I wandered into The Southern Kitchen. The room was packed with yuppies and suburban families trying to keep syrup off children who had clearly declared war on napkins. Then Nevi appeared. Good God. Every civilization has one person capable of making you briefly forget your own name. Nevi was that person. She looked like the sort of woman who could convince a jury to acquit you of crimes you'd actually committed. As a waitress? Adequate. She took the order. She brought iced tea. She never once inspired me to write poetry about customer service. She wasn't bad, just operating under the unfortunate handicap of looking like she belonged in a magazine instead of carrying breakfast to hipsters with too much disposable income. The chicken and waffles arrived looking like they'd been designed by a committee of Southern grandmothers with a complete disregard for cholesterol or moderation. The chicken shattered under the fork with a glorious crunch that echoed across the room like a rifle shot at dawn. Juicy inside. Properly seasoned. No gimmicks. The waffles were exactly what waffles should be: sturdy enough to support a reckless amount of syrup without collapsing into emotional ruin. However... their syrup suuuuucked! I needed the godd**n jaws of life to get it out of the bottle as it limply drizzled in my waffle at the speed of molasses. The chicken & waffles though? Together they formed one of those rare culinary alliances... Just excellent fried chicken sitting confidently on an excellent waffle, as nature intended. Meanwhile, Nevi drifted through the dining room causing minor traffic accidents in the peripheral vision of every man under eighty. If she'd also been an exceptional waitress, there would've been riots. Five stars. Nevi was worth briefly reconsidering my life choices. And the iced tea was strong enough to convince me that, despite all available evidence, America might survive another week. read more

The Southern Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Cute country style vibes, but the best part was our waitress - she went above and beyond and was so unbelievably kind! They also have a huge gluten-free selection, which was amazing! The portions are HUGE, so honestly, I'd recommend sharing. Be warned We got a black coffee, tea that came with a full personalized kettle for refills, a gf Cinnaholic pancake (YUM), regular buttermilk pancakes, steak and eggs, and the Irishman's skillet. Everything was pretty good, and I'd definitely go back. Service was fast, too! read more

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Not for the faint of heart or slim of belly. But so much deliciousness. The grits are the best I've ever found. Amazing alcohol and non alcoholic drink selection. And such a extensive and creative menu. Finally friendly and fast service ( Max is the man ) Highly recommend a visit read more

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The Southern Kitchen is definitely lacking in good southern hospitality!! The food was okay, donuts were tasty but not fully baked. Our first time here, I was so happy to finally try this place. The hostess looked lost, like she wasn't sure what we were doing there. Our waitress was so unengaged to the point it was just rude. Her whole attitude came off as I'd rather not be here. Felt like we were bothering her when placing our order. We were celebrating my birthday. She looked downright angry when I asked for the birthday donuts and told me to go up to the hostess to order??? Just an overall bad experience will definitely not be back. So disappointed I really wanted to bring the whole family to try the grits. Not worth going back to. read more

The restaurant is an open and airy space that serves breakfast and lunch items. It can be fairly noisy if the restaurant is full, which can make it a little difficult to hold a conversation at your table. There are great traditional breakfast items like omelets and pancakes. The pancakes are delicious and the size of a dinner plate! There are also items with a Southern flair, such as country fried steak, chicken and waffles, giant biscuits and gravy or fried catfish. You may have to request milder spices if your palate does not prefer too much spice. The service is generally very good and some servers are more friendlier and efficient than others, but it is still an enjoyable experience. read more

The Southern Kitchen - Fried catfish with eggs and savory grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Service was so friendly and attentive, generous portions, clean establishment & the opportunity to support a local small business- wins all around - don't skip this spot read more

Let me start by saying, I know it's Mother's Day, and places will be packed , busy. I definitely understand and I have all the patience. The staff recognized our food was taking longer than expected, even came with soup. But when the waffles I ordered as an appetizer for the table didn't come, and another table of 10 compared to our table of 3 got their appetizer before us, and they sat later, that annoyed me. Ok maybe the waiter didn't hear me when I said , the waffles is for the table as an appetizer. I still stayed patiently waiting, unfortunately when the table next to me got their food before we got ours, well that's just bad. Horrible service read more

