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Luella’s Southern Kitchen is a Southern Restaurant operated by Chef Darnell Reed. We prepare cooked to order scratch meals and locally source products from farms such as Three Sisters, Slagel, Mick Klug and we also source our Chicken from Harrison’s Poultry.
Traditional Southern favorites are served in a simple storefront space with a weekend brunch menu.
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Reservations: opentable.com
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Luella’s Southern Kitchen in Chicago, IL. Luella’s Southern Kitchen is a Southern Restaurant operated by Chef Darnell Reed. We prepare cooked to order …
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Reviews
chintot
I was excited to try Luella’s since they’re in the neighborhood. I ordered for pick-up: Crab-stuffed shrimp and grits – a little gritty but what do I expect lol. The collared greens have meat so it’s not vegetarian in case people are curious. The beignets were different than what I expected: larger, more doughy, seems that there is cornmeal in it and maybe coconut? All of them are delicious. Compostible box packaging except for the collared greens. I look forward to try the chicken and waffles as well as the short rib another time.
… moreJackie Edwards
I wanted to like this place more, but there are areas that need improvement for me to rate this a 5. For starters, you pay up front. That wouldn’t be problematic if there was a system in place where they recalled what you ordered, especially if the place wasn’t full. We ordered coffee and were waiting and was told that it took 40 mins to brew, which was weird. My recommendation is to not take payment for coffee if it isn’t readily available or at least ensure it’s available before accepting payment. Also, communicating the delays is helpful. Customer service really makes or breaks rhe experience. I had the crab stuffed shrimp & grits and will say that it was really, really good and flavorful. My husband had the chicken and waffles and it was disappointing. The chicken was burnt, but also not warm. It seemed as if they were waiting to bring out both entrees together and chicken and waffles was done first, was sitting while the shrimp & grits was finishing. The biggest were fine, but we had to remind them that we ordered them.
I try to extend grace and it is hard when you visit other places and have a different experience.
I’m hoping to try this place again in the future and that the experience is improved.
… moreI try to extend grace and it is hard when you visit other places and have a different experience.
I’m hoping to try this place again in the future and that the experience is improved.
Marina Schenk
The staff is incredibly friendly, and the food is so rich and delicious. You could tell everything was made with love and was super fresh. Also, the portions are plentiful and the music is great (they play everything on vinyl). This place is def a hidden gem. Highly recommend!
… moreVanessa de Guia
You don’t need to hop on a plane to New Orleans to experience truly authentic Southern cooking — it’s right here in Chicago at Luella’s Southern Kitchen.
From the first bite, it’s clear this isn’t just good Southern food — it’s the real deal. The shrimp and grits are absolutely outstanding. The grits are velvety smooth and buttery with that perfect, comforting texture, and the crab-stuffed shrimp are tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. The savory traditional New Orleans barbecue sauce pulls everything together beautifully, delivering what you’d expect from a classic Southern kitchen.
And the beignets? Pure bliss. Light, airy, and served warm with a generous dusting of powdered sugar, they’re everything you’d hope for — crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy inside. One bite instantly transported me back to New Orleans without ever leaving my seat. All I needed was an au lait with coffee and chicory and it would have been perfect.
The hospitality and cozy atmosphere only add to the experience. I loved the vinyl playing front to back at the entry of the space. It felt good to hear singers like Bill Withers and remember and admire how wonderfully produced their albums were while waiting for my meal. I felt like I was at a listening session, and it was grounding and peaceful. If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll wait until your next trip to New Orleans for authentic shrimp and grits or fresh beignets, don’t. You’ll find that same heart, flavor, and authenticity right here at Luella’s. I can’t wait to return and check out other dishes they have to offer!
… moreFrom the first bite, it’s clear this isn’t just good Southern food — it’s the real deal. The shrimp and grits are absolutely outstanding. The grits are velvety smooth and buttery with that perfect, comforting texture, and the crab-stuffed shrimp are tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. The savory traditional New Orleans barbecue sauce pulls everything together beautifully, delivering what you’d expect from a classic Southern kitchen.
