The Neighborhood Gem
The Neighborhood Gem serves soulful South Side comfort food, from fried catfish with macaroni and yams to flavorful jerk shrimp, stuffed salmon Alfredo, and fiery jerk-chicken egg rolls. Regulars rave about the welcoming service—especially Desiree and Ash—generous portions, reasonable prices, and the clean, relaxed space that suits families or casual meals with friends. Takeout can run longer than quoted, and one reviewer felt the salmon portion was small for the price.
What 427 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“I will be coming again! The staff is polite and kind. The food made a good day into a great day. I ordered the sunday special with sweet potatoes on impulse before really reading the menu fully and this turned out to be an excellent decision.”
“Great service by Ash all of the time… And food great as always!!!!”
“I haven't been home Chicago in a minute, I was wanting some soul food I came across this Gem.. If you from Texas make stop by and say hello to Desiree... Tell her Darryl sent ya..”
“I Love this place! This was my 1st time going with a friend. Food was Delicious 2.0, reasonable prices, great customer service. You have to pay attention when driving or you might miss the sign/pass it up. I was surprised the place wasn't packed because they are just as good if not better than any other Soul Food place.”
“This restaurant was top tier with food and customer service. My kids and I stopped while we were visiting Chicago. The catfish, mac and cheese and sweet potatoes were so good. I highly recommend and will be back whenever I come back to Chicago. The staff was so friendly.”
“I got the pot roast egg rolls and a watermelon juice... fire 🔥!!! I placed the order online and received a call when my order was complete. The vibes were nice upon entrance and the lady who retrieved my order had such great energy! She gave me some recommendations for next time. The food was hot but it looked so good I had to start eating in the car. I will be back and asap...because why would they hit like that?! 🙌🏾👏🏾”
“Food was fantastic. I had the stuffed salmon n Alfredo,jerk shrimp,jerk corn.....”
“Got the fried catfish and it was amazing with a side of macaroni and yams a 10/10”
“Great food. Great, helpful and friendly staff. Made my Saturday complete!”
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