Went to virtue for a birthday dinner and it was such a great choice. Everything about this restaurant was intentional, from the staff greeting us as we arrived to the waiters, the ambiance and the meal. The food came out hot and very tasty. I got the biscuits with pimento cheese, short ribs and mac and cheese. My husband got the gumbo, and blackened fish. Reservations were be made online. The service was top tier and I would absolutely recommend anyone to try it out! read more

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My partner scoped out Virtue Restaurant for one of the last meals of our Chicago trip. While slightly off the downtown track where we were staying, the tantalizing menu and strong reviews sold us over. Absolutely no regrets with our choice. Attentive staff, great ambiance, and excellent food. Our server checked in frequently and made sure we had what we needed throughout the meal. The ambiance makes you feel relaxed and conversational, while still maintaining a level of sophistication and refinement. For food we each started with a bowl of the Gumbo. For mains we ordered the Fish & Grits, and the Walleye. For some additional sides, we ordered the Collards & Smoked Turkey, and the Mac & Cheese. All the food was phenomenal. I loved the Mac & Cheese - one of the best I've eaten. The Gumbo was delicious. I could've eaten a whole bowl for my entree. Both fish dishes were excellent. If I had to choose a favorite between both, it would be the Fish & Grits. The crab etouffee is the crown of the dish. For dessert we shared Millie's Puddin'. Another fantastic bite and a great finish to the meal. I've never had homemade cool whip before, but it was divine. Highly recommend Virtue Restaurant! read more

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This is for the bar and happy hour. WOW all of it was fabulous and on time. The ambience I feel looking @ the regular dinign area vs the bar is so much more comfortable and over w all the corner windows. As for the good all of it from the biscuits to the greens ,gumbo filled us up. I can't wait to come back asap w more friends. Serice bar staff was wonderful and seemed like we had two of them helping. Anything extra like lemons brought right away. Thank you for. Lovely memorable meal. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Happy happy happy hour for a long day. - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Virtue presents virtuous food. How can food have high moral standards? The answer is by making a reservation and eating at Virtue. I came with a friend and enjoyed sitting at the bar. We ordered some glorious steak, mac and cheese, corn bread and collard greens. Each item was deliciously selected by my friend who just came to virtue a month prior. Words cannot describe the glory and the morally excellent food. The corn bread had this butter that literally melted me to another universe. The steak provided a dance party on my taste buds. The. mac and cheese stretched with cheesy goodness. The collard greens hit the veggie itch perfectly. Moral excellent food can be achieved. It's at Virtue that you will taste it. read more

