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    Norman's Bistro

    3.2 (291 reviews)
    Open 3:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Norman's Bistro Photos

    Business Info

    NORMAN'S BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Norman's Bistro

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    Shrimp pasta and shrimp po'boy in the back
    Michelle G.

    My friend and I had a yummy dinner here - I got the shrimp pasta and he got the shrimp poboy and we shared the fried green tomatoes. It's a cute enough spot inside - the food is four stars because while the food is good, it does feel like something you could probably make at home with some effort so it feels a bit expensive for what it is. For example, my friend noted that the fries that came with his poboy were frozen originally as opposed to fresh. Still a solid spot to have dinner in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't go out of my way again unless I was in the area and hungry. Also service is a bit slow but I only really rate based on food unless someone is actively terrible (service was pleasant enough, just a bit inefficiently run).

    Blackened catfish
    Adria H.

    I have come to Norm's at least 5 times before today and have always had a great experience and good food. I want to start there, because I deeply appreciate and respect how hard the restaurant business is, and I know the owner is doing phenomenal work all throughout the community and I applaud him for this. I am not making this review to discourage anyone from eating here, my hope is to offer feedback so that there can be adjustments for the future to secure this restaurant being here for many many years to come! If there was an option to send feedback just to the owner, I would definitely offer that instead. But in absence of that option, I wanted to provide some feedback here. I ordered the blackened catfish with Mac and cheese. I have had this same meal several times before so I knew what to expect which was pure deliciousness. Unfortunately this time the catfish was way over seasoned (too salty), and the table next to me who ordered the same said the same thing. And the Mac and cheese which used to be made fresh and baked, I'm not sure how it's being prepared now but this is not representative of southern Mac and cheese. Again, my hope is never to tear down or disparage. I want to see this business thriving and offering delicious food. I'd be happy to return to offer an updated review (if invited by the business) after alterations have been made! I know Norm's can and has produced far better quality than what u extended today.

    Jerk Chicken (half) with Smashed Yams
    Ahmad O.

    Norman's came through with a comforting meal on a Thursday night! It was a little cold inside but once I tasted the jerk chicken, it didn't even matter. The chicken was very tender and juicy. I'll probably pass on the island coleslaw next time, but the yams are definitely the truth. Come check them out!

    Fried green tomatoes, coleslaw, catfish greens mac & cheese... seafood mixed salad

    The food was awesome! Everything that we tried was phenomenal! We started with fried green tomatoes... excellent! I also had the best catfish that I have ever had in my life! All of the sides were delicious! I had the braised greens, sweet potatoes and mac & cheese . The service was exceptional! For some of the best food on the south side of Chicago, I highly recommend this restaurant!

    Vegetarian sliders
    Ayana H.

    I visited it for a fundraiser and have mixed reviews. They have a very nice patio area, but it was all in the blazing sun. I wanted to order the bread pudding, but the Chef couldn't give me any information about it. His response was it's traditional bread pudding. What exactly does that mean? I ordered a drink and was told they were out of the ingredients. Attempted to order a second drink and they didn't have the ingredients. She offered to make me a drink that I had to send back because I didn't like it. The fried green tomatoes were sliced perfectly, and had a very good taste. The vegetarian sliders were overcooked.

    Jenny J.

    Norman's Bistro is a popular restaurant in the Bronzeville community. The building itself is nicely decorated, well kept, and very spaciously. There is outdoor seating. There is a lounge in the back where they play live music. There is free street parking, which is definitely a positive! There was a party going on in the lounge area, but the noise was minimal. The patrons were a mature older crowd of people. The restroom was clean. I arrived there at around 8:30PM on Friday August 5th 2022. We were the only guests in the dining area. The service was not good in my opinion. The waitress was not friendly or helpful. She barely spoke to us. She did not check on us. The food was good overall. My mother and I ordered 2 Shrimp Po Boys, Sweet Potatoes Fries, and coleslaw. The sandwich had a good amount of fresh vegetables on top, but it could have used a few more shrimp. It was flavored well. I did not like the sweet tasting coleslaw at all. This meal cost $18 dollars. I will try this restaurant again in the future. Hopefully the service will improve.

