Had a terrible experience here in literally every aspect. First things first! They tried to scam us!!! They added 5 extra items to our check Including TWO extra entrees. Our bill was $100 more than it should be. And they did not apologize, did not try accommodate or nothing. Said their system had been messing up that day. So if you know your system is messing up why wouldn't you double check? Why did we have to come to talk about it? Then the customer service? Nonexistent, they rather argue with us than explain why they tried to scam us. Food: 1/5 - appetizers had laughable portions and came out cold. And overall it just wasn't that good especially for the prices. Service: 0/5 awful I would never recommend this restaurant. I wouldn't waste your time. read more

My group really enjoyed this place and it is definitely worth checking out. The ambiance is very chill, R&B, Carl Thomas meets the Wu, kind of vibe. I loved this. The staff were great. The food was uneven. I gave 3 stars because the greens were soooooo salty. This was a shame because the flavors were all there. One member of my group asked to change her greens. I pushed through, trying to dilute the intensity of the salt with my mac and cheese. If they were not salty, I would have been satisfied with a full plate of them - they were that good despite the salt. I have to believe that the salt was an anomaly for that evening. The cornbread was sweet and delicious. The chicken was tasty. A member in our group liked her catfish. The mac and cheese was ok. Not bad, not great. They helped to balance out the saltiness of the greens. We cleared our plates. I would come again. read more

Soulé - Outside - Soul Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Chicago has a proud and resilient black history/community that celebrates its influence on cultures past, present, and future. Soule's food reflects and embraces that. There's everything from fried chicken to fried catfish to lamb chops and all the usual stable ingredients. Service was warm and friendly, and we got to meet one of the owners. They rolled out the red carpet and really made us feel welcome and appreciated for choosing their establishment for a pleasant dining experience. The ambiance was tasteful and you can immediately see the well thought out design that celebrates our culture. Great job Soule'! read more

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The food was wonderful I will recommend anyone that looking for soul food in the Chicago area love it read more

Soulé - Fried fish over rice so so good with four jumbo shrimp - Soul Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family is from Lawndale and my husband grew up in North Lawndale and this business is such a great asset to the Lawndale community. Decided to stop in with my husband just for a quick drink and appetizers at the bar. When we first walked in we were greeted professionally and sweetly (that Auntie feel). We did not have a reservation and she was going to seat us regardless, but we opted to sit at the bar because at this point I just wanted to check it out and not have a full dining experience because I had cooked dinner. My husband has been telling me about this place and how he's been hearing great things about the establishment so I was excited to experience it and I'm glad I did! The food, appetizers we ordered were excellent! I mean really really good. We ordered the bbq jerk wings, New Orleans shrimp and the fried green tomatoes. All excellent! The wings were not that jerk hot but just right and full of flavor with that wonderful grill taste to them. I don't even really like fried green tomatoes and always thought they were over hyped - not here!! They were delicious!!! My favorite dish thus far. Nicely breaded/seasoned and so fresh, plump and juicy. I've had them before in New Orleans and they were flat and tasteless. You can tell the tomatoes they use here are nice and fresh/firm. The drinks were delicious too. Not just good but also pretty. These girls are not just bartenders, they're mixologists and know how to make good and pretty drinks. I love a craft cocktail!' I had the "Whew Chile" and my husband ordered the "Polk Street" the whew chile was a fresh margarita and whew chile!! After two I was nice and toasty literally saying "whew Chile" so the drinks name is definitely appropriate..lol! The service was great for us at the bar. The young lady making our drinks and serving us I believe name was Cherish and this young lady was awesome!! She has a very sweet, hospitable personality that will take her far. She's the type of person when you go out and sit at a bar you want her to be there behind it. Price point is good and comparable to most fine dining experiences, and the inside is really nice. I really do pray Soulé continues to do exceptionally well and have great longevity because it felt so good to be able to eat, drink and have a wonderful, safe time in my community. If I can pay $300 to dine for two at Rosebud downtown, I can pay that same amount to dine here and have just as great of time and eat just as good of food. Like the terminator I'll be back.... read more

