Reviews of Big Jones (Restaurant)

Sandi Grecco

Window side table watching the big outside world hustle and bustle in the cold windy air. Pics and review up soon. Great place to people watch. Remoulade and corn fritters are legit. Endless cup of coffee complete with sugar cubes. #andersonville

Allan Haze

Fantastic and flavorful southern cuisine in Andersonville. Tasty cocktails and a great meat and cheese board. Best fried chicken around. Can get busy on weekends for brunch.

Francois Chaumont

Nice to have some southern food around

Evan Smola

Really great low country food. Perfect portions, nice staff, great Bourbon and rye drinks.

Antoinette Alcazar

Best shrimp and grits, corn bread, and bloody Marys! Service is usually good but sometimes food takes too long. The tables are too close together and overcrowded.

Bella Miller

got there near five, it wasn't very busy. staff treated us so nice. the place has a nice atmosphere.

Lynn LaGrone

You've heard the term, dirty south? This is fancy south. It's almost as if someone said, we want to do southern but add hipster stuff to it. Still good with clever mixes of old (delicious greens)and new southern dishes (black-eyed pea beignets). The greens have a genuine, grandma-made-this taste.

Marlon Lyles

I've loved Big Jones for years, but yesterday was nothing more than a salt fest. I had thechicken and biscuit-dark and 12 glasses of water. The chicken skin was removed prior to eating due to the amount of salt and the biscuit remained on the plate buried beneath the over salted sauce. The flavor of the chicken was delicious once I was part the salt. My partner had the rolled sausage which was inedible due to the salt. Will go back as this may have been a fluke.

Jesse Badger

Probably the best fancy fried chicken in the city.

Stephen Valentino

Restaurant week has great food at a great price

Nick Stellato

We ordered pretty much the whole menu, and everything was awesome!

Tatiana Roberson

I can't say enough great things about this gem. Great food. Great people. Great experience. The fried chicken is award winning for a reason! The libations are a must try. This place is not to be missed. Andersonville is full of hidden treasures but Big Jones stands above the rest.

aaron stults

Food was great and not too much. Well worth the wait.

Sally Washburn

Wonderful unique food! Everything YUMMY! Nice addition to good places to eat on Clark Street!

Jim F

Good food--great chicken. Fair service. A little pricey.

Cesar Miranda

The fried chicken did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the two appetizers I ordered were dry and lacked flavor.

Drew Dietz

Always a pleasant experience + lovely summer cocktails

Stacey Mikler

You MUST try the Fried Chicken. Sensational desserts. Excellent service.

Alissa Calomino

I never give 5 star ratings but this place earned it. They nail southern cuisine with perfect and unexpected flavors and flawless execution. From the food to the cocktails, everything was amazing. I want to go back and order the rest of the menu. The only thing that was less than perfect was the service. They seemed understaffed, I only saw 2 servers and they were rushing the whole time but it took us 10 minutes to order drinks and another 15 before they were delivered. Our server was perfectly lovely though with great reccomendations. I will certainly be back to try the rest of the menu.

Hungry Haus

Recently I saw an article naming them one of Chicago's best fried chicken sandwiches. I had to try, so I stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and they have a couple fried chicken items on the brunch menu. The Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken on a biscuit with grits is the ticket! Wonderful service, in a very cozy place.

Don Turner

Very good portions and tasty food!

John Carlee

Catfish and grits was tasty Kind service. Fun atmosphere with the front windows open. Feels a bit cramped while dining. Our cornbread order was completely forgotten then they delivered it after entrees without and discount, pretty weird.

Rick Angel

Always a great experience. The bar tender is awesome, he is willing to go out of his way to show you and explain the drinks to you. The food is always amazing. A bit noisy but nothing that would ruin the experience. I highly recommend.

Kristin Gilbert

Soo delicious and a cute place to sit and enjoy great food! Get the grits!! You won’t be disappointed

Harvey Abouelata

Awesome food. Awesome service. And very cool chandeliers.

P C

Insane friend chicken, red beans and rice. Well made Manhattan.

Kit Martin

The service is as friendly as the food is bland. The coat of shiny quaintness essentially serves to make up for the over salted dumplings, dry chicken and generic, sweet dill pickles. Come in for the show, only buy the bourbon.

Pat Diaz

We were so happy to find this restaurant with a french cajun theme. The menu had a number of gluten free offerings and our server Keith was very helpful and enthusiastic about our options. We ordered the cheesy corn fritters, fried green tomatoes, eggplant (warning, spicy alert) a salad and the pot de creme dessert along with drinks. It was all excellent and a great find in the Andersonville neighborhood.

Paula Wallrich

Super friendly service and a clean, cute place. The food, for me, was not much to talk about. Lots of unique ideas on the menu, but somehow it was just okay in the plate.

