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    Southern Chicago

    3.6 (160 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Southern Chicago Photos

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    SOUTHERN CHICAGO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - Southern Chicago

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    Maple fried chicken
    Eda X.

    Southern Chicago is a beautiful restaurant with plenty of dining space, respectful and courteous wait staff and tasty fried chicken. I love their interior design and southern flair menu. You should definitely consider bringing your significant other here for a date night!

    Fried chicken -happy hour portion
    Nicole B.

    I want to gate keep so bad, but every time I'm in Chicago I know my first stop! The Southern in South Loop. Upscale, date night ambiance with speedy service and food to match. Dinner and happy hour are great for groups and you get to try a little of everything. Thank me later!

    Cornbread Skilet
    Jasmine P.

    Visited Chicago for a weekend from Indiana and a friend made a reservation at this restaurant. We assumed it was for brunch but sadly found out brunch is only on Sunday, and it was Saturday- nonetheless, the food was amazing! The restaurant was spacious and clean! We were immediately seated despite a wedding going on in the back room. Our server was very but the food did take a while to arrive. However, it truly was worth the wait. The fried chicken was the best chicken I've ever had in my life. Sweet and spicy, crispy! Order the chicken! The deviled eggs were too salty for my liking but the broccoli was well seasoned and crispy. The cornbread was baked to perfection! Soft, buttery, flaky! Just everything 10/10! I would come back here tomorrow!

    Espresso and apple martini
    Adria H.

    This place is my new favorite restaurant!! My love brought me here for my birthday dinner for the first time (March 2026). I think I may have heard about this place on social media, but it was not on my radar - well my goodness they blew me away. The ambiance is truly elegant and feels good, warm! I'm big on the vibe of a place; and there are places that overdo it trying to create a vibe. This establishment oozes "cool kids". It's not uptight or elitist, it's just cool! We were greeted at the door and had the outside and inside door opened for us. We were then greeted by the host who found our reservation and quickly led us to our table. The bar is beautifully done. The chandelier lighting and indoor greenery brings a warmth to the space. And the playlist was sooo cool! The music sets the tone! They were playing a mix of 90s r&b soulful cuts at a reasonable noise level!!! (I need to stress this point, this establishment knows how to set the volume of the background music so that it is exactly that- in the background. No one should be losing their voice screaming across the table.) Now let's get to the food! We ordered calamari and the fried green tomatoes for appetizers. Three slices of these deliciously seasoned and perfectly prepared tomatoes that were crispy outside and warm inside was exactly the right amount to start off the goodness. My partner said the calamari were slightly over fried. Our main dishes were both chicken dishes; I had one with a honey glaze on it and my partner had a dish with a creamy sauce on it. We also ordered the greens with turkey and Parmesan mashed potatoes. Oh my goodness- we sampled the sides first and we almost couldn't move on to the entrees! Everything was absolutely amazing; the flavors were full of love and intention, and every bite provoked an entire "moment of bliss!" Highly recommend this beautiful establishment! I will definitely be back!

    Menu
    Lorri P.

    Man, this is difficult to write because I was so excited to try Southern Chicago! We went in, we didn't have a reservation. They were booked but they had some high top seats near the bar. We sat there. It was HH but we were told you can o my do HH at the bar. Oh bummer but we understood. We ordered some drinks and apps. The drinks were good. We got the oysters and fried green tomatoes. Food wasn't heat hot, but we were like ehhh ok. Then we ordered sliders, salmon dinner and lobster Mac and cheese. Sliders were ok. Salmon ok. Mac and cheese came way late. Wasn't heat hot. At this point I started feeling weird. Turning stomach. I went to the restroom and the first stall had an offensive foul smell like back logged sewage. That made my stomach worse:( I went ahead and used the restroom but I felt sick. Got back to the table and my friends said I didn't look well so we just sat. After 10 minutes I had to vomit. I had to use a bag at our table and it was terrible. No staff or management came to help, assist or anything. It took forever to find assistance so we could clean up. I honestly felt I had food poisoning from the oysters. As soon as I ate them I started feeling sick. It was a bummer that I wasn't shown any compassion or assistance from any of the staff. No acknowledgment at all. It's tough because I was SO EXCITED to have dinner here.

    Very cutesy
    Jasmine P.

    Very cute experience. Very upscale and classy vibe! Went to brunch on Sunday the service was quick, the food was tasty and I enjoyed my experience. I ordered chicken and waffles.

    Steak and Frites
    Joneice B.

    We came here as a part of the restaurant week 2026. My husband and I previously had a reservation set but decided to head in early for happy hour. At the bar, we were able to get happy hour prices associated with discounted cocktail drinks and appetizers. The drinks were well made at the bar and really no complaints as to the strength and tastiness of the drinks. After wrapping up our happy hour experience, we were promptly seated in the dining area. For the restaurant week, we chose to do the steak and fries. I got the deviled eggs and we also got the cake dessert. Overall, it was an OK experience. I'm not sure that restaurant week deal we saved us that much money, but it was a well-rounded experience. The appetizers were smaller than normal and still priced at $15. Could have gotten them at HH for much cheaper. I did like the atmosphere for the restaurant. Everyone was looking good feeling good. Our server was really nice and we enjoyed her. I will say be careful when tipping. As a 20% tip is already added to your bill. I ended up giving another 20% on accident when closing out at the bar.