Virtue has been on my list for such a long time! After Chef Damarr's appearance on Top Chef, getting a reservation became nearly impossible, but I decided to be patient -- and it was absolutely worth the wait. My friend and I stopped in for happy hour and tried the catfish sliders, wings, gumbo, and fried green tomatoes. Every single dish was delicious -- perfectly seasoned, comforting, and full of flavor. You can really taste the care that goes into each plate. We sat at the bar, which turned out to be the perfect spot for a catch-up with a friend -- cozy, relaxed, and still full of great energy. It would also make a great setting for a casual date night. Our bartender/server was outstanding -- super attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our visit. After enjoying all those bites, we were so full we decided to save the full dinner experience for another night. We're already looking forward to coming back! A little tip: if you're not coming right when they open, definitely make a reservation -- this place stays busy, and for good reason. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Happy hour - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bustling in Hyde Park, on the northwest corner of 53rd St and Harper Ave is Virtue Restaurant. Reservations seem to be recommended, although you might be able to walk-in and sit at the bar. Virtue uses OpenTable, where you'll pay a reservation deposit which will be applied towards your bill. But you can communicate with their team if you have specific preferences that they can accommodate. We sat at the bar, on one of the corners. All the staff seemed to know the menu and dishes inside out. The bartender assisting us detailed all the dishes and ingredients we ordered, all while preparing drinks. After contemplating what to ingest for supper, we opted for a spread. I kinda wanted to get the cornbread side, but supposed that would have been too much food. In order of arrival: 0. Coconut Woman -- coconut creme, pineapple, and lime, served in a coupe glass. 100% recommend if you like coconut and pineapple flavor profiles. 1. Chicken Liver -- it was chicken liver patê, with herbs and salt, and topped with pomegranate, accompanied by fennel jam, and fennel shavings. It came with 3 duck fat corn bread muffins. Could I tell it was duck fat? No. The muffins were on the drier side, by mouth feel. But the patê offsets that issue. The fennel slivers went nicely with the patê, which was quite nice. However, the fennel jam was pretty salty. You smear these items on the cornbread muffins. If you enjoy patê, you might enjoy this. 2. Oysters -- by far the most beloved item we had. Supposedly a newcomer to the menu. Roasted oysters in a small 4 pack, swimming in an herbal green butter, accompanied by something like a very large slice of Meyer lemon that was coated with some kind of cayenne salt thing. They are seated atop pink peppercorns and some kind of kelp. I wish I tried the kelp. The pink peppercorns were nice if you like pepper. The oysters alone were great. With the squeeze of lemon while dripping the cayenne salt mixture brings a whole other dimension of fun on your tongue. Once you finish them, you'll want more. 3. Gem Lettuce--radish, egg, tomato, ranch dressing, crispy black-eyed peas. This was very standard, as a salad. Very normal, very "I'm just an uneventful salad with normal dressing, and fried crispy black-eyes peas instead of croutons." The lettuce was quartered, everything was well dressed. This is one of the 3 vegetable green items on their menu. If you want to be impressed by a dish here, this one won't be the one to impress you. 4. Cup of Gumbo--chicken, andouille sausage, carolina gold rice. The underwater mountain of rice was submerged in a sea of gumbo. I enjoyed the flavor, but this was on the saltier side. 5. Fish & Grits--blackened red drum, geechie boy stone-ground grits, crab étouffée. This was a very comfortable dish. The grits were creamy, but not savory. The crab flavor was on the lighter side. I suppose this was to highlight the blackened fish, since the fish itself has mild flavor, but a light, yet slight chew to it. A slight warm from the spice can be felt in your mouth after eating this dish. 6. Chocolate Cake (gf)--as pointed out by the bartender, this is their only gluten free dessert, featuring a gf chocolate cake with meringue, almonds, and a salty chocolate sorbet. If you ask me, salted caramel is good, but salted chocolate is much better. As for noise level, it was quite crowded during their happy hour, but it tapered off afterwards. If dining at a table, the tables and chairs are wooden; seats with U-shaped curves. At the bar, the stools have wireframe back, and there is not really a good location to store something that you might be carrying. Overall, Virtue is a solid choice for southern comfort food. Some components may be on the saltier side. However, they do serve some outstanding dishes and drinks here, with knowledgeable staff who take note of any food allergies or accommodations you might require. read more

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I have rarely encountered such an unwelcoming experience. The owner approached me twice to criticize minor things--such as how I positioned a chair or held my glass--despite the fact that I was simply sitting and drinking. The tone felt unnecessarily aggressive and not in line with basic hospitality. There are, of course, ways to communicate concerns respectfully, and this was not one of them. It created an uncomfortable atmosphere that detracted from the entire visit. I also found the 90-minute seating limit quite rigid and overly commercial, especially given the already high prices. Combined with the expectation that customers effectively subsidize staff through additional charges, it leaves the impression of a business model focused more on extraction than genuine hospitality. Overall, the combination of a tense, poorly handled interaction and an inflexible concept made for a disappointing experience. I would not recommend this place. It seems to benefit from its location, but the attitude and approach would be difficult to sustain elsewhere. read more

Virtue virtue! The best food I have had in Chicago! This is hard to come by as the Windy City definitely has a lot to choose from but truly a chefs kiss here! Not only was the food decadent, The service out of this world, and the dim light made for a very intimate evening! i will be back no questions asked read more

Virtue Restaurant - Banana pudding - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been to Virtue countless times so safe to say I'm a big fan. They do take walk-ins but I would recommend a reservation to be on the safe side as they stay busy. Parking: There is street parking and while you might not necessarily find something close, you'll definitely bound to find something. Dinner: The short rib and macaroni and cheese are my go to and you can not go wrong. The corn bread is also excellent. One of the best things is that they're items are definitely sharable, so you can either share at the table or have left overs for later! The green tomatoes and remoulade themselves are pretty good- personally, don't think that they need the shrimp. The collards are pretty good but I haven't found them to be very consistent. The biscuits are also very good, but I would choose the cornbread over them Happy Hour: I've only been here for happy hour once and unfortunately, I was not as impressed as when I go in for dinner The Wings- best thing we ordered. The flavor, the fry, the size- 10/10. Would DEFINITELY order this again. The Catfish Sliders- The flavor of the catfish was phenomenal. I don't believe that the additional toppings did anything for the slider and actually made it a bit overwhelming. Buffalo Mac and Cheese Croquette- I personally was not a fan of these at all but the people I was with liked them! Sweet Rations: Red Velvet Cake- As someone who LOVES red velvet, I was so excited to try this and I will never order it again. Might very well be one of the worst red velvet cakes that I've ever had. Millie's Puddin'- YUMMY! Probably one of the best desserts that I've had from them. They do change a few items depending on the season, which helps to give the menu a nice variety. They do keep some of their better items consistently. Overall, I really am a big fan of Virtue and will be making more trips when I get back to Chicago. read more

