My girlfriends and I were excited to try this new restaurant in the South Loop. We'd been driving past it for weeks, so as soon as it opened, we quickly made reservations. The food was very good, and we were pleasantly surprised by how short the wait was. Even with a steady flow of guests, the dining room never felt crowded, and no one seemed to be waiting long to be seated--they clearly have a good system in place. That said, the bill was a bit of a shock. There were just three of us, and the total came to well over $400. Granted, we ordered appetizers, but the champagne and dessert were complimentary, and we all stuck with water for drinks. So essentially, we only paid for the food--which makes it clear this is definitely a pricier spot. All in all, it was a lovely evening, and we made some great memories together. Just be prepared to spend a bit, and maybe save this one for a special occasion. read more

All the food was amazing had fried green tomatoes, branzino, mashed potatoes, greens, lobster mac, blueberry bread...so full. Only downside was my waitress. But thank goodness for Rich who stepped in to help our table even though it was his. I have been here two times and he is the BEST waiter in the place. Oh and don't forget about THE DRINKS 10 out of 10 highly recommend. they use real liquor straight from the manufacturer. read more

First time here and enjoyed everything. Love the ambiance, nice and warm. Perfect for girls night or date night. The food was great! We were a party of 6 work minimal complaints. The service was ok & our waitress was a bit slow, however, she disclosed she wasn't feeling the best, but she was really nice. I do believe a really good restaurant trainer could do their staff some good. Everyone was extremely nice but needs a little more training for the upscale dining experience. This can be fixed! Not a deal breaker. I would 100% be back. read more

I had the chance to visit on the first night. Great people! Food was excellent. The atmosphere separates them from nearby restaurants and bars: elegant but comfortable. Nice selections of wine and tbe food was quite good. The proprietor, head chef and manager all visited our table to check on the service. I will be a regular just because of the combination of service and comfort and really good food. read more

Southern Chicago - Jalapeno cornbread, Cabernet - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I understand what they're trying to do, but they have TONS of kinks to work out if this place is to be successful. 1st thing, you CAN NOT charge Bavette, or Prime & Provision prices with spotty service. Reservation was a 7p, we were seated at 7:45p. Took another 15mins to be greeted or start the water. I had to drink the bottled water from my purse. Waitress was good though when she finally came. Appetizers came out slow. When the entress came out, my Broccolini came 1st, Luke warm, then my steak, which wasn't mine, then the baked Mac Luke warm. When I finally got the right steak with good. Good was seasoned great, but served the incorrect order, and sides were lukewarm. Cornbread skillet was tasty. Cocktails were good. Music was good, and I loved the vibe of this place, but for the kind of $$ we spent and service we got, I could've been at Bavettes, or Maple & Ash. Nobody wants to spend over $200/pp and get room temp sides, and wait endlessly. Come on Black folks, tighten it up, or y'all gonna be closed by next Christmas read more

I booked a reservation for 2:15pm for a group of 3, sat at about 2:20. We ordered 3 appetizers, 4 drinks, & 3 entrees/sides around 3. We received 3 drinks around 3:30, to which one drink was made incorrectly & a new drink was ordered that we never received. Appetizers came out at different times between 3:30 & 4p. We did not receive our entreés until 4:19pm, after we asked the waiter at 4:14pm to just bill us for what we already received. How was it that our food came out in 5 minutes after waiting for two hours? I have never waited this long for anything on any day, holiday or not. We were still charged for the majority of the order & 2 drinks were comped. We also asked for the owner 3 times, to which they did not come to our table as requested. Completely unacceptable. Nonetheless, our server was very nice and respectable. read more

My wife and I along with another couple visited this place last week. Each of us either had the Southern Salmon dish or the Barrel Aged Maple Mustard Glaze Chicken. The food according to each person was just okay. In addition, the ala' carte side collard greens were marginal too. The service was marginal, particularly the server forgetting to bring lemons to add to a sprite beverage that was flat and when asked for a lemonade that was barely sweet enough to drink, the place didn't have sugar packets to enhance the experience. Also, they do not serve bread with your food. We included two appetizers and the bill totaled over $300. The white table cloth was a welcomed feature because we usually enjoy having this at Coopers Hawk when dining with this couple. Hence, the reason for the rating read more