Nice little place just outside of downtown Arlington Heights. Came here around noon and it was packed. We had reservations so don't have to wait. FYI, they take reservations of 6 or more people. Food looks just as good as it taste. I had the famous Stacked Biscuit and you get your choice of protein (sausage, bacon, country fried steak, or country fried chicken). I had the fried steak and it was great! The biscuit was flaky and soft. Their gravy was rich and savory, eggs were fluffy and the hash brown was perfectly crispy and not burnt. The pancakes were huge and thick, almost like cake consistency but it was also buttery soft at the same time. Not to mention they brought out warm maple syrup, chef kiss. We also had a side order of biscuits and it came with this maple butter and boy let me tell you!...I can put that thing on a piece of wood and I would say it's the best thing I tasted! My one complaint is that our waitress was kinda pushy. She wouldn't give me both hazelnut and vanilla creamer for my coffee, made me choose one or the other. Thought that was odd. read more

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Dang, these skillets and pancakes were huge! Also the English breakfast tea was tasty

breakfast sandwich on specials menu was great! service could've been better, had to flag down the waiter whenever we needed anything. quiet early morning but it started filling up a bit the longer we stayed. read more

I came in with high expectations because, honestly, the food photos on their website looked fantastic. Unfortunately, the experience didn't match the marketing. I ordered the chicken fried steak and a short stack of pancakes. The pancakes were extremely dry--so much so that I had to completely soak them in syrup just to make them edible (see photo). As for the chicken fried steak, it was a complete letdown. Nothing about it felt homemade; it tasted like something frozen and dropped straight into a deep fryer. With a name like Southern Kitchen, I was expecting scratch cooking and comfort food with real flavor. Instead, everything felt pre-prepped and mass-produced. The presentation might sell you online, but the reality on the plate doesn't deliver. This was my first and last visit. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend spending your money here Waited 29 minutes for food Service was great though! read more

The Southern Kitchen - Dry pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

We got there early on Sunday Morning around 8am so it wasn't too busy. We originally got seated in a booth, however, the booths are very tight. There were several open tables so when we asked to move to a table they made it a slightly bigger deal than it needed to be. We ordered the country apple French toast, bacon, buttermilk pancakes, and sausage links. For the pancakes, they offer either 2 or 3, because they are quite large. We were told the orange juice was from a bottle and not fresh squeezed, so if you're someone who prefers fresh OJ, I would skip out. The food was delicious. The portions are huge and the French toast was very rich. You could definitely split meals with other people! I wasn't a super huge fan of the sausage, it wasn't as crisp as I would like. However, we asked for the bacon crispy and it came out perfect! For all this and two teas, the bill came to $48 without tip. Definitely a nice local spot to check out if you're in the area :) read more

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Surprisingly, for a Saturday morning, our party of three just walked into the restaurant!. We started with one order of their BoNuts (Fried biscuit donuts), which come with a cup of blueberry mascarpone and a cup of chocolate syrup; a fun treat before the main course! The table ordered Finger Lickin' Chicken & Waffle, which takes about 20 minutes to prepare fresh, S'mores pancakes, and 2 Eggs Any Style w/Meat. The entrees came with plenty of choices and sides. The sausage patties were homemade, the grits were more savory than sweet, and the eggs were cooked exactly as I ordered them. I was impressed by the amount of food given, the service was great, and I can't wait to go back and try more options! read more

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The Southern Kitchen is a great kid-friendly to go hang out with friends for breakfast. Great food, and also great service as well.

Had been here previously and the food was great - much of it still is but our most recent experience today was extremely disappointing. Waited over an hour for our food on a Sunday - seated at 11:10 food came after 12:20. Didn't even get an explanation that the kitchen was backed up to 45 minutes. Vegan pancakes were very disappointing. Ordered a skillet with eggs over hard and they were runny. Expressed displeasure at checkout but no money taken off the very pricey bill. Also if you order bacon in a skillet or omelet it's Canadian bacon/ham-like which is not mentioned on the menu. Biscuits and homemade jam are great. Pancakes & Warm syrup too but soooo not worth the wait and price. read more

customer service and food was top notch. our hostess Anna K was absolutely fantastic, very welcoming and warm and also extremely friendly and accommodating to my child with special needs. she did a lovely jo. the food was extremely good and for a very reasonable price. 10/10 customer service and 10/10 food it doesn't get better than that read more

I found this place by accident - it's behind the Mariano's. Food was fantastic. I had the Irishman Skillet - done perfectly. Portions are ridiculously huge. If you can finish your meal, they should put your picture on the wall. The pancakes that came with the meal might be the biggest I've ever seen. Took them home and still couldn't finish them. Bloody Mary was excellent as well. I am so happy that I found this place. I'll definitely be going back soon. read more

The Southern Kitchen - Irishman Skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

This place menu has so many options it's almost frustrating as I want try more than one. I am happy to keep coming and trying different things. read more

