My favorite thing here was the fried pork chops... this isn't what the use to serve. It's still…read moreseasoned well but not the cut/size the use to have. I hope y'all bring it back

Last year, I catered from Vari's (fried chicken/peach cobbler/greens/mac and cheese/homemade…read moredressing/cornbread/and yams) for co-workers visiting our Chicago office from Poland. A couple of weeks ago, while visiting their office in Poland, I was surrounded by a group of seven people who were still raving about that meal! They laughed and asked if I had brought any of the food with me in my luggage. Thank you NETTA for creating food that not only tastes amazing but also leaves such a lasting impression across cultures and continents.

Been going here since I was a kid. Definitely a suburban staple. I LOVE the Priscilla's punch. My…read morego to is the shrimp dinner.

Ok. I'm officially done. Before I start, yes I know Sundays are busy for any restaurant especially…read moreafter church. I came in at 330 on a Sunday to order cornbread. That's it. But I entered the soul food circus. The parking lot!!! As much money as they bring in it is night time to refigure the parking situation. It's cramped, no flow of in and out and it takes forever to get out. Or in. Once in, I waited to place the order but there was so much chaos! Wrong orders, orders never made, customers ordered items, waited only to be told the item they had been waiting on was sold out, changed the item and wait some more. Door dash and pickups were extremely chaotic and the waiting room was crowded. One woman was literally waiting 30 min on an extra order of potato salad. It seems like ordering ahead did not help cut down on anyone's wait time. I had no issues with staff. They remained professional in the midst of this chaos but I would just like to see more organization to their set up!!! I truly want to support local, especially POC, but I can't waste any more time hoping for them to get it together or revamp their systems. I can't speak to the taste of the food because I only order cornbread. After today, Jiffy Mix will be back in rotation because I can't handle this much chaos and stress.

The food here is AMAZING!!!! Everything was delicious and made fresh to order. The food came out…read morehott!! We did the great tasting experience where you get 3 entrees, drinks, wine and dessert. It was definitely worth the money. But if you share the meal experience you have to also buy an entree (fyi). The waitress was nice and patient. Even though we had a reservation it took a while to be seated when there were open tables but there were only two waitress for the restaurant. The food takes a minute to come out after being ordered (45 mins) but it was piping hot and fresh. The ambiance was nice. They were playing old school Luther so it was vibe. Bc this food was so good , I'll give it a 5 but if you go be patient. It'll be worth the wait

I would say I enjoyed myself here. I got the truffle lobster mac. It was great, I really liked the…read moresauce and the odd noodles they used. I was very disappointed in the taste of the center piece lobster, though. My date got something else. I don't know how, but this place made Brussels sprouts taste good for a bit. Service was great. I like to be left alone for the most part, and they did just that. My waiter would pop in and out at the perfect moment. I would give the ambiance a 9/10. I loved the hints gold and the dark teal(?) wallpaper

Had the pleasure of coming to this wonderful place with my cousins. The food was incredible. It's a…read moresmall restaurant with incredible flavors. They will soon be expanding the space to include a bar and more tables. I am from California, so I look forward to see what they do to the place when I get back. I ordered the Etoufee Egg Rolls, Wings, and Jambalaya. My cousin ordered a burger, and his son ordered the Mac and cheese. OMG - the egg rolls were incredible. It came with a roumalade that I think they need to bottle up and sell. It's the kinda sauce you'd want to put on everything. I liked the texture and flavor of the wrap and omg the flavors tasted like they were wrapped in love. Chloe, the owner, told us that the jambalaya ones are even better. I was already ordering the jambalaya so I opted for the etouffee to get a wider variety of flavors. I ordered the wings with the lemon pepper and buffalo seasoning. The combo was a little salty, but good. That roumalade with it was bombacious! The jambalaya won my heart. It gave me the warm fuzzies because it felt like a beautiful story unfolded with every bite. So many flavors to take your tastebuds on an incredible journey. Love that the food is cooked in beef tallow. You can taste it in the fries. The crispiness and omg - I miss the days before people cooked with vegetable oil. Looking forward to the day when I can come back again. PS- please bottle up that roumalade and sell it!