My wife and I chose The Southern Chicago for Valentine's Day thinking we'd switch things up from our usual premium Chicago steakhouse experience. We were genuinely excited to try something new in the city and celebrate the evening somewhere different. Unfortunately, from start to finish, this was a disappointing experience that we quickly regretted. To start, the timing was unacceptable--especially for a holiday where restaurants know to expect high volume and should be prepared. We placed our order promptly after being seated. Despite that, it took 45 minutes for our appetizer to arrive and an hour and a half for our entrees. On Valentine's Day, long waits can happen--but this wasn't just a slight delay. It felt disorganized and excessive. When the calamari finally arrived, it was underwhelming. There was far more batter than actual calamari. Instead of a light, crisp texture highlighting fresh seafood, it felt heavy and over-fried. For a restaurant positioning itself as an elevated Southern dining experience, this starter missed the mark entirely. The issues continued when we ordered sides with our entrees. Several sides listed on the menu were unavailable--but the servers didn't seem aware of that until after we attempted to order them. That lack of communication between the kitchen and wait staff only added to the frustration. By that point, we were already waiting far too long, and now we were having to re-select sides because the kitchen was out of items. When the entrees finally arrived, the disappointment deepened. The steak was overcooked--far beyond the requested temperature. At this price point, that's not a minor oversight. Steak is foundational, and proper temperature is basic execution. The sides that did arrive were small in portion and lacked flavor. Nothing about the plate reflected a $240 dining experience. For nearly $240 on Valentine's Day, we expected quality, coordination, and attention to detail. Instead, we experienced long waits, inconsistent service, unavailable menu items, and food that did not justify the cost. Chicago has no shortage of exceptional restaurants--especially steakhouses that consistently deliver on both service and execution. We tried something new hoping to discover a new favorite. Instead, we left wishing we had stayed with our traditional steakhouse. We won't be back. read more

Came a few weeks after it opened and I had the most wonderful experience. From trying new foods like their mouth watering caviar that is served with a sweet cornbread bread giving you a delicious contrasting flavor that melts in your mouth. This was my first time trying caviar and have tried it many times since and this was by far the Best that I've tasted. Their oysters were also Top Tier. The ambiance was nice with low lighting giving a more intimate feel. I will say that I did not like how close the tables were to each other. If you have a choice, definitely try and sit somewhere not near the bar area. Although all the tables are a bit close, the bar area has the route to the bathroom so you will have many people passing close by you throughout your meal. They did have an older crowd probably because the prices aren't in the range of a broke college student's budget. I already have told my friends and family to come here and I also plan on going back soon for the delicious menu. read more

Southern Chicago - The bathroom area with the most amazing selfie mirror - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had an awesome experience. The food was delicious . I had an opportunity to meet the executive chef as he walked through the restaurant. Took plenty of pictures. The trees are a perfect place to do selfies and the gold mirror is nice to do a full body photo shoot. Helena read more

Great food in a beautiful setting. Two of us could have shared the maple syrup fried chicken, but then we would not have had leftovers so probably a good thing we didn't share. Fried green tomatoes were fabulous. Do not skip the jalapeño cornbread. I was never a cornbread fan until I ate Southern Chicago's cornbread. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful inside. A classic bar with great bartenders. All you need to do is tell them what kind of drink you like and they will make something special for you. They must eat while you're in the south loop. read more

CONNOR IS EVERYTHING!!!!!!First time here and he made my visit wonderful ‼We will be back because of his incredible hospitality.