A.J. Haver

One of the best fried chicken sandwiches I've ever had. The fries were delicious, as well.

Michelle McDonald

Excellent cajun/ Creole food & friendly staff

Kathy Cheney-Egan

What a mess! I ordered 2 picnic baskets for our Easter dinner. Called night before to confirm. The owner refused to honor order because of an internal snafu and my order was suddenly an object lesson for the staff. The owner didn't care about inconveniencing me and my family. I won't go here again and suggest people look elsewhere for good customer service. This place has too big an ego to be any kind of authentic. The owner doesn't care about customer service.

Angel Cunningham

Best Crawfish Etouffee I have ever eaten! Staff was great and the food is phenomenal!!

Diana Lopez

Service is always timely even when they have a full house. I'll return family next time. Prices that are reasonable. Kinda of like a place in Houston that I enjoyed.

Timothy Cox

I write this with a heavy heart. My partner and I love Big Jones, but last night was disappointing. Ordered the burger and made sure to ask about the serving temperature. “Medium,” the waiter replied, as I hoped. Sadly, the burger was well-done (a mistake that could easily be avoided if they served one bigger patty rather than two thin patties). When asked how the food was, I informed the waiter. He said he would tell the chef. But that was just lip-service. No gesture was made to reconcile the issue. As a former chef and restaurant manager, this is failure at the 101 level. Consistency in food quality and service matter. Principles matter. We won’t be rushing back.

John Cervantes

Went for the brunch great food, great service.

Daniel Baeza

Big Jones never disappoints! The food is so delicious and the service is friendly. Also I'm happy to see how they have revamped the place.

Martin Michael Babcock

Solid chicken. The pickle platter is to die for! Recent renovations really opened up the place.

Ryan Nelson

Pretty mediocre overall. Definitely not a great representation of New Orleans or Cajun cuisine. I had the shrimp and grits - it was decently flavored (but nothing amazing). Yet, the shrimp were tiny (like half the size of the fork prongs) and the portion of grits was pretty small, too. Someone else on the table had the catfish and grits - the piece of catfish similarly was fairly small. The beignets were denser than I like (more toward a thick donut consistency). As well, the gumbo was super salty, though not otherwise unpleasant. The French toast was a standout - that was my favorite thing I tried. In summary, I don't think I'm rushing to go back, but I've had worse meals.

Joshuaft Allen

As much as I love southern food, I wanted to love Big Jones. It was disappointing. I ordered the catfish and grits for lunch to go, and the first issue was the portions. 1 piece of catfish and about 3 spoonfuls of grits. I have to say "about", because I wasn't given any cutlery. I had to break my catfish and eat with my hands, and when I went to pinch off a piece, all the breading slid right off. The red peas were great, the best part of the lunch. Glad I had bottles of water in the work truck, because no napkins either. I've eaten a lot of southern food, including in the South. The South would not approve. If the quality was there with small portions, I wouldn't mind expensive food. Big Jones offered neither. Now I'm just Jonesing for some better southern food.

Oscar Ortiz

In my opinion the best New Orleans food in Chicago .

Nick Raef

My wife and I settled on this restaurant to celebrate our 2 year anniversary, partially based on the great reviews online. Unfortunately, the experience did not live up to expectations. The staff is very kind, but wait times were inordinately long. The food is the real sticking point, however; it was not worth the price. My wife had the crawfish po'boy and I had the pork duet, and neither of us liked our food particularly much. Everything on my plate that was meant to be warm was at wildly different temperatures and it all tasted kinda the same. That wouldn't have been a big issue if it cost 1/3 of what I payed. The po'boy was also lukewarm and had almost no remoulade. The teas and cocktails were nice. TL;DR- order cocktails/tea here, leave the staff a nice tip, and take a short drive to Pearl's if you want good southern food in Chicago.

rostislav Kislyuk

Good food good service I would recommend it

JC Dodge

Somebody needs to spend more time in Louisiana! The was the poorest quality Creole/Cajun/Southern food I've had. Then to charge what they do for it!!! Gumbo is not made with gold,

Loretta Lee

Cat fish and grits was very good, service was great, I will return

Claire Fisher

Every dish was top notch; corn bread, soft shell crab, bread pudding with sorghum ice cream. They're on the top of their game.

April Lynumn

NO COLOREDS ALLOWED... period! And no customer service, go eat at Replay!

Jerome F. Thomas Jr.

