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The Southern Cafe

4.0 (447 reviews)
Closed 6:30 am - 3:00 pm

Order The Southern Cafe Takeout or Delivery

The Southern Cafe Photos

THE SOUTHERN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - The Southern Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Breakfast The Nasty Skillet plus extra meat
Cole R.

This breakfast was stacked! I started with the Nasty Skillet and added sliced sausage and chorizo. The box was heavy and I immediately knew my lunch plans were ruined. However, this skillet turned out to last me all day. I also got a side of their excellent sausage gravy which made it even better. Next time I come thru, I may get 4 eggs and split into a multi day breakfast prep.

Chicken Fried Chicken
Maggie M.

Went at noon and we got seated right away on a Saturday. Our waiter was very friendly and came by to check on refilling our coffees. I ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken came with hashbrowns and eggs. The chicken was very delicious and wasn't overcooked or dry. Was fried and juicy. There was a good amount of gravy on top. Chicken was on top of a biscuit and it was about the same size of the chicken. Large portion and took half the dish home.

Georgia Catfish & Jalapeno Cheddar Grits catfish filet on a bed of cheese grits with egg chunks of bacon and mushrooms.
LaShawn S.

First time dining here. I thought it was a family friendly restaurant with a comfortable ambiance. They offer a vast amount of dishes to suit many appetites. I had a Catfish filet on a bed of cheese grits with eggs, chunks of bacon and mushrooms. It was delicious just lacking a Cajun flavoring to make it really pop! Lisa was the host and she was kind and attentive. I am looking forward to returning and trying another great selection from the menu.

Nasty biscuit!!
Angela G.

Love this place. The food is amazing. Get the nasty biscuit. So freaking good. Little of everything. Lisa was amazing this morning. I was a little hungover and not feeling well at all but she made my breakfast experience wonderful! We connected with our matching tattoos lol Food came out super fast and was so delicious. Reasonably priced too. Things be so expensive these days

We ordered eggs over medium with sausage. Eggs came over easy. Sausage was raw and literally cold. Sausage was sent back and re made, burnt. Our server Raquel was wonderful. Manager was rude

The B&G
Monse T.

Stopped here for Sunday breakfast and it was very good. Had a southern vibe to it. It was crazy busy, packed! But we were seated after a short waiting time, our waitress was hustling! The cooks were putting in work because our food came out faster than we expected. Now for the food... eggs and bacon cooked to perfection, the hashbrowns looked questionable and lacked flavor. Very sad about that since I love me some hashies. The biscuits and gravy was delicious!!! Gravy was thick and hearty. The s'mores pancakes tasted like s'mores! It had marshmallow fluff. Warning: lots of chocolate! So if you don't want your kid bouncing off the walls, don't get it. I'll be back I'm sure.

And this is probably the other half
Raffaela G.

My daughter and I and her boyfriend went in there and it just seems when you find a good spot you just want to keep going back and let me tell you I probably ordered half the menu. We paid $130 just for three people.. Believe me, I'll order a lot of food. I wanted to try everything the fried green tomatoes. The country fried chicken and those little pearl waffles. They don't even need any syrup. Just delicious

The Sugga Baby
Karl P.

Second time here so had to bring my introvert sister in law...she loves chicken and waffles so she for the Sugga Daddy. First picture. Loved it. Wife ordered the Southern chicken sandwich and had to being half home. Third picture, yes it is that big! I had the Southern Skillet and had to bring some home as well. I couldn't finish this delicious breakfast. Tips: -The menu is big. Decide if you want breakfast or lunch. - Be hungry for home cooking. - be prepared to bring home food Ambiance is like a noisy family gathering! Fun to watch what your neighbors are ordering and second guessing your decision . Fun place, great food. And the leftovers reheated great in an air fryer.

Matt P.

We stopped in for a late breakfast the other day. Everything was really good. My wife had the waffle and I had the Tex Mex Pollo Loco. Belgium waffle was pretty standard and properly crispy on the outside but tender interior. Tex Mex Pollo Loco was fantastic. Roasted jalapeno on the side was the perfect addition of heat to the fried chicken, biscuit and chorizo gravy...I drizzled a bit of maple syrup on it for a sweet and spicy flare. Also had a side of grits that were properly cooked. Service was great too. We will definitely be back again when in the area.

Best breakfast I have had in a very long time! Pearl waffle didn't need any syrup! Highly recommend!
Laurie E.

Busy place but as it should be! Food was great! Portions huge!!! Priced just right! Staff was excellent! I would be back...

Sugga Mama!!
Scott M.

Visiting from outta town and decided to try the Southern Cafe. What an interesting and great menu. Many twists on traditional breakfast. I had a Sugga Mama... definitely one for someone with a sweet tooth. Huge portions! I'll definitely be back if I'm passing through Joliet again.

The Cajun cheese steak

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9 months ago

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8 months ago

Food was very good , the service was also very good. I Wii definitely come back to the southern cafe!

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9 months ago

Fast friendly service , food was good. We were there for breakfast,would go back. Plenty of parking as well

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2 years ago

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8 months ago

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1 year ago

Food is great. Excellent quality and larger portion sizes. Staff very pleasant and great service

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Service was sloooow and food was very basic. I wouldn't return. Restaurant was a little in the dirty side.