The Southern Kitchen - Banana pudding French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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I cannot say enough good about this place. The decor is like some of the best from Fixer Upper! The booths & tables are spacious. The food is delightful, delicious, & creative. And the service was kind & inviting. We came for Sunday lunch...undoubtedly the busiest time of the week for any family friendly restaurant. The wait wasn't too bad & any restaurant after all is made by the clientele. And since we love spending time with the fam, it all worked just fine. Thanks to Zina also for making the experience memorable! read more

The Southern Kitchen - Zina's service made the date! Thanks Southern Kitchen :) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Our party of 5, including the 2 kiddos on a school off-day, came to this newish place to try their brunch items and we had a most enjoyable meal. On a Friday at 11:15am, it was nicely uncrowded.  Their space is large, airy, white (as in the decor color lol), comfortable, and clean.  So, we had the following: Me: Kitchen sink skillet, $16.99 Wife: Green machine smoothie ($7.00) and chunky monkey pancakes ($13.99) Sister:  Eggs Benedict, $13.99 Kiddo #1: Two cheese sliders with a side of hash browns, $8.99 Kiddo #2:  Grilled cheese with fries, $7.99 As seems to be getting common these days, they also charge a 3% credit card fee btw. They have a huge and interesting Southern menu, and it wasn't easy to just pick one dish, but I already have plans to return one of these days to try some other dishes.  Each dish is quite huge also (just check the photos), and though the prices may appear slightly elevated, the portions are very generous, so no complaints there.  I'm going with 4 stars for this outing though as the quality wasn't quite 5 stars today.  My skillet was on the slightly dry side, including the huge biscuit, and the dish could have used a sauce or gravy on the side or equal.  The two pancakes that came with it also were on the slightly dry and rubbery side, and not tip-top good and moist, but still plenty good enough.  Everyone enjoyed their meal, so it was a solid 4 star outing I'd say.  Kiddo #2's fries may have been the largest I've ever seen also!   Heather was our friendly, capable, and knowledgeable server.  Overall, highly recommended, and I shall return! read more

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The amount of food is incredible! My dish was three meals! The pancakes are ENORMOUS!

Had a great breakfast we will go back biscuits and gravy was very good eggs were cooked perfectly only one issue there was a service charge for using a credit card read more

Stopped by for a Sunday brunch and although the place was busy there wasnt a wait. Service was quick and friendly. We ordered off their weekly specials and we were so impressed by the food. I also love that they have a pretty extensive cocktail list for those who are inclined. Their regular menu also looked really good we had a tough time deciding what to get because there were so many things we wanted to try! The restaurant has a clean, white, sort of Southern vibe with mason jar cups for water. Would definitely come back! read more

The Southern Kitchen - Crabcake Benedict (special) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Ate here around noon on a Monday, not too busy. Waitress was nice and service was decent. Only about 2 waitresses to the whole restaurant so they were certainly busy, but always checked on us. I was attracted by the menu which was different from most other breakfast places. The food was very hit or miss. Banana pancake latter was yummy, ask for less ice. The Eggy Sandwich, phenomenal! Tasted great and the self proclaimed creamy cheesy eggs was just that, not overcooked but silky and yummy! I asked for a side of aioli to add to the sandwich and it really upgraded it. The hash browns that came with however, were very plain. I'm not the type to add salt to any food at restaurants but I did. I expected a bit more flavor coming from a southern style place. The Graceland French toast (special menu item) was also delicious! French toast was fluffy and the flavors went very well together. Now for the gumbo-laya, I wouldn't order it again. Nothing about it was outstanding and it came with far too much rice. My boyfriend was most excited for this one and I thought it to be a good litmus test to see how well the "Southern" part of Southern kitchen would be done, and truth is it was just alright. But don't write this place off, there's a ton of other menu items I would love to try. read more

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This review is long overdue, I've been here a few times for brunch now and it never disappoints. My friends and I came by on New Years Day for brunch. Our waiter was patient and was super helpful when we had questions on the menu. The restaurant is bright and airy, and has a great homey vibe. For my meal I got the stacked rib eye biscuit, it was the perfect blend of protein, hash browns and biscuits and gravy. Mind you the portions were incredible, we ate and had enough for a meal later and it still tasted just as great! Their menu has a southern flare on American classics. The pancakes even as a side are so light, fluffy and large! While the plates are probably enough to share you can't help but to get something else because you want to try something new each time! All in all, we already can't wait to come back. read more

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The food is great The amount of food is enough for breakfast and lunch/dinner. Service is great! I'm from the south and I can testify that the biscuits and gravy make me home sick Check them out read more

