Everything was delicious and high quality. Stand outs for me were the Mac N'Cheese, the corn bread and the Banana pudding. The best food I had while visiting Chicago. 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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The service was great. The waiter that served my party was really nice. The drinks were okay. My personal preference is that I wish the lighting was better there. But the food was so good! I'm still thinking about those short ribs. read more

Virtue Restaurant - Short ribs and Mac & Cheese - Southern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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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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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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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

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 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

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

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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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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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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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

Ambience is wonderful. Food is wonderful as well. It is a cozy type of place. The waiters are helpful when it comes to helping you decide one of their many dishes read more

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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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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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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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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As usual, excellent food and superb service!! The best of the best! Short rib and blackened catfish are both full of flavor. Consistent every time I visit! We also had the fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, greens and cornbread. Fabulous!!! Impeccable service. Our server Cameron was wonderful! read more

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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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've been here twice and each time has been amazing. I love the food. Pleasant service. I've only been seated on the side near the kitchen, so I can't give a true testament to the ambiance. However, I would assume the vibe may be a little different on the other side of the restaurant. Nonetheless, please come and enjoy a meal with friends, family, significant other, all the above. It's a great place to partake in comfort food. Get the cornbread and salmon! 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

I really wanted to love this place. Maybe a return visit might change my mind but my experience just wasn't what I thought it would be. First we got there really early. The bar is not really a bar per se' so you can't really hang out there. They recommend a spot around the corner. When it was to seat us they took us to the bar area. The waiter literally said "Happy Anniversay" and offered us the worst table in the house. We asked for another table and were taken to the main dining room and sat at a table that was a couple of feet from the next person over. Suffice it to say seating is a luck of the draw thing I guess because the person right behind us got a better table. Mind you I made this reservation weeks in advance. Anyway on to the food. We got the chicken and sausage gumbo that had no chicken. We had to ask for chicken because it was all sausage. They brought us a little chicken. what I didn't like was both the sausage and chicken were cubed. Hard to get a good flavor bite but the worst was the gumbo was way too spicy. As a Texas / Louisiana native I've never had gumbo this spicy. The short rib was good and tender. A tad overpriced for me but good. The chicken dish was pretty good. That actually could have used more spice. was still good though. Greens were pretty good. Overall food was good but not amazing. I gave it 4 stars but mine was a 3.5 star experience read more

We had our best meal of 2025 on the road in Chicago tonight. This restaurant was outstanding in many areas. 1. Ambience was great along with the minimalist decor. It has an African American theme due to the fact that the owner is Eric Williams an African American chef who has a james beard award. 2. Service was outstanding. We had a late night reservation and we closed down the restaurant. We never felt rushed except they told us about the bar last call. Otherwise they treat us perfectly. 3. The food was other worldly. The gumbo, biscuits,and fried green tomatoes were all #10. 4. We had the fish and grits but the grave they served with it was a killer. We also had the beef short ribs that were mouthwatering good. The other sides included Mac and cheese, and collard greens. They were all#10. 5. We were too full so we did not try the desserts which were banana pudding, pound cake and other southern stable. If you are ever in Chicago, this is a must do place. It is in a cool neighborhood called Hyde park. read more

(10/5 if I could!) Virtue is hands down one of the best dining experiences I've had in years. From the moment I walked in, the vibe was spot on -- soft R&B/jazz playing at just the right volume, warm and elegant atmosphere, and a team of servers who were attentive, friendly, and plentiful. You can feel the difference here: no one rushing, no one stretched thin. Just true hospitality. I started with the cucumber mint salad (a server recommendation) and wow -- simple ingredients elevated into something beautiful. Crisp cucumbers, fresh mint, bacon crumbles -- refreshing, light, yet indulgent. The short rib with mashed potatoes and spinach was next-level comfort food. Fork tender (a knife wasn't even necessary), with the perfect balance of juicy meat and fat. The mashed potatoes were buttery and smooth, and the spinach gave the dish the right amount of earthiness. Absolute perfection. Then came the mac n cheese. Let me just say -- this is the best mac n cheese I've ever had in my adult life. Gooey, creamy, unapologetically cheesy in every bite. Not a side dish, an experience. For dessert, I tried both the banana pudding and the 7-Up cake with blueberry compote. The banana pudding was nostalgic -- like your grandmother's recipe -- but the 7-Up cake was divine. Light, airy cake that practically floated off the fork, paired with blueberries (a compote) and just a hint of salty pistachio on the back end that balanced everything out. It reminded me of a very elegant strawberry shortcake, just reimagined with blueberries. Virtue redefines soul food. It's rooted in tradition but executed with precision, care, and elegance. Every detail -- from the music to the plating -- felt intentional. If I could rate higher than 5 stars, I would. When I come back to Chicago, Virtue will be my first stop -- no question. read more