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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1 year ago

I didn't get what I ordered and the owner was very rude and refused to come to the table to talk to me

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The Southern Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Southern Cafe

Do they have a kids menu?

I have not seen a kids menu. Maybe give them a call.

How often do you add new menu items?

4 New special items once a week (every Friday), new menu changes maybe every couple of months?

View All 4 Questions

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Jitterhead Brunch

Jitterhead Brunch

4.1
(22 reviews)
2.7 mi

Let's start with the great…read more.. Location is easy to find. 30 minutes from my home, but people online love it, so we took the drive. No wait. Seated right away on a Saturday morning and we were seated where we wanted for college football viewing purposes. Capacity was at about a third of the restaurant. Friendly staff. Everyone we encountered was nice and wanted to be helpful. We had the Sara(h)s...one was training the other and they were very kind. It is so clean inside. I felt like the staff had been well trained in front of house upkeep which was really nice. The acai bowl and seasonal pistachio iced latte had great flavors. But... Hot coffee and iced latte came out about ten minutes apart. This is a pet peeve of my husband's. He doesn't want to receive and start to enjoy his food and drinks until I receive mine. I was also raised that you don't start at the table until everyone has everything, so this was not the best start. (I know that's not how it always works out, but a couple minutes and good communication can make this a reality most of the time.) The avocado toast came out with the cream of chicken and rice soup. The soup is not a cream based soup. It's a very thin, mostly clear broth with some form of dairy added, but never would it be considered a "cream of" soup. It did not deliver and unfortunately we sent it back. The toast was a plain bagel (as the option requested), but if that bagel hit a toaster on the way out, there was no indication once it hit the plate. Room temperature without any color on it whatsoever. The avocado spread had a little seasoning so that made it a little less underwhelming. Those items arrived together which were both for my husband and when we asked about my food, we learned it was being dressed at the coffee station. Our kind server came by and told us it was almost ready two more times (it was an açaí bowl). I asked about my extra crispy bacon and was told they would check on it. The açaí bowl eventually arrived and it was well thought out and very flavorful. But no bacon and my husband was done eating by now. So I asked for containers and the bacon in a to-go container. The bacon had obviously been rushed and was undercooked with white fat clearly still visible. Our server said the manager took off the bacon and the soup, but never bothered to stop by and say anything. That was a service fail in my eyes. It wasn't really about the money. It was about what appeared to be training issues in FOH, BOH and coordination across the board. $30 plus $12 tip, we had two coffees, a small açaí bowl, avocado on a bagel (not toasted) and undercooked bacon. Not on the repeat list at this point in time. I imagine if people are honest about the areas of improvement, this business could thrive. The full bar, fun coffee drinks, biscuits that LOOK amazing, location and sweet staff could make this work. I hope they do.

Sad to learn 1/26/25 is their last day. Not sure why it took so long to try. We enjoyed our…read morebreakfast. One of the better biscuits and gravy I've had in a while. Sister enjoyed the veggie bowl. Very friendly server and she checked on us regularly. Godspeed to everyone who works here.

Photos
Orange Juice
Orange Juice
Loaded Omelette
Loaded Omelette
Iced Coffee Flight

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Iced Coffee Flight
Crispy Waffle

Crispy Waffle

3.9
(299 reviews)
4.3 mi
$$

Always a great atmosphere. Good is delicious and always consistent.Staff and service is great with…read morea smile. All breakfast options are available and their soup is always available. If going on a weekend arrive early as they are extremely busy!! Will return soon

Vegan options are super limited to 1 dish. Veggie skillet with basicly just oil and nothing else on…read moreit (no egg etc). Do I mind? No I have ate TONS of breakfast places and had only veggies heated up honestly. I can name 6 places in orland, Bolingbrook, Naperville, Joliet, romeoville, I can eat just "veggie skillet no egg, no cheese" and it taste just fine. Ordered it and after few bites did not taste fresh, in fact tasted dry? And frozen. I got almost sick IMMEDIATELY. Mind you I paid " like "$20+" for this. My stomach was so messed up, I wanted to Vomit. Also note my boyfriend ordered Cheesey Egg Omelette, and also refused to eat it after 4 bites. it's not just my meal. Maybe what we ordered was just not the freshest veggie, or egg, or cheese, or... ? I don't know what the heck happened but $47 down the drain. 3 bites each. We asked for a check and walked out. I hate to leave a bad review but atleast the $5 strawberry juice, which was you know... not really fresh or juice was just flavored water, no sugar, was decent. ALSO, my boyfriend did like the pancakes. So... just order the pancakes Service was alright. Ambiance was alright. Food, personally I wouldn't come back. Even if you paid me. My stomach hurt so bad. The place looks nice tho, and lots of options, just don't take anyone who you love there, maybe an enemy.

Photos
Menu
Menu
Plain waffle (with whipped butter and warm syrup). 9/10
Plain waffle (with whipped butter and warm syrup). 9/10
Crispy Bacon and Two Eggs. 9/10

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Crispy Bacon and Two Eggs. 9/10

The Southern Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated July 2026

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