I really enjoyed a date night out. This location is hidden and it's a great surprise for the quality or service and food. Although it was a longer wait than I hoped for, the food and service was well worth it. The atmosphere and setting was very intimate and I can't wait to go back. read more

We've been going to Maple Tree Inn for years. The atmosphere is relaxing yet fun. The staff is always on point, attentive and helpful. The food is DELICIOUS! I have not had a bad meal yet from here. The waiter/waitress always recommends drinks and food specials which is also helpful. They don't rush you, check on you often (but not in an annoying way) and always refill the drinks! The bartenders know their drinks too! Make sure you have some dessert! The chocolate bread pudding is to die for! read more

This was my second visit to the new location. My first visit was almost perfect. My second visit, there were some major mistakes. We made reservations. We were seated. Server, water and drinks came quick. The appetizers took a while. The fried green tomatoes were great. The fried Brussel sprouts with bacon were cold. This happen the first visit which means they aren't made to order. We sent them back, they were better. Next our entrées took an hour. I noticed 2 tables who sat down after us got their meals first. A mistake or lndifference? The others in our group didn't seem to mind. Two in our group ordered the Mac and cheese. Both were cold. One said hers was hot after she stirred it. The other sent hers back. I ordered fried cat fish. One of the pieces was a chicken strip. They brought me a fresh entree and deducted the meal from our bill. The food tasted great but I don't know if I'll ever go back. read more

We loved it!! The scallops and grits were delicious. The only thing we didn't care for was the dirty rice. The service is excellent. Ask for Alex he's great read more

Maple Tree Inn - The spicy aoli is addictive - Southern Near Me - Homewood, Illinois

Charlie Orr put his heart and soul into this place every day and I'm glad to see it's as good as it's ever been. The Tree is a testament to independent restaurants being successful over the course of one's lifetime and I plan to make my two-hour commute there as often as possible. Happy Mardi Gras, Charlie - Laissez les bons temps rouler... read more

The food and cocktails are great! We did wait about 30-40 minutes with a confirmed reservation, but it was worth the wait. The staff was very present and attentive. I recommend getting the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and the southern fried catfish and an entree. The hurricane cocktail is very good you can't taste the alcohol at all, which makes them very enjoyable to drink. read more

The best place for southern food. I had the fried catfish and the hubby had the brisket. Everything was fresh and cornbread was yummy. Their banana pudding was just perfect, not too sweet! We will be back but make sure to wear your fat pants! Not easy on the calories! read more

The staff were very nice and friendly.. The presentation of the food was at best.. The tase of the food wasnt good at all.. Gumbo taste as if it was out the can im sure it wasnt but neither of us enjoyed our meal.. I didnt even take my left overs.. A full plate of food.. Im the left over queen and i luv 2 eat.. Popeyes has better food than this place.. The first time i taste crawfish etouffee was at popeyes n it was decent.. I will never return 2 this place again.. Total waste of money for my BF Bday i felt terrible he ate his food but only bc i felt bad .. I couldnt do it i ate 2 ribs a few fries n a little red beans n rice.. All these nice pix n good reviews fooled me.. I wouldve rather had Pappadeaux and been pleased with my meal and not have wasted money on something i didnt enjoy.. I didnt complain bc our waitress was amazing so I still tipped she didnt make the food but made the experience a bit better.. Oh and the corn bread was weird like jalapeños was mixed in with the bater n they were hard like little baby bricks that could be used as a leathal weapon.. These reviews ppl mustve never taste real (Creole) Gumbo or Jambalaya .. They need 2 get out more often bc this is definitely not it.. Try it maybe our taste buds arent on the same page.. Idk but i haven had food this nasty in a while.. A ggod experience but never again can I trust Yelp..My first let down.. Ill Rather have take out at Anitas Gumbo on Stony Island read more

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I wish that sexy waiter Ryan would ditch the dishes and carry me in his arms instead. Fried pickles were orgasmic just like Ryan.

