The atmosphere was very welcoming and had polite staff throughout the entire experience. Very clean and open environment. Black owned doesn't mean black staffed and that's ok, just noticeable. The cocktails were very tasty however a bit pricey @ $18 each. Most of our food was hot and appeasing to the eyes. For our appetizer we had fried green tomatoes, batter was thick and lots of remoulade sauce on them. Only captured a pic of once as an afterthought. A little drizzle would have been perfect. I also had the chicken wings and fries appetizer..I chose lemon pepper and they were fried perfectly and seasoned just right. Fries were soggy and dark..almost like they were put into dark grease before it was hot. Still had a decent flavor. Our entree was the lamb chops....some of the thickest and most tastiest I've had in some time. Only suggestion would be to cook them well done...we could have asked as well and we did not. No harm no foul! Downstairs had several TVs which is a nice touch. We will be back to try some of the other entrees. Overall great experience read more

See all

I was excited at the possibility of there being a yummy soul food place that was still relatively close to my home. I found Vibez on the River and decided to give them a try. I was in a party of 3 and we were the only ones in the restaurant, because of this there was no wait time to be seated. I noticed that the menu was a bit limited. Not many things to choose from. For our appetizers we got the spinach dip and the truffle fries. I then ordered the "Marry Me pasta", which is essentially a Cajun pasta. The other orders in my party consisted of the catfish with mash potatoes and Mac and cheese, and wings with the same sides. Everyone agreed that the food was a bit underwhelming. Despite the food being heavily spiced it still lacked flavor. Best way I can describe it is there was spices on the food but you can tell it wasn't seasoned properly. The service was friendly and I did notate how incredible the music was, but unfortunately we came here for the food and the food fell short. I don't see myself coming back here anytime soon. read more

See all

David was AMAZING, super friendly and made a really yummy mango frozen drink. That's where the three stars came from. The food was pretty mediocre/ terrible. I'm not sure if it's because I came in on a Monday. But the wings are crisped to perfection... however... they tasted like seafood and not chicken. The truffle fries were squishy and cooked in the same oil, and the ceasar dressing on my salad tasted like mayonnaise. I don't think I'll be eating here again... but I want to come back for karaoke. I also really like the location and decor. AC is blasting in the basement. read more

Vibez on the River - Soul Food Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

Stopped in for a happy hour special, and we were seated immediately upstairs, which was a plus. We got there early. The wings and cabbage (spicy) were good; however, the catfish was a bit on the fishy side for my taste. The waitress failed to put my order in, so there was a very long wait to get my entree. This appeared to be a mistake on her part, based on what I overheard from the staff member who was helping out. I basically had to ask someone else about my food after waiting for a long time. Now I do appreciate them trying to rectify the situation by taking drinks off the bill and apologizing. The Island Glow is a great drink, especially if you want something coconut-flavored with a tropical vibe. As for the noise level, I would say that it is moderate. Now there is a downstairs area that appeared to be packed and a bit small. I prefer laid back and relaxed, so the seating upstairs worked for me. The entrance is also located on the upper level, from what I observed. I arrived on a weekday around Happy Hour time. The music started at 7 pm, and they had a great selection! They played R&B at a moderate level, not too low, not too loud. This place is not very spacious. There is an upstairs with a few tables and booths a,d a downstairs area as well. This place definitely appeals to a young crowd and has the possibility of being better! So keep working at it!:-) Parking: There is an alley behind the restaurant with no outlet where you can park for free. You can also just park in the Hollywood parking lot right next to the alley, which has plenty of parking and space to get in and out, which was also free. I recommend parking in the Hollywood parking lot due to availability and ease of getting in and out. You can either take the street and walk around the corner to the front or go up the back stairs to get to the restaurant; however, those stairs are steep, baby, and located by the river! So be careful! I honestly would recommend just taking the street and walking around the corner to the front of the restaurant, especially if you are moving around at night. Overall, the waitress and the gentleman who helped me were nice, and the music was good. Some adjustments need to be made, though, to make this place even better. I would be open to giving this spot another try and hopefully changing my rating for the better. Recommendations: Make sure waitresses know how to take orders properly to avoid delays. I asked about my food, and the waitress told me they were working on it when the order was never put in. Happy Hour lemon drops- could be presented better! Drinks should look aesthetically pleasing. Basically, present your drinks as advertised. Possibly change the glass and add some sugar around that rim if necessary. Our lemon drops were just flat-out sad-looking, plus the glass was only half full. Catfish- make sure the catfish doesn't taste fishy. Good luck and keep at it! read more

See all

There are a ton of options in downtown Aurora, but Vibez is such a nice addition. The inside is split between two levels - the upstairs is a little more compact. The downstairs is super nice and relaxed, with a small bar area & lots of different seating options. Downstairs also has a great view of the river. We tried a bunch of different cocktails and virtually all of the smaller bites. Do yourself a favor and get the salmon bites. I am still thinking about them several days later. It's a good portion of them, so I actually had it as a make-shift dinner. It was SO good. The cocktails were also very good- but I'm more of a beer drinker. They do have a few bottled beers, but I don't believe they have anything on draft. Something I hope they'll explore as they establish a bit more. I didn't know that they had just recently opened, the service was great. read more

