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  • The Southern

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The Southern
The Southern

The Southern Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.thesouthernchicago.com
  • Email: info@thesouthernchicago.com
  • Phone: (773) 342-1840
  • Hours of Operation: Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 11:00am - 3:00pm;
    Dinner: Sunday, Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 2:00am, Friday: 2:00 pm - 2:00 am Saturday: 5:00pm - 3:00am
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Southern, American, Comfort Food
  • Executive Chef: Cary Taylor
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Delivery, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Smoking Area (patio only), Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private Party Facilities: Contact our event coordinator at parties@thesouthernchicago.com to help book your event from 6 to 250 people.
  • Private Party Contact: Andrea Hafley (773) 342-1840
  • Special Events & Promotions: We offer event space for parties of 10 to 250, think of us for your next special event with great cocktails and comforting food options.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Wolcott
  • Public Transit: North Avenue #62 or Blue Line Damen stop.
  • Parking: Street Parking
  • Parking Details: Street parking (with meters) and residential parking is available (observe neighborhood restrictions).
A word from The Southern
The Southern is a central gathering place where the tallest order of the day is a cocktail, conversation and relaxation.


Taking its cue from the laid back way of southern life, this low-down Bucktown bar offers a deep selection of small batch bourbons, micro-brews, hearty whiskeys… and plenty of specialty drinks.


When hunger strikes - as it always does when people get together – Executive Chef Cary Taylor satisfies with a menu that raises the bar on bar food. Influenced by his southern background, Taylor uses ingredients from local farmers and sustainable sources for dishes like fried green tomatoes, Johnny cakes with chow chow and Charleston-style crab cakes. For bigger appetites, expect to find soul-satisfying braised pork shank and grilled shrimp with grits.Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerOutdoor Dining
Diner Reviews
  • "Tried three items from their "snacks" menu (hush puppies, mac & cheese, bbq pork belly) - all were very good, although also very rich. The Southern also has a small, but very interesting, cocktail menu. The Maple Bacon Manhattan was pretty good, but too sweet. The Good, the Bad & the Whisk(e)y was tart and spicy. Ultimately, the best cocktail that we had was a mint julep, which was excellently made. Highly recommended if you want to feel a bit like you're at the Kentucky Derby."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Got stuck by the door on a very cold night so constantly getting blasted with air - had to wear a jacket for dinner. Mac and Cheese was delicous"
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "Great sazuarc - really good gumbo, pork shoulder and kale salad. First time there and will definitely come back!"
    Dined on 1/21/2014
  • "The great thing about this place on Mondays is they do Mac n Cheese specials. So we ordered their special which had artichokes and goat cheese in it and was AMAZING. I kept telling my friend I could eat two more dishes of that stuff. We also split the Kale Salad which initially my friend said she didn't like kale, but I got her to try it, and she loved the spiciness to it. Again, I could eat that salad every day."
    Dined on 11/25/2013
  • "The brunch menu is very short and the party at the next table ordered local oatmeal and the southern was out of oatmeal despite just opening for the day! I would probably recommend the southern when the patio is open-looks a lot like Moonshine."
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "The food was great and so was the service. There was a good food selection and the portions were generous. Had a great dining experience here with friends. the Arugula salad was delicious! Will definitely go back there again."
    Dined on 12/9/2013
  • "All around solid experience. Good food with down home southern touch. Drink menu was pretty awesome. Atmosphere is welcoming, rustic, edgy & cozy at the same time."
    Dined on 11/3/2013
  • "I absolutely enjoyed my experience at The Southern this past weekend. The food was great and the service was amazing as well! The only complaint I would have was that we were sat at the table right in front of the door. With it only being in the 30's-40's, it was rather chilly and every time the door opened (which was often) we were hit with the cool air. I'm sure it's not a problem to sit there any other time of the year however in late fall/winter it wasn't ideal. Otherwise, the food and service (which is what really matters) was all fantastic!!"
    Dined on 11/2/2013
  • "There was 8 of us in the group and we had a great time. The specialty drinks are delicious and all the food is great to share. My boyfriend and I ended up splitting the pimento cheese and ham and the shrimp and grits! I'm from the south so I'm pretty picky about my grits but these were spot on! I always love to go here to get my southern food fix."
    Dined on 10/13/2013
  • "Went for dinner with two friends only to find out that that during this time of day, 6:30 p.m. the menu consisted mainly of sandwiches, soups, salads. We all had the catfish po boy sandwich which was very good. Bar be que black eyed peas were different, a slight sweetness and fried green tomatoes were so-so. They were topped with a green salad (good but weird), tomatoes could use more seasoning, bland. Service friendly, courteous and fast. Nice drink lists(beers and wine). Rustic, outdoorsy, 2 large booths and several high tables inside. Outdoor dining area is nice. Dessert options were minimal (only two available) so we passed. Food size portions are filling but we didn't need to take a doggy bag."