Ordered takeout here at Johnnie Mae's and I was very pleased…read more The Cajun shrimp PoBoy was delicious with the perfect balance of shrimp, bun, and toppings. I don't think I've ever had a better one. The 1/2 order of jambalaya also excellent and properly spiced. My grandson enjoyed his chicken strips and fries. I also liked my Cajun fries and Jamaican cola. I look forward to returning here again soon to try some other tasty options on their menu, including red beans and rice, collard greens, oxtail, etc. The owners were very nice and the food was ready for pickup right on time. I will be back.

I decided to do takeout here on a Sunday night for dinner. We placed our order online and did…read morepicked it up with no issues. The lady at the counter was very welcoming and joyful. The food was good, but a little bit on the expensive side. We ordered three one entree plates. They came with two sides and a muffin. My wife and son both ordered their fried chicken entree with Mac & cheese and yams, and I ordered their smothered pork chops with yams and collard greens. The fried chicken was good, Mac and cheese was ok, collard greens weren't the greatest. The yams were delicious and the smothered pork chops definitely hit the spot. The food overall was seasoned well, not under seasoned and most importantly not over seasoned. The gravy was really good and the pork chops were cooked perfectly. We also ordered their banana pudding. This one was just ok. Not sure if I'd order it again. We wanted peach cobbler but they were out. Next time we'll order that if it's available. My entire family enjoyed their meal and we will definitely be returning.

Came here on a Sunday for a nice lunch - I chose to dine out. Upon entering I was greeted by a…read moreyoung lady at the bar. I grabbed a menu and she was able to take my order. I chosen the $21.99 meal which is one entree, 3 sides and a dessert. Not bad, right? I waited about 5 minutes before my meal was packaged and handed to me. Should've taken that as a sign. Especially for soul food. Chicken and gravy - decent. The gravy was thick and tasty. Not salty thank the heavens. My issue with the entree was that you could tell the chicken had been sitting in the gravy too long. The crispiness was gone. Corn muffin was basic and small. Nothing special or out of the ordinary. The yams were an absolute no. Definitely canned yams made with no love. same for the collards. The Mac and cheese was alright but it reminds of of the Mac and cheese they serve as the kids table. Overall, for $24.39, the meal fell flat. The peace cobbler held together real well. While I enjoyed popping my head in, I will not be back.

I love this place so much. Everytime I order, it's always a pleasant experience. The food is so…read moredelicious. I let my co workers try some. Now I have them hooked. Thank you so much!!!!

A Soul Food Restaurant located in a small strip mall in Oak Park IL. The menu consists of fried Cat…read moreFish fillets, chicken wings, smothered pork chops, Mac & Cheese, greens, cabbage and other delicious items. My first time coming here and I was impressed with the food. They allow you to sample the food to see if you like it. Which is a bonus to sample before you make your decision to purchase. I ordered the fish fillets which was very delicious and well seasoned Golden crispy and fried well. My sides were the cabbage and beef spaghetti. The cabbage was well seasoned as well. The spaghetti had a funny tasting season that I didn't like. Nice size portion of food for a reasonable price. FYI. No dining area. Order to go only

I just had to visit Surf's UP - Maywood after discovering its collaboration with Good2Go Veggie…read morewhich I have tasted at Vegandale, a vegan food and drink festival. Surf's Up serves a Good2Go product on their menu being the Shock N' Shrimp. When I discovered that, I just had to visit because since Vegandale I have been on the lookout for Shock N' Shrimp throughout Chicago. As a vegetarian, I am always on the hunt for plant-based foods. So, I chose and made my way to Surf's UP which sits within a short distance of the hospital I work at in Maywood. I ended up ordering their 8 Pieces Shock N' Shrimp which came with Fries, figuring that it would fill me up rather than the 3 Pieces Shock N' Shrimp. I always love ordering online via yelp because it is convenient! Most of the time my orders are completed upon my arrival or near complete. I encountered the issue of my order not going through via Grubhub, resulting in me having to call Grubhub to cancel. All went well with that process, and I was refunded in a timely manner by Grubhub. And at the time, the employee was patient, even when receiving the call from Grubhub. Since I was already onsite, I resumed the ordering process after the employee got off of the phone with Grubhub because I just had to have the Shock N' Shrimp. And no more than 10 minutes from the time I placed my order with the employee, he completed it, and I was well on my way. As for my food, the Shock N' Shrimp tasted wonderful! To complement the taste, I was given barbecue dipping sauce with them which I absolutely loved. And I just cannot go without mentioning the Fries which were not too overly seasoned. I enjoyed the Fries equally as I did the Shock N' Shrimp. With there being other items on the menu that I would love to try, I am very well open to visiting and ordering from Surf's UP - Maywood, or any other Surf's UP location again. And with that being said, I share my endorsement of Surf's UP with you all. Ambiance: 3 1/2 | Service: 4 | Food: 4 Recommendations: Vegan Chunky Chili, Lar-Bear's Beyond Meat Bowl, Vegetarian Bowl, Anthony's Beyond Meat Burger with Fries, Vegan Shock N' Shrimp, Shock 'N Shrimp Tacos, Cheese Garlic Corn Bread Muffin, Fried Biscuits, or any of the Sides. ~ Oh darling, let's be adventurers ~ Thomas G