I just spent 4 glorious days in New Orleans and was looking for a place to keep me in that mode. I read the reviews and decided to try this place. THE FOOD WAS AWFUL!!!! the fried green tomatoes(2) are so small you can barely find them under the (1) shrimp they serve for $8. They were fried in grease that was OLD and DARK. If you grow up eating fried foods you know when the grease is OLD. The soft shell crab was fried in the same oil so it was dark and grainy like they used a corn meal batter. Disgusting!!!! My friend had the Hickory Buttered BBQ shrimp. It was decent. I am giving this place one star because our waitress was very friendly. If you're looking for authentic Cajun food THIS IS NOT THE PLACE!! read more

Decor here is nice. Service is adequate. But food quality was marginal. My wife and I chose items from the $27 Prix Fixe menu. Her fried green tomato app was good and my country gumbo was OK. The main courses left much to be desired. She had a concoction called "Thibodeaux" which was supposed to be a beef and seafood combo. It came out as a thick sauce over fettucini noodles that was very, very salty with an overwhelming blue cheese overtone. It contained chunks of beef and some seafood but was nearly inedible. My order of catfish and cajun fries was quite mundane. It was difficult to discern anything cajun about those ordinary fries. For dessert I ordered beignets, which were, again, OK, but nothing special. My wife selected the bananas foster bread pudding. I suppose this was an over-ambitious idea of someone in the kitchen to begin with. I guess it would be possible to combine the flavor of a served-flaming-and-includes-ice-cream dish within a warm and moist brick of sweetened bread, but this did not do justice to the possibility in the slightest. More of the mundane in that there was nothing memorable in this bread pudding and nary a hint of bananas or foster. Finally, this New Orleans style restaurant could not serve a decent hurricane. Has anyone behind the bar ever been to Bourbon street? This was more sour mix than fruit flavor. Though they did manage to create a decent sazerac, another renowned taste of New Orleans. On the bright side our server recognized our general distress and in particular our puzzlement over that failed bread pudding and credited the check for the item. read more

Glad to see you are back ! The food and service were great! Parking was an issue and we had to wait a half hour after our reservation time to be seated. We'll be back. There's always something to work on. read more

My review isn't based on the food or even the service it's based on FRUSTRATION! Before Maple Tree burned down in Blue Island there was no problem getting in. The food and the staff are pretty much the same then as it is now (both were pretty good) at their new location in Homewood IL. The problem now is you can't get in, reservations are weeks out if it's the weekend you want or need. They don't do walk ins it's just all extremely frustrating. What about those of us that supported you in Blue Island? I understand it's "NEW" to the area, but come on. Loyalty doesn't mean much these days!! read more

I've been talking about going to this place for months, MONTHS!, now and just never made it over here. We finally went this past weekend, and OHMYGAWDWHY did I wait so long to come here!?! This place easily has some of the best food in the south suburbs. We got the BBQ shrimp and Voodoo Nuts as appetizers, and both were fantastic. I'm not a huge sausage fan, but I really enjoyed the Blue Crab Bisque. It was way lighter than any bisqu I've had and had a bright, lemony flavor too it. For my entree I ordered the blackened scallops. These were some of the best scallops I've ever had in my entire life. They were masterfully prepared and melt in your mouth. Scallops are a finnicky thing to prepare so I've been disappointed more than once. The sweet potato fries were good, but probably the least impressive of everything I ate. My compainions ordered the massive porkchop and the Crabe avec Crabe. I had bites of both and both were delicious. I think I might go for my own crab next time around. I'm not a big fan or pork chops/ pork products that aren't bacon, and would even consider ordering the porkchop (if it were about a quarter of the size...) The food was so good we couldn't skip dessert so we ordered the bread pudding which was actually bananas foster bread pudding and amazing. One of the most amazing things about the food was how subtly flavorful the food was while still being absolutely packed with flavor. The selection of craft beers (26) is outstanding. They don't just throw some Three Floyd's on the menu and call it a day. They have an impressive list with several beers on the list I've never seen/ heard of. Our waitress, Wendy, was fantastic - so friendly. We sat in the (newly renovated) four seasons room off the side. The decor was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting more dive bar, less classy restaurant. In any case, it was absolutely lovely. I think it was a little on the pricey side, but I didn't feel like we overpaid. The quality was definitely there. It took me forever to make the trip here, but I most definitely won't wait that long before my next trip! read more

Savory food, great service and reasonably priced. Packed on a Wednesday night! I'll be back.