One stars for the kind bar tenders and it ends there.....this place is a HOTMESS Express!!! Service is non-existent as in no plates were ever given to us and we sent back uncooked muscles and had to beg for our bill!!!! We literally could have walked out without paying because they are so disorganized! ! Management is nonexistent and should have stepped in to help...,, I'll maybe try it again in 6 months and pray they get their act together!! It's such a pretty restaurant and it's a shame that they can't handle the business they get right now and they just opened!!! read more

For it to have been open less than 3 weeks, Southern Chicago is already a great experience! The food, the ambiance, the staff -- did I mention the food? Lol. I'm already planning a birthday dinner here this winter. Favorites so far: Fried Green Tomatoes Collard Greens Sweet Potatoes Glazed Chicken I'm definitely looking forward to trying everything on the menu! read more

Amazing service the owners are very professional and friendly. I truly enjoyed my time

The service was superb and I like the ambiance. However, the food was ok. For the price it could've been more.

Celebrated Soror's birthday Everything we ordered was simply delicious The ambience is beautiful and service was prompt....Will visit again! read more

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I never give reviews but this place was astounding! The music, food, atmosphere, and employees were amazing! The shrimp and caviar deviled eggs were mouthwatering!! The sides were out of this world! Definitely will be back. read more

The ambiance is great! The servers are professional, but they spend most of their time apologizing for the restaurants shortcomings. The doors don't open on time, the restaurant ran out of every wine that I ordered. They only had the most expensive selections available, the food is lukewarm, the food is taking too long to come out.... it's not the servers. They are working with what they are given, or lack there of. Do better. I won't be be l back until I hear better reviews. I tried the restaurant for the first time although I heard tons of not so stellar reviews. Bottom line.... Southern Chicago has the astetics to be an upscale establishment, but the service doesn't warrant the price point. read more

I loved my experience here; the food and ambiance were outstanding, and the service by Karington was excellent. I had the lamb and collard greens, and they were phenomenal. read more

I was in Chicago celebrating my birthday and heard about this new spot. We had a wonderful meal, excellent (really, really excellent) service and the ambience was warm and chatty. We tried the fried chicken, salmon and their fish for the day. All we're done to perfection! And The cornbread!!!! We also tried the deviled eggs, which were well flavored and beautifully presented, and the fried calamari. I will probably skip the calamari next time only because they just weren't as special as the other dishes. Looking forward to my next visit to Chi and stopping by for another food experience. read more

Came during restaurant week with my daughter for lunch. Ordered the lobster bisque and the paccheri pasta, both were really good. Our server Rich was the best and I would ask for him again. The ambiance is beautiful and inviting and I would definitely recommend and will be back. read more

Their food is delicious. The ambiance is also great. I really enjoy sitting at the bar. Amy is an amazing bartender she's really good at creating mocktails modifications of the cocktails which are offered. She also has some really good suggestions for menu items. read more

The food was very salty, but my son said his steak was tender The atmosphere was fine, but not judging anyone the way the people came in dressed was kind of ghetto for a upscale looking place such as this one I think they should change your dress code not saying dressing makes a person or a place I was not impressed at all. read more

The evening started of great with the door man and his pleasantness. The food was AMAZING, I had The $71 steak, Mac and cheese & collard greens. SIMPLY DEVINE! HATS OFF TO THE CHEF! My server was not as attentive as a thought she should have been, we often had to get others to help us, I deemed this as the 18% gratuity was the factor. I would have love to split her tip with the other 2 servers that assisted us. I was my birthday dinner and my daughter in love, however the server never asked . I would revisit for the food and ambience but not for the same server. read more

