Skidoe&#x27;s Cafe and Grill

•$$$

Some friends and I visited Chicago recently and were looking for restaurants to have dinner. When I…read moresaw that Virtue was Black owned and operated, I made a reservation. I'm glad that I did. We were greeted upon arrival, and seated shortly thereafter. Our server, David came over and spoke to us about the menu selections. We were extremely satisfied with his service. I was truly impressed with Lou, who I assume was operating in a managerial capacity. He went from table to table checking in with the guests to find out if anything was needed. He removed plates of finished food from tables, and even explained the desert options to us. Well done. The food was delicious! I usually have to add salt to my food. I did not have to add anything here. The food was perfectly seasoned. We all enjoyed our choices. I would highly recommend this restaurant without hesitation.

Incredible food! It's quite busy, so definitely have a reservation. They're pretty attentive, it's…read morea cute space, and the food is memorable. Fish and grit flavor was so tasty and unique. Short ribs cooked to perfection. Cornbread and Mac and cheese were delicious. Had leftovers to enjoy the next day! Kinda a miss, but the blueberry cobbler doesn't come with ice cream, which i 100% think is necessary. You'll have to ask for it (and they'll charge for it). Next time would try the banana pudding! Would come back!

Interior!

Biscuits & Pimento Cheese, Gumbo

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Southern flower

Jordyn's Soul Cafe

3.2(117 reviews)

•$$$

Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful dinner meal at Jordyn's in Hyde Park. The Hostess was friendly and…read morehelpful. Our server, Jay, was attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. We shared the pot roast empanada appetizer!!! Yes, delicious, just like it sounds! Both of us enjoyed our entrees. I had the "smothered" porkchops unsmothered! Got the gravy on the side! The porkchops were perfectly prepared, juicy and lightly seasoned! I chose cabbage and sweet potatoes for my side items. My husband ordered the fall-off-the-bone, beef short ribs with mac n cheese and string beans. Everything was plated and arrived to the table hot and all together! So important! The pace and timing of each course was perfect. He enjoyed a cocktail, I chose a ginger ale. We shared dessert. We are in anniversary mode so a mid-week, great meal was appropriate, and the soulful vibe of this restaurant made for a fun experience. Oh, and, the playlist had us singing 'quietly' thru dinner! We go out a lot, all over town, the burbs, and of course when we travel, but Jordyn's will stay on our list for a while. The menu is extensive so there is a lot to choose from! This was our first time dining here and we will definitely go back again. We had lots of leftovers, plus I ordered a second order of cabbage. It was that good! Finally, make a reservation, to guarantee seating. We did see folks come in and place to go orders. The gratuity is added automatically, but for us, it was well deserved!

I have to break it down this way because I wanted to like this place a lot, but they really missed…read morethe mark. *Service was terrible. The only plus to their service was CJ - please make him a waiter because he actually cares and continued to check on us though things were out of his control. We were never greeted by our waitress and when she finally came, maybe 25min into our reservation, she was acting slow. She made mistakes and forgot things. We got our drinks so late and our meals as well. Very annoying experience! *Food is the only reason they got more than 1 star. The soul rolls were tasty - moreso like a dessert. The mac & cheese could be cheesier. The greens were fine but missed the mark with barely any juice. The short rib I ordered came with gravy and didn't state it would which turned me off. Upsetting cause the meat was pretty good after I swept all that thick gravy to the side. Don't think I'll be making an appearance here again.

Table

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My FRIED CHICKEN BAKE MAC & CHEESE CANDIED YAMS

Bronzeville Soul

4.1(89 reviews)

0.6 mi•Grand Boulevard

SPECTACULAR EXPERIENCE - BRONZEVILLE SOUL IN CHICAGO!!…read more Bronzeville Soul Food in Chicago is absolutely AMAZING! I ordered the salmon, macaroni and cheese, yams, and fried green tomatoes, and everything was spectacular! The food was seasoned so well, and you could truly taste the love that went into preparing the meal. Everything was delicious and flavorful! The restaurant was very clean, and the staff were friendly, welcoming, and professional. I also really appreciated the free beverage they generously gave my sister and me. That thoughtful gesture made an already wonderful dining experience even more special. I highly recommend Bronzeville Soul Food to anyone who loves delicious soul food, great service, and genuine hospitality. We will definitely be back!

