Soul Vibez - Chicago — Restaurant in Chicago

We visited the River North location, we had a party of 7 (4 adults and 2 children 1 infant). This location has two restaurants in one with two menus (CBINM/vegan menu & Soul Vibez). We all ordered at the same time. The vegan menu items came to the table within a reasonable timeframe (about 20 mins) than we waited…and waited….and decided we would eat our food even though the dinner for the rest of our party had not arrived….they continued to wait while we ate…and wait…and wait...and wait. The appetizers arrived, but it had been an one hour and 10-20 mins by this point. After a little while longer I waved over a gentleman that was wearing a black suit & tie who looked like he was the manager or owner and he smiled and waved back, when I motioned for him to come to the table, he stepped closer and I began telling him that there was an issue with our order…he made a hand gesture said ‘okay, okay’ and walked away. I had literally just begun trying to tell him what was going on! None of us were mad, we were enjoying our conversation, and the kids were not being fussy, but I wanted him to be aware of it (hoping he would help) and it was frustrating. By now, those of us who had gotten our food all finished eating, asked for ‘To Go’ containers and decided that the other two dinners should just be packed to go. It took an additional 20 mins. to get the one order and it was plated, so we asked the waitress for a ‘To Go’ container. At this point we are still waiting for the last plate to be served (fried chicken wings (3) and two sides) ….and waiting ….and waiting. The manager (guy in the black suit) walked by close enough to see us, I asked him to come in just a little closer and said “we still haven’t gotten the fried chicken plate, and it’s…” he cut me off and as he turn and walked away to another table said “it’s all good” with his hand up in the air. | NO M’Fer it ain’t all good! | At this point I had to wonder if he really was the manager or just some guy that walked in from the street with a suite and was pretending to be part of the establishment, because he sure did not have any industry skill. Anyway, we waited about another 20 mins. and we had already paid both bills, they didn’t offer to reduce any percentage of our tab nor remove the price of the friend chicken dinner (that we had not gotten), so we couldn’t just leave. I didn’t want to make a fuss about them taking off the price of the food because they are a small business after all and this industry is harder for small business owners, but I think they should have been proactive about the situation and tried to make a bad experience right. Finally, I noticed the ‘so called’ manager talking to the hostess, and he had what looked like a card and a bag. I told my husband, ‘I think he is going to give us a gift card to make up for the wait and it looks like the food is finally coming.’ They both pointed at our table as they were talking, went back inside and that was that. About 3 mins later our waitress looked at us confused because we were still there. While the waitress was asking us if we were still waiting for our food, the manager comes out and asked if I was Kia, because the bag he had in his hand when he was talking to the hostess was for a person named Kia and it was a takeout order. I told him we had ordered at the table with all our other food almost 3 hours ago, and we were waiting on one last dish. He said 'this is it, but it says Kia, who is Kia?' Our waitress’s name was Kia, and he had no idea who Kia was! Then he tried to tell us the order had been there and had been ready but was just sitting there- no apology no nothing. The manager’s service and kitchen were not worth the $250+ (without tip) bill. Had the manager 1: listened (or pretended to care) 2: given us a discount, 3: Given us a gift card or even just apologized, I would have considered returning and giving them another chance. Unfortunately, he did not, and we will not be visiting Soul Vibez at either of their locations, nor will I visit their...

Visited from Texas for the weekend and decided to try Soul Vibes for brunch. We arrived to a long line outside, spoke to the young man at the door, and were told the wait would be “no longer than 2 hours.” We agreed, left to grab Starbucks and browse nearby spots, and came back when we got the text 2 hours later.

There was no line when we returned, but we still spent another 15 minutes being shuffled from spot to spot before finally being seated. Once seated, we already knew what we wanted, but no one came by or even acknowledged us for another 15 minutes—until someone came just to drop off silverware. Ten more minutes later, our waitress arrived… With an attitude.