Let me start by saying the atmosphere for this place is absolutely lovely. And that is where my compliments stop. My friend and I met here for dinner at 630pm on a Sunday. The restaurant was half full. Upon checking in the hostess said "I just want to remind you of our 90 minute seating policy." 90 minutes would have been fine if we didnt have to wait 20 minutes for a glass of wine and a margarita and 10 minutes to have our water glasses filled. So we ordered: Kale salad was basic but good. However it was brought out without serving utensils. Devil eggs were mediocre. The caviar looked old and the filling was super dry For our meals I got the branzino which was tasty and my friend got the salmon also tasty. The lobster mac and cheese stole the show! Chefs kiss. Our brocolini was not brought with the meal. 5 mins of letting our fish sit and our waitress hadn't been to check on us so we flag down the manager who promises its coming right now. Our brocolini came out 20 mins after our meal. There were 3 stalks of brocolini and it was burnt. I look at the guy who brought it out (not our server, not the manager) and say "Are you for real?! This is 3 stalks of brocolini that took 40 mins to cook?!" And he says "Ma'am this is a fine dining establishment. I'm not sure what you expect." In my entire life I have never been so insulted by someone in a restaurant?! WTF! The manager who claimed he was mortified took the brocolini off of our bill but that was it. I wasnt looking for a free meal, but you couldn't have been that mortified if all you did was take our vegetable (which came out 20 minutes after our meal) off the bill. I do want to highlight the lovely busboy named Jay. He was the most attentive person in the restaurant and that's saying a lot! If you enjoy being insulted and eating mediocre food I encourage you to spend your money here. read more

Overall, a very good experience. I can easily see a five star review in Southern's future if they can fix a few minor issues. First, this place has the best chicken I've had in all my 43 years. I am not exaggerating. Perfectly cooked and adorned with an amazing sticky/sweet glaze that makes every bite sing. The peach cobbler was also phenomenal. The peaches had the right texture, the filling was divine, and the brown butter ice cream on top, made it all come together. The branzino was good -- very good in fact -- but it stopped just short of great in my view. Here, too, they paired the protein with a good sauce - sweet-spicy - that really upped the quality of the dish. If you order it, make sure you mix in the accompanying mini-tomatoes. They really go well with the fish. Now, let's get into the minor issues. Service was good and friendly overall, but slow. It took nearly an hour for us to get our appetizer. If I could offer a piece of advice to the restaurant, give out a warm bread basket upon arrival. That gives customers something to gnaw on and keep them busy. The appetizers and side dishes were minorly underwhelming. The garlic prawns were delicious, but for $24, I expected more than just four. The brussell sprouts were 'just ok' flavor-wise and also a little skimpy. Throw in a little bacon, please! The bill came out $150 for two, which I felt was a little pricey but overall worth it because the food was so darned good. Note they charge an automatic 18% gratuity, so be aware when filling in the tip! read more

First things first the restaurant is beautiful. The food was good. The service was not good when you have to pay a 18% gratuity the young man did that greeted us in was very polite and good. It takes too long to get your food. We got there at eight the waitress was great at first. It took a long time to come back to the table to take out order. We didn't get our food to two hours later then to find out some of the things that we order like the cornbread skillet they ran out or she didn't put our order in one of the two but for me if they're going to last, they're gonna have to cut down time on how long it takes to get your food and not having what you say, you have on the menu read more

We came in with high expectations for a birthday celebration. The food was overcooked and took an hour to be served. Clearly, as a new restaurant, there will be a few challenges. Our hope is that your management will invest in training the staff and work to resolve these issues. read more

Arrived on time for the reservation and was seated immediately (which is good). My friend and I came here to try them out for restaurant week. The drink I had (the heiress) was very tasty. The food was 6 out of 10 (the broccolini is not worth $19). The service was very slow for there to be a time limit at the table (got there at 7 and left at 10, but the time limit for the reservation is 90 minutes). Wait staff was nice but not very attentive, and I think they can improve on their attentiveness. read more