Thanks to our server Matt for helping us to select the perfect meal. The fried chicken and gumbo were excellent. I can not wait to go back.

jennifer blagg

Like other reviewers, I wanted to love this place. I've tried to love it three times. But each time, Big Jones disappointed. Today, the shrimp and grits was bland and far too runny. The crab cakes Benedict tasted fishy. Everything was super heavy (including the beignets?!?) and left me with a stomach ache. If you go, get the fried chicken. THAT is delicious. Good service and good drinks, too.

Joy Tatman

Great food and service. A little pricey.

Rochelle Elamanuel

My son treated me to a day out. We started with Lunch. I had the Fried Chicken Salad. "Yummy"❤ I look forward to going back soon. Reservation because, I can't stand too long.

Camila Pinto

Some dishes may look way better than they taste. Another place in Chicago that looks amazing, their dishes look great, but food its just good, not incredible. I order the cinnamon roll with bacon and tabasco, was ok, i would not order it again tho. And i had a latte, which was really good, and the Big Jones Benedict; its a heavy dish but its pretty tasty. Staff was really friendly and nice.

Rafael DelCastillo

Normally when I go to Chicago one of the things I look forward to is going out to eat. Most restaurants don't disapoint, Big Jones did. The shrimp and grits was not what the waiter said. He talked me out of the pulled pork and he told me, after i was very specific about the sauce not being over grits. In fact it did. There was I think 3 or 4 shrimp and the grits were lumpy. It tasted blah. My wife ordered a Manhattan Long island tea and at first they brought her unsweetened tea. Then after we told them again, I was facing the bar, and watched the bar tender as she was making it, taste it and make a weird face. The drink tasted awful and my wife just mixed it with the actual tea to make it palatable. The food took over one hour to come. I would of gave it one star but my wife's fried Chicken was actually good. Appetizers were also so so.

Shane Van Wasshnova

Good fried chicken but skimpy on the sides. Southern food done artistically. Good service.

Ian M

Food is ok. Caramel pancakes were alright. Omelette was very good and so was the Benedict. Potatoes O'Brien were way too salty and both overly crispy and somehow too wet too. Not as excited about this place as I used to be.

Grady Wright

In the top three of my all time best fried chicken restaurants. Collards and sweet potato hash were excellent as well. Great service.

Mallory Washington

The food is described here as Southern style but they are far from it. 1 main creole dish on their menu that represents the Big Easy "Gumbo Ya-Ya" is completely disappointing. Everything from the roux, to the seasonings were all DONE WRONG! Big Joness' Gumbo roux is more like a scorched, burnt gravy with a greasy after taste. It lacks flavor & seasonings. Anyone knowd, if your roux is not prepared correctly, it ruins your entire gumbo dish completely! The gumbo was a very dark charcoal color, didn't have any andouille sausage, herbs & the burnt flavor of the roux overpowered the fee pieces of shredded chicken that was in it. The skillet cornbread was just ok- light & airy. The seever was nice but I had to ask for cold water, straws & napkins. Fried Green tomatoes is listed on their menu but when I ordered them, I was informed "We don't have any." BUMMER! It's a small intimate spot, & cute atmosphere but definitely CANNOT BE CALLED "A SOUTHERN HEIRLOOM" in Andersonville! It is far from it & there is no need for me to return.

Derek Hammitt

I had the Eggs New Orleans, and the crab was great. Also tried some grits and corn bread, and it was delicious.

Diego Cucalon

Great food and service! Less waiting time for the food and I would have given a 5-star rating.

Tina Penick

Nice and friendly service. The music was all over the place though. One song in particular was definately not appropriate for the environment. The song used the N word way too many times in a place that was predominantly caucasian. The fried green tomatoes were quite delicious and the rolls were very good as well. The fried chicken had a nice flavor, however the sides were only teasers. The catfish could've been seasoned better and the portions size wasn't reasonable for the price. I really didn't care for the side selection for the catfish dinner. Don't mind spending the money, however I'd like to get more for bang for my money. Maybe they'll do better next time.

Javier Mena

Was good, pricey but good. Easy setting during the day though.

Doris Brucken

Food was okay. Our server was great. Atmosphere was nice, restaurant was clean and had nice decor.

Roger Li

Good hearty food. I really enjoyed the shrimp and grits, I thought the gravy and richness was spot on. Others preferred Luellas and their better shrimp.