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This was my third stop for Chicago Restaurant Week, and I am so glad I was able to incorporate Virtue into my lineup early on. From the moment we walked in, the vibes were immaculate. I really appreciated the staff's flexibility in accommodating an earlier reservation for us as it set the tone for a seamless and welcoming evening. The atmosphere was anchored by an excellent music playlist that genuinely makes you feel good. It's the perfect backdrop for what I can only describe as food for the soul. Every dish was comforting, packed with flavor, and tasted truly exceptional. While the entire spread was delicious, the absolute standouts for me were the biscuits, the short rib, and the peach cobbler and homemade cool whip! read more

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My first time here hubby and I decided to come for my birthday dinner... Service was ok since I had no reservation they were willing to accommodate us...waited maybe 10 minutes no biggie. Servers are kinda pushy in a sense they want you to order right away. I didn't want a drink so we started our wait at bar. Once seated still the same they want you to order... I get it it's a small place and very busy. The food was absolutely delicious every thing was phenomenal no complaints about the food at all even hubby loved his gizzards. See pictures it's worth it all! Will come back read more

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Desire food similar to Creole or New Orleans this is a good stop.... Make reservations!!!! The customer service is amazing. The ambiance is very nice and simple. The seating is very close in my opinion and doesn't allow for private conversation. The waiting area is very non existing so the cold air came in everytime more people came in to get seated also. It would help if they sat you before your full party arrived to avoid pileups. Street parking with meters. The food, I started with oysters... Very clean and no grit, smaller, herbal like flavor to me. Good but I've had better. The biscuits with pimento cheese I Loved them. We ordered a bottle of cellar wine of course upcharge compared to the stores but very delicious and complimentary to our meal. Dinner: I got short rib... Let me emphasize on how tender and delicious this dish was! The potatoes and creamed spinach was also delicious. Macaroni and cheese: very creamy as this is what I wanted to try most. It was really good. Fish and Grits: loved it. Very good stone grits, fish nice and flaky and cooked perfectly, the etouffee in the dish was really really good. I was excited that it was a brown versus red gravy. I was very pleased with this meal and I would absolutely return. read more

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This place does not do take out. SMH!! They would not allow me sit at the bar and order it to go

I have had the pleasure of dining at Virtue several times. I have fallen in love with the honey cornbread. I could just eat this and be in heaven. This past time I had the gumbo with my honey cornbread and I did not have enough room to eat my entree in the restaurant. I boxed it and enjoyed the entree later. The entree was still delicious. read more

I love Virtue, this is one of the best meals I've had in Chicago! The short ribs were delicious and tender. The collard greens tasted like someone's grandma made it! They even have gizzards which as someone whose family is from the Caribbean and I grew up eating gizzards it definitely warmed my heart. I've visited Chicago twice and both times Virtue had to be on the itinerary and probably will always be moving forward! The ambiance gives a nice cozy, family feel the service is on point. I love and appreciate that it is also black owned. read more

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I've been meaning to try Virtue all year, and I'm so glad I finally made it happen. I ordered the beef short ribs, and they were nothing short of incredible fall-apart tender and packed with flavor. The atmosphere was a bit on the crowded side, but still totally manageable and added to the buzz of the space. Overall, I loved the experience great food, good energy, and definitely worth the wait. I'll be back! read more

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Make the reservation. Get the fried green tomatoes. Get the short rib. Have a cocktail. Thank me later. I've been to Chi Town many times but THIS place - I will have to add to my must visit rotation. Worth the hike even if you're staying downtown. read more

I was really hopeful for this restaurant. Took me FOREVER to get here but I made it. The service was great. I thought it was more intimate but definitely gave me Southern Style dining. The fried green tomatoes were the best thing I had. The liver was subpar. Needed more seasoning and the rice was hard. The greens and cornbread were good. It's just me but I was expecting so much more. read more

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Everything was great! Service, food and atmosphere. We started with gumbo and cornbread both delicious. Then split the short ribs and catfish - the sauces on both made it unique and great. We were so full we didn't get any dessert. Definitely would recommend! read more