While i don't get here as often as i like to, BUT WHEN I DO it doesn't disappoint. The meal was…read moreprepared and served with care. When I hear "your order will be ready in 15mins" I already know that it's being made to order..and guess what i like that! I dined in and grabbed a window seat for my lunch, the seating was decent, the music was soothing as I sat and destroyed my lunch! I am not sure why they serve the sauce (rhetorically speaking) because my shrimp were cooked to perfection and the wings were like being at a family member's house. M The owner was on his way in with supplies, and greeted me as he was completing his task. The team member has always been pleasant, she is a staple there whenever i visit. Ok, my review is done, I've received my nourishment for the day and now back to serve the community. Enjoy, be safe and Make It happen D

I want to start by saying this restaurant is SO GOOD! The service was good, and I really liked the…read morebar tender. I sat at the bar. The restaurant is decorated beautifully. It's very clean and modern. The food was amazing. I started off with a peach lemonade/tea drink that was very good. I cannot remember the name, but it was spirit free. Next, I got the collard green dip. This is a must try when you go. Its so cheesy and delicious. It was perfectly seasoned. For my entre, I got the smother pork chops. OMG I did not expect that food to be so good. IDK what they seasoned that gravy with, but it was fire. The porkchops were delicious, and I loved the seasoned rice that it came with. My only complaint was that the kitchen moved very slowly on the night that I went. It took forever for my food to come out; however, I will say the taste of the food made up for the how long it took to come out.

I was very excited to come to this restaurant. I made a reservation for a earlier time but was…read moreunaware that they offered happy hour. Front of the house staff was very nice and kind and I was seated right away. However once we ordered the wait time was so bad that my cousin had finished her appetizer and we waited an additional 30 minutes for my collard green dip which was very good by the way. Everything was served one at a time with long wait times in between. By the time I received my entree I was full. I took a few bites of the Chicken and Fish and everything else I took home. Literally as soon as happy hour was over everyone around us started receiving their food very fast. The food was ok a little salty (batter from the chicken, fish and tomatoes). In addition your staff Karen was not so kind and very forgetful of what we asked for. I know she seemed overwhelmed for the area that she had. Our sentiments were shared with the manager but that was it. The owner came by to check in but she just breezed by. I'm not sure that told her of our complaint but as fast as she went by asking was everything ok I dont feel like she would have been open to what we had to say. Overall it was ok, A few suggestions...and yes I would return because maybe today was an off day and everyone deserves a chance to get it right, During Happy Hour everyone should get the same level of service, and if a different menu is offered it should be offered to everyone upon arrival. Nothing is perfect and we understand that and gave grace by waiting and being patient. But these are some easy fixes and I look forward to seeing that on my next visit!