I absolutely love this restaurant. Fantastic menu and comforting vibe. I visited with friends and have ordered many many times for delivery to my old office. I highly recommend this restaurant. They are kind and have great staff as well. Please support breakfast places, I can't handle any place not making it that provides my morning breakfast and brunches : ) read more

Fantastic service. never had less than half a cup of coffee. always coming by to refill. The food portions are insane and you'll always need a box, on top of it being delicious. 10/10 read more

Service was excellent. Zema was our server and she was great. It was nice to have someone who smiled and was engaging. Food was superior. Flavors and types of foods were the best. It's our new restaurant. read more

OMG! This place is off the charts! Unique southern hospitality and food. Everything that I have ever ordered has been delicious! Portions are very generous so you have some to take home. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

What can I say I just love this place all the way around!!! Go for yourself and you will see the food is superb!!!!

So we had eaten here before a while ago and really enjoy it but we forgot the name and couldn't find it again until today. We don't live in the area and were passing through on our first visit but we actively searched this place out and were not disappointed. It was better than we remembered! Our family loves breakfast and this is one of our favorite places. Food tastes great and service is amazing. The kids love it and it's always clean. We will be visiting again very soon! read more

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I've been contributing here for over a dozen years, and I always try to be kind, find something positive to say, especially for mom and pop, non-chain restaurants. The place is immaculate, including the restrooms. Pleasant decor. Server Irene did a great job, checking back, refills and a friendly word. Like other reviews here, I agree that the portion size is over the top, big, huge, I ordered the chicken fried steak with eggs and biscuit and gravy. In a world where we have become accustomed to business and services catering to the lowest common denominator of customer, the dish fit the bill. What do I mean? The kitchen could benefit from more house-made dishes, cutting and breading the steak, same for the hashbrowns. The sausage gravy was tasty and ample. The bill for two breakfasts and one beverage, including tip was $40. Kinda spendy, but everything is these days. Give it a try, as I suggested above, support independents. read more

The Southern Kitchen - Chicken fried steak and eggs, biscuit and gravy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

I come here with my family on certain occasions and am always pleased with my experience. We are early risers, so we come with little wait time. The portions are always great and our servers are always kind. A nice location for a great breakfast! read more

The Southern Kitchen - Irishman Skillet. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

First time here to celebrate a friends birthday. Lots of unusual items on the menu following a southern tradition. I ordered a crab cake po boy with fruit on the side. Delicious and enough for 2 meals. One friend had half a chicken salad sandwich with a side salad. Two had southern eggs Benedict. Another had a delish looking omelet. Huge portions good was delicious and served hot. Not so crowded since it was a week day. Large clean bright space. I'll definitely return. read more

Food was good and the portions were big. Our server was very accommodating. I loved the atmosphere-very open and bright. Overall it was a very positive experience. read more

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The southern kitchen is so good. They have an incredibly large breakfast and lunch menu. My husband and I had such a hard time deciding on what we wanted to eat because everything sounded so good! I ordered the grilled cheese and he ordered the crab cake Benedict. Both were very delicious. Service was really great. Even though the kitchen was backed up, they told us ahead of time even before sitting down, so we knew what to expect which we really appreciate the transparency. It is super cute inside as well. It definitely reminds me of a southern breakfast spot. I will definitely be back! read more

The Southern Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Went back to The Southern Kitchen today and they seem to have worked out some of their kinks since our last visit. Our server was super friendly and laid back, but in a good welcoming way. She gave us time to look over our menu and gave me suggestions. Hubs ordered the Cobb Salad which was HUGE and filled with a ton of chicken! He couldn't finish it. I wasn't too hungry and ordered the Half and Half, opting for my favorite soup (Split Pea) and our server recommended the Chicken Salad sandwich. She was spot on with the sandwich. There was huge chunks of juicy chicken breasts not overly coated in dressing and crunchy sweet grapes just to off set the savory bread and chicken. The split pea soup wasn't salty or watery, it was just right and so good! I had just enough left over to take home for tomorrow's lunch. I'm so glad that we went back and the kinks were worked out. We will certainly be back for another meal and to try some more of their specialty items. I wish they would let me order from the kids menu because the kids waffle with sugar balls and chicken fingers sounds delicious and just the right portion size for me (PRETTY PLEASE!). read more

This has been our family's go-to place for breakfast and lunch for a very long time. Try their breakfast burrito. It's excellent!!! Bar none one of the best breakfast restaurants in Arlington Heights!!! read more

Tasted like old oil on a Tuesday morning. Couldn't eat it! Gross! Maybe just eggs are good read more