And the beignets? Pure bliss. Light, airy, and served warm with a generous dusting of powdered sugar, they’re everything you’d hope for — crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy inside. One bite instantly transported me back to New Orleans without ever leaving my seat. All I needed was an au lait with coffee and chicory and it would have been perfect.
The hospitality and cozy atmosphere only add to the experience. I loved the vinyl playing front to back at the entry of the space. It felt good to hear singers like Bill Withers and remember and admire how wonderfully produced their albums were while waiting for my meal. I felt like I was at a listening session, and it was grounding and peaceful. If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll wait until your next trip to New Orleans for authentic shrimp and grits or fresh beignets, don’t. You’ll find that same heart, flavor, and authenticity right here at Luella’s. I can’t wait to return and check out other dishes they have to offer!
Courtney Davenport
Such a homey ambiance!! I felt right at home while my grandma was in the kitchen cooking up a good meal! I had the 3 course meal with deviled eggs for appetizer, catfish and grits for my main course, and bread pudding for dessert. I also ordered some beignets. Everything was sooo good, but the bread pudding and melt in your mouth beignets were the top hits!! The beignets were so soft and fluffy. The bread pudding was not overly sweet; it was JUST right! Super soft and a true delicacy. The service was great. Very attentive. I will definitely be back.
… moreLorre T.
This is my first visit Luella’s and no one was at the counter soI walked in an ask if I could sit at the bar and I sat at the bar for 15 minutes waiting for for my order to be taken and was eventually advised by a gentleman the protocol was to order and pay at the counter when I walked in. And it is pretty much self seating and service with seating a silver where. I wait for two minutes at the counter to place my order and no one came. So I decided to go to the restroom. I came back to place my order and it was another 2 minutes before I could order the shrimp and crab grits and I realized the time and I had an appointment in 40 minutes before having to place a to go order because I don’t have time to dine in as I planned due to ordering process wasn’t displayed at the counter. Mind you it was to capacity. The service is slow and not congruent. So I recommend going when you are not concerned about the time waiting. “My time is valuable and when it is wasted you can’t get your time back.” So far I’m disappointed with the service. I will amend my review once I receive my food, it’s been 15 minutes. No signage on how to place your order or setting protocol.
… moreJohn Ratulowski
Took an adventure to the North Side with our son. We saw some photos online and thought wow this looks like some good comfort food.
You have to find some parking, parking some distance away isn’t a bad thing based on how much food they serve you, walking it off back to the car (if you’re driving) is good.
My old lady ordered the Kentucky Hot Brown, it’s a sandwich on a brioche bun, yet it wasn’t soft. It was a bit dry, moisture was needed. Gravy, ham (she doesn’t like ham), and bacon were delicious… honestly. I ordered the Chicken and Waffles smothered with Nashville Hot sauce. The chicken was hot, spicy, crunchy, and juicy. The waffle was a bit thick but the syrup made it pretty melt in your mouth. We ordered a side of Mac n cheese which was baked and there had to be some Asiago in it, it was very delicious. We also ordered some beignets to go, they were fresh and warm, who doesn’t like powdered sugar?
Overall service:
Ordering was a bit annoying, you had to order once you walk in, before you get a table. Also I ordered the beignets to go after I already got to my table, I had to go back up to the register and also wait in line for other people to order. It is not very spacious, wouldn’t recommend bringing in a stroller, we felt like we took up a lot of space.
Food was made to order, it felt like they were understaffed, the host and the bar back/server/busser were serving food and cleaning tables. Which also caused some delay in new customers ordering.
It is a bit pricey, definitely wouldn’t go out of our way to come eat here again but if we were in the area we would definitely stop by.
… moreYou have to find some parking, parking some distance away isn’t a bad thing based on how much food they serve you, walking it off back to the car (if you’re driving) is good.
