't return. If you go to this place, do not go hungry and be prepared to wait. read more

We first went to Inspiration Kitchens for a birthday party with a group of about 20 and had family style service. Everything was so good and we all had mounds to take home. I recommend thinking about this place for parties! So we went back with some friends and the food was just as good. Their take on southern style cooking apparently offends some dyed in the wool, my Mom's way or the highway traditionalists, but it is delicious, and every bit as authentic and tasty as Wishbone, Heaven on Seven or Dixie Kitchen (all places I like a lot). We have sampled a broad array of their dishes with nary a dud. The LEED certified setting is minimalist, but bright and cheerful, totally Chicago urban under the El, but brightened up by being across the street from a beautiful and lively park. Service has been crisp and friendly despite the fact that tips go not to the servers, but to a fund to provide meals to those unable to afford them. This is, despite being a well run, first rate restaurant, first and last, a social service institution worthy of support. Come for the food, bring your own booze and leave feeling well fed and ready to return. read more

Mu husband and I went before a visit to Garfield Park. We went on a weekday around lunch time, there were only four other people in there at the time. We asked our server/host for decaf coffee and waited up to 15 minutes to receive pale watery tasteless coffee. I chose the Chicken biscuit and my husband chose the veggie burger, both of us asked for a salad as a side. My piece of fried chicken was tough but crispy, and tasted of nothing at all. I assume the accompanying red hot sauce was supposed to add the flavor. The cheese biscuit was good. The veggie burger fell apart upon the first bite and also tasted of nothing. The worst thing though, (and a personal pet peeve of mine) is unwashed salad. It looked like someone took a handful of mixed greens and dumped them on the plate. I ate a few leaves and then discovered underneath wet slimy discolored rotten leaves as you find in the bottom of old ready made salad bags. What does it take to run salad leaves under cold water? I called our server and quietly pointed out the problem. They removed the cost of my meal from the bill, however that was not enough to ever entice me back. Find somewhere else to eat before your park visit! read more

Absolutely loved the food, beautiful space, and exceptional service! They hosted my fundraiser and ensured everything was flawless. I worked with Mike, the catering manager, for weeks while planning the event and he was very attentive and professional. During the event, he made sure the food came out in rounds so everything was kept warm as people trickled in. The staff helped set up our bar (BYOB!) and checked in regularly throughout the night, always clearing played and refreshing pitchers. The food was outstanding - the chimichurri sauce in particular blew me away. It was bright, punchy, refreshing, and perfect on the sliders in addition to the steak skewers they were meant for. I had already been to this restaurant for an event last year (and ate the most incredible mac and cheese) and was so pleased to have had the same terrific experience again. Can't wait to host another event here! read more

had an event here with 50+ people. food was great, staff was friendly and super helpful. the space is modern, bright and very nice. love the big windows that lets the sun shine in. they were very accommodating with some special requests/needs. very good experience. read more

great food,much needed place in east garfield park.service is beyond slow.but food is worth the wait.plus it helps those who need help.