Greg Kaminski

We had a very horrible experience at Big Jones on February 26, 2019. The staff seemed overwhelmed with the full restaurant they had that evening. We were sat in a table only to be moved 10 minutes after sitting down because they needed the table for a bigger party coming in. Not a big deal but our waiter failed to see that we were moved and no one came to our table to even get a drink order. Turns out we didn’t have a wait person so the bartender came over to get our drink order. Even then it took about twenty minutes to get our drinks. He then told us about the special menu and soups they were offering that evening and we placed our order. We decided to split a few things and he went and placed our order. Our food started to show up in the wrong order from how we placed it and the woman who was running the food was very annoyed that we wanted our salads and soup before our entrees. She even brought the wrong soup and told us they didn’t have the soup that we ordered on the menu. As it turns out they did have that soup but our waiter put it into the order system wrong. The soup was their gumbo and it was so burnt it was inedible. The salads we got had so much dressing on them that the lettuce was floating in dressing. That wasn’t even the worst part about the meal. When our fried chicken finally arrived, the same food runner/manager who brought the soup stood at the table and very sarcastically asked if this was the right time to bring the chicken. At this point we had enough of Big Jones and asked for a check and to give us a container to take the chicken home. The manager did come back to the table after realizing her rude behavior and comped the meal. We didn’t ask to have it comped but none the less she did. I have eaten at Big Jones many times in the past but it has been a year or so since I was there last. Obviously it’s going to be a long time before I choose to go there again. Chances are it won’t be opened for very much longer if the staff continues to treat their customers like we were treated last week.

Russell Simpson

I really thought the food was great. Best brunch I've had in a while and I feel like I would say that no matter what I ordered on the menu. Few things though: 1) when we sat down, we were told that they ran out of menus and didn't get menus for 5 minutes. The place wasn't even full...2) we weren't given utensils initially. 3) I ordered hot chocolate and apparently they stopped hasn't served it for weeks because their machine is broken (I was just f disappointed 4) they took a year and a day to bring us our check. All of those things were annoyances, but still I give this place 5 stars and chalk it up to just an off day because the food was that good.

Wendi Taylor Nations

As a lover of Cajun and Creole cuisine, I really wanted to love Big Jones. We made after theater, early dinner reservations on a Sunday. Not exactly the busiest time of the day or week, so we expected a better experience. It was one of the coldest days of the year, and we were the first and only diners in the place. They put the four of us at the very worst table, given the weather...right behind the hostess stand at the front door. We asked to move and the hostess did at least promptly accommodate us. We then waited ten minutes for drink orders and another 20 minutes to get the drinks. By that time, there were ten people in the restaurant. We all finished our drinks before our server came back to take our food orders. At this point, we could have each eaten an arm, so we ordered the skillet cornbread and biscuits as starters. We got them less than five minutes before our entrees arrived. Most of our party thought their entrees were adequate. I got the shrimp and grits which I thought was watery and flavorless. As we were finishing up, our server asked if we wanted dessert. We said, sure, let's take a look at the menu. We waited another 15 minutes before our server returned and asked if we wanted dessert. We said, well we haven't seen the menus, so no. Check please.

Judi Weiss

Delightful atmosphere, great food and the honey corriader ice cream was amazing!

Anton Ludvik

I was literally served raw chicken here. I will never eat here again.

Tee Fletcher

Wonderful food, friendly and helpful waitstaff! I will be back!

Jeff Bergstrom

Love the brunch here.

Javier Cervantes

Fried Chicken was crispy and juicy maybe a touch under seasoned. The vanishing bread is unique. I'd go back. Cute place.

Zan.

Went on a Sunday just after they opened. Great atmosphere. I ordered the banana pudding pancakes (without pecans as I'm allergic). It was amazing. I would argue that the serving sizes are too large. Not that I don't mind getting more food per dollar, but humans don't need to take in that many calories for breakfast/brunch! Either way, I'm now fat and happy. Thank you Big Jones!

Bernardo Sierra

Great Brunch spot

David Mortar

Good food Cute waiter Nuf sed

Andrew Waldner

Everything about our meal was just... meh. First, we were seated alone in a separate back room next to the bathrooms, despite the restaurant being half empty. It was dinner time on a Friday and we figured they'd fill up so it wouldn't bother us, but they proceeded to fill the entire front of the restaurant and seat no one else back there during our 2 hours there. Annoying, but I could have asked for a better table and didn't, so I'll take some of the blame. The food was fine. The fried shrimp and okra appetizer was good, but the fried green tomatoes were pretty bland--even with the quite good spicy mayo type sauce they put on them. I had the catfish for my entree, which came with grits and some beans, and it was actually pretty awful. None of it had any seasoning whatsoever, like not even enough salt. My husband has blood pressure and we eat a pretty low salt diet--so if your food tastes under salted to me, you're doing something wrong. My husband had the fried chicken, which he said was pretty good. Oh, and the skillet cornbread was fine. Just fine. Overall I was just disappointed. The drinks were pretty good, and our server was attentive and fun, but it all amounted to a mediocre dinner.

B Smith

Nah. Good water though.