Maple Tree Inn is a favorite, Cajun cooking at its best in the Midwest. Redfish is fantastic, catfish is fantastic, the shrimp is fantastic, the bread is fantastic, you get the idea? The beer menu is superb, the service is excellent the location is down at the end of the road. There is parking across the street. This is the place that you could take a date to be romantic, you could bring your kids for excellent food, you could bring a brother or sister. Hands-down excellent, I strongly recommend, this place is great visit if you can read more

There aren't many places to get real Creole so when we finally checked this place out it blew me away. There are so many authentic dishes on the menu I have to go back and try more of them. I got the BBQ shrimp on jalapeno cheddar grits, it was perfect. My wife got the blackened scallops and those were good too. Saturday wait time was 1hr 15min. but we passed the time with craft beer of which they have a decent selection. All in all, I'm going back and recommending to friends and family. read more

Been awhile since I've been to maple tree -- now located in Homewood -- JD was my waiter and he was excellent. I had the brisket and it was excellent The drinks were great and the atmosphere was fantastic. Katie the owner couldn't have been nicer, and Emily the Bar manager was knowledgeable and poured fantastic drinks. I'm definitely coming back! read more

Best Gumbo this side of New Orleans hands down if you can't make it to New Orleans please check this place out ! Gumbo great drinks great well worth the price ! read more

Maple Tree Inn - Southern Near Me - Homewood, Illinois

What a great dining experience yet again!! My husband and I went for an anniversary meal and yet again it was outstanding. Such beautiful atmosphere and ambiance. We were greeted immediately and seated within moments. Ordered some nice drinks and relaxed while we looked thru the great menu. Started off our meal with two apps. The oysters 2x2x2 and Crab mornay dip. The oysters were outstanding but the crab dip was a bit underwhelming and I will not order it again Our server Morgan was amazing. He answered any and all questions we had and made a few suggestions. My husband ordered the shrimp and grits at Morgan's suggestion while I did the crawfish étouffée. The shrimp and grits were absolutely outstanding. And my meal was incredible as well. This is really such a special place. If you live anywhere near here I would implore you to eat here as soon as you can. I have yet to have a bad meal or experience here and love this place. read more

Wow! Completely in love with everything Maple Tree Inn has going on! We are very casual people who love good atmosphere, good food, good music and New Orleans. This restaurant embodied all of the above! Place is smaller and cozy with great lighting and very laid back atmosphere. I was in love with the tin ceiling in the dining room and the overall feel of the bar and dining room. The music being played added to the overall feel of New Orleans and made the night better. Now, for the food...I don't remember having a better meal. We started with a crab cake, and it was so good we split another. Amazing! Potions for everything are on the small side, which is a plus, since you can sample more food. My husband got the gumbo and I ordered the blue crab bisque. Delicious! We then split the BBQ shrimp and grits. Rivaled the shrimp and grits at Emerils in NOLA. I can't wait to go back and will definitely be a regular. Love! read more

A hidden gem! They had an amazing beer selection, and the food was absolutely perfect. Our group tried just about everything on the menu (and that is not an exaggeration). My personal favorite is either the pork tower or the bouillabaisse. As for appetizers, just take your pick, as you are inevitably going to love it. The waitress we had was absolutely lovely and made wonderful beer selections as well as food selections. She was spot on and we cannot wait to go back with more friends and family. read more

I loved this place. Craft beer was great. Food was great and plenty. I'm reading some of these reviews and I would like to add - PLEASE DON'T BRING A 2 YEAR OLD THERE AFTER 8PM ON THE WEEKEND. The place is small and narrow but it adds to the cool ADULT atmosphere. I felt like I was back in New Orleans. Three of us ADULTS went after 8pm last Saturday night. We had to wait for a table so we sat at the bar for a beer for about 20 minutes. Thank God I didn't bring a 2 year old!! The wait staff was great. Friendly and Fast. Food came quickly. I'm telling all my friends about the place and will be back soon! read more

Words cannot describe how awesome this place was. My wife and I along with 2 other couples ate here on a Saturday night. I ate more oysters than I did all last year. 2x2x2 oysters were very good. Oyster shooter with infused jalapeno vodka was awesome. We also had the grilled oysters which were ok. I had the bouillabaisse for my entree. Wonderful spicy broth with tons of seafood. My wife had the bbq shrimp with grits. I really liked it. Lets get to the drinks. Dark and Stormy was a ginger delight. So I had 2 of them. They have zombie dust on tap. Its hard to even find that beer in a bottle let alone on tap. So I swilled down one of those as well. No desert for me. Not enough room. Our server was a red headed ginger like myself named Jacob with a c. He did a great job and kept our drinks coming. There was something I though was super cool. The entire bar when you walk in is from the 1893 Worlds Fair. To sit at a bar thats over 115 years old has a lot of history to it. I cant wait to go back. read more

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Untouched Schlitz bar. Huge beer selection. Great food. In a perfect quiet little area of Blue Island. You couldn't ask for better service. Emily the bar tender is always great at her job and everyone there is happy to see you. read more

I love this place I will be here regularly.. The service was amazing and food was to die for.. Blackened catfish and crab cake hmmmmmm

Best food and drinks in Chicagoland! Must try the Crab Mornay!