Soulé - Appetizers - BBQ Jerk wings, New Orleans Shrimp, and Fried Green Tomatoes - Soul Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went to check this place out a little while after it opened. I loved the interior - the modern design and the space looks great. We got on a waitlist until the hostess that we would sit at the bar while we waited for a table. We kept seeing people who came in after us get seated before us, so upon checking at the hostess stand, we found out that the hostess actually forgot about us; we got a table very shortly after that. The drinks at the bar were cool, however, the service at the bar wasn't that friendly. Seems like the bartender was having somewhat of a bad day or something of that nature. Our waiter was cool; no issues there. I had the salmon on mashed potatoes and the flavors were great! My only issue was the salmon was over cooked, so it was kind of dry. The peach cobbler was delicious. My other issue was as we and patrons were still inside eating, even though the closing time had arrived for them not to let anyone else in, they started mopping the floor in the entire restaurant. The cleaning smell was so strong! I was confused as to why they wouldn't wait until the customers were gone. Hopefully they get their service issues together! read more

Either Somebody from DownSouth cooks the food and flies it up here daily or someone here has some good(*real good) southern style cuisine training(*they cook like my momma) & I just recently visited South Carolina and the food here is tasting neck & neck with what I was eating down there...& these are the portion sizes that big boned people like me love (if you like to eat #ComeGetIt)...& man oh man the music playing throughout the place not only complements the atmosphere it makes you feel like your a grandmas Sunday dinner & partying with the family...I'm placing Soule in my top 3 restaurants(& not only of chicago) categories I will be a recurring customer...we had the Cajon Salmon bites, Fried salmon jerk pasta, southern fish & grits, cornbread(was do greedy I ate the cornbread before I could get a picture, plus banana pudding to go(2) with Soule punch to drink read more

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My partner and I dined at Soule 2 for the first time and here's the run down: Green Onions: pretty good Catfish: Well prepared and tasty Jerk Sheimp: Fiya!!!! Red Beans and Rice: Pretty good Greens: the end result will he hpertension/heart attack too salty/pungent tasting Dirty Rice: Zatarains Rice in the box all day long, another hypertension/ heart attack situation. **The glass partition surrounding the mezzanine section was stained, terrible cleaning job if any** read more

What an awesome restaurant to have in the neighborhood. A bunch of teachers came here after work one evening and we all had a great time and enjoyed the food immensely. I did read some reviews about the food coming out slowly and I think that is how they serve - as it is ready. They could maybe share that with diners when taking the orders. It was very staggered for our large party, but we were not in a rush and enjoyed the atmosphere and chatting as we all ate. The shrimp was really fantastic and the Mac and cheese was really fabulous. But really everything was great and full of flavor. Looking g forward to coming again! read more

Good food and service! We loved everything we ordered. The fish was perfect! That jerk salmon with potatoes was yummy. Their side dishes were very good, with the exception of the greens. The green were okay enough to try them yourself. They were just too salty for my tastebuds. The drinks were tasty! The restaurant was clean. I didn't get to check out the bathrooms here but the place was clean so I didn't worry about it. Try everything I am sure you won't be disappointed. read more

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I waited to come here, I'd been to the 1st location 3 or 4xs. So I'm familiar with the food and menu items. I think drinks are new to this location. (Don't quote me on that, tho) Anywho, we went on a rainy weekday as soon as they opened and got seated immediately. Our waitress came thru like a tornado taking our orders. She moved so fast I almost forgot to order some items. Fast fwd, the meal came out fairly quickly. We ordered salmon bites, jerk shrimp, fried chicken dinner, surf and turf dinner, and 1 other dinner I can't remember. Sides varied from greens, dirty rice, yams & the string beans. Same concensus across the table that the food was just ok. Nothing wowed us at all. My salmon bites weren't hot. Chicken was good. My friend said the dirty rice wasn't good and the string beans overcooked. The establishment is beautiful, the music is on point, our drinks were ok, but PRICEY. I wish them much success, but I probably won't be returning. But yall should check them out! read more

Great food took my son and we enjoy everything The ambience is great that make you feel comfortable.