Michael Coulter

Dined here last night for Soul Food Week, and we were majorly let down! Server was friendly and attentive. started with ribs and crab cakes...both were fine...not bad, just nothing special. Fried chicken was very tasty, but I think it sat out for awhile before we got it (not super hot, was more coating was more chewy than crispy). Shrimp and grits was the best dish. Pork chop was underwhelming, though the gravy was good. We got the peach cobbler for the table, and it was disgusting! 4 of us could not finish it. Actually left a bad taste in all of our mouths so we went to Margie's Candies to get something better for dessert. Not sure what happened...I'm sure this place is normally great, but we did not have that experience.

Brenda Arksey

Great authentic Southern cooking. The chef researched and has found so many satisfying dishes. Feels like bringing history to the present. Yum.

Trent Reusnow

Great southern food in the heart of Andersonville. Stop in for brunch, and stay for dinner.

Daan Janssen

Nice atmosphere, but bland food. The cajun balls starter were alright, a bit dry, but at least they had some taste and some good spices were used. Fried chicken, fried black eyed peas, crayfish all very boring, bland. Would not recommend this place, especially not for the prices they ask.

Roni Nica

Alligator dish and coffee was perfect. First time eating at this place, highly recommend it. Thankful

Raquel Ruelas

Solid brunch spot. Friendly, good food. Best thing is that it is unique. Portions are good, prices are decent. Not out of this world, but definitely solid. Wouldn't ever complain about going here.

Clara Baggett

Nice New Orleans/Cajun style restaurant with yummy dishes. You can tell the chefs care about the quality of the ingredients and the plates presentation. I highly recommend the Hazzard Free Corm Cakes with chorizo, it was exceptional. They also have a great selection of loose leaf teas.

Michael Chen

Food was great. It's always busy here because the metered parking is free on Sundays (brunch day). I highly recommend making a reservation. The only downside was the mushroom and grits. It's definitely a healthy portion of mushrooms, but it was very underwhelming. It needed more seasoning, you can just ask for table salt and sprinkle some for more flavoring.

Honest Opinion

Was really excited to try the gumbo and was really disappointed eating it. Tasted and looked like dog slop for sled dogs, cmon man what a let down. Was not a traditional gumbo by any means

Keita Erskine

Tight menu, good cocktails, wonderful service

Cassie Brandes

The brunch here is really solid, and I’ve never had a crazy long wait. I highly recommend the beignets to start, and everything I’ve had of their brunch menu so far has been great.

Tom W

On the pricey side but worth every penny. Both the shrimp and grits, and the catfish and grits were amazing. The skillet cornbread should not be missed. The persimmon pudding for dessert was everything I want in a winter dessert - warm, sweet, and full of baking spices. I can't wait to go back.

Nickey Mcghee

This is a good place if you like food from the south the food is fresh and it's good

Lori Borger

Fried green tomatoes (3) were excellent, as was the fried chicken. Shrimp gumbo was ok but really small shrimp; same with gumbo - not as flavorful as expected and little protein. Shrimp & corn burger was not a favorite. Cornbread was good, but one was almost burned. Nice atmosphere, great waiter. Good for accomodating large groups.

Ron

Waited 25 minutes beyond our reservation. Was told the table wasn’t ready, then being cleaned, still 25 minutes waiting. Once we were finally seated, we asked for another glass for water as the table was one short. Told briskly “we know”! After 10 minutes, someone stopped by for a drink order then disappeared. Almost 15 later, the server reappeared saying he was busy with other tables and someone else would be our new server. Ten more minutes later, after see NO ONE, we left, almost an hour after our reservation! Poor service, no apologies!

Matt Zamborsky

Been wanting to go to Big Jones for brunch a long time, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Nice and spicy Bloody Mary, Eggs New Orleans (blue crab cake Benedict), and fried chicken biscuit were all excellent. The fried chicken lives up to the billing. Highly recommend.

James Hill

Enjoyed the shrimp and grits as the entree and gumbo soup.

Timothy Wulf

Awesome food, great menu, nice atmosphere, and wonderful service. I will be back often.

Ada Elmore

My first visit to Big.Jones was to check out the Gullah Geechee pop up. The service was good. The Creole Catfish was indeed amazing. I'm a Charleston native, and that was definitely home on a plate. I did have the beignets that are a part of the restaurants menu, and I loved how doughy they were. The overall menu caught my attention, and I caught a few glimpses of folks plates. Needless to say, it's on my list of places to revisit.

Allison Schoenbacher

Went here for brunch and it was great. The southern style was a fun spin on brunch. I got fish and grits which sounded weird but was absolutely delicious. It was pretty hot and stuffy when I went, hopefully they've fixed their air conditioning by now!

Jan Ness

Great breakfast bigger than my stomach.

M Neuman

Small, intimate restaurant. Food is good. Portions perfect.

