Lior's Cafe — Restaurant in Lake Township

First and foremost I would like to say that the review that I am leaving is written with love. I am a reside of the state of florida who came to visit my cousin who lives in Chicago. We are 100 percent Haitian and we were looking forward to a taste the cuisine of our culture in Chicago. We came for the full menu provided on line, however we were advised that it was brunch. We were taken back by it being brunch however we still were looking forward to tasting the food from our culture. We looked at the menu and were confused because as Haitians we did not see a few items such as Haitian spaghetti 🍝 with boiled eggs. Haitian oatmeal which is called avwon. Haitian soup called Bouillon which is just as popular as soup joumou which is on the menu and lacks a lot of the Haitian culture. In addition the soup joumou had To much noodles and not enough vegetables. As a restaurant that is a suppose to be a direct reflection of the culture I feel as thou it is doing a disservice to the community. I am asking that you kindly revise the ingredients and the menu and make it more cultural based. When we go to a Chinese restaurant we cannot ask for collard greens and neck bones because we are anticipating to get Chinese cuisine not American food. I am asking that with all due respect the same way each nationality expects there cuisine to be pleasing to there consumers, provide that same expectation to those who come into the restaurant expecting to eat Haitian food. Also please educate your selves on the Haitian foods seasoning spices and most importantly food options and dishes to expand your menu accordingly to provide your consumers with an authentic food experience while at your establishment. Chicago was founded by a Haitian Warrior by the name of Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable your restaurant has him big as day on the outside of your establishment I think he would be super disappointed by lack of implementation of his culture with your brunch...

Worst dinning experience of my life! The lack of service and communication at Lior’s Cafe was beyond unacceptable. We were there celebrating a friend’s 45th birthday and yes we had a larger party. Which was later expressed as problematic. It would’ve been nice if it was communicated that they were short staffed and they couldn’t provide the level of service needed to accommodate a larger party, then maybe I would’ve shown some grace for a newly opened black owned restaurant. However, we were informed of this information after 2 hours of waiting. The male waiter who served our party became defensive after we asked him about the wait time and acted as if he was doing us a favor by providing what he thought was a high level of service as we waited. This “high level of service” neglected to bring several starters and drinks we ordered within 15 mins of sitting down. Additionally, this same waiter ignored a diner’s request of verifying if any of the dishes on the menu were prepared with tree nut oil. Overlooking this request could’ve been life threatening. Maybe it was in divine order we didn’t receive our food. The manager did come over after we started to question the male waiter, however he wasn’t able to provide an ETA on when our table would receive food. After another 10 mins about half of the party started to receive food. After waiting another 15mins, the remaining guests still hadn’t received the food we ordered. This was my last straw, so I paid for the starter I had and left. What’s even more disappointing is I drove home which was 15-20 mins away and the remaining diners still hadn’t received their food. Lior’s Cafe deserves ZERO stars! Please do better and provide the next large party with the level of service they deserve for coming to support...

First, I would like to say it makes me so happy that we FINALLY have a Haitian restaurant in the city again. That being said, the atmosphere in the restaurant was wonderful! The decor is beautiful, from the ceiling lights to the canvas paintings on the wall. It definitely gave me that Caribbean feel. They even had some good Haitian kompa music playing! Secondly, the staff was very friendly! My family and I were greeted with a smile by every staff member we encountered. Now, me being a Haitian woman I will say the food was just okay. I ordered the Accra (malanga fritters) as an appetizer, the stew Goat (Cabrit avec sauce) which came with banan pezè (fried plantains), pikliz (spicy Haitian cabbage similar to cole slaw), diri djon djon (haitian mushroom rice) and macaroni au gratin (Haitian baked Mac & cheese). I would say the Accra was really good a 10/10, however it came out the same time as our main course which was a little frustrating. The taste made up for it though lol. Also the stew goat was very tasty! It was seasoned and cooked just how my mummy and aunties used to make it! The pikliz wasn’t that spicy and needed more acidity. It was also a little too crunchy, probably should’ve been soaked a little longer. Also, the macaroni was more of a soul food style baked Mac & cheese, definitely NOT macaroni au gratin. As far as the diri ak djon djon, the color and taste was not what I expected but it was alright. The banan pezè was nice and crispy, but the seasoning on it was just okay. Overall, I would say it was a good experience. The staff and atmosphere would be my favorite part, and also the Accra :) I will definitely be back to try the...