The sides were on point and the fish fillet was good. And the chicken that they are well known for... was the tiniest pigeon breast and leg. It was overcooked, and did not come with the honey and the honey is not a mix of honey and hot sauce... That was the saddest meat I've ever had. Ever. It was DRY, TINY, and well seasoned. read more

After I've been waiting over the past two weeks for reservations, I finally got them. On IG there were raves about how good the food was at this restaurant. I'll start first with, there was plenty street parking. The ambiance was nice upon entry. I liked the decor. The food was mediocre, not the best, just regular. Nothing to brag on. My food taste better than this at home. We ordered for 4 people and the food was out in like 5 to 7 minutes. How is this possible?! With catfish and etc. the food was Luke warm to room temp. It was as if it was under a heat lamp. The greens tasted like they were cold and hot greens were poured on top of the cold ones. The Mac and cheese was good. Just needed to be heated. The fish and grits wasn't that good. The presentation was nice. Service was mediocre, it was nice music playing. If the food was warmer, perhaps the food would have tasted better. My video didn't show but the fish and greens were there also. read more

Soulé - Fish and grits - Soul Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fried Chicken | Well cooked and tasteful - Lamb Chops | Pre-cooked lamb chops are not what we were expecting, and they were dry - Jerk Pasta, Shrimp & Fried Salmon | The pre-cooked salmon was not enjoyable, but the pasta and shrimp were good. - Mac & Cheese | Tasted a day old and very salty - Sweet Potatoes | Diabetic Heavan - Asparagus | Pretty good - Green Beans - Too salty - Although, they did not provide an exceptional dining experience, we do intend to make it a top 10 on our list. This is a place that I would recommend for a decent soulful meal. read more

Food was incredible. Finally a spot that knows how to do fried green tomatoes the right way. Waiter was knowledgeable about the menu. The vibe is super classy. More expensive than any soul food restaurant I've ever been to, but worth it . read more

This place aint it. I was so excited to try this place as It was once on Michelin's Bib Gourmand list. It was a huge disappointment. The service is not great. It took more than 30 minutes for food to come out, which in and of itself is not a deal breaker. However, others who were seated after us received their food quicker. The food was trash. The jerk shrimp was cold and tasteless. I ordered the fried chicken and only 2 pieces were edible. The breast was just a fried bone with no meat. One other person in my party had the same problem with multiple pieces of chicken. The sides are over-seasoned. Pretty much all the food was cold. They charge a 20% gratuity on parties of 4 or more, which was ridiculous considering the service. read more

Good food, musics and service. A soul food gem. Will definitely come back - probably once a week. Lol.

Food was amazingly delicious, love how it's set up to be cozy . Great location now you don't have to go downtown same atmosphere

I've eaten for Soule 1 & 2. Totaling 3 all together. My initial experience with Soule 1 about 2 years ago food was AWESOME, customer service TERRIBLE. My last encounter with Soule 2 food was Terrible, customer service EVEN WORST. Teaching individuals about quality working fundamentals goes a long way in your business & their lives. Too many ppl these days are working for the money & not the person that's holding the money in hand. read more

Very much a ripoff with poor service. I ordered take-out for 5 meals. I didnt sit at a table. There was no waitress service. I had to wait 45 minutes. They charged me 'the large party' fee of 20%! Very ignorant and unprofessional. I will make sure the community knows about this ripoff. read more

Came from out of town to eat here and was so excited! Waited for about 30 mins to be greeted after we were seated. The food was subpar and very overpriced! The Mac and cheese was dry af! The greens had too much sugar! And the fried chicken was just basic. And then they had the nerve to have a 20% automatic gratuity for partys of 4 or more! Ridiculous worst place ever read more

The restaurant is beautiful and the waitstaff is professional and attentive. I had fried chicken, greens and Mac and cheese, and I enjoyed all of it. read more