Nirajan Khadga

The food was just okay. Service was good. We ordered the fried chicken, Crawfish etouffee, corn bread and boudin balls. The corn bread and boudin balls were really good. Crawfish was good but wasn't great. We were not impressed with the fried chicken. The fried chicken definitely does not meet the hype it has.

Pauline McKinney

Epic fried chicken! I grew up eating fried chicken in the south, and I was transported back home with this incredible dish. The chicken skin was extra crispy, and the meat was juicy and tender. I was relieved to find that they don't use vegetable oil - which meant no gross feeling after eating all of that deliciousness! We will DEFINITELY be coming back!

Edward Tropez

The food was not good. The is not Southern food...it was tasty

joel berman

Excellent southern coastal food. Love the shrimp and grits, the shrimp burger, and the traditional New Orleans stews. There is an intimate patio in the back, and the new open kitchen adds much more interest. The sweet teas are unique and have a very elegant presentation.

Hailey Petway

Great food and service.

Vet USMC68

good food, service a little slow, pretty expensive, cold coffee

Beth Ford

Good Southern cooking in the heart of Edgewater. Their fried chicken is legendary, but don't limit yourself to just that. The menu changes frequently and is driven by seasonal ingredients. They also have a nice patio out back when the weather is good (which you would never guess from looking at the outside). Their grits are superb (and I'm not a big grits fan). They also do brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a very popular spot, so you might want to make a reservation to be on the safe side, because it's not a huge space.

Pingjing Zou

Food is great but wait can be very long even with reservation.

rebecca fyffe

The Award-winning Fried Chicken is fried in lard, ham drippings, and clarified butter. It had a perfect skin that I savored, and flavorful, juicy meat. It was by far the best fried chicken I've ever had. My colleagues each had the Pecan wood-smoked Barbecued Pork Shoulder on a buttermilk roll with sweet, tangy sauce, and creamy slaw. Our lunch was excellent, and the house-made ginger beer with lime is a refreshing treat. Service was impeccable, and we will definitely be back soon to try more of the menu. FIVE STARS! A GREAT RESTAURANT!

PHILLIP KILCREASE

Great Southern Food That I Would Definitely Recommend!!!!

Samuel Edmondson

The gumbo was delicious and really spicy. There was a ton of flavor, and I can't wait to have it again. The sweet and spicy chicken biscuit, and it is probably too hot for most people. I love Nashville hot chicken, but I think it was a little much for a biscuit. The grits are decent, and tge potatoes weren't that good.

Paul Zucker

Fabulous thanksgiving dinner! We've never gone to a restaurant for thanksgiving. When we decided it was the way to go this year we wanted something delicious with a twist on the classics. Big jones delivered and the service was great.

Hunter Springate

Food was A+. On this particular day they were short staffed. Brunch for 4 took 1 hour and 40 min. When they get that fixed, this place deserves your attention.

Eric Lyons

Loved the awendaw, fish and grits, and one of the omelettes (forget which). Great food and staff.

A Cotton

Alex the server was "EXCELLENT!" The food was delicious and good. The quantity of food was minimum, but good hospitality. The server Alex was on very attentive! Keep up the EXCELLENT work!

Haider Albassam

Super tasty

Chris Krolczyk

We need more southern-themed restaurants like this place. The skillet cornbread was great, the chicken and dumplings better than that, and the dessert - chocolate creme brulee, IIRC - was even better than that. Just outstanding.

Don C. Railsback O.D.

Unique food. Not traditional breakfast. Quality of food was good but it's not fast and my eggs came out cold. Wait staff was courteous. If you're looking for a good basic breakfast at a reasonable price this is not the choice.

fatasset1

Let me say I was really excited to try this restaurant; I am a huge fan of New Orleans and southern cooking. Big Jones missed the mark. The food lacks soul and flavor!

John Dwyer

Great staff, restaurant hours were posted wrong but they took us in despite closing in 15 minutes. The food is authentic low country and well above average, especially in Chicago. I went mainstream with a Pimento cheeseburger. Beer and wine list are Ok , could be better

Shannon Sieve

Bustling atmosphere, good service, food was good. Nothing memorable.

Igor Ilic

Flavorful, rich, seasoned well, fresh food, made from scratch. Chef Bernard was amazing to get out and bring our plates, ask how was everything. Very happy with establishment overall.

Steven Collins

I'm biased because I've been friends with the owners for decades. The food is really amazing, though, objectively. Fried chicken, hush puppies, and pimiento cheese (and believe me, I NEVER would have thought pimiento cheese would ever be something I would get excited about) are especially superb.

