Truth Restaurant — Restaurant in Chicago

GATHER ROUND AND I SHALL TELL YOU A TALE!!!!! My girls and I wanted to try a local black owned restaurant. We've heard good things but were let down. How, you ask? Let me count the ways. Well the four of us entered and just awkwardly stood by the door. We didn't know whether to wait to be greeted or seat ourselves. So after a while we kind of shuffled to the back looking for a waitress and a man sitting down from a table asked did we want to sit inside or outside. There were no available tables so we chose outside. We peeped the scenery and saw old school customers. It was a very nice space with cool lighting and the music was good. We were happy- until we weren't. Girl #1 requested riesling, they didn't have it. Then asked for prosecco, coming right up.. So we place our orders. Girl #1 ordered a ravioli joint and calamari. Girl #2 ordered spicy chicken alfredo and stuffed mushrooms. Girl #3 only ordered calamari. I asked about the chicken parm, but the waitress was very honest and said get the spicy chicken alfredo instead which I appreciated. So I ordered that (no tomatoes and substituted angel hair instead of penne) plus garlic bread and a sprite. Remember the prosecco that was coming right up? Well, the waitress came back to say they were out of that too. So girl #1 ordered Hen and red bull, but the waitress came back to report they were out of red bull. So she settled for hen and sprite. So we're enjoying the vibes, talking and having our own little karaoke session because the music was EVERYTHING. The waitress brings an almost full glass of Hen and coke, even though girl #1 ordered Hen and sprite. She charged it to the game just to discover there was no Hennessy in the cup. So she brings out the calamari for girls 1 and 3 and she sends the virgin drink back. The girls both said the calamari lacked seasoning and didn't have the fancy garnish advertised in the menu-and to add insult to injury the sauce was straight out the jar. So the waitress brings back the hen and coke and I cancel my sprite it's been 10 minutes and the garlic bread was gone. So entrees come out. Girl #1's food looks good and she says it tastes good. I notice I had penne pasta instead of the angel hair. The waitress insists she take it back and correct it. She brings it back in like 2 minutes which made me happy. I also liked how it was super saucy. Meanwhile girl #2 discovers her food is cold and the waitress takes it back. She begins to investigate the "stuffed" mushrooms, which are more like veggies piled on top of a hidden portobello. Her food comes back, and she discovers her dish has no CHICKEN, and I point out no tomatoes. At this point the 4 of us are laughing at each other's misery- which was crazy since everyone around us seemed to be enjoying. She sent it back 1 more time, and when it came back she said the top was hot and the bottom was cold. We were over it all. It was like we were in the twilight zone since literally everyone around us was laughing drinking and grooving. Maybe because it was an older crowd and we were the youngins this was our hazing process. Maybe they were regulars and they knew what and what not to order. Maybe we were being punk'd. Who knows. We asked for the check, and regardless of it all I still left a 20% tip because it was still black owned, after all. She noticed girl #1 barely touched her calamari and asked did she like it. She replied no. Usually a waitress who asks has intentions on removing calamari from the bill or even discount her whole meal- Nope! After paying our separate bills (which I liked) she said she's sorry about all the mishaps and she hopes we will come back. No thanks, girl. 2023 Update it's now a breakfast/brunch/ lunch spot with a limited menu. I wish it was updated on Google because it's still under Italian restaurants so I suggest you it to my friend who wanted Italian... anyway we support black business so we didn't wanna up and leave. Anyway I wanted to order what I ordered last time (spicy chicken alfredo) but they only had penne pasta so I settled for the...

Came to support a comedy show and of course a small business. Being that the event was held in the tented area we waited for wait staff as there were 2 young ladies working. After 30 min of trying to order, I stopped a young man and asked him if I was able to order with him. He stated he was a “runner” and would get a “server” for me…great! A young lady appears shortly after and I place my order. As I tell my order(2 drinks 1 food item) she doesn’t write anything down and heads inside to put the order in…I ASSUMED! After waiting ANOTHER 25 min I go in because I see other event goers coming back and forth quicker with drinks by going themselves to the bar. As I walk in my waitress is behind the bar with the bartender and I ask about my order. She says “she is making them now” not knowing I heard the conversation between she and bartender that “those drinks were mine and someone else took them.” So now I am frustrated I am missing the show I came for and I’m dealing with HORRIBLE SERVICE. The bartender looks my way and ASSURES me she will take care of me right away, and she did. As the bartender is pouring the server gives me a bill for 60 dollars and some change I said wait is my food item on there also, she says you ordered food? I then reply, “don’t worry about it and I don’t want to work with you I’d prefer to work with the bartender”. The server then proceeds to tell me well it’s under my name….so I begin to sign and THEN noticed I had 18% gratuity added on for 2 DRINKS that I went and got myself. I would have much rather given that GUARANTEED tip to the bartender. I tried to show patience being a former bartender and current business owner, however this was UNACCEPTABLE!!! For the record, it’s not about the cost AT ALL, it’s about the POOR service given, and you want THE CONSUMER to tip AUTOMATICALLY. TRUTH is this may be a perfect opportunity area to meet with staff and explain the importance of a great customer experience and to service EVERYONE as if you are working for your TIPS instead of earning them automatically. That loses the ART of good service. Needless to say the event was GREAT just would have appreciated better service and more...

There was a roach in my food. I went to Truth restaurant on Monday, January 6, 2025. I was there with a friend who suggested this place. I had never been, but looking at the photos and the reviews, the food looked delicious. My friend and I both ordered the lamb chops, which came with potatoes and veggies. I also ordered a side of grits. The food came out quickly, and it looked just like the pictures I had seen online. I ate my side of grits first (they were delicious) and I ate one fork of my eggs and that's when I looked down and seen a roach on my plate, next to the green garnish. I could not believe it. I immediately jumped back when I saw it. A waiter was passing by, asked what was wrong, I told him, and before I could say or do anything, he immediately took my plate from me. These pics I posted are from when we first received our food. I did not even see the roach when the food first came out. When I got home, I looked at my pics and there it was. I contemplated writing this review, because I did not want to down this restaurant. But, I had to, and I will tell you why. A waitress let the owner know what happened and she came over immediately and apologized for the roach and comped our meal. She asked me if I wanted another meal on the house, I refused. I just wanted to leave. But, this was my problem with the owner, she blamed everything on her staff. She told my friend and I that her employees come in there and she does not know what they bring in and that she believed it was the cook who brought it in with his bookbag, she even pointed the cook out to us, and said she was going to make him put his bookbag outside. This was so unprofessional. She threw her employees under the bus. When I got home I continued to look at other reviews and there is a person named Tiffany who wrote a review about three weeks ago and she also mentioned there was a roach in her food. Read the reviews. I feel this is something that is not new to this restaurant and instead of doing there due diligence and getting an exterminator, they blame it on employees. I will not be going here again. So sad, because I did not even get a chance to taste...