Oysters Rockafellar will rock your world. Everything I've tried was awesome. Unique atmosphere. Old school setting. Sit in the nook on the north side of the room. Big servings and happy wait staff. Great drink selection. read more

My first time at Maple Tree. I'm sorry I never made the trek out here before. The atmosphere is awesome. 1/2 bar 1/2 restaurant. Every table is filled with good reason. Great authentic Creole/Cajun cooking. Great smoke ring on the ribs. Crawfish étouffée was awesome but the shrimp n grits ruled the platter. Hurricanes are sneak-up-on-you perfect. And i followed it all up with a slice of the BEST pecan pie I ever tasted. I'm coming back to Maple Tree Inn. Make sure you get a reservation. They use open table. read more

Maple Tree Inn - Southern Near Me - Homewood, Illinois

Love coming here when I fly home! I think I will make it a tradition because the food is phenomenal and he drinks are even better!

Amazing craft beer menu. I have eaten here twice. The first time I got the prix fixe meal where you get an appetizer, main entree and dessert. The other I got the beef brisket and seasoned fries. The seasoned fries are amazing! I have had the beef brisket at The Patio, Chucks Southern Cafe, and Hog Wild and the beef brisket here blows all of them away. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Maple Tree Inn. I just recently went here for the first time, but I will definitely be returning in the near future. I loved the jalapeno cornbread muffins they give you first, yum! They have an awesome and extensive craft beer list and my boyfriend enjoyed trying a new beer. As for me, I definitely enjoyed my Creole Voodoo Zombie drink and would recommend. Now on to the most important part-the FOOD! My boyfriend had the special for the night which was the boiled crawfish with corn on the cob and potatoes, all served right in the pot at the table which was fun. I'm not sure if they have this particular dish available every night but my boyfriend really enjoyed it. I chose the Hickory Buttered BBQ Shrimp for my entree and it was seriously to die for. This was definitely the best shrimp dish I've ever had and one of the very best dishes I've had period. It is served with jalapeno cheddar cheese grits that were amazing with the shrimp. The portion was a good size also for both the grits and shrimp. There were many things on the menu that I wanted to try, so we will just have to make a return trip soon! I've included a picture of the boiled crawfish. read more

Maple Tree Inn - My boyfriend's crawfish pot! - Southern Near Me - Homewood, Illinois

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!! We started off with the voodoo nuts which is andouille sausage with roasted garlic gloves and stone ground like mustard which was great. For our entree I had the ham shank with Cajun ratatouille and cornbread dressing which was one of the best meals I've ever had. My boyfriend had the brisket with collard greens and pickled onion slaw which was equally as amazing. For dessert we had the beignets.. SO GREAT! From the cornbread they give you complementary to the decor/atmosphere to the awesome service this place deserves all 5 stars. Easily just became the one of the best top 5 meals I've ever experienced. Too bad I live in Ohio or I would come here all the time!!!!! read more

Maple Tree Inn - Southern Near Me - Homewood, Illinois

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I love this place. Wonderful ambiance, impeccable food, outstanding owners & staff. A wonderful gem in Blue Island, and some of the best Cajun food you'll find outside of New Orleans! read more

The food is amazing ... the service is SUPER amazing! The food is seasoned in a way that you'll feel as though your mouth is having a party!! I honestly can't explain the service in any other terms than to say they make you feel like family ... it's amazing ... love this place!!!! Definitely ask for Ozzie ... he is so awesome ... will make suggestions ... is enthusiastic and friendly, while also professional. Also, the guys assist you stepping down into the dining room, or stepping up . . . it's like you're visiting the home of a family friend . . . great experience!!! DEFINITELY try the shrimp with grits, the seafood gumbo, the pork tower . . . Mmmmm My nephew enjoyed the Redfish, while my mom and husband enjoyed the Dis and Dat ... you won't be sorry. Awesome 52nd Birthday ... Thanks Maple Tree Inn . . . Thanks Ozzie! read more

We always look forward to introducing family and friends to Maple Tree Inn. Service is amazing and knowledgeable. Management looks out for the guests treating you like family. The food is so good it makes us happy. While we bring many here, our favorite time is always when it's just the two of us and we come when they first open, sit in wingback chairs at "our" table, and feel like we're the only two people in the world with a staff and a chef all our own. The place gets hopping as the evening goes on so reservations are recommended. Our youngest guest we brought was 12 and a foodie; he loved it, but I wouldn't recommend the place for anyone much younger, unless they were raised on Cajun and Creole. Specialty cocktails are always spot on, the draft wine (you read that right) never disappoints, and our beer friends love the selections. Negatives? Not really. The water pitcher could be filled more often but maybe we just drink a lot of water. Best Cajun and Creole you'll get in Chicago, you just have to drive to Blue Island to find it. read more