Jonathan Carter

Stopped in for brunch on a Saturday at noon. Made a reservation because we thought it would be busier but we didn't need it as the restaurant was maybe 60% full. I was surprised given the neighborhood, the fact that it was a beautiful sunny day, and all the good reviews I'd read. The food was very good (the beignets were delicious and quite large) and the server was nice but the whole experience was very rushed. Felt as though they were pushing out to food to flip tables even though they never really got busy. The prices are a little steep, especially the cocktails, even when you consider the local area. Worth dropping in if you're in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back.

Carol Reichmuth

The food was freakin amazing! The highlight of our meals were the bacon on a salad. They butcher and process a hog once a month and make their own bacon and as well as other stuff too. It was the best bacon I've had!! The rest of the meal was great also (fried chicken, collards and black eyes peas). The free whiskey pour was Knob Creek, it was good too. Ask for a whiskey society card. There are many perks with it.

Jody Wilson

If you're looking for a place to catch up with family or friends, choose another place. Unbelievably noisy, impossible to talk across the table without yelling. The kitchen is open, ramping the noise level up to a roar. Food was interesting, but not interesting enough to compensate for the headache.

Joe Griffith

The food is so amazingly good. We literally had every appetizer as part of a group outing. Each entree was superb as well. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Will absolutely return many times. Be sure to try their menu as there is something for everyone.

Laura B

We went for restaurant week. I was very excited to try the alligator. The service was very good but the food was just nothing special flavor wise. Glad to have tried a new restaurant but would not come here again

Sara Estes

Does not live up to the hype. Slow service, with mediocre food. I had the sweet potato pancakes and would not recommend them.

Dorothy Desouzaguedes

The best fried chicken I've ever eaten. Ditto for the cornbread baked in a tiny cast iron skillet: light and flavorful with just the right amount of crustiness. (I'm saying that as someone who grew up with a Kentucky hillbilly stepmother who was a terrible cook in general but somehow pulled off dang good fried chicken and cornbread.)The sweet potato hash was savory with the salty smokiness of high-quality bacon permeating every bite, the cubes of veg a perfect not-too-mushy texture. The greens were mm-mm good. But back to the chicken: brined to add flavor and retain/add moistness (sorry to those of you who cringe at the word moist), then dredged before being pressure-fried in "leaf lard, ham drippings, and clarified butter," all four pieces in our shared half chicken were crispy on the outside, tender and uniquely flavorful on the inside. Even the huge chicken breast half! The coffee was fresh and robust, a surprise on a Friday night. There is no unused space to squeeze even one more chair into the narrow, closely packed restaurant. We sat at the comfy bar and were treated very well. Watching Blake prepare cocktails and chatting with him about the food, cocktails, taverns, and Chicago made the experience even more wonderful. The perfect 2Xth birthday dinner for my son.

Christina Silvera

Went for brunch and the food was good! The fried green tomatoes with house roumalade sauce was delicious. The hush puppies were fried golden and tasty. I really enjoyed my french toast with bourbon soaked cherries but the homemade biscuits overdone and hard. My cocktail was good as well...I believe it was called Bishop. I only sampled the chicken in the gumbo and it was well seasoned. The pancakes were rice pancakes with some type of yellow pudding (?) inside around the edges that I didn't care for at all...definitely must have an acquired taste for it.

Miriam Scott

Everything was delicious!

Jonathan Kalinowski

This place has legitimate southern comfort food. Delicious!

Joe Liolos

This is the second time I have been here, and the first time was a slightly less worse experience. I figured I would give the over salted and overpriced food a second chance, hoping I just picked the wrong item or went on the wrong day, but this time the service was terrible. Not only were we given the incorrect omelette, the correct omelette was brought to us about fifteen minutes later. It was again, underwhelming for the price, and no discounts on any other items were offered as a gesture of good will. A manager should have jumped on it immediately, and offered to comp our drinks at the very least given how long we ended up having to wait for food because of their gaff.

James McGuane

A slice of home (Houston) in Chicago. Hometown feel in a cosmopolitan environment. The greens are excellent. Staff is warm and friendly. The Bourbon selection is extensive for a small place. Give it a try You won't be disappointed. The sad thing is I only hit apon it by accident.

John Lee

Went here for weekend brunch. Enjoyed the fried chicken and biscuits as well as the shrimp and grits. It was very tasty. Loved the seasoning on the chicken. However I felt it was a tad on the pricey side. Especially with only 2 pieces of chicken. The shrimp and grits was tasty and flavourful. But it was also on the pricey side. Especially since I ate the entire dish in less than 2 minutes. Still the quality is his and hard to beat.

Cedrick Knight

Update: Complete vindication. I recently posted a not so favorable experience I had here and the manager took the time out to contact me. I really appreciate the fact that he actually looks at reviews and cares. He actually sent a gift card for us to give them another try and we just did. Everything was amazing. The service as well as the food. More restaurants need management like Big Jones! Great job.

