Best Southern American Restaurants in Downtown / Loop

We had an incredible dining experience at Yardbird during our honeymoon. The service was top-notch—our server was friendly, and the manager personally greeted us, which was a lovely touch. The food was fantastic! As a Southern cuisine fan, I can be picky, but everything we ordered was excellent. We started with the **deviled eggs**, and while I prefer them with shrimp at home, they were still a solid start. Then came the **Fried Green Tomato BLT Stack**—pork belly, pimento cheese, and tomato jam. This was absolutely delicious, the perfect combination of flavors. The **Mac & Cheese** with five artisanal cheeses was rich and creamy, though not mind-blowing—solid 8/10. For the entrées, the **Chicken & Waffles** with spiced watermelon and bourbon maple syrup was my first time trying this classic, and it was divine. The crispy chicken and the sharp cheddar waffles with grilled watermelon were the perfect balance of savory and sweet. The **Shrimp & Grits** had perfectly seasoned shrimp and flavorful toppings, but the grits were a little too coarse for my taste—7/10. We had drinks—the **Bloody Mary** was spectacular, and the **Passionfruit Breeze** was nice but took a backseat to the Bloody Mary. For dessert, the **Banana Pudding Cheesecake** was *amazing*—100/10. The vibe at Yardbird was perfect—not too loud, so we could enjoy our meal without shouting. Overall, Yardbird is a must-visit for anyone craving Southern comfort food with great service and a relaxed atmosphere.

Nice ambience! Tay was a great server she really knew the menu and what to suggest . Definitely a spot to visit when in the CHI

Connor gave us awesome service and the food was delicious! I liked the vibrant ambience and will definitely go back.

I had a party of 10 and everybody order something different. I had no complaints at that Table. Which is rare everything was on point I had to hoping child nice and spicy I had side order greens very good try to bread pudding Loved it.

After 2 disappointing visits I came back after a year...i loved the food this time, back to what I remembered and enjoyed about this place.. Chicken, brisket, ribs all cooked well. Good service and good value.