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    Cork Oak

    3.5 (41 reviews)
    Closed • 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago
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    CORK OAK ATMOSPHERE

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    Seafood Cajun Pasta
    Darlene N.

    I have ALL the feels for this review for this black owned restaurant. There was ALOT going on during our visit on 7/16/26. We arrived on time for our 7 p.m. group reservation. We waited a little bit to be seated. When seated, you just have to look around. It's such a beautiful & cozy atmosphere inside. The place is not that big but I understand on the other side is a speakeasy. They have standard seating and booth seating which includes a big booth in the back for a large group. There is also a bar. The place was completely full! I loved the wall decor especially the magical wall painting with the black woman on it (see pic). Ronald was our server and as many reviewers have stated, he was a good server, providing service but good banter also. We ordered our drinks & noticed they were delayed. We asked Ronald about it and he explained they were "backed up". Lemondrop was good, unfortunately out of cherries that were requested. My friends got the Sangria and the Roy St. Lemonade and they enjoyed their drinks. We ordered our food and it was also delayed, we didn't get our food until 8:45 p.m. which is way too long. Food was great, hot and flavorful. We got the crab stuffed salmon, Slow-Braised Short Rib (super tender) and the cajun seafood pasta (I had them add a lobster tail to it which they cut up and put in the pasta). Delicious. There was a beautiful young lady that came to check on us a couple of times which was nice. There was a live saxophonist playing when we first arrived and he was good. I clapped for him when nobody else did and then his wife saxophonist came in later on and stole the show! She was engaging, went around with her sax playing, sitting in the booths with people, it was a whole VIBE, do you hear me? There was also a trumpeter playing with them too. I was happy to tip them - both saxophonists talked to me individually as we were sitting right in front where they were performing. They thanked me for the energy which means a lot to performers, it lets them know you are enjoying their performance which they work hard for. They are there on Wednesdays & Thursdays. What is weird is that they have dessert but you have to ask about it, there is no menu that shows the options. The only way I knew they served desserts is that I saw pics of them on Yelp and Google. The cake I wanted (butter cake) they didn't have, only a selection of cheesecakes. I really liked this place. I think it's only been open for about 6 months. The colorful, lifelike mural on the outside of the place is breathtaking. I had no problem finding parking right in front of the place. They definitely need to work on time management, it shouldn't take that long for drinks/food. We noticed when we were waiting on our food that many others didn't have their food either. Other reviews mention this too so I hope in more time of them being open that they fix this. They had ceiling fans on but we got a little warm at times but grant it, it was full capacity in there. The great musical entertainment helped with the wait. Our bill total for three people with 18% gratuity and a percentage for a service charge was $256. I want to return & hope there is an improvement in waiting times for orders placed. Thank you Cork & Oak, despite the long wait I really enjoyed myself and had plenty to take home.

    Kendra L.

    This place is nice! It could easily be a date night or a group night. Music was good and not too loud until the dj/sax player came in around 7pm. He sounded amazing! Food was fresh and hot. It didn't take too long for it to come out. Drinks were so gooodddddd!!!!! I just wanted to keep order them. Our waiter was the bomb. I think his name was Ron, Ronald or something (sorry). This is a black owned business. I loved it! We will come back and try the lounge side soon.

    Guava flavored cocktail
    Tatyana S.

    Cork & Oak is an up and coming star in the south burbs. I'm still thinking about that Butter Cake! The gumbo with snow crab legs, delicious. I also loved my guava flavored drink. Service could've been better. Our server was kind and mostly attentive but it seemed they had her spread thin over the whole dining room. Other than it was a good experience and the furniture, decor is absolutely beautiful. I went for lunch and would still love to check out their brunch.

    Strawberry kale salad
    R J.

    Drinks are strong! Nice portions and food presentations were beautiful. Nice for small gatherings or date nights. Service was pleasant and attentive, can't wait to go back. Went on a Thursday evening for my birthday. I was serenaded by saxophone player.

    Denyce M.

    Me and Latrice A came on a Sunday afternoon to have brunch. The outside was adorable as I parked my car. There is a lovely painted mural of flowers on the side of the building that was magical. The establishment is a little on the small side, but the overall décor is lovely. For brunch, I started with the Truffle Butter Lobster Bites (lobster tossed in truffle butter with chili peppers and ginger sauce) and got the Chimichurri Steak and Frites (grilled steak topped with chimichurri). The menu stated that the steak came with frites, but I got what looked like smashed potatoes instead and that was fine by me. The portion size of the dish did not disappoint and I ended up taking it home to have later as my dinner. The Truffle Butter Lobster Bites were amazing! I can't say I tasted the truffle flavor, but I felt like the chili peppers and ginger sauce overrode it. Truffle is such a subtle flavor, but that said I still enjoyed this dish a lot. Actually had me mad for not ordering some to go as I had a dream about it and woke up mad that I didn't have it. Latrice A and I split the Challan French Toast. This came with a sweet + savory blueberry sausage. The french toast was very good, the sausage didn't work for me. I thought it was on the dry side. While we were eating, the table across from us ordered the french toast. We immediately noticed that their serving was very different from our order as it was cut from much thicker slices of challan bread. We mentioned that to our server and then I believe the manager came over to discuss. As we had already eaten into ours, I showed her the photos so she could see the difference. She explained that she thought the kitchen may have used the slices from the end of the loaf and that could have been the difference. That said, she took it the bill and gave us a 20% credit on the bill. For me this location is a bit of a haul as it is about 30 miles from where I live in the city. But I would maybe do a bit of planning and come during a time when the traffic isn't so bad so I can get those lobster bites and not wake up mad the next day after dreaming about them...HAHAHAHAHAHA!