    Josalyn M.

    This was my second visit to Southern Chicago, and it continues to be a hit. I visited with a friend, and we sat at the bar. I ordered the lobster bisque and fried green tomatoes as starters. For my main entrée, I had the 2026 Restaurant Week chicken pasta. My friend ordered the calamari and the au gratin potatoes. Everything was delicious , including the dessert. The only drawbacks were the parking and the slow service. Be sure to bring your patience, as you will likely wait. I was hoping that sitting at the bar this time would make the service smoother, but it did not. The delay seemed to be more with the kitchen rather than the wait staff. During our visit, they were out of a few menu items. I wanted to order the cornbread and the burger, but both were unavailable. Lastly, they accept the InKind app, which makes it worth it in my opinion. You get generous portions and great food, but the service can be a tough call.

    Jemyra I.

    I finally made it to Southern Chicago on Christmas Day and overall it was a great experience. We had reservations right around opening, which I am very glad we did because the place filled up fast. Our waitress started us off with a thorough rundown of the menu and gave great feedback when we had questions. The drinks were excellent. Sadly I cannot remember the names, but they were definitely a highlight. The food kept coming and everyone in our group enjoyed their meals. As service picked up midway through, things did slow down a bit. There were a few moments where food runners mixed up tables, and it happened more than once. Still, nothing that completely took away from the experience. The decor was stunning, very cozy with live music that added to the vibe. Dessert sealed the deal for me. The key lime pie was absolutely delicious. We used the InKind app to pay and received a welcome gift through the website linked to the app, which was a nice savings after spending so much money. Bonus points for valet parking being available. It was a plus it was very close to my home as well.

    Collard Greens: better than some people's Granny's

    Chicken was really good, so we're the crabcakes. 5th time coming! Brought folks: they are SOLD on Southern Chicago.

    Wedge salad
    Nerissa L.

    I had the pleasure of having brunch here this weekend, and it was AMAZING! To start, the valet attendant is great and parked my car, so I didnt have to keep circling around these Chicago streets! $17 for valet is a great deal! I met up with my girls, and we were fortunate to have an amazing served named Dannon! He was friendly and attentive!! Now for the drinks, I had one of the signature cockktails called the heiress. Reminded me of a lemon drop, it was delicious! It was made with grey goose, st germain, grapefruit bitters, peach royale and lemon. It was so good, we had two rounds!!! Get it, you wont be disappointed! On to the food. We tried an assortment of dishes, but the shrimp and grits was delicious and I can't wait to order it again!! The crisped green tomatos were yummy too! The restaurant has a lovely decor and a nice selection of music was playing. We had a great time and we were told they have a happy hour during the week. We are looking forward to experiencing that too!!!

    Brittany T.

    I really enjoyed the atmosphere. They set the tone for luxury by having the chandeliers displaying in almost what seems to be ballroom like. The food was absolutely amazing. I've never had jalapeño cornbread and couldn't get enough of it. The drinks were strong but I didn't care for the drinks that much. I really enjoyed the salmon and the pasta. I'd definitely return. The owner was very humble and courteous! This is a must stop !

    Geraldine B.

    the service was top notch. the food was amazing in every bite !!! the price was worth it !!!

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    Virtue Restaurant

    Virtue Restaurant

    4.5
    (1.2k reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$$

    Went to Virtue for the first time 2 weeks ago. Our son had gone with his girlfriend in the fall and…read morefound the food to be terribly salty, but he wanted to give it another try. Service was very slow, but the place was busy so we understood. Kitchen was extremely slow. Again we understood. Our food was very good. After watching desserts pass by our table all night we flagged down our waiter to order. We were told that we'd have to leave without dessert or coffee because our 90 minutes was almost up. We told him that most of that 90 minutes was spent waiting to order and waiting for our food. He spoke to his manager who confirmed that we'd have to leave. Terrible business model. With so many restaurant choices in Chicago, we won't be returning.

    THE HYPE IS REAL YALL!! The food was genuinely one of the best southern food I've ever had (coming…read morefrom someone from the literal south). I had a 8:30pm reservation but they keep seating up until 9 when they closed; with a 15 min buffer. Everything had to be order all at once, including drinks and food. The dark interior is honestly very aesthetic and adds a moody vibe. I had the fish and grits, which was a HUGE portion, and the cornbread was insanely good as well. I was between that and the biscuits. I recommend the uncle honey as a drink because the flavors mix together so well! Also get the Millie's pudding (banana pudding) for dessert! Prices are also so reasonable for the portion size as well. Highly recommend going if you can get a reservation; which are sometimes hard to do. Will be back!

