It had been several years since I dined at Norman's Bistro. There is street parking and luckily enough I was quickly able to find parking directly across the street on a Sunday evening. Our party of 5 were serviced by the lovely Jasmine. Her customer service and attentiveness was Great! First off we all enjoyed the Fried Green Tomatoes appetizer. The tomatoes were sliced just thick enough, tender inside and crispy outside. For my entree I had the Caribbean Flame-Grilled Lamb, served with grilled Red Peppers and Onions. For my side I chose Red Beans and Rice. Everything was so delicious. The only reason I gave 4 stars, for the atmosphere, was because once the Jazz Band started playing inside the dining room, they were competing with the sound of dj music loudly playing in the next room. Overall I enjoyed the experience. read more

Norman's Bistro - Caribbean Flame-Grilled Lamb - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I can't say enough good things about this place! The food, excellent! The drinks, heavy pour! And prices are very reasonable! The music, great DJ - old school R&B. The crowd is definitely on the grown and sexy side and I love that! read more

Norman's Bistro - Fried catfish with red beans and rice. - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I had a yummy dinner here - I got the shrimp pasta and he got the shrimp poboy and we shared the fried green tomatoes. It's a cute enough spot inside - the food is four stars because while the food is good, it does feel like something you could probably make at home with some effort so it feels a bit expensive for what it is. For example, my friend noted that the fries that came with his poboy were frozen originally as opposed to fresh. Still a solid spot to have dinner in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't go out of my way again unless I was in the area and hungry. Also service is a bit slow but I only really rate based on food unless someone is actively terrible (service was pleasant enough, just a bit inefficiently run). read more

Norman's Bistro - Shrimp pasta and shrimp po'boy in the back - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The restaurant offers excellent service and a fantastic live music experience. It provides a relaxed atmosphere with high-quality entertainment. read more

I have come to Norm's at least 5 times before today and have always had a great experience and good food. I want to start there, because I deeply appreciate and respect how hard the restaurant business is, and I know the owner is doing phenomenal work all throughout the community and I applaud him for this. I am not making this review to discourage anyone from eating here, my hope is to offer feedback so that there can be adjustments for the future to secure this restaurant being here for many many years to come! If there was an option to send feedback just to the owner, I would definitely offer that instead. But in absence of that option, I wanted to provide some feedback here. I ordered the blackened catfish with Mac and cheese. I have had this same meal several times before so I knew what to expect which was pure deliciousness. Unfortunately this time the catfish was way over seasoned (too salty), and the table next to me who ordered the same said the same thing. And the Mac and cheese which used to be made fresh and baked, I'm not sure how it's being prepared now but this is not representative of southern Mac and cheese. Again, my hope is never to tear down or disparage. I want to see this business thriving and offering delicious food. I'd be happy to return to offer an updated review (if invited by the business) after alterations have been made! I know Norm's can and has produced far better quality than what u extended today. read more

Norman's Bistro - Blackened catfish - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Norman's came through with a comforting meal on a Thursday night! It was a little cold inside but once I tasted the jerk chicken, it didn't even matter. The chicken was very tender and juicy. I'll probably pass on the island coleslaw next time, but the yams are definitely the truth. Come check them out! read more

Norman's Bistro - Jerk Chicken (half) with Smashed Yams - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good food. Beautiful ambiance. We had a wonderful meal. We have dined at the Bistro several times and we are always well pleased with the quality and quantity of the food. read more

The food was awesome! Everything that we tried was phenomenal! We started with fried green tomatoes... excellent! I also had the best catfish that I have ever had in my life! All of the sides were delicious! I had the braised greens, sweet potatoes and mac & cheese . The service was exceptional! For some of the best food on the south side of Chicago, I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Norman's Bistro - Fried green tomatoes, coleslaw, catfish greens mac & cheese... seafood mixed salad - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

disappointing drinks - rum punch had something in it that seemed spoiled. We replaced it with a lemon drop martini. Watered down.

