Swirk Soul Food - Southern Catfish and BBQ — Restaurant in Aurora

7/23/2024. I heard about Swirk Soul Food, from some church members. So we stopped there. I inform them when I walked in there, that this was our first time in. The younger lady greeted us and said welcome. She was very kind and polite.

The older lady was stocking up the drinks and she’s the one who operated the register. So I saw her stocking drinks, thinking after she was done she’d come and take our order. She went to the table where her purse was, and then she went into the kitchen, I could hear the young lady talking to her, letting her know to go and take our order. I was glad since we were the only ones in there and had been waiting a bit already.

So I ordered the hotlink sandwich with one side for my husband, menu price $9.50. I ordered the catfish nuggets + fries, menu price $9.00. And a fountain drink with the menu of $2.03. So when I paid with the debit card, she told me it was gonna be a higher charge for the debit card. So of course I asked for a receipt.

She went to the kitchen and I studied my receipt, then I noticed that the hot links were charged $10.15, the catfish nuggets plus fries were charged $9.75 the drink was charged $2.11, subtotal before the taxes.

I called out. The young lady came out from the kitchen. I explained to her about the difference in prices, according to the menu. She pointed me to two pieces of paper to the right of the kitchen door in the corner and said that those were the updated prices and she has not had a chance to get them change onto the menu yet. I did stated that anyone coming in there for the first time and not being told about a price difference would not know to look over there in the corner. Especially, would not noticed 2 small white papers with a few items priced on there and some crossed out prices. I had no issue with her. She was very kind about everything and so she sent the older lady back out again and I proceeded to tell her about the difference in price, she got a nasty attitude very quickly.

After that nasty attitude and refused to listen to me when I’m telling her that even your new menu has drink at a lower price than the original menu. I asked for my money back. I refuse to support any business establishment with a person who does not have hospitality or simple dignity, and politeness.

She slammed the money on the counter, wouldn’t give me my full change amount. The young lady heard the commotion and came to see what was going on, I explained to her what was going on. She told her just give her my money back and that’ll be it, and she kept yelling it from the kitchen, For the older lady to just give my money back, but as she slammed the money, she kept telling me don’t come back here. I told her , I will never step foot in here again. I just wanted my money back. She kept giving me the wrong change. My husband literally had to count the money because she wouldn’t give me the right change back, then gave too much . So he counted it correctly while she continued to talk nasty saying, I don’t care, don’t come in here again. I stated once more that I never will. I’m patient and have a very high tolerant level for people, even for rude people so if someone makes me feel that offended, then that is a lot.

I cannot speak about the food because I did not get a chance to try it, but I can’t speak about the service from the older lady if this had happened and I was only dealing with the younger lady I would probably give it another try at another time. Because of how rude the older lady was and how she treated me, I have no desire to ever step foot into “Swirk Soul Food” again. Honestly, I only wanted to stop there so my husband could get the hot-link sandwich, since he loves hot-links so much and we can’t find in stores.

All I will say is always ask for a receipts, check your charges and if you go into Swirk Soul Food, please look to the right of the kitchen door and see the prices that are not reflected on the menu in case they fail...

I ordered the biggest platter they have available. It comes with 1 filet, 2 ribs, a hit link, chicken thigh&leg, 4 shrimp, and 2 sides. I got fried Okra and Corn bread. Firstly... I didn't even get my cornbread, I got a double serving of okra, which normally I would not have minded as I love fried Okra, however they were terrible. It looked as if they were made in large batches and kept under a heating lamp all day. They were shriveled and dry... which as anyone who has eaten okra knows, is exceedingly hard to do. I chose a catfish filet and while the fish was cooked well it was severely lacking in flavor. Even an extra dash of salt would have helped this bland filet. They should have also trimmed it better knowing it was going in the deep fryer. The ends of the filet were very thin leading to them shriveling and getting very rubbery once cooked. The ribs were probably the worst thing on the entire platter. I went to pick one up and the bone was so charred that the bone literally broke off and the whole rib fell in my lap. It seems to me that the fire was much too hot as the outside of the ribs were done but you could easily tell they should have cooked longer. I would recommend lowering the temp by at least 100° because for then to get that burnt outside and remain uncooked on the interior implies extremely high heat and short cook time... the sauce was good though. The chicken thigh was a bit dry and really didn't stand out much from everything else. I can easily say the 4 shrimp they give you are the best part of the meal, however even those seemed blank and oily. I see they cook all the fish fresh to order so I can only assume that their deep fryer is very dirty and the oil should he changed soon... you can tell by how greasy the breading was and also the color after deep frying... the darker the shade the dirtier your oil is (when cooking for proper cook times) brand new oil leaves you with a very light golden shade. Probably won't come back again. It definitely wasn't worth the...

So, I was raised as a Catholic. Therefore, I still crave fried fish on Fridays. But, I can never find it and have to settle for a McDonald's fish filet or fish and chips. The fish and chips batter is not the same as crispy cornmeal is.

Well, yesterday I Googled and found Swirk's Soul food restaurant. I noticed good reviews, and one bad one, which seemed to be quite bitter. I don't agree with that one.

Smirk's is a small mom and pop neighborhood restaurant in Aurora that feels quite homey. It has been operated by a Sudanese husband and wife for over 13 years. They were very kind and welcoming.

They offer several seafood choices, in addition to other dishes, including shrimp, whiting, perch, catfish, and tilapia. I ordered a perch platter. It was fried crispy crispy as I like it. The portion was generous. The sweet potatoes were like candy yams with marshmallows....yummy for my tummy. My 2nd side was a generous and equally delicious portion of Cole slaw. I enjoyed half in the dining room, and had enough to take home.

The owners are so lovely and work hard to please customers. The restaurant was spotless, unlike what was claimed in the negative review.

There was maybe $1 difference in what was on the menu and what I was charged. That's not a big deal to me, given that food costs are high and always changing. Its hard to keep the menu and POS system in sync. I spent $24 for my meal, including a 15% tip. I was very satisfied!

This is a small family run business that is competing with corporate restaurants. You cannot judge them the same. Also, I've gone to many Asian and Mexican restaurants where the price is a mystery, and cleanliness doesn't seem to be a high priority.

Our people tend to hate on each other. In most minorities there are naysayers just because they don'tsupport each other, whether Africa, Black, Latino, or Asian. .... Crabs in a barrel mentality.

Swirk's was very pleasing to me. They work so hard, and sincerely and do not deserve the...