I have now had the pleasure of dining at The Maple Tree Inn three times. And all I can say is wow. The service is always impeccable and the food outstanding. Our first visit we had my three year old daughter with us. We walked into this sort of dark long room that at first looks like just a tavern. So, my husband and I turn to each other like, "Is this OK for her?" Reaching the end of the 26 tap bar, the bartender assures us someone will be right with us. The server says hello and asks if we would like to sit outside. As we follow her to the back we now see that outside is inside with a ton of windows opened with screens. It is like the best of both worlds. That is when we noticed we were in a New Orleans style restaurant. The Mardi Gras colors, and feather masks are displayed through out the restaurant. I immediately get excited, my family is from New Orleans, and I am ready to eat. They have a wonderful Prix Fixe menu that really lets you taste quite a few of their signature dishes. My husband had the seafood gumbo, shrimp creole and sweet potato cheesecake. I had the N'awlins Bouillabaisse, and we split the 2x2x2 oysters. The baby ate off our plates. Everything was fantastic. The baby was asking for more. Authentic spices, the gumbo had great roux, great stock and lots of seafood. Now, if you are in the know, I make one of the best tasting sweet potato cheesecakes in Chicago, so imagine my face when my fork went into a lusciously light, not very cream cheesy plate of goodness. I mean this cake was like velvet in my mouth. For my drink, I had a flight of 5 beers, that changes weekly, and was able to sample 3 others. My server was super knowledgeable about all the beers on tap, and helped me find a new flavor, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale. A young woman stops by our table and asks us how everything is. I politely ask her if she is the owner, she said yes, I got up from my seat and gave her a hug. Fantastic all the way around. She, Katie Orr, gives me a little history about the restaurant that was once ran by her father and became the first New Orleans concept in Chicago, 5 years after opening in 1975. I told her that night, that some way, some how I will be seeing her again. When Thinking of a restaurant to celebrate our 1 year anniversary, we both immediately thought of The Maple Tree Inn. We then decided to make it our first restaurant of this year's Dinner Club Series. Due to many circumstances, none of our friends were able to join us, and so we went crazy for dinner! We had 4 of these lovely spicy oyster shooters, topped with house spiced Cajun vodka. We had juicy, succulent, spicy gator bites served with a thick creamy remoulade sauce. He again had the seafood gumbo and I had the rich, decant blue crab bisque. Brian had the seared BBQ beef brisket cake, with mounds of tender brisket, red beans and rice, and my favorite smothered okra. I had their signature hickory butter BBQ shrimp served over spicy al dente fettuccine. That week was the Abbey Road flight, which we both had. Too full to eat dessert, we took home the sweet potato cheesecake and the mud cake with mud mousse. Again, the service was like we were good friends. Really it's looking like this is the way they always are. And so last night, we left our house late, and most restaurants around us were closed. My husbands says, why not go back. I am game. As we walk to the door, Katie smiles and says hi and she sees us coming in. My husband had been back earlier in the week with some friends for a drink, so the bar tender recognizes him immediately upon entering. Although it is late, we are greeted like it is the first seating. Gator bits are on my mind, we split a sourdough garlic bread "boat" filled with deep fried oysters, which tasted like hot melted creamy cheese, and a side dish of fried okra. We split this week flight of beer as well. After three times, four for my husband, The Maple Tree Inn has proved that they get 'it". The "it' that encompasses food, atmosphere, service, quality, selection. My hat goes off to Katie Orr and her staff. Great job at being authentic and setting the standard high. I look forward to spending many years with y'all. read more

Great place to take two friends when they come in from out-of-town for nice food and different

Had our office Christmas Party here for the third time. Food, drinks and service was very good as usual. Would like to see the menu expanded a bit but everything on it they do well. read more

The Maple Tree Inn is such a hidden gem. My family and I visited today for Father's Day, and the food and service were amazing. For appetizers, we ordered the oysters three ways...Delicious!!! I ordered the jambalaya which was seasoned to perfection and had just the right amount of spice. My husband ordered the Dis and Dat platter. He raved about the BBQ shrimp and grits. My children had the soft shell crab and shrimp. All was delicious. We were more than pleased with the entire experience and can't wait to go back! read more