Honestly, for this being my first experience with this restaurant, I'd have to say that I am highly disappointed. I ordered my food at 6pm and was told it would be ready by 6:45pm, but when I arrived at 7pm I was told it was a 30 minute wait. There were several other people waiting for orders as well, so I didn't mind, but after about 30 minutes I asked what was the estimated time on my order and was told 30 minutes again! Several people left without food and I tried to wait, but after waiting for an hour, I ended up leaving myself. At 8:23pm I received a call telling me my food was ready, a whole 2 hours and some change after I ordered my food. I always like to support local businesses, but there seems to be a disconnect between front of the house staff (who for the most part we're pretty cool, except for a particular young man who was very condescending) and the kitchen staff. read more

Loved it, my grandmother and aunt(sisters) were the 1st black women buisness owners in our family and this place in the 80's and early 90's was there restuarant called open pit at the time. Me & my husband popped in and was so graciously greeted by the host, we had no reservations and she seated us anyway. There was no signs of the old restaurant which many of our family members worked, but it still felt warm and cozy, my grandmother and my aunt presence was there and it felt like a warm hug. The food and service was great, cat fish greens Mac and cheese awesome. The rum pound cake to die for! Rest in peace Emma Jean & Aunt Bessie read more

BEWARE: Complete trash! This has to be the worst dining experience I've ever had at a restaurant. I wanted to support a black owned business. My companion and I drove a long distance, excited to try a new restaurant with what we thought would be an amazing soul food experience but unfortunately I regret my decision. We left hungry and disappointed. We waited over an hour for our food while we watched other patrons eat, drink and leave. We politely complained to the waitress Linda who did not apologize or acknowledge our grievance. We asked for the floor manager and after 15 min, the manager never came out, which showed a complete disregard for customer service. We decided to leave after being treated so inappropriately and not acknowledged. We had no to choice but to leave, while the hostess and the waitress Linda watched and shrugged off the fact that we were leaving. Staff was completely unprofessional and unapologetic. This is not a business that will have longevity as long as they treat their customer with piss poor service. Every customer counts. It takes no time to check on customers, to provide updates that service will take longer than expect, to apologize, to show empathy. However, no one cared and the floor manager refused to come out from the kitchen to address the issues and possibly rectify the matter. This is a coaching opportunity for the entire staff (with the exception the waitress with the curly hair who wasnt my waitress but she was kind and tried to be helpful). The owner should be aware that this is a coaching opportunity or perhaps new staff will be needed to remove these unprofessional because Soule will continue to lose business. It's unfortunate because we really wanted to patronize and support "our people" but Soulé fell short. You don't treat people like this. read more

A beautifully decorated restaurant with special touches throughout. Each member of the team works together seamlessly. We made a reservation for 1:00P and were seated quickly. Our experience began with 3 appetizers (garlic shrimp, cajun salmon bites, and fried green tomatoes); each was perfectly seasoned and enough for sharing. Our entrees included salmon and shrimp on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes; honey drizzled chicken which comes with 2 sides; buttermilk battered chicken with 2 sides. We choose the delish Soule punch and lemonade, both have free refills. To end our experience we had the warm butter cake which comes with vanilla cream. Everything was well seasoned and served in white dishes with gold cutlery and black napkins. Our water glasses were tall and refilled unobtrusively. Bree, our server was attentive, informative, and engaged with each member of our group. Make a reservation and enjoy the experience. P.S. the music will have you swaying in your seat as you enjoy delicious food and stellar service. read more

Visited on 02/19/23 because I wanted to impress an Older individual because she loves soul food. However, it did not go well with the customer service. Our server Kyla S. was not present. My order came out first and when asked about the other 3, she stated some other server was taking her orders. She did not apologize so we asked for the Manager who straightened it out, but the server gave us very poor service. She wasn't attentive and didn't ask if we wanted refills. When we asked for our refill to go, she stated they did not do that which I know was untrue and told her so. She reluctantly brought them but when the older individual changed her mind and asked for a refill to go, she looked at her and said, "First you said no and now you're looking at me smiling, so now do you want one or not". Very sarcastic and unprofessional and to speak to an elder like that was unacceptable. Given that, my friend does not want to frequent the location again. Kyla needs some definite training and service etiquette. read more