She took our orders. My partner ordered beignets and she asked if he wanted them with his food- he said yes. She left, came back 20 minutes later with my drink from the bar, while he had only ordered a lemonade. While waiting, we noticed several things that are likely slowing service. Though the music was great, I got a FULL (unsolicited) performance from the guy that was working the register.

Our waitress sat at the bar & was speaking with the bartender, and on her phone. Meanwhile, my partner still had no drink. I thought maybe that’s what she was waiting on until I realized he wasn’t getting alcohol. I waited a few more minutes, and watched her scroll on her phone before I went to ask for his drink. I was very polite with it, I don’t believe in being nasty with someone that’s handling my food. She initially said “I got you”, but as I was walking off she shouted “he said he wanted it with his food, so that’s when I was gon bring it!”. I VERY kindly disagreed & told her he said that about his beignets, not his drink.

She then bypassed our table entirely to serve others. At this point, we’d been there over an hour with no food and still no drink for him. Frustrated, he went outside to cool off. While there, he noticed Chalet next door- no wait, and still serving brunch for another 30 minutes (which is what we wanted from the start- but after waiting for so long Soul Vibes was no longer serving it). Meanwhile, our waitress finally brought his drink, slamming it down without a word.

He came back, told me about Chalet, and I said, “Let’s go- her attitude is too bad for how long we’ve been waiting.” If it took this long for drinks, I could only imagine how long the food would take. We left.

As we were waiting at Chalet, the waitress from Soul Vibes came over and said, “You didn’t pay for your drink!”. I told her that I didn’t drink any of it, never touched it at all actually. But i’m sure she already knew that, as she didn’t argue with me or say anything else. She just typed on her device and said, “So y’all want to cancel?!” We said yes. Her response: “Y’all could’ve said something!” before storming off.

Bottom line: If people choose to wait that long, staff should be more accommodating. After a 2-hour wait, hot and hungry customers shouldn’t be met with bad attitudes and slow service.

On a positive note: Chalet’s staff was amazing, and the food was exactly what we were...

I had an incredible experience on a Tuesday night that I just have to share! The wait time was only about 15-20 minutes, and I decided to relax in the car until it was our turn.

Just as I was making my way across the street, the host came out to greet us! It was a spontaneous outing with my bonus sister, who bravely joined me on a workday when our schedules finally aligned.

We were seated comfortably in a cozy booth and chair—perfect for our small party. I noticed that larger groups were waiting for tables, but the staff managed the smaller space like pros. Our server took our order before clocking out for the day, and after another brief wait of about 15-20 minutes, our refreshing waters arrived, followed by our appetizers just 10 minutes later. We couldn’t resist trying the oysters and jerk chicken nachos.

Let me tell you, the oysters were a treat! They arrived piled high with spinach, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs, topped with lemon wedges and a hint of Tabasco sauce. Five on the plate left me wishing for just one more. The jerk chicken nachos were fantastic, too, though I was surprised to find chicken chunks instead of the anticipated shredded chicken. A little extra lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, and sour cream mixed throughout would have taken them to the next level!

Soon after, our entrees arrived—a tantalizing stuffed chicken drizzled in a Cajun cream sauce, served with greens, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and cornbread. The chicken was juicy and flavorful; however, there was a curious comment from my dining partner who thought it tasted somewhat like salmon. I found it delicious, but taste is subjective! The greens were a bit lackluster in flavor, but the macaroni and cheese was a comforting delight. The sweet potatoes stole the show, along with the creamy mac and cheese. The cornbread had an unexpected sweetness, reminiscent of pound cake.

Next, I tried the fried catfish served with creamy grits and more macaroni and cheese. The crust on the catfish was perfection, but I found the actual fish a bit lacking in texture, and the grits felt overly milky. Overall, it was still quite spectacular.

To round off our meal, we indulged in some refreshing lemonade to go—an irresistible blend of mango, peach, and mixed berries that was simply outstanding. The entire vibe, from the service to the food, was wonderful, and I walked away satisfied after spending just $130....