    Photos
    Interior!
    Interior!
    Collards & Smoked Turkey
    Collards & Smoked Turkey
    Southern flower

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    Southern flower
    The SoulFood Lounge

    The SoulFood Lounge

    4.3
    (215 reviews)
    11.0 mi

    The ambiance is chill but upscale and classy. Black and gold everything and local art work invite…read moreyou into the space. The hostess was insightful and inviting, like eating at someone's house who loves you. Outside of all of that the Mediterranean lamb was phenomenal. As someone who has eaten lamb in the Middle East this was delightful, with the rice and flavorful kale it's a wonderful bite full. Large serving sizes...and that grilled pound cake lawd

    The restaurant is small and quaint with about 8-9 tables, I would highly suggest reservations. We…read morewere greeted and sat promptly, infused water was bought to the table and within 3-4 minutes the server arrived. While we waited music was being played so its hard to have a conversation. Music is pretty loud in this small space. We decided on the 3 entrees for 69.00 with a glass of wine. We chose the pepper steak, smothered chicken, orange chicken, catfish and spaghetti, and the bbq catfish. Overall the food was ok., The bbq fish was a little to fishy and the smothered chicken was heavily salted. The star of our 6 dishes was the fried piece of catfish. The food came out quickly but nothing was piping hot. The server was OK as well, he did exactly what we expect of a server nothing more nothing less. I will say next time I would take the drive to the West side location, to me the food choices are better as well as the service.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Grilled Pound Cake
    Grilled Pound Cake
    New Orleans Gumbo Yakamein - Cajun fried perch, seafood savory gravy.  Very good

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    New Orleans Gumbo Yakamein - Cajun fried perch, seafood savory gravy. Very good
    Soul Prime

    Soul Prime

    3.8
    (170 reviews)
    4.5 mi

    I want to start by saying this restaurant is SO GOOD! The service was good, and I really liked the…read morebar tender. I sat at the bar. The restaurant is decorated beautifully. It's very clean and modern. The food was amazing. I started off with a peach lemonade/tea drink that was very good. I cannot remember the name, but it was spirit free. Next, I got the collard green dip. This is a must try when you go. Its so cheesy and delicious. It was perfectly seasoned. For my entre, I got the smother pork chops. OMG I did not expect that food to be so good. IDK what they seasoned that gravy with, but it was fire. The porkchops were delicious, and I loved the seasoned rice that it came with. My only complaint was that the kitchen moved very slowly on the night that I went. It took forever for my food to come out; however, I will say the taste of the food made up for the how long it took to come out.

    I was very excited to come to this restaurant. I made a reservation for a earlier time but was…read moreunaware that they offered happy hour. Front of the house staff was very nice and kind and I was seated right away. However once we ordered the wait time was so bad that my cousin had finished her appetizer and we waited an additional 30 minutes for my collard green dip which was very good by the way. Everything was served one at a time with long wait times in between. By the time I received my entree I was full. I took a few bites of the Chicken and Fish and everything else I took home. Literally as soon as happy hour was over everyone around us started receiving their food very fast. The food was ok a little salty (batter from the chicken, fish and tomatoes). In addition your staff Karen was not so kind and very forgetful of what we asked for. I know she seemed overwhelmed for the area that she had. Our sentiments were shared with the manager but that was it. The owner came by to check in but she just breezed by. I'm not sure that told her of our complaint but as fast as she went by asking was everything ok I dont feel like she would have been open to what we had to say. Overall it was ok, A few suggestions...and yes I would return because maybe today was an off day and everyone deserves a chance to get it right, During Happy Hour everyone should get the same level of service, and if a different menu is offered it should be offered to everyone upon arrival. Nothing is perfect and we understand that and gave grace by waiting and being patient. But these are some easy fixes and I look forward to seeing that on my next visit!

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    Soul Prime
    Soul Prime
    Soul Prime

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    Dawn AM Eatery

    Dawn AM Eatery

    4.1
    (272 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$

    I've been here a few times, and they never disappoint!…read more The ambiance is so bright and inviting. I love how the place is decorated. The bar is full, and they make great drinks as well. The servers are great and attentive. The food does not disappoint! I love the pot roast and jalapeño cheddar grits. That is sooooo good you cannot go wrong ordering that. I've also had the fried catfish on top of the jalapeño cheddar grits, and it was delicious as well! The French toast is very good as well. I tried the fried chicken for the first time during my last visit, and it was impressed. Overall, this is a nice establishment with good food options. They serve breakfast all day, so you don't have to go at a certain time of day to try it. I recommend booking a reservation during the weekends because they can get pretty busy. Parking on the streets is limited, but there is a parking garage around the corner that allows visitors to park on the top floor. Go check them out for some delicious food and drinks!

    Overall, the place was nice and had a good atmosphere. When we were first seated, our table was…read moredirty, but the staff came over and cleaned it right away, which I appreciated. I ordered the chicken with two sides. Everything could have used a lot more seasoning. It had potential, but the flavors were pretty mild. Overall, it was a decent experience, but there's definitely room for improvement when it comes to the food.

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    Delicious and fun!
    Delicious and fun!
    Pot Roast & Grits
    Pot Roast & Grits
    Banana Pudding Pancakes

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    Banana Pudding Pancakes

    Southern Chicago - southern - Updated August 2026

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