I visited it for a fundraiser and have mixed reviews. They have a very nice patio area, but it was all in the blazing sun. I wanted to order the bread pudding, but the Chef couldn't give me any information about it. His response was it's traditional bread pudding. What exactly does that mean? I ordered a drink and was told they were out of the ingredients. Attempted to order a second drink and they didn't have the ingredients. She offered to make me a drink that I had to send back because I didn't like it. The fried green tomatoes were sliced perfectly, and had a very good taste. The vegetarian sliders were overcooked. read more

Norman's Bistro - Vegetarian sliders - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place seemed abandoned for Sunday afternoon. The service was average at best. The staff seemed disinterested in us being there. Barely said spoke. The drinks seemed watered down. The two drinks I asked for were not available because they didn't have all the ingredients. No surprise . The food was decent but not worth visiting again. The food and drinks were fairly priced . I would not recommend read more

Norman's Bistro is a popular restaurant in the Bronzeville community. The building itself is nicely decorated, well kept, and very spaciously. There is outdoor seating. There is a lounge in the back where they play live music. There is free street parking, which is definitely a positive! There was a party going on in the lounge area, but the noise was minimal. The patrons were a mature older crowd of people. The restroom was clean. I arrived there at around 8:30PM on Friday August 5th 2022. We were the only guests in the dining area. The service was not good in my opinion. The waitress was not friendly or helpful. She barely spoke to us. She did not check on us. The food was good overall. My mother and I ordered 2 Shrimp Po Boys, Sweet Potatoes Fries, and coleslaw. The sandwich had a good amount of fresh vegetables on top, but it could have used a few more shrimp. It was flavored well. I did not like the sweet tasting coleslaw at all. This meal cost $18 dollars. I will try this restaurant again in the future. Hopefully the service will improve. read more

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I just wanted to leave a heads up for those like me, that may not make reservations often Norman's Bistro, on 43rd St in Chicago Il. For a group over 4 . You will be responsible for the total bill. No more individual bills. Gratuity of 20% will also be added to your bill. Now I know business is business. Just be prepared. I always thought Tipping was to Ensure you receive proper service. In this case not so. Had I been informed of this policy prior to making a reservation. I would have been better prepared. Just one other thing the gentleman showed his Frustration because we were not aware of the policy therefore, we did not get excellent service, but he got his tip. read more

I hadn't been to this restaurant in a couple of years for a few poor dining experiences. But I had lunch on 4/12 and everyone in my party truly enjoyed oir meal. We had catfish which was delicious along with the sided. Somehow the gumbo and it was really good too. Norman's will be a place I will visit again very soon ​ read more

This month friends and I went on a Sunday to Norman's Bistro for brunch. We were surprised they were not open until 3pm. Parking is hard when the place has many patrons, however we were there prior to opening and parking was easy. Food is great, ambience is lovely. They used to have a breakfast buffet (excellent made to order omlets) and not sure when it was discontinued. Overall great place to go with friends or family after church. We will be back. read more

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I will never again come back. The food is disgusting and the service was horrible! The buffalo wings tasted like the TGI Fridays frozen wings! The server lied about a manager not being on duty. When we called the same server gave the phone to "the manager". The same manager who came out from the back room when we were there but didn't approach us. This was my FIRST AND LAST time coming to Norman's Bistro! read more

I went with friends while in town. We were able to be seated quickly. It was not super packed and there was another event in the back room so seem roomy. There was offstreet parking with was fine at least for the day and time that I went. The server seemed new and we had to remind her of things. She may have just had a lot of tables too as it didn't seem like a lot of severs. I ordered the chicken plate along with fried green tomatoes the food was really good and it was enough to take a little back with me. I really enjoyed my tomatoes. Overall good experience. There could have been another server or so to assist but I enjoyed. The food was good and tasty. read more

Norman's Bistro - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

is review is in no way against he food. once we were able the food was good. The service was horrible. we were a party of 20 people and were told hey could do individual checks only to find out when we got to the restaurant that they were going to do one check and then we can use different peoples credit cards to pay for it well certainly that jacked everything up and sent us scrambling which was not a problem. The person who was waiting on our table was a bit rude, and the person she went to to get help was much worse I will give the restaurant one star because of the lack of hospitality and service If you go be warned Service with a smile can go a long way They fell short read more