If you haven't been to Bronzeville Soul yet, you need to immediately! The food was amazing and…read morereasonable priced. I came here with some of my trainees after a field trip to the Science and Industry museum. There were 12 adults and we spent about $300, which wasn't bad considering your meal comes with two sides and cornbread. I ordered the baked turkey wings with collard greens and white rice. It was so delicious! I couldn't eat it all because the portions were huge! A lot of my trainees needed to-go bags because it was so much food in those containers. The peach cobbler is amazing too! Not too peachy and not too much breading--a perfect combination. The chef was grateful for us coming in and talked to us too! The host was a sweet man and hooked some of my trainees with some sweet tea on the house. Just beautiful people bringing delicious food to Bronzeville.

Fried chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, candied sweet potatoes, fried cabbage, cornbread muffin

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Window

Cleo's Southern Cuisine

4.1(249 reviews)

1.2 mi•Grand Boulevard

This was honestly some of the BEST food I've ever had. Period. My sister and I pulled up here…read morebefore heading to a concert & we dang near were in a sleep coma after lol I got the Shanikky & the crab was soooo fresh, the catfish was perfectly cooked & seasoned & the chicken the same. I had the pineapple sweet potatoes & Mac & cheese for sides & yummmmm. The cornbread was also very good! It's not really a dine in restaurant although you can sit inside & eat. It was chill. The service was cool, they were working hard but still friendly. It's a little pricey but the amount of food makes up for it. I had enough to eat the next day & share lol.

The food is well seasoned, the delivery takes a while, so don't order when you're hungry. The…read moredelivery order took about an hour. The fish is fried well and the hot honey sauce was a good addition, but not amazing. Just regular hot sauce is good for the fish. The green beans are seasoned well and not spicy in my opinion. The mac and cheese was decent. Not award winning, but good. The pineapple sweet potatoes were fantastic! We ordered an extra side, but they forgot to include it. The initial delivery took so long that we didn't bother to ask for them to send it. The corn muffin was also really good! If you're visiting Chicago, I wouldn't say that this is a must-visit place. Check it out, if you have time!

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Mississippi Sunshine

Valois

4.2(805 reviews)

Great food. Reasonable prices. Liked the location. If it's good enough for the Obamas, it's good…read moreenough for me!

I was visiting from Ohio. A local recommended this. He was clear on advising me not to eat the…read moresteak because he said it's tough. He also advised me that the pancakes were not fluffy. He said that everything else was good. Not so much. I went at 6am when they opened. I ordered scrambled eggs, hash browns, and oatmeal. The eggs were awful--he scooped them out of a container, so perhaps they had been sitting too long. Unclear how they could've seemed old when they had just opened. The hash browns were lukewarm. Again--had they already been cooked and just lightly microwaved. The only decent thing was the oatmeal. It's kind of hard to mess up oatmeal. Seems like they may be resting on their laurels in that more than 20 years ago, the former first family ate there often when they lived in the neighborhood and prior to moving to DC. The prices were reasonable, but the food was not good and was not even worth the reasonable price I paid for it.

Obama Specials @ Valois. 1518 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL Old School Cafeteria Style! Chicago GreekAmerican Breakfast/Lunch!...Cool!

Bacon, potatoes, French toast with blueberries!

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Valois. 1518 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL Old School Simple Quick Self Service Cafeteria Style! Chicago GreekAmerican Breakfast/Lunch!...Cool!

Dirty Tiff's Cafe

4.3(128 reviews)

0.5 mi•Grand Boulevard

Food is always on point!! Friendly service. Reasonable pricing. Nice portions. One of the best…read moremeatloafs I had .

Well! This resutaurant owners continue to impress with great service that was prompt and another…read moreexample of jer commitment of excellence to the customer. Great job!

The logo inside the restaurant.

Oxtails, yams, rice, and peas.

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Pearl's Place

3.4(666 reviews)

1.5 mi•Grand Boulevard

Pearl's Place is definitely worth a visit if you're looking for comforting Southern soul food. The…read moremac and cheese, yams, greens, and fried green tomatoes were all excellent and full of flavor. The only disappointment was the fried chicken. It wasn't bad, but it was just okay and didn't live up to the rest of the meal. If the chicken had been as good as the sides, this easily would have been a 5-star experience. The service was good overall. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, but she never asked if we wanted anything to drink besides water or if we'd like dessert. Those small details would have made the experience even better. Overall, I'd definitely come back for the amazing sides, and hopefully the fried chicken is better next time.