I do not personally know Amanda D below but from the details of her review I know she sat at the table next to my family on Saturday. (see attached credit card charge to confirm I was there). I can verify the details of her review happened exactly as described. Her table was not mean just disappointed and frustrated, both in the quality of the food and the randomness of how sides, entrees and appetizers were delivered. When I arrived I saw 3 women sitting at a table with empty unused plates in front of them. After 15-25 minutes I saw a steak get delivered to their table, one plain low quality steak. I kept staring at how bad the steak looked, so much so that my wife told me to stop staring but I told her I hope our food doesn't look like that. That was the only thing delivered to their table for another 15 minutes, the women who had the steak stopped at least 3 people asking where were the sides and apps they ordered. I saw the lobster get delivered to the table and within 2 mins I saw the recipient put her napkin over the plate and push it aside. When their bill arrived there were a few back and forths about what they received and what they didn't but I can understood their frustration. My table ordered fried calamari, prawns, half branzino, filet mignon medium, dry aged New York strip, mashed potatoes and a wedge salad with steak. The prawns and calamari were delivered together, the pawns were good, the calamari was ok fried a little too hard but ok. The mashed potatoes were delivered after the apps were removed but five minutes before anything else arrived at the table. Who wants to eat cold mashed potatoes? I think the salad was delivered next, two minute gap, then the filet , two minute gap and then the NY strip. There was at least a 10 minute gap between when the 2nd to last thing being delivered to the table and when I finally received my branzino. The branzino was actually pretty good, my wife ordered a medium filet mignon but what she got looked like a dried out hamburger, the NY strip was thin and dry, the salad was ok but the steak on the salad was dry. Overall, very low quality meat prepared by someone who has never cooked steak before. When I saw the restaurant's comment on Amand's review I had to leave my own review. The owners should have went around to all the tables and not just stand around only talking to the people they knew. They need to make the effort to get better, they've been in business three weeks and have a 3.3 star review at the time of my post. People are trying to support your business but you need to train your staff and or hire better staff. read more

Southern Chicago - Proof I was at the Southern the same time as Amanda D and can corroborate her story. - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I visited Southern Chicago on a Thursday around 6 PM. The restaurant was fully booked, but I was offered a spot in the high-top bar area and chose to sit right at the bar. The hospitality from the start was warm and welcoming. I started with two cocktails, "The Heiress" and "The Sag Harbor." Both were delicious--well-balanced and mixed perfectly. For appetizers, I had a dozen oysters and the crisped green tomatoes. The green tomatoes were a standout: lightly breaded, topped with fresh crab meat, and drizzled with a flavorful remoulade--highly recommended. The oysters were fresh and served with lemon and Tabasco; I only wished they had included a mignonette to round out the experience. For my entrée, I ordered the paccheri pasta, which normally comes with blackened chicken, but I added salmon and shrimp as well. The dish was flavorful, though I would have preferred just a touch more spice in the sauce. Overall, it was still very satisfying. What really sets this place apart is the ambience and hospitality. The atmosphere gives downtown Chicago vibes while being right in the South Loop. After my meal, I had the pleasure of chatting with Xavier and Troy, the owners, who were open, receptive, and genuinely interested in feedback. Southern Chicago is definitely a gem worth checking out--for the food, drinks, and the overall experience. I'll be back! read more

We ate dinner there tonight and the food was spectacular. The fried tomato appetizer, Rockefeller oysters , kale Caesar salad. My wife had the salmon , I had the fried chicken. Along with a few side dishes. We ended with Keylime pie which was simply amazing. Along with the rest of his team, John did an outstanding job as our server!! And the music was right on point !! read more

The food was delicious and the service was great. Thank You so much. We had a nice evening for our friends from Florida. They enjoyed the atmosphere and the service read more

Of course I wanted to give this place a try, especially after seeing my alderman in such a beautiful space online that said we made a 430 reservation and arrived promptly. The first issue is the place is called Southern Chicago. The menu reads as if it's a steakhouse. There are a few southern sides But yeah this is a steakhouse so wrong name also because it's a southern restaurant I was looking for great fried chicken when you read their menu in restaurant it talks about maple barrel, chicken, blah blah blah, but it does not have the word fried so I actually had to ask the waitress about this. Now I will say the drinks are incredible if you're familiar with the South loop and you were one of us that stopped into Kroll's on a regular basis for a cocktail. This is very similar that said the food is all just OK. the chicken is drowned in a super sweet sauce. The greens were kind of salty. The macaroni and cheese is good if you get past the crust, which seems like they add like seasoning salt to the top of it, which is random. Also, the sweet potatoes should be a hard pass. This was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen on a menu and I think they were $17 and they took like an hour to make and the three little potato slices are really more like a garnish than a side. now if you're into salmon, the salmon is really good but also kind of pricey in my opinion however, the portion size was pretty large so that helps to make up for it and it was delicious overall for two people for fried chicken, salmon, greens, macaroni and cheese two cocktails and sweet potatoes we spent about $220. It's just kind of interesting to me because again this place reads as a steakhouse not a southern restaurant but for this price, you could've gone to Bavettes and had tasty leftovers or gone to Ruth Chris and got some really great sweet potatoes that wouldn't have taken an hour and yes, I know Ruth Chris is a chain restaurant, but you gotta understand. Hopefully they get better with time, but these price points and potion sizes are going to turn a lot of people off and just to bring the point home if you were really looking to go out and have a soul food dinner this is not the space. read more