Do it for the Yelp, I ain't gonna do it!! Do it for the Yelp, I ain't gonna do it!…read more It's one thing when business suck and they deserve a 1-2 star. But it's another when you see the potential which is why I slight don't want to do it for the Yelp Came in @ 5:15pm expecting to dine in only to be told you can't eat in...why all the tables? Ordered 4 meals at 5:30pm .... 7:00 pm I finally walked out with my food. (Total of 4 other customers during my time there. 1 was already there when I got there and two seemed to have placed their order on the phone as they barely waited and 1 was a grub hub pickup* (* Grub hub pickup person was super piss pacing back and forth in front of the restaurant. Time = money) Presentation! Things I don't want to see when I come to a restaurant. A can of HOT SHOOT in the "non-dinning" room area, Your hair in a Bonnet like you just got out of bed, Food items on the floor (in this case vanilla wafers and onions and a few other items), items thrown on the tables (for the "non-dinning" room area) I had a $25 restaurant.com certificate. (Which is a story in itself) I sometimes I hate using them cause I always get that feeling most of the restaurants don't want to honor it. (why the heck do you sign up for it?) After giving Tiyana the code and ringing up the food it took an additional 6-8 min before actually processing the card. Not sure if it was because she didn't believe the price after or needed a confirmation about the actual certificate . it was never explained just long silent waiting.... *cricket* I added my food up through the groupon app before even ordering and according to that price I was charged about 30 cent more. I wasn't going to argue over that and left it alone. FRIED CHICKEN DARK - 8.99 - It was good. SMOTHERED CHICKEN DARK - 10.99 tasted like a different batch of chicken from the fried chicken as it tasted more burnt/dried out it was slightly cold (only took about 15min to get home + the 10 before actually getting my food at the end ) JERK CHICKEN - $16 for 4 wings??? I get that it's a "dinner" as you can order 10 wings for the exact same $16. but basic math your charge $6 for two small sides So the other $10 is for 4 WINGS! Another odd comparison is that regular four wing dinner cost $12. Jerk seasoning cost $4? Flavor was excellent and seasoned well. Expected large Jerk Wings for the price, something similar to Montego Bay in Bellwood. SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS - $10 thin cut, but for the price I guess I expected that ) the meet was a little dry and overdone but again I take it due to the thin cut of meat as you don't have a lot of room for error and need to make sure the meat is done. SIDES Jerk Mac Cheese - Fire! The only unique thing you'll get hear in regards to not being on a nearby restaurant menu. It's a handful of items with Jerk in it. Jerk Pizza Puff, Tacos, Nachos, Burritos, Jerk Chicken omelette Sweet potatoes. - probably the closet to my moms recipe that I have ever tried. (Diabetics be warned!) Greens - the only thing I didn't personally try myself, but was told after throwing some vinegar and hot sauce on them, they thought they were good. Regular Mac and cheese. - it's alright compared to the jerk version. Dressing - literally don't even remember. I ate it but flavor wise I've had better. Tiyana was nice and I notice more smiles at the end . I know black folks get that "mean" typecast do to RBF (Resting itch Face) as I was questioning it myself. However at the end I know she'a putting the food out in hopes you really like it and would come back. She also gave me a coupon book for the restaurant. (Some of it is to be questioned. Such as refer 20 people and get 7 free meals.) and two key chains which got destroyed as the heat from the bag made the paper material in between the key chain wet. It's like I see the effort and hard work and not trying to knock what Tiyana is doing Notice the one year anniversary menu (All you can eat buy one for $18.99 and get 2nd meal for $0.01) I like everything is cooked from scratch. I understand the whole "call your order in advance" reply I'll probably get, but I waited 90 min! The place wasn't dirty but too cluttered with items on the table etc. Not sure if going through remolding, but the photos I seen on Maywood Village Press showing the dinning room area is nothing like what I seen when I got there. I felt Tiyana attire was more like see your sister on thanksgiving morning putting the turkey in the oven before everyone gets up and not I'm the business owner/chef. This is one of those reviews where despite the low rating I hope people give it a chance and able to see visible improvements. As a person that almost never order delivery. This is the one time I'll say grub hub and door dash would be in your best interest.

They served me raw chicken with jerk sauce on it. First you get the attitude over the phone then…read morethey deliver you raw chicken shrugs. Go here if want terrible food with the terrible service on the side.

Delicious food, great staff, pretty prompt service even when they're slammed! A favorite spot for…read morebrunch

When I lived downtown Chicago I would always go to Wildberry whenever I could. I'd bring friends…read morehere and out of towners here as well! I haven't been to a location in almost 10 years so suffice to say I was very excited to come back! I got my usual signature berry bliss waffle and it was delightful. However it was outshined by the strawberry colada smoothie that was DEMOLISHED. My husband killed the cookie dough waffle, he got an espresso, and I ordered a side of bacon and another smoothie to go it was THAT GOOD!! I'm pretty sure we were greeted by the manager and assistant manager. Great service, great and BUSY location (I suspect they all are like this. They're just wonderful!) My husband said I didn't overhype it (even though I was drooling while I was describing this place to him lol) that it was a good call and he would go again. :) We'll see you next time! Thank you for the best trip down memory lane.