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IT'S WORTH IT!! Stopped by for our anniversary dinner on Juneteenth and Joe made our experience great! This was our first and favorite stop on our trip. The food is AMAZING! Seriously...We ordered the Short Rib, Blackened Fish, Mac & Cheese and finished with the Carrot Cake. Each dish was perfectly seasoned and delicious. I loved the simplicity of the restaurant with the statement art on the walls. We were a little worried about service since we had the last reservation before closing but there were no issues at all. HIGHLY recommend adding this to your Chicago restaurant list. Thank you, Virtue! read more

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My husband has been dying to try this restaurant for a while now, and we originally had plans to go for our anniversary but had to reschedule because I caught a pretty bad cold. So we went the following weekend. On the way there, there was a HUGE accident which made us about 30 minutes late to our reservation and thankfully they still held the table for us. I was a little bummed to see that we were seated at the back of the bar in a dark corner rather than one of the open tables in the main dining room which actually stayed open for the entirety of our meal. But I digress. Our server was super attentive and got us everything we needed. For our food, we started with the biscuits with the pimento spread. These came out instantly, and were fluffy and the spread was great. For our entrees, we got the short rib and the chicken, with a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was prepared so good, I might go as far as to say it's one of my favorites I've ever tried. I love how it's super cheesy, but the cheese doesn't take away from it all at the same time. The Short Rib was super tender, and had tons of flavor. It was the dish that was highly recommended to us. And the half chicken, that spice came a-kickin'! One bite of it, and it kicked in with flavors, SO GOOD but I couldn't taste anything after that. The food came out super quickly, we event got the bread pudding for dessert. All in all, we had a decent experience and when in the area, I would love to come back and try other dishes. read more

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What a flavorful meal and beautiful presentations. The food was worth every penny and the service from the staff was wonderful. read more

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This place is very good, highly authentic soul food. The flavors are very very bold. They are not shy about seasoning the food. Nothing subtle about this. Greasy too. I've eaten a lot of high-end soul food and this is good. (not the best I've had though). Overall, a very nice experience. read more

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I frequently visit Michelin restaurants. Currently sitting in this restaurant you have to pay for a reservation not uncommon. But it is very uncommon to not receive cutlery when being seated before many other diners and receive the wine you order late on top of the waiter completely ignoring your existence me and my partner received our entries late and the food was cold they automatically add gratuity so NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF SERVICE YOU RECEIVE YOU MUST STILL TIP DO NOT GO HERE. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Michelin-rated dining, by a Black owner/chef, on the South Side? You better believe this place is worthy of all the hype and awards. Kicking off a special weekend in The Chi, my friend and I decided to treat ourselves to a hearty meal. From the warm greeting at the entrance to the knowledgeable and patient server, the staff here is top notch. But the star here is the menu! Call it "Southern" or "Soul Food", I call it "Hearty and Heart-Warming". Our eyes were ready for a feast when we reviewed the menu, and wanting to try so much, we said "Let's go for broke!" Fried green tomatoes, served piping hot with a thin cornmeal crust, shrimp for extra flair, and a tasty remoulade. Gizzards over rice and gravy, with the most tender gizzards I've ever had! Cornbread that's as good as cake. Macaroni & cheese with the perfect pasta-to-cheese ratio and baked to a golden brown with that broiler crust. Collard greens that, surprisingly, didn't need any additional hot sauce or vinegar. Lemon chicken that surprised us as to how good it was, as we were just expecting "meh" chicken. But the show stopper is the Short Rib! Tender, flavorful, plentiful. Add to that my boulevardier cocktail that was so good and strong, I only needed to nurse on one during my meal, and this is was a meal worth its cost! Can't wait to celebrate more special occasions here. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Lemon Chicken - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I actually will never shut up about this place. Come HUNGRY! Between the blackened catfish and the short ribs, I can't even pick a favorite. The mac & cheese, greens, and cornbread are also a must order! We devoured the green tomatoes each and every time. They also have really good drinks! The servers are super kind and the space is spacious just does have a time limit for each table. read more

This place doesn't need a review. It was amazing! Literally everything was yummy. The best macaroni I've had from any restaurant in Chicagoland. The chicken, greens, mashed potatoes, cornbread and gumbo were on point!!! According to my sister, the gizzards were tender and well season And the bathroom was clean and cute. read more

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I have heard so many good things about Virtue I am so happy to witness culinary excellence and consistency. We were seated immediately for our reservation. We started with cocktails and appetizers. The peach tree fizz was perfectly balanced and delicious. The apple jack was also perfectly balanced I would order both again. For appetizers we did oysters and gumbo. Oysters were delicious. I got the beef short rib as my entree perfectly cooked and tender. The cornbread melted in your mouth. The mac and cheese was so creamy and delicious. Finally for dessert we had the carrot cake it was so moist and delicious. That caramel sauce was perfect. Overall I recommend and would go back. The food and service was great. The ambiance was kind of casual allows you to just enjoy the experience. read more