The wife and I wanted to get away from Chicago's atmosphere and try something different. We went to Videz on the River for dinner. The food was delicious, the service was great and the atmosphere was exciting and relaxing. You should try them. I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

This place and the vibes are unmatched! Would definitely recommend coming here again. The service was spectacular and the food was amazing. I love the atmosphere. It's a very chill and laid-back. Not to mention the river just had that extra touch while eating your food. I will definitely be back again. read more

See all

I patronized on a Monday afternoon when the restaurant first opened, to avoid a long wait for food. The food was very good, and the service was friendly and attentive. I would definitely return because the food was enjoyable. That said, I do think it's overpriced for the portion sizes. I also wouldn't consider it an upscale restaurant. The space is fairly small, which wasn't an issue, but it didn't match the upscale vibe I was expecting. The margarita flight was good, but for $28, I expected more than shot glass, sized pours. The peach cobbler egg rolls were also much smaller than expected. It came with a toddler scoop of ice cream and overall, could have been better. My biggest disappointment was that my food looked nothing like the photo. The picture appears to be heavily edited or AI-generated because the dish served looked noticeably different. Overall, it's a good place with tasty food and good service, but the portions, pricing, and menu photos didn't quite live up to my expectations. read more

Went Sunday evening with my cousins to celebrate my bday. The DJ was playing and he was jamming! Good mix of 90s - 2000s R & B and hip/hop. He even threw in a birthday song for me and the owner, and two waitresses presented me a free shot and bday sign. Nice touch. Food was delicious. I had the catfish, mac & cheese, green beans. All seasoned well. Green beans felt slightly overcooked, but again, seasoning was on point. We also got the chicken eggrolls, with jerk chicken - DELICIOUS! We wanted the spinach dip, but they were out. Then we all ordered the caramel cake to go. Mine was a little dry, but the flavors were solid. Cocktails in general were good. I had a lemon drop, which too tart. One of my cousins had the cocktail sampler and every cocktail on it was fire. Particularly the passion fruit and mango. Our main waitress gave us a sampling of the lychee shot, which was yummy. Overall, a good experience. Staff was friendly, but service was slow with not a ton of people there, so makes me concerned of coming on a Friday or Saturday where they would be packed and still slow. For instance, our appetizer got to the table same time as dinner. I do intend to go back again, perhaps when they get their patio area set up or to grab takeout. Given they've only been open for a short time I'll give them some grace. But definitely want to see them tighten up on the service. read more

New establishment nice location and parking is accessible. Staff was friendly and attentive! Ambiance was nice and cozy. They also have a downstairs that will open soon to the public that was elegantly renovated. Food was good! We tried the fried green tomatoes and eggrolls for an appetizer. Both good and tasty. The eggrolls was amazing needless to say. The lemon pepper wings with truffle fries was pretty good also. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes! read more

See all

Black owned restaurant but cooked by all Hispanics, that can't cook soul food. More juice was on the green beans which were overly spicey, catfish was bland with no taste, and the garlic potatoes were not seasoned also! The fried green tomatoes were good. The server was nice but unpleasant service due to forgetting a few of the orders. The ambiance is very small and tight. They also have a narrow walkway where our table was next to a door which made it cold in there and the table all 5 of us sat at was right by the kitchen wheee too many people were walking by and the noise from the kitchen was distracting. read more

Vibez on the River - After eating overly priced bland food. - Soul Food Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

See all

Great food and service downtown inks were amazing It was a vibe the music was great The wings were awesome Definitely recommend read more

The banana pudding is delicious.... I had to go back for a second time. The lady that cashed me out was so vibrant and nice! I can't wait to try the brunch on Sundays......... the restaurant is a vibe! read more

All the good reviews had to be family or friends. Service was probably the worst I had ever seen. Service spilled water didn't clean it up then later slipped on it and almost fell. Didn't know what a ketchup bottle looked like. Chicken was old,dry and had no flavor. Half of the pasta noddles were cold and the other half hot. Save the money find another restaurant in Aurora. read more

Hey y'all! We checked this out yesterday and this food was amazing!!! Every thing was cooked to perfection. We had to go extra on our ordering. We did have them wings (3 different flavors) but also: Catfish, exellent. Cabbage and green bean sides excellent. Catfish nuggets exellent. Fried Green tomatoes????? OMG!! Truffle fries!!! YES!!! And the lemon drops were the perfect addition. Don't sleep on this place! You will love! Can I also say, the service was exellent and the owner was very personable. You definitely have a winner here Sir. We will be back. Many times!!!!! read more

Love the honey garlic wings & the jerk eggrolls for appetizers.. main meals I love the pasta & lamb chops

Second visit here and everything was GREAT! Looking at these reviews will truly steer you wrong cause WE are truly our own worst critics. Who cares who is in the kitchen cooking as long as the food is good! The catfish was crispy and seasoned perfectly! the cabbage was tasty and had a little kick to it. Mac n cheese wasn't my fav but it wasn't horrible. Try it for yourself, you won't be disappointed!! read more