Jacob Haegele

Hot chicken sandwich will make you cry, but it's worth it.

Adriana Lugosan

Pretty good time! The soup was delicious, as were the drinks. Our waiter was courteous and explained the menu very well. The chicken & dumpling entree was way thinner than expected and the catfish filet was good, but I felt it could have had more seasoning. Definitely a different type of restaurant, I’d go back for the soup though!

Shavar Babb

Awesome food and experience!

Ramon nomaR

This review is my opinion of my experience. I was looking for a taste of home, 1000 miles away, this place isn't it. Great service and ambience overall. I arrived at dinner service (6pm) and was immediately greated with "we don't have... and we don't have..." Settled on choices #3 Gumbo (more like beef stew, no seafood) and #4 Catfish (it was...just catfish). Heading back to NOLA, anybody need a ride?

F K

Yawn. Small portions, big prices, rude service. Quality ingredients, ok presentation, but not delicious. There's better Southern options in the city, both on the fancy and casual side of the spectrum.

Alejandro Camacho

Hands down best Egg Benedict's

Lindsay Mccann

Extremely rude waitstaff. No one even refilling our waters and people who sat down after us were served before us. When asked where our food is, the waitress just shrugged her shoulders. Will never patron this establishment again.

Apollo Russell

So good hush puppies are

Clare Lynd-Porter

We LOVED this!!! My daughter and I shared seven dishes. So so good!

Andrew Hayes

Had a great meal here. The crawfish hush puppies are fantastic. All of the southern comfort food you would expect in a place like this, classed up with great service and extensive drink menu.

J.R. Cillian Green

Fantastic food and a great staff.

molly malone

Went for lunch and had the most wonderful server. Fun, friendly, knew the menu quite well. The food is big but not heavy. Good a fried crawfish Po boy and collard greens cooked in coconut milk. Tasty. and excellent coffee.

Marina James

Big Jones is a great local spot in Andersonville. We went during soul week and the fried chicken was crusted in cornflakes, which was very good. The service was also really great. I definitely recommend making a reservation in order to get seated immediately.

Jennifer Gaag

Yummy brunch with a South Carolina influence.

Jordan Evans

I have wanted to eat here for a while, and though the food was good I was very disappointed by the service. Spoke with a friend about it and he echoed a similar sentiment. We'll skip the details but I was surprised that, after a number of errors, a manager couldn't be bothered to stop by.

Omar N.

This place was highly recommend but it did not live up to what I was expecting for a place of this stature. The food is good but you expect more from a place like this. The flavors don't mix well together and just don't give you the rich palate that you might expect from southern food. The service here blows you away. The host was the friendliest host I have ever had. They actually acted like they cared to seat you and have you experience their food and ambiance. The waiter was no disappointment either. He knew the menu very well and kept coming by just enough to see how we are doing. Even the busser gave us some interesting conversation about the food. It made me realize that this is the level of service that every restaurant should be aiming for. So I give them lots of credit for achieving this. I wish I could give it a higher rating than three stars but unfortunately the food did not blow me away specially for the prices. I hope in the future I get a chance to comeback and I can change my mind. If you happen to come here I know you will have a great time because of the ambiance and service. The food, depending on your expectations, might let you down though.

Russ Fahrner

The food and service.

Bernadette McGee

Nice looking place. Food items/names are too fancy. The portions are small for the price charged. Some food sides are bland, for example the sweet potatoes mash and the flavor of the fried green tomatoes. The blue crab salad was excellent and should be served as a sandwich.

Brian Montana

Their chicken and biscuits

Rob Frisch

This place is a regular spot of ours. I love the cocktails, the wine list is very creative, and, of course, the food is excellent. We go for the sensational burgers regularly, and we'll do fancier entrées on special occasions. One of our favorite restaurants.

Joe Cunningham

When anyone learns that I grew up in the South, they immediately ask if I have been to Big Jones. Southern food is extremely varied but this seems like southern food that has been modified for mid-west tastes. It is good - but does not seem like the food I find when I go back home or that you will find in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

Paul Kasner

I stopped by while visiting Andersonville and grabbed a quick chicken sandwich to go. The sandwich was great, crispy breading, very flavourful. The greens were also very good. They were a little spicier than I expected with a slow heat that really built up while I ate them. Service was also quick. I was in and out in 15 minutes.

Max Savinkov

I've been here a couple of times I am a big fan but it does Target a specific crowd they do have a preset menu on some occasions as well as their natural menu is not that big. But they do have a great alcohol menu you can always find something new and unique their food is definitely Top Notch I would say one of the better places in the area