Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Chicago, according to Yelp
Just travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, but don't go any further than Texas to try some of the most mouthwatering comfort food: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine. There's a variety of popular Southern dishes, from the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken to the thick and spicy sauce of Louisiana's etouffee.
What's unique about these comfort food meals is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced today's Southern plates. Spanish culture staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes. The Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood cooking to many Southern meals. African ingredients—okra, melon, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the culture through the forced labor of enslaved people. Methods the French use, like braising and sauteing, can be found in many of the Southern dishes made today. And Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes.
Southern cooking is such a significant part of American culture that a museum is dedicated to these irresistible dishes and drinks: the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.
Southern dishes are literally an explosion of cultures. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Chicago using data from Yelp. The rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Keep reading to see if your favorite spot made the list.
#14. Pine Street Kitchen
- Rating: 3.0/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 401 N Michigan Ave Equitable Building Chicago, IL 60611
- Categories: Sandwiches, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Kitchen + Kocktails Chicago
- Rating: 3.0/5 (468 reviews)
- Price: $$$
- Address: 444 N Wabash Ave Chicago, IL 60611
- Categories: Southern, Comfort Food, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. The Angry Crab
- Rating: 3.5/5 (374 reviews)
- Price: $$$
- Address: 1308 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60622
- Categories: Southern, Cajun/Creole, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Lillie's Q
- Rating: 3.5/5 (1053 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 417 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622
- Categories: Barbeque, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Yardbird
- Rating: 3.5/5 (157 reviews)
- Price: $$$
- Address: 530 N Wabash Ave Chicago, IL 60654
- Categories: American (New), Southern, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Gold Coast Social
- Rating: 3.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 7 W Divison St Chicago, IL 60610
- Categories: Southern, American (Traditional), Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Wishbone
- Rating: 4.0/5 (987 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 161 N Jefferson St Chicago, IL 60661
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Southern, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
- Rating: 4.0/5 (784 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 847 W Fulton Market Chicago, IL 60607
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Southern, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Sweet Maple Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (898 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 1339 W Taylor St Chicago, IL 60607
- Categories: American (Traditional), Southern, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Roost Chicken & Biscuits
- Rating: 4.0/5 (371 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 455 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60654
- Categories: Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Lady May
- Rating: 4.0/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 405 N Wabash Ave Chicago, IL 60611
- Categories: Southern, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Chef Art Smith's Reunion
- Rating: 4.0/5 (76 reviews)
- Address: 700 E Grand Ave Ste 131 Chicago, IL 60611
- Categories: American (Traditional), Southern, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Boxcar Betty's
- Rating: 4.5/5 (112 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 500 W Madison St Chicago, IL 60661
- Categories: Southern, Fast Food, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Funkenhausen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (291 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 1709 W Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60622
- Categories: German, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