I enjoy the Wednesday stepper set... But, waiting for 45-60 minutes for "overly salty/seasoned" food is ridiculous! I will take my money elsewhere. read more

I have been here a number of times over the years and always have a good experience. Whether it's breakfast with a friend, dinner with a group or a special event Norman's always comes through. Appetizers that we love include the fried green tomatoes and chicken gumbo. My favorite dinner entree is the lamb chops. They are always tender and well seasoned with a sweet slightly spicy sauce. It comes with a semi sweet cole slaw. The fried chicken was plentiful and tasty. The blackened catfish was delicious, per my co-diner. She says the red beans and rice were a winner, also. I've heard that the chocolate cake and banana pudding are to die for. We won't say any names, but one person in our group sings praises for the chocolate mousse cake each time we visit. If you want to socialize and have a cocktail, there's a pretty busy bar attached to the restuarant. read more

I had a birthday celebration at this establishment. The food was excellent; kudos to the Chef and Cooks, presentation of the food and service was superb. There were quite a few of us there. Our server Danni was excellent, pleasant and accommodating. All the staff that was working that day was very helpful. Thanks to Norman's Bistro my Birthday Celebration was a huge success. read more

After our Dear Friend's memorial, we decided to meet up at Norman's Bistro in Chicago to pour one out for him and to just comfort each other and share stories. This was one of their hangouts. So a group of about 12 of us gathered and shared stories and Great memories over a few drinks. The drinks were Great , nice and strong; flowing like water. This place is Beautiful, spacious and well decorated. The servers were wonderful and kept the drinks flowing. While we were there, in walks the proprietor Norman; we were introduced for those who hadn't met him. He is an Awesome,Friendly and humble young man. I enjoyed meeting him. Some ordered French Fries and some other food which was all delicious. Great conversations, Delicious food, Superb drinks, Excellent atmosphere and just Good commrodary. Great place for an Amazing time. Sorry guys No pictures this time but I promise to get you all some on my next visit. read more

A gem of a spot located on Chicago's Southside neighborhood. The space is quite nice, equipped with a bar and area for live music. I've come here twice with family and we've always enjoyed ourselves. The service is lovely and the food hits the spot read more

Norman's Bistro - Brazilian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So it was my sister's birthday and she loves food that packs a punch so we decided to return to Norman's and they did not disappoint. It was a party of six. We ordered crab cakes, salmon patties, pork chops, lamb and rice, red beans, sautéed spinach and collard greens. Everything was on point- meaning favorable. You could taste the love they put into there food and the wait staff was attentive and helpful. We brought a birthday cake with us to celebrate my sister's birthday. They charge a $25.00 fee to bring outside desserts - I think that is ridiculous so I would not recommend it. Our tab ran about $180.00 and that was without the $25.00 charge. Overall a little pricey but worth the culinary experience. read more

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I visited this establishment on 9/29/2024 around 4pm. I ordered the Pork Chop dinner, I do not know what cut of the pig they got them chops from but they looked liked they were fillets. The batter they used was terrible them chops were hard as a rock, the braised collard greens were nasty they had corn kennels mixed in and the mac and cheese tasted like it came from a box. I spent dam near $30 on that nasty food, never again. I asked the young lady were the pork chops thin or thick she stated that they were thick, when she stated that I am thinking ok they must be center cut, wrong they were fillet cut, that was a terrible experience. read more