    Dessert to share
    Lisa R.

    This month friends and I went on a Sunday to Norman's Bistro for brunch. We were surprised they were not open until 3pm. Parking is hard when the place has many patrons, however we were there prior to opening and parking was easy. Food is great, ambience is lovely. They used to have a breakfast buffet (excellent made to order omlets) and not sure when it was discontinued. Overall great place to go with friends or family after church. We will be back.

    Zaria D.

    I went with friends while in town. We were able to be seated quickly. It was not super packed and there was another event in the back room so seem roomy. There was offstreet parking with was fine at least for the day and time that I went. The server seemed new and we had to remind her of things. She may have just had a lot of tables too as it didn't seem like a lot of severs. I ordered the chicken plate along with fried green tomatoes the food was really good and it was enough to take a little back with me. I really enjoyed my tomatoes. Overall good experience. There could have been another server or so to assist but I enjoyed. The food was good and tasty.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food and services. Prices very reasonable. Did brunch and ordered from menu several times. Food is slammin.

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Clean, friendly environment. Great food and a good time especially in the summer with their Out door eating and music .

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great sandwiches, ambiance, and service. And can't forget the drinks! Look forward to returning soon!

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    they need to have more waitstaff especially for the busiest day of the week. Horrible service

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    Page 2 of 8

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    Lowcountry Lakeview - Fun game that involves rolling large die down the bar floor

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    As someone who has been to the original Wabash location and the Chinatown location, I must say that…read morethis one is -- MY FAVORITE LOCATION OF THEM ALL! I love the NOLAadjacent theme of the restaurant and the service is always great. I normally do one of the specials with the crab and shrimp, adding extra eggs because I love a good egg with my shrimp lol. I also love that their hottest is really hot! The drinks are amazing too. AND THEY OFFER WEEKDAY SPECIALS ALL THE TIME! I have to get in there and try their smash burger next, even though that's a funny menu option for a seafood spot, I'm sure it doesn't disappoint!

    This place has been on my list for way too long. Decided to finally try it on Good Friday!! Was a…read morelittle nervous about parking since its in a busy area but we easily found parking right in front. They don't take reservations so it can get busy quick. You browse the menu at your table first then go up and order at the counter. For 2 people, we shared the Double Double and beignets for dessert! The big back in me didn't think it would be enough food for 2 but I was so wrong. The combo comes with shrimp, 2 snow crab, 2 corns, potatoes, and 4 pieces of their delicious cornbread! The everythang sauce was banginnnn. Warning - your mouth will taste like garlic for 2-3 days after! It was my fiance's first time having seafood boil and he loved it! To end the meal, we couldn't decide on the fried oreos or beignets but ended up getting the beignets. So good!

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    Lowcountry South Loop - Seafood broil

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    3.9(490 reviews)
    3.8 miSouth Loop
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    I've never been a fan of the seafood boil dining thing, just too messy for me, but I must admit I…read moreenjoyed my visit and the food was really good. My daughter asked to come here so we came downtown on a Friday around 7:30pm and it was pretty crowded, but by it only being two of us our wait time was less than 10 minutes. Once seated you scan the QR code to look over the menu and once decided you go to one counter to place your food order and the bar to place your drink order, they then bring your food to the table and our food came pretty quick after ordering. Bib on, gloves on, time to dig in... My daughter ordered the bag with shrimp, crab legs, corn and potatoes and I ordered lobster tails, corn and potatoes and two lemonades (lemonades were delicious!) We ordered our food with the everythang sauce (which is a mix of all their sauces) and it was really good and really flavorful. Messy is to be expected but surprisingly the food mess was manageable and did not take away from my dining experience. The amount of crab legs in my bag to me did not justify $32 and if it wasn't for the potatoes and two corns I'm sure I would of still been hungry. Seafood boils are not a cheap experience neither, our meals with the two lemonades and no alcohol was $110, so definitely not an every weekend dining option, but leaving I did see on their info board that their shrimp, crab bags are $28 Monday - Thursday and they look to have a pretty good happy hour so this might be a reason for a quicker return. Overall my experience was pretty good.

