Normans Bistro
Company Details
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 3-11PM
Thursday: 3-11PM
Friday: 3-11PM
Saturday: 3-11PM
Sunday: 3-11PM
Contact Information
Chicago, Illinois, 60653
United States
Normans Bistro Reviews
Submitted by Zharmelle Redmond on 09/18/2022
Zharmelle Redmond 2 stars rating.
Recommended by a friend… the services was friendly however they weren’t the best with accommodating needs such as we had to keep reminding them to bring out water. The food I had were ribs, which were not flavorable. The barbecue sauce was bad. I asked for salt because they did not season the fries nor the ribs but I never got any. Very expensive place for not so good of food.
Submitted by Kamryn Sutton on 09/04/2022
Kamryn Sutton 5 stars rating.
I don't care what anyone says, this was one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at in my entire life. Anyone who left a 1-3 star review is uptight, high maintenance, and thinks they're some type of high-end food critic. DON'T LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHOSE FAVORITE FOOD IS MCDONALD'S AND FROZEN PIZZA.
I was in a party of 6; we ordered enough of the food to qualify me to speak on this menu---unlike some of the people in these reviews. The catfish, the gumbo, the po-boy, the pasta, the wings, the fried green tomatoes, etc.---EVERYTHING was incredible. Whereas some places will skimp on drinks, they were not messing around here!
The service was phenomenal, the owner was incredibly accommodating, and the atmosphere was insane. Live jazz music??? Stop playing with Norman!!!
Submitted by Sherri Willis-Prater on 09/04/2022
Sherri Willis-Prater 5 stars rating.
Omg ????! Extraordinary experience ????. The lobster ???? and shrimp ???? gumbo is incredible. I haven't had gumbo this delicious since New Orleans ????, it's better than Heaven on Seven was. Fried Green tomatoes are EVERYTHING! The cobbler and bread pudding are experiences you shouldn't miss.
No review is complete without mentioning the wonderful NORM impeccable service ????! I will be BACK
Submitted by Michelle Taylor on 08/14/2022
Michelle Taylor 2 stars rating.
Short staff and short patience. The waitress was very indirect in answering my questions regarding the menu. I ordered the 10 shrimp appetizers and they were imitation shrimp breaded like Aldi's brand. The ambiance was pleasant, revamp service and food to make the place worth visiting again for me. My own opinion.
Submitted by Thaila Davis on 06/19/2022
Thaila Davis 1 stars rating.
I usually don’t do these reviews but this must be said, I literally just walked out of this very disappointed I wanted to try this place because it is black owned and wanted to support especially on Juneteenth but the service was absolutely horrible. The wait staff must’ve been extremely busy with the other 2 people that were in there because we had to ask for menus after sitting at the table for 10 mins, but we moved on from that the waiter was very short no introduction of himself and he wouldn’t allow me to finish not one question regarding the menu… Let’s move forward we order our appetizers and entrees at the same time and waited a total of 45 mins and nothing was brought to us we watched 4 other tables come in sit down and leave after the wait which would’ve been understandable if the place was crowded but there was literally two other tables with people dining in, no one came to table to check on us or anything me and my friend decided to leave as we were leaving we wanted to tell the server we signaled for him to come over he ignored us and continued to text so we got up and the response as we were walking away was oh well…. I was truly disappointed because the owner of this establishment is a family friend and he’s very pleasant and I know for a fact he doesn’t know his business is being ran this way
Submitted by Jan Austin on 06/14/2022
Jan Austin 5 stars rating.
Met friends for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised with the band. The music was awesome. The owner Norman was present and made all his customers feel welcome. The Bartender and Wait Staff were overwhelming attentive. Food is good, although I had appetizers and a drink. Norman Bistro is very clean and the staff took special care is cleaning public areas. Street parking is pretty good. Come when the weather is warm and enjoy outdoor dining, a true delight.
Submitted by 1 Blaquegirl on 06/10/2022
1 Blaquegirl 5 stars rating.
Fabulous restaurant venue and private party space . The food is superb and the specialty drinks compliment the wonderful indoor and outdoor environment
Submitted by Kristina Walls on 05/25/2022
kristina walls 1 stars rating.
My family and I visited Normans pre pandemic and were very pleased but this time, our experience was far from it. To start, I'm pretty sure the meals used to come with two sides which would've made more sense for a well rounded meal. Two, it seemed like they LITERALLY had just two servers for both sides. I assume so not only because I only saw two servers but also because the restaurant side only had two other tables, the service was still slow. I ordered what I ordered the last time I came but this time, my food was completely different and not at all appetizing. My husband ordered the blackened catfish which would have probably been good had they bothered to season both sides of the fish. For sides we had red beans and rice, greens, and yams, we did not like any of it. We expressed our dismay to our server and all we were told is that they now have Latino cooks who are not really able to execute a soul food experience. Not once did they offer for us to try something different or take off even the sides that we did not touch. When we asked to speak to a manager we were told we could have Normans phone number which meant there was literally no manager on duty which is cause for an automatic failure had I been an inspector. All in all, I love supporting my own but you have to take pride in what you're presenting to the public and unfortunately, this establishment could care less so my family and I will not be back.
Submitted by Jo Michelle Hale on 05/09/2022
Jo Michelle Hale 2 stars rating.
Love the Gumbo and love the Sunday night Jazz. In the past I've given Norman's Bistro 5 stars but I edited my review. I'm giving 2 stars for the food and jazz.The customer service my husband and I received on Mother's Day by the young man waiter was poor!! We were not asked if we wanted anything to drink before our meal. If it wasn't for the Host we probably would not had received glasses of water. The waiter never refilled our water glasses and didn't check to see if our meals were ok. When I ordered a wine I had to remind him to get it after waiting awhile. We were very patient and didn't give him a hard time so there was no excuse for the poor service. The food was good but the waiter who served us need a personality and customer service training!!
Submitted by Darien Harris on 04/28/2022
Darien Harris 5 stars rating.
I had an amazing experience at this restaurant! The staff was very cordial, professional, as well as attentive. The two gentlemen, Chuck and Darryl, who were responsible for the food and beverages, were outstanding! I highly recommend this hidden gem to anyone looking for great food, great music, and an even greater dining experience! To the owner Norman, your stamp of excellence will not go unnoticed!
Submitted by Elle T on 10/30/2021
Elle T 1 stars rating.
It’s was horrible. Corn in the collard greens. Mashed sweet potatoes taste like baby food. Gravy from the pack. Pork chops fried in fish fry and not flower. Off brand cranberry juice. Don’t even try the macaroni.the cornbread muffin was the ONLY good thing.
Submitted by Andreika S on 08/10/2020
Andreika S 5 stars rating.
The customer service here is superb. We got there and realized that I didn't have my mask. The owner stopped us and had someone give me a mask. We had the Henny Sidecar and a watermelon margarita. The drinks were amazing and full of spirits. Now on to the food, the seafood gumbo was EVERYTHING! The Chipotle pasta was amazing too. Even the sweet potato fries were amazing, the best I've ever eaten. Thank you so much and we will definitely be back.