The best restaurant of all time. The ambiance was warm and cozy, the music was good, the drinks were delicious, the food was excellent and the server was funny and attentive - what more do you want? Not many restaurants can hit all these things at once. I've had this restaurant on my bucket list for a while and it did not disappoint. A must visit when I'm back in the Chi! I will dream about the short rib!!! read more

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Don't get me wrong: the food was good. I'm just not sure if it lived up to the hype that I've been reading about Virtue for quite some time. We tried a number of the smaller plates and then had a NY strip steak and the salmon for our entrees. And it was good, but I'm not sure it justified the price point. Service was absolutely outstanding though. I'm torn between a three and four star review but went with three because it just felt a bit pricey for all of what we got. I'm planning to go back and try some other menu options because I have many friends who told me this is one of their favorite restaurants in Chicago and the staff were genuinely so nice. I'm crossing my fingers after that visit I'll be leaving a new review with five stars. read more

Y'all... This place!!! "So nice, we did it twice". Yes... we enjoyed our first time there so much that we booked a second reservation... and we were only in the city for four days. The portion sizes are large enough to share. Day One (my greedy self didn't take any Day One photos) Fried green tomatoes- crispy and yummy. The shrimp with remoulade was tasty but I would probably have them separate if I ordered again because I truly value the crispness of a well cooked fried green tomato. And, they do a good job. Gizzards and dirty rice - I don't like fried gizzards. I almost fought my husband over the last one! These were SOOOO good. I want some now. Fish and Grits- I don't usually like savory grits. I'm still dreaming about this one. The fish was firm yet flaky. The crab etoufee made me think of the Gullah meals that we had in Charleston. And, the grits were creamy and well seasoned. Collard greens- yum and yum. I used to hate greens and recently started eating them. These made me think of every holiday meal and I immediately regretted not getting cornbread to host that delicious pot likker. Carrot cake - I am a picky carrot cake lover. I don't like hunks of fruit in mine and expect it to be rich, buttery, and full of spice with a creamy vanilla-y, tart frosting. This one didn't disappoint and made me happy enough to bounce my knee as I ate it. Day Two Gumbo - my husband (with his Creole roots) loved this. He said that it is the best restaurant gumbo he's ever had. And, we had a house in New Orleans for 5 years. Gizzards and dirty rice - yes... I did it again. I forgot to mention that they have a house-made hot sauce that I dip them in. I didn't even eat the rice because it slowed me down... lol. Short rib - ridiculously tender and seasoning was right on. They brought us knives but we didn't need it. We actually served it with a spoon! Collard greens- yes and yes. And, this time, we ordered cornbread and as you can see, I had a plan for them both. Carrot cake - I'm still giggling. 7up cake - let's just call this "family and friends day" cake because it brought up every one of my Missionary Baptist Church days where the Mother of the Church baked a special cake for the guest ministers for Family and Friends Day and IF you worked the kitchen that day, you could share a slice with three other volunteer kitchen workers... and, it was worth it. BOOK YOUR RESERVATION TODAY because Virtue is worth it. If you can, ask for Raj. She delivered fine dining service both nights. I want to hug her for the way that she treated us. read more

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we all know southern comfort food can leave your stomach feeling not so hot.... but this meal defied all odds - I split the fish and grits and blackened catfish. others at my table enjoyed the succulent maple glazed half chicken, the deeply rich spiced gumbo, the mind blowing cornbread, and a light salad. - that honey butter cornbread was proof that even the simplest foods can be elevated when cooked with care. it was so moist and came out of the oven scorching hot. the honey butter tasted remarkably like ice cream - the blackened catfish was salty and absolutely coated in spice. the carrots it paired with were so intensely cooked they almost disintegrated in your mouth, wild! - the fish and grits was a surprise! it came with a crab sauce (I forgot name) that added another layer of flavor to the hyper savory fish and creamy grits. - the banana pudding though... is there a way to sign up for a subscription of this stuff?!? they home make their own cool whip that we actually called the waiter over to describe how it's made. the whole dish was creamy with chucks of banana and soaked vanilla wafers. WOW. read more

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Knowledgeable staff, beautiful interior and excellent food and service. Virtue is a MUST if you are in the Hyde Park area. read more

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Great service and accommodating to my friend's gluten allergy. The food was delicious and everything was plated with thoughtfulness. The decor reminds me of being back home in the south while honoring Chicago and the diaspora. read more

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We had a 6:30 reservation but walked in 30 minutes early asking if we could be seated earlier and they happily gave us a great table by the window. To start, ordered the Justify which was a delicious cocktail. We ordered 4 things and shared them all: 1. Gumbo 2. Mac n Cheese 3. Cornbread with Honey Butter 4. Short rib Everything was amazing. If I were to come back, I would get the gumbo and cornbread again. I'd love to try some of the other options. I also ordered the Uncle Honey which was another great bourbon based cocktail. The staff and service were great and we enjoyed the overall ambiance. read more

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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