Big Jones - Chicago

Joined a friend for Sunday brunch, with a reservation; the restaurant was great about a delayed arrival. Our server was very nice, although one course we ordered was missed (and quickly taken care of). Nice atmosphere; homey interior, and busy, but not overly loud. Menu is focused on Southern-inspired brunch dishes. The options are thus all pretty heavy, so I wouldn't recommend coming here in search of a light start to the day or with health-conscious guests. That said, many of the offerings are a refreshing variation from the standard eggs-and-pancakes brunch menu. The catfish was well-prepared, served over flavorful grits. The fish itself had a nice crust. Corn cakes topped with eggs, avocado, etc. were more of a disappointment; the cakes themselves lacked flavor and the overall texture of the dish was mushy. Skillet cornbread was okay, although I've had better. Overall, just fine--I wouldn't make it my top brunch spot in Chicago, but I'd return.

We went to this restaurant after a Cubs game. It’s only a couple of miles from Wrigley Field. The menu items were not traditional cajun but everything was very good. I was not expecting the smokey flavor on the gumbo and the trout was very simple but both were great. I’m not someone who likes the skin on my fish very often but here, it was crisp and added to the flavor nicely. Veggies and sauce simple and added to the flavor profile nicely as well. Service was perfect.

This was my first visit to Big Jones. The service was good; very attentive and swift. The food was ok. The fried chicken seemed somewhat bland. The outer layer was quite crispy, which was good. The biggest miss was the beet salad. The beet salad seemed to have some type of off flavor; perhaps from a not too good beet. The skillet cornbread was good; however, might I suggest placing the butter on the side instead of right on top of the cornbread which then becomes mushy because of the quickly melting butter.

We had a wonderful meal and great service! The fried chicken was amazing, as was the catfish and burger. Order anything you’ll love it!

To be fair, I 've eaten here before and it was delicious. However, my reservations yesterday for 7 people (birthday party) at 12:15 PM were met with a grouchy hostess who told us Your table won 't be available until 12:30...at the earliest. No apology. We returned at 12:30 and were told They 're still here at your table; there 's nothing I can do. No apology. We cancelled our reservation, went next door to Calo, and spent $400.