The dishes are consistently well done and all feel like fresh ideas rather than hiring takes on traditional food. We enjoy the service and beautiful interior. I always leave feeling satisfied and hope to return more often! read more

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A virtuous place in an awesome part of the city! Parking: Uber, don't drive! Drinks: great wine selection Food: all meals were to die for! Gumbo was my favorite!! Service: excellent Atmosphere/vibe: great vibe for meeting up with friends Age group: 30's and up Bathroom: working and clean Return: for sure!! read more

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Cute interior design! From the plate designs to the silverware and everything else inside ... it's such a vibe :) My cousin and I visited during restaurant week, and here are the items we tried: - Green tomatoes: We didn't expect tomatoes to taste this good! They were fried, and the juiciness of the tomato paired nicely with the sauce and the crispy topping. - Salad: Citrus salads are my favorite, and this one really opened up our appetites. The portion was perfect for sharing between two people. - Shrimp and grits: My favorite dish of the night!! The grits were comforting and creamy, balancing the spiciness of the shrimp so well. - Gumbo: This was the second entree we ordered. I loved the well-seasoned sausages, but the grits were still my favorite Decent portions, very good flavors, and overall a great experience! read more

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this is easily the best Black American soul food restaurant in america. everything is 10/10

This is one of the best restaurants that I have ever been to in my life. My daughter had made reservations for my birthday and the experience was amazing and the food was amazing. I received the blackened catfish and grits and it was delicious and my daughter received the short ribs and the cornbread was outstanding with the butter and that was a meal by itself. Then I received the peach cobbler for dessert and that was the best peach cobbler I have ever received and when I come back to Chicago I will definitely be coming back to this establishment read more

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Still amazing. We were seated in the bar area this time and it was very very dark. The place was slammed so service was uneven and we waited more than they might like between things and had to flag people down to clear dishes, order additional drinks, etc. However everyone was exceptionally kind once we grabbed them. Food was still outstanding. Highlight was the carrot cake back on the menu. read more

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Great! The ambiance was excellent along with the art and lighting, great place to sit and chat. The food was very good came quickly! The salmon was great. It was pricey but worth it. I'll be back and recommend. read more

We went for happy hour and had their small bites which were delicious. Our bartender was great and friendly. Very knowledgeable of the area. read more

Everything about this place is amazing from the food to the ambience to the wait service by Joe, our server. This place is close to home and will definitely be my go to place. read more

Just left the restaurant and here was my experience... We finished some errands early and showed up just under one hour before our reservation time. The two hostess, a female and male (9/18/25 evening shift female had short hair and male had long dreads) kept kind of feeding off each other when we ask if we could sit down earlier, they would just look at each other and see how to respond. They said no seats available to come back 15 minutes prior to our reservation time at that time there were six open tables. So we went for a walk, came back, and those same tables were open. After we sat down, we were greeted by Henry R, which we placed our orders entrees and apps. Food came out now once did he came to ask us how the food was going. But he kept walking back-and-forth near us which is not very hard just to ask for Customer Service if everything's going as expected. Our table next to us order a bottle of wine which he kept on topping their glasses off and being more attentive with them. We did not order no alcoholic beverages and not once did he come to fill our cups with water. From the entrance, which is the most important part in my opinion to greet your guest, it just went downhill from there. I give it a two star because of the food. Customer Service and making you feel at home needs an improvement at this establishment and wont be coming back. I have attached pictures of the open tables when we initially got there,during, and after we left. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious with the exception of the catfish, it had a slight fishy taste. The whiting fish was seasoned to perfection! The greens reminded me of my families' food. We are from Jackson, MS. The chicken was cooked to perfection, the greens beans had a great crunch, the potatoes were so flavorful and the green tomatoes and cornbread had my mouth dancing! I highly recommend this restaurant for some real southern food. Service was great and ambiance was the perfect setting for any dining experience. read more

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I was visiting Chicago for the DNC with some friends. This beautiful restaurant located in Hyde Park came highly recommended. Upon walking in we were warmly greeted. We were promptly seated at our table. We started with a round of drinks which were delicious. The biscuits and pimento cheese were delicious! It came highly recommended to get the beef short ribs. This dish was delicious!! The best short ribs I've ever had! They were cooked to perfection, seasoned to perfection, and the entire plate was a 10/10! Will definitely be back when I visit again later this year. read more

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