    Dined on 9/21/2013
  • "We really enjoyed our brunch here. The menu offerings were very creative and the fried chicken was off the charts! A nice change from the bacon-and-eggs type brunches we normally see back home in Canada. Service was friendly and attentive, and the outdoor patio was a perfect place to enjoy the Wicker Park/Bucktown street scene. We'll definitely be back."
    Dined on 9/8/2013
  • "Great college football bar (Georgia) and amazing food. Service was nothing special, but not bad."
    Dined on 9/7/2013
  • "Came for Sunday brunch and after work on a Friday for drinks and dinner. Both times it was rainy and cold so outdoor seating wasn't an option. It looks relaxed and not too tight on the tables. Highly recommend the bacon bloody mary at Brunch but the rest of the food was just so so except for the mac & cheese which was quite good. Donuts didn't have much flavor. For dinner the food was good but pretty limited menu. The table shared some appetizers - mac & cheese again and mussels which were fresh and flavorful, cornbread was so so. Shot the Breeze and Maple Bacon Manhattan where the cocktail favorites. Nice spot if you are in the neighborhood but not a destination."
    Dined on 8/31/2013
  • "Nice outdoor dining area that is used more for drinking than eating. Limited menu, atypical of Southern restaurants has good, if not outstanding, food. Prices are a bit on the high side for what you get. Many other restaurants give you a far better value."
    Dined on 8/25/2013
  • "This was our first time dining at The Southern and it definitely will not be the last. I have already recommended it to friends. The atmosphere, staff, neighborhood and dining ambiance are excellent and reminded me of the Three Sisters Restaurant in New Orleans' French Quarter. This truly is a neighborhood diamond and not in the rough but well polished."
    Dined on 8/18/2013
  • "Overall, I had a good experience at the Southern. Nothing really as a 'stand out' good or bad. The french toast was tasty and my server was attentive, but not overly (they were just getting ready for the lunch rush - lots of scampering about). I would go back if I am in that area again."
    Dined on 7/6/2013
  • "I made my reservation for 1:00 after looking at the menu. I thought brunch was an option and the regular menu would be available. It was a little disappointed to have such a limited menu but what I chose I enjoyed."
    Dined on 8/18/2013
  • "The Southern has a large selection of bourbon, whiskey and rye. The food menu is not extensive but the items are well prepared and tasty. The wait staff is very knowledgeable in the drink and food menu."
    Dined on 8/17/2013
  • "The SOuthern takes Southern favorites and dolls them up a bit. No "low class" black eyed peas and rice, but hoppin john with extra. I can't fault them for it, and depending on my mood I can get peeved at it, but the food IS good, so they have that going for them..."
    Dined on 8/13/2013
  • "Service was excellent. All the food had a twist on it that was very good. I am pregnant and had some questions about the cheeses used and the waitress with no fuss ran and checked for me. She was extremely tentative and knowledgeable about the menu. Overall great experience and my husband and I will be back."
    Dined on 8/11/2013
  • "Dinner was good but the best part was the lovely patio- we were not rushed and took our time to enjoy the nice summer evening. Desserts are not very good - they seriously need to update them. The blueberry concoction was overly sweet and the carrot cake was okay but nothing to spend $6 on."
    Dined on 8/8/2013
  • "Very limited menu which didn't trip our taste buds. We compromised and shared a few items...She crab soup was delicious though I prefer a non-cream based soup. The crab cakes are very large; loaded with crab and minimal filler. Bacon something-or-other salad was fresh and plenty for 3 of us to share. It appears they are catering more to the bar crowd than the food crowd as they only specials were for drinks. Food special offered only on Thursday nights (if I remember correctly), but drink specials every night. Last summer, the wait staff was dressed in black pants and white shirts. This years it's jean and plaid shirts. Ugh The service was very good, but we were disappointed in the limited menu of only 5 entrée offerings."
    Dined on 8/5/2013
  • "Bartender replaced first round of drinks because they didn't taste that good, nor very strong. Second round was perfect!"
    Dined on 7/13/2013
  • "Our group of 6 was seated quickly and greeted promptly by our server, Jason. Interesting bar menu! Great signature drinks to try with a limited, but great menu. Though the menu wasn't one of those 12 pagers, far from it, every item on the menu sounded fabulous and the choice of what to have was difficult! But everyone was very pleased with their order and plates were cleaned! We will be back!"
    Dined on 7/28/2013
  • "I have eaten fried chicken all across the country, and this is some of the best I've had anywhere. The crunchy outside and juicy inside is hard to beat. Plus they have Abita! Bonus! Worth the cab ride from downtown to sit outside on the little patio and enjoy your Sunday."
    Dined on 6/9/2013
  • "The food was good, but way too noisy - can't carry on any kind of conversation. Waitress was excellent. The mac and cheese appetizer - excellent. Fried green tomatoes - skip them, not as good as you get in the South. She-crab soup: very good. I had the crab cakes - they were good, but had pieces of shells in them, yuk. The others at my table had the brisket and pulled pork, they liked those a lot."