I really dislike giving bad reviews to small businesses in the area but Norman's Bistro, there is room for improvement. Visited on a popular night, Thursday where they had live music and a DJ in the back bar area. It was packed! I feel like there has to be a better way to lay out the restaurant on a night like this. Perhaps move some tables? Add more tables, add an additional bar or bartender. Add more seating for the outdoor area, limit the menu and bar menu to make it easier and faster to turn more orders? I don't know but whatever you have currently in place has caused me to have a lack of desire in returning. I stood in line for 20 minutes to order a drink. I decided to buy two so I wouldn't have to get back in a long line again for a refresher. Bartender was good and fast but by himself taking orders. Really? I ordered food and waited and waited over an hour before the waiter vaguely said "oh the kitchen didn't prepare the chicken for you". What?? Say what? So not knowing what he meant we waited longer. He never came back so we went in to find him. He then explained "the kitchen is closed now, I told you they didn't bring your order up for me to give it to you". What in the?.... I witnessed a group BEG to have a bill to pay so they could leave. I also witnessed a table of five people that DID get their food order walk out on the bill because the server took so long to come back out to the outside area to give them their check. How do you make money on a busy night like this with staff so inexperienced? How can you streamline your menu, bar lines, ordering process and seating on a Thursday night? I don't know but you could be making more money with a better, more organized plan. I may return but it would be because I was asked to come, not because I booked this place on my own for dinner. read more

Fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, fried chicken and sweet potato fries all superb, far better than most. Friendly and accommodating service and live jazz on Sunday evenings that is superior to most jazz clubs. To hear this level of talent one would typically pay $50 to $100. It's free here and the combination of youthful performers and jazz masters is inspiring. A true gem with a large and wonderful patio. read more

This is a must visit in the Bronzeville neighborhood. First let's begin with the pros. The fried green tomatoes are AMAZING. Perfectly spiced and the cornmeal coating gives the perfect crunch! The rib appetizer is good but too sweet. The blackened catfish is delicious. The jerk chicken needs more jerk seasoning- tastes like they barely put seasoning on it. The chipotle pasta is good but TOO over seasoned and heavy. The drinks are good but the fruit flavored martinis are way too sweet. read more

Me and the homies stopped in for a drink on a Saturday afternoon recently and had a pretty decent time. We grabbed seats at the bar and gabbed with the bartender Chuck for a little while. They didnt have the ingredients to make my normal fancy whiskey/bourbon cocktails so I was good going with a Makers Mark & ginger ale. I had been drinking before I arrived so I had worked up an appetite. The gumbo looked good so I went with it. Very big portion so I shared small bowls of it with my 3 man crew. Good gumbo and it definitely brought me back down to earth lol. Cool spot read more

Realizing how restaurants tend to fill up quickly for evening dinner on the weekends, I decided to visit Norman's Bistro during the mid afternoon on a Saturday. There were quite a few diners in the main area, but still enough seats such that I didn't have to worry about people sitting on top of me. Homemade yeast rolls. Garden salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Seafood chili. Homemade corn muffins. Chicken, shrimp, and lobster gumbo. Salted caramel cake. I have no extensive review. The service was laid back and the food was damn good. I like the fact that the bread was homemade rather than brought in from a bakery. You can tell by the texture of fresh, baked bread. The seafood chili and gumbo were full of flavour. Having been to New Orleans, I am accustomed to any dishes with a roux base being spicy, but the full flavour of the dishes at Norman's Bistro made up for the lack of pepper in the chili and gumbo. The salted caramel cake, I do believe, may have come from a bakery. It reminded me of the dobo cake I've had at Julius Meinl. I shall have to return again to sample some other menu items. I have a feeling the restaurant can pack out after 5:00, so it will be another Saturday afternoon excursion. It will be worth it. read more

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The customer service was sub par and the food was not good. The mac n cheese was runny and the color orange. I would've preferred it from a box. read more