    This place is like a self-serve where you order at the counter and the bring it out to you. Perfect…read morehappy hour options but the drinks is really strong that we didn't even finish half. The ambiance is nice inside and gets busy a little after happy hour. I would say their happy hour deal is such a good deal and if you wanted to you can share with other people. Loved that they have spice levels like hot to extra spicy. The jalepeno corn bread was really good and flavorful. The mango lemonade is also good but wished it was a little colder. The beignets can get a little messy but they were good as well being that it was my first time.

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    Luella's Southern Kitchen - Chicken and Waffles

    Luella's Southern Kitchen

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    This place is small and quaint with so much charm. I absolutely loved walking in and hearing…read moreold-school music playing on a record player -- it felt like my daddy's music and instantly gave me a wave of nostalgia. The service was great. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and more than happy to answer any questions we had about the menu. And the food? EVERYTHING we ordered was amazing. The pancakes were fluffy with just the right amount of crisp around the edges. The chicken and waffles were perfectly crunchy and packed with flavor. Such a cozy spot with great vibes and even better food. I'll definitely be back!

    This is a place where you order in front and sit down and wait to get your food. I felt a little…read morerushed to make a choice due to other customers and decided on the breakfast sandwich. My brother got the shrimp and grits. I will say it felt like the service was a bit slow and we waited a bit for our food and even our drinks. Some people around us ordered the chicken and waffles which looked so good, it kind of overpowered what I was actually eating. It wasn't until I got home and ate my leftovers that I realized the breakfast sandwich was delicious. The egg was fluffy and the jam was yummy! My brother also enjoyed his food. We shared a side of Mac and cheese which I also thought was good. I would definitely return to try other things.

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    The sign of start of something great

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    Salmon Cakes with Fried Grits Balls

    The Crab Pad - corn bread, spicy cajun fries, and garlic noodles

    The Crab Pad

    4.3(679 reviews)
    9.3 miLogan Square
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    Supporting this local Chicago AAPI women owned restaurant! Love the seafood boil here! When you…read moreorder veggies they do not skimp with the boil. This is unique because I've actually have not ever had broccoli or green beans with my seafood boil and I would definitely have it again in a heartbeat. I'm in love with the garlic noodles and fries besides the main seafoods. They have so many different deals and promotions, high quality, friendly service! The spot is pretty roomy and can accommodate a variety of different size groups. I also enjoy they provide gloves, a bib, and a sink outside of the bathroom to wash your hands. Hooray for my crazy messiness! Cant wait to go back! Parking can be a challenge but is available in an around the neighborhood.

    I made it a tradition to get seafood boil with my husband every year for Lent on a Friday. This…read moreyear, we stopped at the Crab Pad in Logan Square. I was sold after finding out its a Viet cajun seafood boil spot - plus it has really good reviews. I recommend making a reservation cause they can get busy. I like how they write your name on the reserved table - a nice touch. Also parking in the area is scarce so plan accordingly. They have a decent happy hour menu so we were able to take advantage of that! We shared the Lover's Cove for 2, then shared corn bread, garlic noodles, and the spicy cajun fries. The seafood combo only came with 1 lobster tail which is a bummer. We got the crab pad style (cajun) sauce. The sauce was fire. Compared to other seafood boils, this one wasn't as super garlicky. To end the meal, we built our own popsicles with unlimited toppings! Great way to end the meal. Flavors they had were matcha, ube, cookies n cream, birthday cake, blue raspberry, etc.

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    The Crab Pad - Lover's Cove seafood combo

    Lover's Cove seafood combo

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    Norman's Bistro - brazilian - Updated May 2026

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