Southern Chicago - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The ambiance, the music and the staff was on point. Only criticism is the dessert. Who serves ice cream on a warm saucer? Half my dessert melted before I could eat it. Next time staff, use a cold bowl. Thank you read more

Ambience was great - beautiful decor. Nice music and vibe. Staff was friendly and professional. You need to get a real chef PRONTO! The food was subpar. I ordered the $220 Seafood Platter. Ugh everything was over seasoned. The Oysters Rockefeller were crispy bricks. It claims it was 2 lbs of lobster but that was mostly shell. At most 1/2 pound of meat. The brussel sprouts were cold and crispy dry and drenched in a sickeningly sweet syrupy glaze. The french fries were overwhelmed with too much truffle oil, cold and soggy. Very dissatisfied in the food. We were never asked if we wanted a drink refill. Get a real chef before we lose another Southloop restaurant. read more

We made a reservation for a party of four at 6:30 p.m. With all the buzz surrounding the restaurant's grand opening, we were excited since it was right in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill. Food - 1 star. Of the five dishes we ordered after learning several items were not available, the fried green tomatoes were the most enjoyable, although the green tomatoes were far too thin. The steak and fries, the fries were good, but the steak was a completely disappointing. First, the server didn't ask how we wanted it prepared. When it arrived, it was unevenly prepared and lukewarm. We sent it back, but it returned just as lukewarm. For a place aiming to position as an upscale steakhouse, this was sadly disappointing. Also, three items we wanted to try, were unavailable. We understand since it just opened on Tues (6/24/2025) so we moved on. Ambiance - 3 stars as it is clear a lot of hard work and effort went into opening this restaurant. The space is large, nicely decorated, and clean(though that may be being brand new). Hopefully, they maintain that level of cleanliness as time goes on. Service - 1/2 star (at best) Aside from the busser, who was very good about keeping our water glasses full, service was extremely slow and NOT attentive. Unfortunately the entire staff, including the manager seemed extremely overwhelmed and disorganized. Our server only stopping by once after dropping off the food to check whether we received all the orders. No one else checked in (not even the manager who stopped to say HI as we were seating), and no one asked how our meals were or showed any interest in feedback. The whole team felt inexperienced with no confidence. There's clearly a long road ahead in terms of training and consistency if they hope to live up to their ambitions written in the EATER. We really hope this place improves, grows, and becomes a great establishment in the South Loop for many years to come, especially since it's in our neighborhood. We want them to be successful. We will give it another try to support but not immediately. read more

Great food and ambiance. Service started out great but towards the end of the night it just seemed like everyone was tired so it took multiple requests to get things. Overall I still highly recommend and will return. read more

This is an outstanding restaurant for its ambiance and service. The recommendations by Dannon (yes, like the yogurt) were outstanding. The owner (who is such a nice guy) was on the floor and visited our table. I loved their spin on fried green tomatoes with the lump crab on top. The steak was cooked as ordered and quite tasty. Some of the mussels were a bit small and the crispy brussel sprouts were a bit chewy. I didn't try the cornbread but the tables next to us raved about it. My daughter is not a fan of sticky date cake, but she loved theirs. She also ordered a whiskey sour with Angel's Envy and it was superb! It was a perfect place for her birthday. Oh, and they have the best bathrooms I've seen in any restaurant I've visited. I highly recommend this South Loop gem! read more