    So smooth and gracious

    The service and the atmosphere were great. The saxophonist was a plus. This was a mature vibe with excellence. Great to see this level of talent in the South Suburbs.

    Latrice A.

    My pre birthday brunch pick ! Its been treading on social media and its a vibe. Food is cooked to order so be mindful! My friend loved the fried lobster appetizer! We shared the french toast it was good ! I hear its live music on Thursday will return for that!

    Amber M.

    Black-owned, DELICIOUS food, beautiful presentation, and a whole vibe! From the moment you pull up, you can tell this place was built with care and intention. The mural outside is absolutely beautiful and lets you know you're about to experience something special before you even walk through the door. We went on a Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised by live music, which made the night even better. After dinner, we hung out in the speakeasy for a while. Such a chill atmosphere and the perfect place to unwind. I used to live nearby, and if I still did, I'd probably be here every week... and let's be honest, at least half of those visits would be just for that BUTTER CAKE. The food, the ambiance, the music, the presentation... all of it just comes together. This is definitely one of those places you'll keep coming back to. 10/10 for me!

    Wynetta S.

    Hey, I finally got a chance to visit. I went during Happy Hour, 3pm-5pm Wed-Fri. I ordered the fried lobster bites (not on hh), french fries, and bbq shrimp. The service was great. I had Stephanie as the bartender, she was awesome. The vibe is grown and sexy. I can't wait to go back for dinner....and HH again. Go check them out. Oh yeah, they have two sides and a live band on some days. The drinks were on point too!

    Steak Frites

    Had a party of four and went on a Friday evening. We had an attentive server. And overall, the food was good and I would come back. The restaurant itself is nicely furnished, the tables are a little close. The music was moderately loud but they have a nice R&B playlist. Food rankings: Lobster Bites: 5/5 Lemon Pepper Wings: 3.5/5 they were on the dry side Oysters: 5/5 Lamb Lollipops: 4.5/5 needed a pinch of salt Lobster and Shrimp fried rice: 5/5 Seafood Pasta: 5/5 Short Rib: 5/5 Steak Frites: 5/5 After dinner, we went to their speakeasy for drinks, and that was pretty nice too!

    $50 dollar drink
    Tamisha A.

    Just recently visited for my husband's birthday. The food was good but what shocked me was the bill at the end. For a party of 2 with just a main dish, side of bread and 3 drinks, our tab was close to $400. I do order top shelf tequila when I get margaritas but I've never had a top shelf drink that cost 75 dollars per glass. When we noticed the oversight we were told that I was charged double but final tab was $50 per drink. I think along with ala cart menu prices they need to do the same with drink prices Im still in shock of the price because it was a small glass and ice filled. Cute presentation but again $50 to $75 for a margaritas is absolutely insane. I had to honor the bill because that's what I ordered but this alone will be the reason why I would not return.

    Chimmichuri Frite
    Monique C.

    We went Sunday for Brunch and it was interesting to say the least. The wait was 40 minutes if we didn't want to wait we could sit at the bar. We went in and immediately it hits you...the almost warmth. There is no air. The chairs for those dining are very low to the ground and hard to adjust. We went over to the bar it has about five seats so we took the too at the end. It took a while to be tended to because the bartender was very busy. After our orders were taken we waited a while and they brought my friends out a good five minutes before mine. We enjoyed the food. It was delicious! But maybe due to the haste and hustle of the brunch rush I don't think I'll be back. Although, my mate really wants to try here for dinner and I'm bending towards a yes for support.

    Terrible

    I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was disappointing from start to finish yesterday, 7/2/26. I ordered the Shrimp & Lobster Fried Rice after seeing the dish advertised on TikTok. The presentation in person looked nothing like what was advertised. I later learned that the impressive presentation shown online is apparently only available on Sundays with the Crab Fried Rice, with Crab sitting on top of rice. Unfortunately, no one informed us of that before we ordered, even though it was obvious we expected the dish we had seen advertised. It felt misleading. Not to mention 2 other customers ordered and thought the same thing. The lemon pepper wings were just ok but also tasted reheated. When the food arrived, it wasn't hot and tasted like it had been reheated rather than freshly prepared. The rice was overcooked, sticky, and clumped together, making the dish unappetizing. For a meal that cost approximately $45, I expected much better quality. Within about two minutes of receiving my food, I let our waiter, Ronald (if I remember his name correctly), know that something wasn't right. His initial response was, "I wish you had told me as soon as I brought it out to you," even though I had only had the plate for about two minutes and had to wait for him to walk back by our table. He eventually spoke with the kitchen and asked if I wanted the dish remade, and he apologized. Still, there was no apology from management, no manager came to speak with us, and no effort was made to offer a discount, refund, or any other gesture of customer service. To make matters worse, the woman I believed to be the manager--an African American, dark-skinned with blonde hair--stood near our table and looked over at us several times but never approached us to ask about our concerns or to attempt to resolve the situation. I can't confirm whether she was the manager, but that was my impression. The entire experience felt like poor customer service from beginning to end. Between the misleading advertising, the poor food quality, and the lack of concern for customer satisfaction, I left extremely disappointed. The only good thing was the drink; high five to the bartender. I will not be returning, and I would caution others not to assume the Shrimp & Lobster Fried Rice will look like the viral TikTok videos. If the featured presentation is only available on Sundays with a different dish, customers should be informed before ordering to avoid confusion and disappointment.

    Cajun pasta

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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

    Food was hot and fresh and Stephanie delivered, on the drinks to perfection! will certainly be back :)

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    2 months ago

    Appetizers only and no to the salmon hash and definitely no to the oily no flavor mac and cheese

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    Ask the Community - Cork Oak

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