My old lady ordered the Kentucky Hot Brown, it’s a sandwich on a brioche bun, yet it wasn’t soft. It was a bit dry, moisture was needed. Gravy, ham (she doesn’t like ham), and bacon were delicious… honestly. I ordered the Chicken and Waffles smothered with Nashville Hot sauce. The chicken was hot, spicy, crunchy, and juicy. The waffle was a bit thick but the syrup made it pretty melt in your mouth. We ordered a side of Mac n cheese which was baked and there had to be some Asiago in it, it was very delicious. We also ordered some beignets to go, they were fresh and warm, who doesn’t like powdered sugar?
Overall service:
Ordering was a bit annoying, you had to order once you walk in, before you get a table. Also I ordered the beignets to go after I already got to my table, I had to go back up to the register and also wait in line for other people to order. It is not very spacious, wouldn’t recommend bringing in a stroller, we felt like we took up a lot of space.
Food was made to order, it felt like they were understaffed, the host and the bar back/server/busser were serving food and cleaning tables. Which also caused some delay in new customers ordering.
It is a bit pricey, definitely wouldn’t go out of our way to come eat here again but if we were in the area we would definitely stop by.
Nicky S
Great service, environment and of course great food. You will taste great quality. Me and my daughter shared food. The Mac and cheese /collard greens perfect flavor, biscuits gravy with chicken/Nashville chicken and waffles perfect seasoning plus I usually don’t eat spicy but the Nashville I actually ate. We also shared the banana pecan French toast it was delicious. We will be back to taste the rest of the menu. ☺️
… moreMonica
Ok this place is truly amazing. We first saw this place on TikTok and it looked so good. I can say it lives up to its hype.
For context, my boyfriend is a chef who can be hard to impress, and I lived in the south for 10 years. This blew both of our minds. I am a clean freak and I never touch foods that falls on the table, but I was picking up every single crumbs wherever they landed (we were a little messy). We ordered shrimp and grits, french toast (lemon and cookie crumbles this week), pimento brisket bagel sandwich (another special, don’t remember the exact name) and a side of hash browns and biscuits. Every single one of them were delicious and so flavorful. I don’t know what we have been eating before but other hash browns, grits, and biscuits we have had before aren’t the real deals because they suck. Neither of us like grits in general but we absolutely loved it here. We spoke about the food the whole time while we were there and that is unusual for us. My bf mentioned he could tell everything was made freshly also.
Little tip: if you go on weekends, go early. We got there around 1pm and the waitlist was full. This was our second attempt and we went as soon as they opened. Seatings are a lot easier during the week so do that if your job allows it.
We will be going back again. Thank goodness we live nearby. The only reason why we can’t stop by often is because we would be so out of shape otherwise. Absolutely amazing.
… moreFor context, my boyfriend is a chef who can be hard to impress, and I lived in the south for 10 years. This blew both of our minds. I am a clean freak and I never touch foods that falls on the table, but I was picking up every single crumbs wherever they landed (we were a little messy). We ordered shrimp and grits, french toast (lemon and cookie crumbles this week), pimento brisket bagel sandwich (another special, don’t remember the exact name) and a side of hash browns and biscuits. Every single one of them were delicious and so flavorful. I don’t know what we have been eating before but other hash browns, grits, and biscuits we have had before aren’t the real deals because they suck. Neither of us like grits in general but we absolutely loved it here. We spoke about the food the whole time while we were there and that is unusual for us. My bf mentioned he could tell everything was made freshly also.
Little tip: if you go on weekends, go early. We got there around 1pm and the waitlist was full. This was our second attempt and we went as soon as they opened. Seatings are a lot easier during the week so do that if your job allows it.
We will be going back again. Thank goodness we live nearby. The only reason why we can’t stop by often is because we would be so out of shape otherwise. Absolutely amazing.
Renee Flores
Fantastic counter service restaurant!! Order from the limited menu before you seat yourself. Everyone in my group of 4 loved their dish. I had pancakes with a side of hash browns. Both were the best I’ve had in a long time. Service was a little slow. But it was super crowded on a Saturday at 11. Ambience is definitely fun & funky. Bright & warm atmosphere.
… more