Wow wow wow. My first time here and the full experience was great. We walked in and the host asked…read moreus what we wanted to eat. I asked for a menu and she asked again what do you want. I said fried chicken, mac n cheese and greens. She said ok we have that. My spouse said she wanted meat loaf, mac n cheese and string beans. While sitting I realized I wanted potato salad and bread pudding so I added it. I realized I enjoyed ordering not from what I saw on a menu but what I had a taste for and that was a great experience. Thank you Pearls. My food was amazing everything was seasoned well except my greens. Would I go back yes indeed. The bread pudding was the busy. Yummy for my tummy Sorry I finished all my food before writing this review believe me the seasoning and portion size was OUTSTANDING!!!!!

2.1 mi•Greater Grand Crossing

Salmon croquette, jerk turkey, candied yams, cabbage, mustard greens, red beans and rice.

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Salmon croquette, jerk turkey, candied yams, cabbage, mustard greens, red beans and rice.

Wings Greens and Things

4.5(19 reviews)

Every Dish I've had in this real home cooked food place…read more Home made cooking takes time but worth the wait

Really good food. We go here often especially on Sunday when you don't wanna cook. The plates are…read morepretty high at at least $25 a plate so somewhat pricey, but it's good. The dressing is really good.

Famous Fried Shrimp

Seafood Boil

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Fried cabbage

14 Parish Restaurant and Rhum Bar

4.1(656 reviews)

1.8 mi•Hyde Park

The food service and ambience were all winners. I'm not sure how I missed that. This establishment…read morewas a thing. Every single thing that I ordered exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait to return. Reservations are recommended.

Loved the decor butt the service was lacking. The restaurant wasn't full when I went in, but…read moreservice was slow and I took them a bit to give me my check. The two dishes I ordered came out quickly. The food was all right. The jerk chicken taco was not five dollars. It could have been bigger with more filling. The coconut shrimp had great flavor. The pineapple ginger soda was really really good. I haven't had that kind in a while.

Bar

Oxtails

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Parrish Rum

Ja' Grill Hyde Park

3.5(673 reviews)

I have patronized this business more times than I can count but my first happy hour was a SUCCESS…read more Ja 'Grill never disappoints on the friendliness of their waitstaff, the vibe is always great with good music going, and the food NEVER disappoints I frequently order their jerk wings (not pictured) which never disappoints. This visit I ordered from the happy hour portion of the Ital stew and a mango-tini as well as the Blueberry Smash Gin Martini (not pictured). The stew was a hearty dish that accompanied well with the spice of the wings. The cocktails were both on the sweeter side for my pallet but I would order them again. I HIGHLY recommend this happy hour if you're on a budget my bill came to $40 with the tip.

We came here on a my Monday for lunch and we got seated it quickly. The place was mostly empty…read more They have lots tables/chairs and a full bar. I ordered the jerk chicken entree and curry chicken. The jerk chicken was good, not the best. And the curry chicken was OK I was expecting bigger flavors; the chicken was well made, fallen off the bones. The service was mediocre, didn't get any water refills. Made sense after we got our checks, 15% gratuity was already included on each checks (3 of us). Tipping doesn't bother me, only bothers me when service is whack. I don't know if I'll come back again because there's other Jamaican restaurants that are better.

Jerk Wing dinner

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Bourbon tini

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Mr C.

0

1

0

9 years ago

Sorry, I've been wanting to try this place for a while now. Every time I ride past there closed. Even now it's Monday 6:15 pm cmon now. What type of restaurant is open a couple days out the week. Find someone you trust to run your business while your doing whatever it is your doing. I'll change my star the moment I try your food. read more

Rocky H.

324

3

0

1 year ago

This place is wonderful! The food is amazing and the staff are so professional and attentive. Service 10/10! The ambiance is so modern and clean. Don't walk Run! read more

Pia M.

0

16

2

9 years ago

Amazing! Place amazing FOOD! It's better to either call in and pick up. Or just go in and eat. Restaurant is very clean. Very nice place for lunch and breakfast read more

Judy J.

0

42

29

10 years ago

saltsaltsaltsaltsaltsaltsaltsaltsalt, and jerk tacos are on the menu, too

Arkesha G.

0

1

0

9 years ago

Love, love, love this place. The jerk chicken and shrimp is my favorite!

Quentin R.

58

9

6

8 years ago

i am a fan of skidoes. the jerk burrito is awesome.

Skidoe's Cafe and Grill - soulfood - Updated September 2026

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I've searched far & wide for a jerk place that wasn't too bland nor too spicy. I'm happy to have…read morefound this one in the neighborhood. Their food is flavorful and their chicken portion is enough for me to eat for two days. I love that they chop the chicken off the bone! Their grilled corn and coconut rice and peas are fantastic. Be ready to wait 15 - 20 minutes if you don't call your order in and they don't take call-in orders after 7P. I've made this a weekly stop now.

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