Was in the area on 5/19/18 and suggested to a friend let's stop in to get something to eat. My friend had never been here and I told them that I had been here many years ago for dinner in which the food was good, listened to a good live band and we had sat in the back. We walk in and there was a young man at the front desk but he walked away when we were waiting to be seated. It wasn't crowded in there at all. There was a group of about 8 for a birthday celebration, and two other tables with about 3-4 people at each table. We waited and no one came to help us. We finally caught the gentleman that had been at the front desk and asked "do we seat ourselves" and he directed a young lady to seat us. The booth she seated us in had a dirty tablecloth. She told us to sit and she would change the tablecloth and I told her I was not sitting at a dirty table and was shocked that she would have customers sit at a table that's not clean. She took the tablecloth away and brought a fresh tablecloth. We order breakfast as it's served until 4 p.m. We notice that the prices are pretty expensive. We both ordered the french toast. Tiffany was our waitress. Tiffany had an attitude the entire time she dealt with us. She didn't want to seat us, she didn't want to place us at a clean booth and when we finally got our food (breakfast food shouldn't take that long), she never came back to check on us - clearly she didn't care. We were both shocked when our orders were placed in front of us. For $12, they gave us eggs, meat, potatoes and french toast but the french toast was only one regular piece of bread that was cut in 2 (my photo is proof)! I've never been served french toast at ANY establishment with less than 4 pieces and for that price? A rip-off. I had wanted to ask Tiffany about it but I had already decided that based off this, the nasty fly that was on the window across from me in the booth and the horrible customer service, that it wasn't even worth inquiring about because I knew wouldn't be coming back. The food was very bland which was a let down. I couldn't finish my food and was disappointed as I was the one that suggested the place to my friend. It was so funny, we had to find Tiffany to ask for our check. When she brought it, she asked me "Would you like a take-out container"? I replied "definitely not". I noticed that the table in front of us with three friendly women were having problems also. They complained to the male waiter how they weren't even asked if they wanted their coffee refilled, they ordered asian chicken wings and informed us that they had to send them back because they just didn't taste good. Before we left, the table asked us how our experience was because they could clearly sense we were not satisfied just like they weren't. One of the women also had been here before but a long time ago and shared that she couldn't believe how bad the experience had been so far for them. We left them there and knew it wasn't just us that had a bad experience that day. I noticed that many Yelp reviews also express that the prices are too high for the food you get and that the food could taste better. I guess the establishment doesn't believe that the customer is always right. When I mentioned on Facebook that I went here, many other friends shared similar stories with regard to the bad service and/or the food. Take heed people, if you want the seafood gumbo, the cost is $27! NOT!! I tried to support my own, bad experience here, lesson learned. Goodbye forever Norman's Bistro! read more

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Norman's Bistro didn't disappoint. Nestled in the heart of Bronzeville this jazzy restaurant made for pandemic safe dining. Our outdoor dining experience with comfortable seating and good food made for a memorable time. The appetizers recommended by our server were so good I forgot to take a picture. Red green tomatoes and battered beans with teriyaki sauce made for a delicious starter. I ordered the Chipotle pasta and I cannot wait to finish my leftovers tomorrow. Portions were filling and the food was super flavorful and comforting during these times. read more

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I've visited this restaurant before the pandemic, the food was good, drinks were spot on, the menu was different. I visited this restaurant yesterday; I wasn't happy at all. We waited forever to have a waiter come to our table. Last time they even had food kids liked, but the Mac n cheese wasn't good. The appetizers were ok, except the collard greens with corn and Who puts corn in collard greens ~ no one from black culture..I will not come here again with my family, we weren't happy at all with this place read more

This is an excellent place. My school scheduled an event there. There was an open bar. The bar tenders were very attentive and efficient. And friendly. The food set out for our party was shrimp, wings, meatballs, salad, cheese, etc. the shrimp, wings and cheese are delicious. read more

We get our weekly event catered from this location. Our first class was a morning class and it was a breakfast menu that includes fruits, scrambled eggs, oats and turkey suggage. I enjoy the fruits and scrambled eggs but the turkey suggage is always too salty. We are currently in an evening class and the menu consist of their chicken and veggie wraps, pasta salad and fruits. Everything is great and the veggie wraps are surprisingly better than the chicken wraps. Never had an issue with their delivery and everything remains consistently good. I look forward to dining in their restaurant one of these days. read more

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The service was friendly, my lobster, chicken and shrimp gumbo contained generous amounts of meat and shellfish, and I got to sit by a family celebrating the 97th birthday of one of their own. I really enjoyed lunch today. read more