    Dined on 7/22/2013
  • "The best fried green tomatoes I ever had Tomatoes cut thinnly with spicy corn meal breading Topped with goat cheese and watermelon Perfect! Mac and smoked cheese also great as was the BBQ brisket Fried chicken was over cooked and dry with a nasty gravy Shrimp and grits were great I'm going back despite the noisy bar Too bad it was too hot to eat outside!"
    Dined on 7/18/2013
  • "I like The Southern's food and LOVE the ambiance. Location is nice too, in the middle of Wicker Park. Unfortunately, over several times I tried, their service has not been great. Server may not be knowledgeble about menu (& giving excuses because he worked night menu...), would not be the best to pay attention to whose glasses are empty or run out of water or just straight unfriendly. That's the reason of why I have to say Overall experience is poor. In the end of the day, restaurant is "hospitality" industry, not just food or space."
    Dined on 6/16/2013
  • "Went for brunch with a party of 10, including children and it was still trendy with great food and service. Crab cakes Benedict and the Fried Chicken were great."
    Dined on 7/7/2013
  • "Firstly, I was stopped at the door by the host requesting an ID. No where on the website or the reservation process does it say you need an ID to DINE here. I had mine but my guest did not. Even though they were not going to be consuming alcohol it was demanded we show valid ID for entry. I told the host he could scratch my reservation then. He told me to wait while he asked the manager. The manager let us in no problem and apologized for the wait. Despite having a reservation, we had to wait an additional 15 minutes while they made arrangements for us. When we were finally seated we waited an additional 25 minutes until we were seen by a waitress. This being a total of 40 minutes now altogether just to place an order!"
    Dined on 6/29/2013
  • "I have never had the hushpuppies, and I am not sure why. On a recent dining trip, I made the decision to order some and share them with my fiance. I wish I didn't share them. They were amazing and the spinach artichoke dip what the best and creamiest I've ever had. You must get this and you also must order the She Crab Soup. I don't care what Health Nuts say - cream and crab are amazing together and are definitely perfect together in this dish. There are whole pieces of crab in this soup and it's worth every bite. While the menu should change up a little bit - these two items I hope are featured year round!"
    Dined on 7/5/2013
  • "This looks like a foodie place online, and the menu leads you to the same conclusion, but it's mediocre and not very authentically southern. The black eyed peas were al dente (all southern veggies should be cooked mushy), the hush puppies were bland (how do you screw up hush puppies?), and the pork sandwich was actually tasteless and the worst I've ever had. Our waiter was charming but would disappear for long swaths of time. I had high hopes and was disappointed overall."
    Dined on 7/5/2013
  • "We would go there again if we could be sure that the chairs at our table would have backs. We ended up in a booth, but we were originally seated at a table with high stools that did not have backs. We old people need something to lean back on. Everything else was great."
    Dined on 6/29/2013
  • "Went for Brunch. I had the shrimp and grits and my wife had the eggs sardou. We also shares a side order of biscuits. All were excellent. The restaruant keeps their menus small so that the kitchen can focus on cooking a few things well. It works. NIce beer and cocktail selection."
    Dined on 6/29/2013
  • "Great spot Who was very tasty and well-balanced Lots of bang for your buck! will definitely return"
    Dined on 6/23/2013
  • "Food was better than expected - great fried chicken special. Everything tasted great and the service was to notch. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes southern cooking."
    Dined on 6/20/2013
  • "We went for National Bourbon Day, and were probably the only people aware of it even though The Southern posted it on FB as an event. But as usual, the food was very good, the service adequate and the outdoor patio fun. The mac and cheese was really tasty. The catfish had good heat, and the pulled pork was really tender. Drinks were interesting, but the infused bourbon was really nasty (watermelon and peach?!), but our server removed it from our bill as it was undrinkable. The servers were fun and attentive, but literally running to accomodate requests."
    Dined on 6/15/2013
  • "We have a wide variety of food interests in our family - one vegetarian, one "pescatarian," three omnivores and one Weight Watcher. The Southern had something on the menu that was a fantastic choice for all six of us. This is a great little place with great beer specials and a very relaxed atmosphere. We'll definitely be back and will recommend to others."
    Dined on 6/14/2013
  • "The Southern knows what they are doing and does it well. They know their staple dishes and not to change them (hello Fried Green Tomatoes) and know how to make some fried chicken...which my dinner companions enjoyed on this trip. They don't snub you for holding the sauce, and love to tell you how to pair a wine with a down home southern meal. For all these reasons and more, I will continue to be a regular at the Southern."
    Dined on 6/13/2013
  • "we waited for 30 mins for a waiter and another 30 for our food. it tasted good once it arrived, but we had to box it up due to another engagement."
    Dined on 6/8/2013
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