This review is for the atmosphere. Went last night with my teen son who, along with other teens, was there for the jazz session where the house band (who has a jazz mentorship program for teens) lets teens play in the band. When my son begins to play the piano, not a minute went by when the house band pianist put his hands on my son and attempted to pull him off the piano apparently for playing the wrong note at a moment. As a mother I stepped in and sternly let both the pianist, Dennis, and the band leader, Ernest, know how unacceptable it is to touch my child for any reason. Disgraceful behavior from adults "mentoring" the next generation of musicians. My son plays many "jam sessions" around the city and never has something like this happened. My son was shocked and very upset about this unprofessional behavior. My first and last time going here. read more

First time here on 2/8/20 to lunch with my sister. I can honestly say I hope it isn't my last. When I go to a new place, if I can I like to sample a couple of dishes. Today I ordered the Shrimp Chicken & Lobster Gumbo and the Carribean Duck with Duck Dressing. My sister ordered the Carribean Grilled Lamb. The sides (none pictured) were sauteed spinach and Greens. I'll start with the Greens and Spinach. The Spinach was nice. It could use a little more garlic but you could ask for that upfront if you so desire. I would pass on the Greens though myself. They were a little more vinegary for my taste. I just am not a fan of more vinegar flavor. They weren't bad, just not for me. Now the main dishes were interesting to say the least. I have heard many things about this place but never took the time to get over there. First the Gumbo is truly a delight. It has all the ingredients it says. You can SEE THE LOBSTER, CHICKEN AND SHRIMP in every bite. The Rue is savory with all the flavors in their right places. Certainly not to salty or peppery. Just a wonderful presentation. If you like Gumbo this is a can't go wrong choice. The Duck IMO was the star at the table. I don't usually get a chance to order duck outside Chinatown or an occasional Christmas holiday so that alone was a treat. The duck came with tender meat under a partially crisp skin. That right there was it for me. I like a crisp duck skin. I realize it is a delicate balance to crisp the skin without drying out the meat underneath. They certainly did a great job trying to make it happen. Kudos to the cook on that. The Duck is a definite must have. My sister has been here previously. I try to encourage her to try something different so she ordered the Lamb Chops. I got to say I was underwhelmed by the dish. The flavor just wasn't there. Not in the sense that it lacked flavor but that I have had much better lamb chops in other restaurants. I mean MUCH BETTER. But hey, if you like lamb these are ADEQUATE, I just won't order them for myself. However the side of Red Beans & Rice could bring tears of JOY to your eyes. I mean this place could sell THAT as a dish with maybe a little appropriate protein or a decent size cornbread muffin and watch those orders FLY OUT THE KITCHEN. THE seasoning on this side was PERFECTION!!!! Just thinking about them now is making me want some of THEIRS RIGHT NOW. I COULD EAT THEIR Red Beans & Rice morning, noon and night and STILL not get enough!!!!! The food here is pretty good, certainly at affordable price points and definitely worth coming again. I would even want to try their brunch on Sunday just to see if they do breakfast as well as lunch/dinner. I also wanted a drink. We arrived before 430 so no bar yet :( At that point you can get wine or beer. I got a Stella. However once the bar was opened I wanted my usual French Martini. Unfortunately they didn't have any Chambord. Why????? I have no idea so I settled on a Pomegranate Martini. For the cost I would have expected some alcohol in it but THEY MISSED THE GLASS ENTIRELY on that one. Very disappointing!!!! The take away is this is a nice black owned establishment worth the money, effort and time. Things I would not buy are Martini's, Lamb and Greens. I would definitely return and surely look forward to it when I do. The prices are fair for the food. The place is clean and well presented. I'm glad I came and look forward to a return. I think a Good date place too if the place isn't overrun by rowdy people (as I have heard it can be. I have NO TASTE for ANY of that on any day) read more

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Friendly place. Fried green beans & Fried tomatoes are good, but a bit oily. the other food was OK.